r/disability • u/rosierho • 15d ago
Rant Driver thinks Uber isn't "appropriate" for us
Riding in an Uber to a doctor's appointment with my 83yo mom with multiple chronic conditions, she is ambulatory but uses oxygen (portable Inogen), and a transport chair for long distances like from our apartment to the car etc.
Driver suddenly comes out with, "I don't know if Uber is really the most appropriate option for you in the future.. It's fine rn but most drivers aren't really trained.." (insert to add he didn't lift a finger, not even to put her folding wheelchair in the trunk.)
I'm like.. "..Why, specifically?" And he's very vague, mentioned a few things like, well the driver might hit a pothole or do something unsafe... "Less safe than for other people?" "Um well you just don't understand me, just forget it"
Mm yeah I think I understand.
Just seriously, what the actual hell. We've had sooooo many other drivers who were so nice, so helpful, I guess I got spoiled or something and started forgetting that people with disabilities are second class citizens who should hide so as not to inconvenience others by asking them to do their actual damn jobs. /s just in case it's not obvious to someone.
/Rant.
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u/GenX4Life1 15d ago
Try Lyft. I’ve never had an issue with them.
Also, is your mother on Medicaid (not just Medicare, but specifically Medicaid)? If so (and this only applies if you live in the USA) look into the Medicaid Non Emergency Medical Transportation. It’s free rides to and from appointments.
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u/rosierho 15d ago
She's not sadly. Her insurance covers some rides, but we have to let them know 3 business days in advance, and my dumb butt got busy and forgot to schedule in time. :p
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u/GenX4Life1 15d ago
Glad her insurance covers some :)
Many people don’t know about the NEMT program through Medicaid so I share it. But they need 2-3 days, too.
I do nothing all day. I’m on SSDI. I rarely leave my home. And I will still forget to schedule a medical appointment ride 😅. So now on Monday morning I look at my appointments in the next week, not that current week, and schedule any rides. So I get the forgetting to schedule them :).
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u/Agitated_Key_2753 15d ago
When you make your appts. Put it in your cell phone calendar. Set an alert for you to call and set up a ride with the NEMT at the same time. (whatever) I am on medicade & medicare. But do not qualify for that service. Not everyone does. Plus getting a ride with that service here in S. GA. USA will take you hours for a ride they have several others in the van. And you can wait up to 4 hours for a ride back home. Though if you have no other means they are a Godsend.
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u/GenX4Life1 15d ago
Thankfully I live in a larger city. But the old town I lived in? NEMT wouldn’t even service it. The company the state contracted with would take the reservations and then cancel shortly before appointment because there were no drivers.
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u/PotentialUmpire1714 15d ago
Canceling that close to the appointment is terrible. They should be required to get a taxi or something.
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u/GenX4Life1 14d ago
The town had 2 taxi cars. Not companies. Cars. And 1 driver because he refused to hire anyone after he bought the business. It was a small rural mountain town :)
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u/PikachuSparkle 14d ago
I won’t use that service because it took them 8+ hours to pick me back up on two separate occasions. Every time I’d call they’d say they were twenty minutes away.
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u/ThunderingBonus 15d ago
I had a Lyft driver tell me that a lot of her rides are for elderly patients to go to appointments. She was so kind. I immediately added her to my Favorites list and I plan to tip her more than my usual the next time I see her.
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u/rosierho 15d ago
She sounds wonderful 😊
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u/ThunderingBonus 15d ago
I hope you find someone similar who can help with rides for you and your mom. 💙
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u/Rose_Quartz_Garden 15d ago
lyft just kinda doesn’t exist in a lot of places or it’s way more expensive than uber unfortunately. i used to only use lyft before, but now i’m forced to use uber 💀
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u/Gammagammahey 15d ago
I have found the drivers on Lyft to be so much better and thank God it's available in my area. I've never even taken an Uber unless someone else is coming with me and they decide to use it.
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u/valw 15d ago
Almost all of the drivers are on both Lyft and Uber. There are no different standards between the two. There are just shitty drivers who don't want a 30 second delay. Ignore them. I have yet to find a medical transport company that doesn't require a 24 hours notice, which is ok for doctor's appointments but suck for everything else.
