January 29, 2025
The girl, Dajua Blanding, referred to as the expertise a “slap within the face.”
A Detroit rapper has sued Lyft after a driver denied her a journey as a result of her weight.
Dajua Blanding, often known as Dank Demoss, was on her approach to a Detroit Lions watch occasion when she encountered what she considers weight discrimination. As her Lyft driver got here to select her up, he informed her she couldn’t get in due to her measurement.
She recorded the entire ordeal, with the footage reposted by The Neighborhood Discuss.
To Fox 2, she recounted him “making faces” at her as she approached the car. Regardless of her assurances that she may slot in his Black Mercedes sedan, the driving force refused to let her in to “not stress his tires.”
“Consider me, you may’t,” he mentioned to her within the authentic video. “I’ve obtained no house as a result of my automotive is small.”
He added, “It is advisable to order a much bigger automotive.”
He then apologized and supplied to refund her journey, stating that she ought to name an Uber XL as a substitute. The journey is usually for bigger events. She mentioned the therapy felt like a “slap within the face.”
Nonetheless, Blanding has now taken authorized motion for the alleged discrimination. Her attorneys argue that weight is a “protected attribute” beneath Michigan legislation, and denying somebody as a result of it may very well be thought of unlawful.
“I’ve been in vehicles smaller than that,” she informed the information outlet. “I simply need them to know that it harm my emotions.”
Lyft has since responded to the matter, stating it “unequivocally condemns” discrimination. Its coverage does state that drivers can deny a rider over potential safety dangers. Nonetheless, Blanding’s attorneys declare that the driving force violated the legislation by infringing upon a protected attribute.
“Lyft unequivocally condemns all types of discrimination—we imagine in a neighborhood the place everyone seems to be handled with equal respect and mutual kindness,” Lyft wrote in an announcement. “Our neighborhood pointers and phrases of service explicitly prohibit harassment or discrimination.”
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