Couple Says They Were Booted From Uber for Kissing
A short kiss was the reason a same-sex couple was allegedly booted from an Uber and left on the side of the highway recently in Houston, Texas.
According to reports from Click 2 Houston, Randall Magill and Jose Chavez were leaving a holiday party when they decided to head home in an Uber. After the newly engaged couple shared a quick kiss in the driver's van, the driver pulled over and told them to get out.
"I can't take you no more. I'm going to have to drop you guys off," the driver said, according to Chavez.
"He proceeds to pull off the freeway, not in any safe space place or anything, [and] leaves us on the corner of 59 and New Castle, right next to the concrete sound barrier," Magill said.
Chavez and Magill believe they were kicked out of the Uber because they are a same-sex couple — not because of the smooch. They did say that the driver told them he's asked straight couples to get out of his car for kissing as well.
"I've never had a bad experience with Uber," said Magill. "I was super disappointed. Everyone I have ever ridden with has been very nice, very respectful. Even the ones I could tell were not so comfortable with carrying us, they were very respectful."
This wouldn't be the first time an Uber driver has refused service to a same-sex couple for something of this nature. In 2016, a gay couple was allegedly kicked out of an Uber in San Francisco, again for kissing. The company has fired drivers for similar discriminatory actions in the past.
Uber's community guidelines say that passengers should not touch, flirt or engage in sexual acts. The same guidelines state that the company "has a zero tolerance policy towards discrimination of any kind."
Violating these rules can lead to loss of access to the Uber platform.
"Uber does not tolerate any form of discrimination. We take these types of reports seriously and have been in touch with the rider and driver on the experience described here," an Uber spokeswoman told TPG.
Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images.
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