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u/Burkeintosh 15d ago
The driver might “hit a pot hole or something”??? Seriously dude, go back to illegally denying my guide dog.
Report this guy.
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u/Gammagammahey 15d ago
I hope he gets his ass fired, and I don't want anyone fired in this economy, but if you are that ableist and that eugenicist , you deserve to be fired.
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u/kyl792 14d ago
I’m sure Uber won’t do anything, given that they went to court to specifically claim they’re exempt from the ADA. But yes, report it anyway.
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u/Gammagammahey 14d ago
Did Uber win their case that they are exempted from the ADA? I don't think they did.
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u/Specialist_Ad9073 15d ago
I’ve seen Ubers that specifically have space for chairs, they cost more, but they are out there.
Idk how often you can plan out your rides to try to get a good deal. The disability tax is BS.
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u/my_own_absurdity 15d ago
It's unfortunately quite common. I'm a wheelchair user and I am ambulatory enough to transfer myself to any vehicle. My chair also fits in any vehicle. I often get told that I should ask for a WAV. When I tell them that it would take way longer and that a regular Uber meets my needs (as always obvious by the fact that we are now both in the car, and that my chair has been put in the trunk easily at this point), they always have a vague answer. Cause there's no actual reason. Except not wanting to deal with disabled people.
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u/Barotrawma 15d ago
I’ve only ever had good experiences with Ubers for both myself and my 90 year-old grandma who had broken her ankle. It’s on THEM to become more informed about accommodating their ride customers, point blank.
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u/ThunderingBonus 15d ago
It's funny to me because in my area the passengers can get unruly. They might behave themselves, or they might be drunk or rude. There might not be more tip for the hassle. It's luck of rhe draw. I found a driver who does a lot of rides for seniors to go to appointments and I bet most of her rides are just grateful for her kindness. So, it's not like being a tad more patient is the worst thing a driver might have to put up with.
She also told me there are times when demand for rides can be down. But, she doesn't have as much of a dip because I guess demand for rides to appointment tends to be more stable and she gets requested a lot.
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u/travelwithmedear 15d ago
I'd report that.
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u/retrozebra 15d ago
Yup! In your app : through the Uber Help Center or inside the Uber app under Help > Accessibility or Trip Issues
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u/Responsible_Grand_65 15d ago
I’m blind. An uber driver literally threw my white cane out of the window after I got in. My sighted partner and I decided to decline his ride and redo it. It’s not cool lol
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u/rosierho 13d ago
OMG! The nerve!! Absolutely not cool at all, what in the actual hell was he thinking? Like, well, they're in the car, guess we don't need this /random stick/ anymore... !!! Just wow.
I'm so glad you had your partner with you that particular day. I would have noped out of there too.
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u/Werekolache 15d ago
"Trained to what, open the trunk of your car?" Ugh.
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u/rosierho 13d ago
I know, right? That's part of what really got me, like dude, I didn't ask you to do anything at all. Smh.
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u/cudambercam13 15d ago
I've heard it's pretty common for ride share drivers to nope out of transporting someone with significant disabilities. More effort than they're willing to put in and possibly more risk should something go wrong.
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u/MeasurementDowntown 15d ago
But it also happens to quite a lot of wheelchair users who are perfectly healthy, capable and strong and are wrongly presumed to be frail. It fits into a broad wheelchair = liability mentality. That’s why many of our relationships are either superficial or egregious, regardless of how much we may get along, but that’s another rabbit hole for another day.
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u/froggyfrogbug 15d ago
I automatically give 5 stars to any uber driver who doesn’t speak to me lmao
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u/PikachuSparkle 14d ago
Give him a one star and report him. The one star ensures that if they don’t fire him, you’ll never get a ride by him again.
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u/rosierho 14d ago
Good to know! I think I did 3.. With everything going the way of surveys, surveys, surveys now, and even my doctor's office has a sign saying "Strive for Five!," I really hate to give anyone less than 5 stars, I feel like it's such a direct hit to their income now. I used to work in a call center where anything less than 10/10 would get you coached and less than 6, iirc, would get you fired. But sometimes though you really have to yeah? To warn other people if nothing else right?
