Pastor Albert Macklin says a routine rideshare trip around the Bay keeps turning into a headache the moment drivers spot his guide dog, Winter.
Macklin, who is blind and leads New Sweet Home Church in East Palo Alto, says that in just the past two weeks, drivers have refused him service at least seven times after seeing Winter. The repeated cancellations, he says, have left him stranded while trying to get to church services and visit congregants who are unable to leave their homes.
Speaking with KTVU, Macklin described the most recent run-in as happening on a Wednesday while he was heading home from East Palo Alto. One driver, he said, even suggested putting Winter in the trunk. Macklin turned that offer down. “I’m paying for a ride, and you still get refused,” he told the station, adding that he wants stronger enforcement and better driver training.
Advocates Say This Is Not Isolated
Disability rights advocates say what Macklin describes is part of a larger pattern affecting people who rely on guide dogs and other service animals. A fact sheet from Disability Rights California notes that under federal and state law, businesses and other public accommodations must allow service animals. Staff are generally permitted to ask only two specific questions about the animal’s role and cannot charge extra fees or require additional documentation just because a person uses a service animal.
Rideshare Companies Point to Policies
Rideshare companies say the rules on their books are clear. Uber states in its Service Animal and Assistive Device Policy that drivers who refuse rides because of a service animal can lose access to the platform. Lyft tells drivers to always say yes to riders with service animals and offers both an in-app disclosure and a dedicated hotline so riders can report problems.
Know Your Rights and How to Report
The Americans with Disabilities Act protects people who use service animals, and guidance from the ADA National Network lays out what businesses and transportation providers can and cannot ask when a service animal is involved…