MEMPHIS, Tenn. — When it comes to ride-sharing, some passengers with service animals are not getting treated fairly.
A Cordova man who is blind said he faced that discrimination first-hand.
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. For Anthony Bonetti and his pup, Kenny, it is much more.
Kenny is Bonetti’s guide.
“I was born completely blind,” said Bonetti. “I got Kenny, back in July. Well, I got him in June. I brought him home in July.”
Although Kenny is a dog, he is not a pet.
“A pet and a service animal are two totally different things. A service animal is a medical device. It is an assistive device... When he's in harness, he is a medical device first,” said Bonetti.
Kenny is a medical device Bonetti travels with daily.
“I would tell everybody upfront just so they know what to look for. I would say, ‘Hey, I'm waiting out in front of the apartment building with my guide dog.’ I would start to notice because my screen reading software on my phone... It reads everything aloud to me, and it would tell me the messages read. And then immediately the ride would cancel,” said Bonetti.
It happens repeatedly. Sometimes it occurs after a driver has arrived.
“I heard the car pull up. They have said your driver has arrived. Then, the next thing I know they’re gone, and the ride was canceled,” said Bonetti.
As a result, Bonetti has been late to appointments. At times, he has been stranded.
“Even if people have ill intent or not, it's humiliating because it's kind of like somebody's driving off because of my wheelchair. They're not discriminating against my dog. They're discriminating against me and not, you know, giving me services that I should have,” said Bonetti.
In fact, it is a violation of both Uber and Lyft’s policies.
In a statement, an Uber spokesperson said, “We are disappointed to hear about the rider’s experiences. Drivers who use the Uber app agree to accommodate riders with disabilities and must comply with accessibility laws.”
A Lyft spokesperson said, "Lyft has a strict Service Animal policy that requires all drivers to accommodate passengers traveling with service animals, and we take any allegation of this nature very seriously. There is no place for any form of discrimination on our platform."
That applies even if a driver has any “allergies, religious or cultural objections, or fear of them.”
Plus, it is a violation of the American Disabilities Act.
“It is also a misdemeanor in the state of Tennessee to deny service animals," said Bonetti.
Instead of reporting the violation to authorities, Bonetti has chosen to raise awareness.
“Quite frankly, I know a lot of drivers don't know,” said Bonetti. “There can be the most perfect laws in place. But you know, this is more for, drivers to be like, don't drive off on service animals ... I should have the same services and have access to the same places everybody else does. You know, despite my disability.”
Sometimes you don’t have to have identification for service animals. Bonetti said those who fake having a service animal also make it difficult for those who actually have them.
He also said in the event a service animal is not behaving properly, rideshare drivers have the right to ask the passenger to leave.