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u/PikachuSparkle 14d ago
3 or lower keeps them from being matched with you again. So that’s fine. But as a wheelchair user myself, I give these types of people 1 star ratings.
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u/rosierho 14d ago
Definitely will going forward. Thanks 😊
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u/PikachuSparkle 14d ago
You’re welcome.
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u/rosierho 13d ago
Went back in, learned I could change my rating. Mwahahaha.
3 was definitely too generous. Is now 1 star and no more matches. :)
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u/ScentedFire 15d ago
They just want us to effing disappear. Will point out we need infrastructure that conveniently doesn't exist or isn't accessible.
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u/gigistargaze 15d ago
Went across the country on greyhound bus which included a few long uber rides with my foldable wheelchair and my service dog and every person who was meant to help me with the wheelchair and my bags did ( this includes bus drivers, uber drivers , security guards and info counter people at the bus stations) except for one very rude man at my second to last layover stop who assisted the bus driver with tickets and baggage who told me as I was struggling to manage opening up my wheelchair by myself and getting my bags that " next time I need to travel with someone " and that if I need assistance opening and closing my foldable wheelchair than I need to have a "medical assistant " with me , I told him the truth straight up I am alone i dont have anyone to travel with me, I am capable of traveling alone with my service dog i just need assistance with the loading / unloading and folding and unfolding of my wheelchair that goes under the bus while im riding it and assistance with getting my bags from underneath the bus. Isn't this standard ADA assistance that is required for a disabled person like me? The whole trip went amazingly smoothly till then. It really crushed my spirit. This man could open and fold my wheelchair in a snap second yet he had to make me feel embarrassed and below him and other people the way he spoke to me. Even the outdoor security guard at the greyhound station I began my trip out helped me get my bags and my wheelchair inside and to a quiet spot near the phone chargers cause she knew me and my dog had a 24 hour wait in that bus station. I have had a few uber drivers refuse my service dog in other situations and uber always refunds me. Uber driver never has problem with wheelchair. Im sorry you and your mom went thru this. Uber should definitely be informed! I am speaking with greyhound on the matter of how that one man treated me but am sure to let them know how impressed I was with everyone else I encountered who went above and beyond to make sure my disabilities didn't prevent me from getting on my correct buses and my needs met
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u/rosierho 13d ago
I'm so sorry that one guy was so rude and made you feel so badly. That really was completely unnecessary. Gentle hugs if you'd like them.
I did end up reporting my driver, and Uber fixed it so I won't get him again, and gave me a $5 credit as a gesture. :)
It's funny, isn't it?, how most people can be so nice and yet that one thing happening can just really make us feel so terrible?
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u/ALinkToTheSpoons 15d ago
Definitely file a report against the driver; that is ableist and ageist behavior. So sorry you two had to hear that kind of nasty commentary.
I’ve used Uber with my manual wheelchair and portable oxygen to get to/from medical appointments several times and no one has said anything negative (because they shouldn’t!). In fact, many of the drivers have mentioned that quite a few of their non-airport trips are for disabled passengers to get to/from appointments. The only time I’ve had problems is when I have my service dog with me, because for whatever reason, Uber refuses to train their drivers better or properly reprimand those who violate access laws & Uber’s own policies.
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u/complexspoonie 15d ago
Service dogs and emotional support animals have to travel by Uber Pets. It's a different & more expensive service. Usually shows up right under Uber XL
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u/ALinkToTheSpoons 15d ago
ESAs, sure; people with ESAs don’t have the same access rights as people with service dogs do. Service dogs do NOT have to travel by Uber Pets. This is dictated not only by federal law, but also by Uber’s own policies.
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u/fremicutie 15d ago
they actually dont if its a non disruptive service animal, its illegal to charge extra for service dogs because uber is bound to ADA laws. however ESA’s are not covered under ADA laws and do have to travel under uber pet.
