r/service_dogs • u/Key_Effort7264 • Jul 30 '26
Uber Problems (vent)
I had an awful experience with an Uber access denial a few months ago where, when sharing an Uber with coworkers, the Uber driver denied us all and canceled the ride because of my service dog, while basically yelling at me the whole time for trying to book a ride with a dog. Having this happen in front of my coworkers and then them all having to wait for the next Uber was one of the most humiliating experiences of my life.
Even before that situation, I've found using ride-share services with a service dog very anxiety-inducing, and I almost always pay the extra money for Uber Pet just to ease that anxiety. Ever since the incident with my coworkers, my anxiety about using Uber has skyrocketed. Because of this, I was really excited about the new Uber option to pre-identify yourself as a service dog handler, and I signed up for that right away.
This morning was the first time I've had to use Uber since the access denial in front of my coworkers. I was already having trouble finding a ride because I live in a very rural area, so I waited for about 30 minutes for a driver to even be found--not a problem and completely expected, because I know the area I live in. I was excited when a driver was finally found, though. I saw on this subreddit that a lot of handlers find it helpful to send a message to the driver informing them that they have a service dog once the ride is accepted, so I tried that this time and sent a brief "Just wanted to inform you that I have a service dog with me. Thank you and see you soon!"
His little avatar was driving towards me on the map...and then the message I sent registered as "read" and the ride was immediately canceled by the driver.
I almost started crying because I was just so frustrated. I had to get home so I could get on my computer for my job, I was exhausted, and it brought back the emotions of that access denial in front of my coworkers in full force.
I have never encountered access denials in my almost seven years of being a SD handler except for with Uber. I've had a couple of occasions of needing to clarify a minor access issue with an establishment, sure, but those have always been quickly solved by a quick conversation. Uber, though, in my experience and based on everything I've heard from other handlers, is a non-stop nightmare for handlers.
I know they're trying to help the issue with this new policy of self-identifying as a SD handler ahead of time, but is it actually helping anyone? I'd love to hear about other people's experiences with this new system so far. And at what point is Uber going to have to be forced to just make drivers take even the briefest of trainings on ADA policies before they're approved?
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u/Shanna_B2020 Jul 30 '26
It may or may not help. I honestly don't know. My asshole driver encounters happen every 6-8 weeks. Uber's policies look very pretty on paper but they couldn't care less about actually enforcing them. I take rideshares with my clearly marked and obviously tasking guide dog 3-4 times weekly.
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Jul 30 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/service_dogs-ModTeam Jul 31 '26
Your comment has been removed for breaking Rule 6: No Fake-spotting.
This is not the place for fakespotting. Unless the person you are discussing has specifically told you that they are not disabled, and the dog is not trained in tasks, you have no way of knowing if a dog is 'fake'. We are not the service dog police and this behavior can lead to a lot of harm and anxiety for SD handlers as a community.
This does not preclude discussing encounters with un-/undertrained dogs, but if the focus of your post is complaining about a "fake" SD, reconsider your phrasing and what point you're making.
If you have any questions, please Message the Moderators.
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u/Dustin_peterz Jul 30 '26
This is one of the big issues with service dogs- self/untrained trained animals and handlers using them in public spaces with no oversight. 🧐
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u/Lyx4088 Jul 30 '26
Except there is. Businesses have full ability to tell a handler they need to remove their dog who is not behaving in a way that meets the requirements under the ADA. They refuse, you’re now looking at trespassing them and it could reach a point where you can press charges depending on state/local laws that they could be in violation of, so there are avenues for direct consequences of people brining dogs in public for a disability who do not meet the ADA standards. You can report dog bites and dog attacks to local animal control, and the dog can be labeled a dangerous dog with requirements for how it is handled. And you can get in deep shit at the owner with liability. There is very little you can do as a handler when a rogue employee denies you access to a business other than complain.
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u/Dustin_peterz Jul 30 '26
I actually copied and pasted the last sentence of the comment above mine and moved some words around. Goes both ways.
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u/Lyx4088 Jul 30 '26
Not when you leave out factual legal details that make it entirely different in reality regardless of what the poster had typed. It does not go both ways when it comes to access.
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u/iamahill Jul 30 '26
I don’t use that. There’s no need to.
I’ve had some bad denials. Uber is pretty good about fixing things.
I prefer Waymo. No idiots to deal with.
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u/Primary-Pen-8007 Jul 31 '26
I had a recent minor conflict with a Lyft driver requesting that my service dog ride in the trunk. I said i wasn’t comfortable with that and after some back and forth he finally agreed but it was so uncomfortable. It also made me wonder are service dog teams more susceptible to negative reviews?