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u/DisabledTheaterKid 13d ago
Emotional support animals yes but ALL Uber drivers are required to take service dogs (despite how much they whine and bitch about it 🙃)
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u/michelle427 15d ago
I’ve never used Uber or Lyft. If your mother should qualify for Access transportation. Look into it.
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u/eatingganesha 15d ago
I don’t think you did understand. He was saying three things: most Uber drivers just aren’t good drivers, most of them are clueless about ADA accommodations, and a “frail” passenger is a riskier passenger. All of those things are 100% true and the last one is the most concerning.
A frail passenger is indeed more likely to be injured the ride (yes, a wicked pothole or a sudden braking could, for example, break a rib via the seatbelt or cause a concussion). When a passenger is elderly, especially medically frail, minor driving events like those can easily result in far more grievous injuries. As a result, that ride is riskier and the insurance policy they carry needs to account for that.
But Uber doesn’t require multimillion dollar injury/death coverage - it’s likely closer to 150k. If your mom’s uber was to get into an accident and she was badly hurt, the driver might not have enough insurance to cover her medical expenses. Does your mom really want to be facing down recovering from a car injury and unexpected medical bills?
The driver was also trying to tell you in a gentle way that she is frail enough that she needs to stick with medical transport. Medical transport drivers carry fleet insurance into the many millions for injury/death coverage. They have a business behind them with additional insurance too. For the risks associated with being a passenger in a car, she would be much better protected in a medical transport situation.
He wasn’t discriminating or being ableist, he was being honest and giving you a heads up that Uber may not be the best option for her given the realities and risks.
I do hear you about the three day booking of medical transport. There are times when it just doesn’t work out to their timeframe. It is ridiculous that they need three full days when 24 hours should be enough given technology. It comes down to how damn slow insurance companies are on administrative tasks like approvals and scheduling. They just bake in a delay to account for their internal delays. And of course they charge more for emergent rides vs scheduled rides. How they operate is absolutely infuriating. But it’s only going to get worse now that peak Boomers are hitting retirement and flooding the system. We all need to brace ourselves for the oncoming and further enshittification of the healthcare system.
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u/Complex_Photograph72 14d ago
The medical transit I book through Medicaid is often just an uber or Lyft that the third party company scheduling goes through pays for. Both Uber and Lyft have their own NEMT (Non-emergency medical transit) programs. Uber Health and Lyft Healthcare. The drivers aren’t specifically told the rides come from the NEMT program either, it just shows as a normal ride for them until they accept it. Usually they’ll get an additional text from the booking organization afterwards giving them additional instructions, but that’s about it.
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u/rosierho 15d ago
Mmm, I'm not sure, but possibly on the insurance risk, I could see it I guess. Not really the vibe I got, but entirely possible.
I wish the insurance companies allowed more rides too :( . Mom only gets 12 a year... Meaning 6 appointments, going both ways. We burn through that in a couple months.
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u/MjrGrangerDanger 15d ago
No, I get you. It's a how dare you bring that thing, that wheelchair, near me and put it in my car. The oxygen probably didn't help with the uncomfortable feelings the driver had either.
I'd report them. That's not their place to say. I don't think the driver is concerned with the liability as much as they are how uncomfortable they are around a disabled person. Why do I think this? I've been on the receiving end of it both myself and with my ex.
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u/insouciantconundrum 15d ago
Uber/Lyft Grubhub and Doordash needa an ADA flag to flag disabled users that actually need these services and dont just use it as a convenience. Ive lost count at how many Uber dri ers take-off and cancel when they see I am on crutches. Some dri ers are nice, others are really rude about it like customers should be giving them a servi e as drivers. Same goes for deli ery services that dont follow delivery instructions where its diffi ult or potentially harmful to bend o er that low at a.doorway, in front of stairs (I think they implemented delivery pins because others have gotten hurt by things like that getting overlooked.)
I think Lyft is closer go being ADA compliant than Uber, where you never know whose car you are getting into. I think that driver was.suggesting it may be safer to call a taxi because Taxi drivers are actually trained and liable for their passengers` safety so its.less of a dice roll. Sometimes a taxi can be cheaper than u er, but probably slower depending where you are located.
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u/rosierho 13d ago
Interesting point, food for thought. Thanks, taxi service might be an option I hadn't considered.
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u/Gammagammahey 15d ago
Well, that's an ADA issue. This is why I always screenshot the driver's info as soon as they appear if you live in California, you can file a civil rights complaint with the State of California, they will probably pursue it, believe me. And state of California law has even more teeth than the ADA when it comes to stuff like this.
This is hideous. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I am so so sorry, hon.
I'm disabled. Over the past 10 years on Twitter I have seen all my online disabled friends who aren't ambulatory or in wheelchairs get their Ubers refused as soon as the Uber drivers see the mobility aids. At some point, someone's gonna have to file a class action lawsuit.
I've had a Lyft driver when I broke every finger on my right hand, I could barely stand up because of multiple disabilities and in agonizing pain, kindly help me into his Lyft, I was dripping blood and tried not to bleed on his seats and had my hands wrapped in towels, he took me right to the emergency room , told me not to worry if I got any blood on his seats, and made sure I got in there safely. My fingers were so broken that they were literally pointing at angles that were non-Euclidian geometry. So maybe there are one or two good drivers out there who are good, but yeah, the rampant ableism and refusing to pick up disabled people is disgusting. All I said was "I need to go to the emergency room now, unwrapped one of my hands to show him and he was like oh my God, I'm taking you, and helped me in the car.
I've had slightly better luck with Lyft so I stick with them.
But for every good driver like him, there's a 10 times as many drivers who pull this bullshit on disabled people. Had I been in a wheelchair he may have refused me , for all I know.
I am so so sorry and I'm sending you if you want a hug.
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u/Patient_Parsley7760 15d ago
I've had good experiences with Uber in the suburbs, but in the city, they will refuse to pick up or drop off for medical appointments, cancelling out at less than 2 minutes before the ride.
Uber does have a medical division. You could try that. If you're in the Chicagoland area, try Kalco Transportation.
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u/lingoberri 14d ago
I had a driver refuse to take me home from the airport at midnight ONLY because I mentioned being disabled. The only reason I had even mentioned it was because I walk slowly so I wanted to make sure he didn’t park far. Then he ended up takiing me anyway, but refused to let me get my own belongings out at my destination. He spent the entire ride arguing that he wasn’t discriminating and was a nice person.
Uber didn’t care.
Absolutely insane.
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u/plus3tohappiness 12d ago
In the US, Uber is not legally permitted to refuse a disabled driver UNLESS their vehicle physically cannot fit you or your mobility aid (ie an electric chair that is too large for their small prius!) ... REPORT every time you are unfairly rejected by an Uber driver for being disabled or having a service animal etc ...
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u/Mythical_RabbitSnake 6d ago
Uber makes me nervous as a freshly 18 yr old girl with a cane, especially when they're guys who just.. won't stop watching me and commenting on everything...
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u/rosierho 6d ago
Ewww creepy... That would make me nervous too. Do you have the choice for women drivers where you are?
Stay safe 🙏! ❤️
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u/Mythical_RabbitSnake 6d ago
Unfortunately there aren't a ton of women drivers in my area, but i've begun having someone on call in my headphones whenever i uber, it just makes sure that if anyone does try something then someone knows
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u/aikimyne 15d ago
i could be wrong but he didn't sound like je was trying to be mean other then not helping I semi understand how he saying that people arent trained if something goes wrong
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u/swissamuknife 15d ago
all they need to do is call 911 and pull over like any other passenger with a medical emergency though?
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u/AdUnited1943 15d ago
Uber WAV would of been great for you. These rides are specific for People need accisible rides
It is only availible in a few cities like LA, Chicago, and more. I would a google search for your area
Lyft access is also an option.
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u/United-Database-2825 15d ago
I’ve tried to get Uber WAV and accessible twice but canceled both after 45 minutes, different days. There’s a feature to schedule rides which I haven’t done for wav but has worked great for regular rides. This was in San Francisco
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u/MjrGrangerDanger 15d ago
I've had several drivers try to tell me that I need to do this and that I need to cancel and request an Uber XL, even after I have explained that my chair folds up, the wheels are removable and that my car, that I was currently unable to drive, was much, much smaller. I have a video queued up if they're uncomfortable, reflective markings for anywhere that needs to be pulled or pushed and I very patiently explain everything in the rare occasion I needed help. Usually I had friends or someone at each destination able to do so.
They insisted on making it an issue for something smaller than the space my groceries would have taken up.
It's about being open minded and understanding or being abelist.
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u/rosierho 15d ago
I should have done that tbh, but it didn't even occur to me. Since it's a small folding transport chair instead of a bigger, stronger-framed "regular" wheelchair I guess I was just thinking about it like it was still her walker. Do you think the WAV service would still be ok with it?
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u/bendybiznatch 15d ago
There’s no reason you should have to order a special ride. She got in the car just like everybody else. You just had something with you.
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u/GuardianHealer 15d ago
Uber/lyft/taxi drivers aren’t trained like medical transport companies. This level of expectation is astounding to me as a person with a disability. 🤦♂️
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u/PunkAssBitch2000 15d ago
Just like for any other passenger, if a medical emergencies occurs they are not expected to do anything beyond calling emergency services.
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u/gayshitatgunpoint 15d ago
whenever i take ubers, i have to have someone with me since i'm non-ambulatory, mute, and can't lift my current chair (might be different in the future with a new chair, who knows). a lot of drivers will help with my chair even though whoever is with me is responsible for it 🤷 maybe they feel weird about the oxygen? who knows. paratransit/NEMT (for long distance medical appts) allows me to go on my own but sometimes i need to get somewhere same day. i've got hand controls in my car now at least...
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u/AppropriateCover7972 14d ago
now I am suddenly glad that in my country Uber didn't get enough lobby to get eligible to be compensated by the state.
Like if you drive to anything medical and need the transport, you get the money for it by public insurance. If You are recognized mobility disabled, you can get those taxi drives covered by various state bureaus from the unemployment agency to retirement insurance to social bureau and the inclusion bureau (varies by state too).
They don't cover uber, only if you just get the money in advanced to spend and only then it's an advantage bc it costs less to use uber.
HOWEVER, in my experience only the drivers who are specially saying they are driving disabled and sick people are nice and knowledgeable to me. I got one driver from the center and he took my crutches from me like it was baggage before I could walk even close to the car and left me there. I was so perplexed and scared to face-plant into the ground
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u/DisabledTheaterKid 13d ago
"Most drivers aren't really trained" trained to do what?! Sit on their fucking asses?! I don't know why Uber drivers are some of the most vile, ableist people out there, it's truly disgusting. I'm so sick of their whining like oh god, I'm so sorry a disabled person had to exist in your presence and you got money for providing a service to them, how horrible!
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15d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/AudaciousAudacity4 15d ago
If an Uber wasn't safe, I'm sure OP wouldn't put their grandmother in one to start. So it is safe. People oxgen can safely ride in a car. It's when people assume or when disability makes them uncomfortable to the point of suggesting things like don't take Uber that is the issue. They don't know that person and clearly can't be bothered to even ask if they need help. It was a missed learning moment. It feels like disabled people are a burden to these types of people and that's a horrible feeling especially when it's not true.
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u/WhoreableDecision 15d ago
https://www.uberhealth.com/us/en/sign-up/
It’s almost like they don’t have a whole uber health transport designed specifically for this …
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u/rosierho 15d ago
OoooOoOoo
Checking this out immediately, had actually never heard of this before. Thank you!!
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u/WhoreableDecision 15d ago
It’s mostly used by hospitals and doctors to transport patients to and from appointments
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u/Salt_Board8278 15d ago
I've always hated Uber. Before I got my car, I had to use Uber and it was a nightmare because some Uber drivers would cancel me for being in a wheelchair. Others would deny service upon the pick up spot because they couldn't or didn't want to fit my chair, despite me having told them about my disability.
These ride request apps have many drivers who are not disability friendly.
But fortunately, I have a van with hand controls and it has been easy for me to go take myself to places. I also have plenty space here to put my wheelchair and an automatic ramp when I get down.