# Riders With Pets



## Chicago Duck (Dec 20, 2014)

I had a rider that I picked up at one location asking if i would allow her dog in my car I told her no i have leather seats and not looking to clean up any acidents.


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## AliciaWMarie (Dec 25, 2014)

I had a driver call me the other day as soon as I accepted her call and asked if I'm okay with having a dog. I thought that was nice. Of course I said yes - dogs are the best!


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## UberHammer (Dec 5, 2014)

I have an Acura TL with leather seats and I always take dogs. I love dogs!

Cats on the other hand must be left at the curb.


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## xr650r (Dec 22, 2014)

I have dogs.I carry an old sheet in the trunk-I have light grey cloth interior.You can be sued if you decline a ride to a person with a service dog.Black leather is better than light colored cloth.


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## UL Driver SF (Aug 29, 2014)

I had a passenger call and ask me if it's ok to have a dog? I said yes but I really don't have time for one. I have a lot of things to do and not enough time to spend with a pup.

She said...no...is it ok if I have a dog? I replied....Are you asking my permission. I don't know. As far as I'm concerned you can. 

Who calls an Uber driver and asks if they can have a dog?


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## UberDC (Jul 12, 2014)

Chicago Duck said:


> I had a rider that I picked up at one location asking if i would allow her dog in my car I told her no i have leather seats and not looking to clean up any acidents.


If it's not a service dog then hell no. I'm not cleaning fur and stains from my back seat, not to mention the smell. A lot of people don't keep their pets clean.


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## Courageous (Sep 18, 2014)

I love driving dogs... almost without fail they are in carriers...cats too. I've never driven a service dog...they are pretty cool. I would ask passenger to keep large dog on the floor though...those nails can do some damage to seats.


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## ChevyChick (Nov 12, 2014)

What if, as a driver, you are allergic to dogs? Are you still required to pick up a service dog and risk an allergy attack?


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## Courageous (Sep 18, 2014)

ChevyChick said:


> What if, as a driver, you are allergic to dogs? Are you still required to pick up a service dog and risk an allergy attack?


Good question...one that you should be very clear on the answer. Maybe there is an official exemption for one that is allergic. Would have to be official, otherwise every driver that prefers NOT to carry dog would just randomly claim that they have allergy.


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## UberHammer (Dec 5, 2014)

UL Driver SF said:


> I had a passenger call and ask me if it's ok to have a dog? I said yes but I really don't have time for one. I have a lot of things to do and not enough time to spend with a pup.
> 
> She said...no...is it ok if I have a dog? I replied....Are you asking my permission. I don't know. As far as I'm concerned you can.
> 
> Who calls an Uber driver and asks if they can have a dog?


Was she trying to order at a Chinese restaurant?


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## ChevyChick (Nov 12, 2014)

I'm not allergic and I love dogs but it got me thinking....


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## Courageous (Sep 18, 2014)

ChevyChick said:


> What if, as a driver, you are allergic to dogs? Are you still required to pick up a service dog and risk an allergy attack?


*I found some very interesting cases to read on about this.... exerpt below is from http://doglawreporter.blogspot.com/search?q=allergic+to+dogs
Lots of interesting reads on various cases.

ii. The "Safety" Provision*
The regulation at Section 26.301 provides that a public accommodation "may impose legitimate safety requirements that are necessary for safe operation." 28 C.F.R. § 26.301(b). In a hospital setting, "safety" might be a more appropriate basis for excluding a service animal than "fundamental alteration" because jeopardy to health falls within the category of safety risks. However, similar limitations apply to the safety provision as to the fundamental alterations provision; the regulation states that safety assessments "must be based on actual risks and not on mere speculation, stereotypes, or generalizations .... " _ld. _Generally, hospitals should not assume automatically that an animal will present a threat to hygiene, health, or safety. An Illinois court found that an animal could not be excluded for generalized concerns about health and safety; rather exclusion had to be supported by a qualified medical professional's opinion that the animal presented a threat to the hospital's health and safety that a human being would not. _Branson v. West, _1999 WL 1129598 (N.D. Ill. 1999), amended memorandum opinion and order at 1999 WL 1186420 (N.D. Ill. 1999).


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## Courageous (Sep 18, 2014)

ChevyChick said:


> What if, as a driver, you are allergic to dogs? Are you still required to pick up a service dog and risk an allergy attack?


Another interesting note:

*Individualized Assessment *
To show that a direct threat exists, a public accommodation must, under 28 CFR 36.208, make an individualized assessment to ascertain the "nature duration, and severity of the risk; the probability that the potential injury will actually occur; and whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices or procedures or the provision of auxiliary aids or services will mitigate the risk." There was no such individualized assessment here, only a general hospital policy. 
http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/28/36.208


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## Jay2dresq (Oct 1, 2014)

Courageous said:


> Good question...one that you should be very clear on the answer. Maybe there is an official exemption for one that is allergic. Would have to be official, otherwise every driver that prefers NOT to carry dog would just randomly claim that they have allergy.


I remember reading that some Muslim cab drivers tried to claim allergies when rejecting service dogs. IIRC this was not deemed an acceptable excuse by the courts. however, if for some reason you cannot accommodate any type of ADA request, you're supposed to stay with the client, assist them with requesting another ride, and stay with them until said ride arrives. In the long run, unless you're in an area with an oversupply of drivers, you're probably better off just taking them.


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## UL Driver SF (Aug 29, 2014)

UberHammer said:


> Was she trying to order at a Chinese restaurant?


I think there is a restaurants for every kind of food in San Francisco. So who knows?


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## driveLA (Aug 15, 2014)

I've allowed dogs twice 

Once she called to tell me right away, the second one didn't even bother to tell me ahead of time but it was a small lap dog so I said ok but I rated her 4 for not having the courtesy to at least call me ahead of time. 

For the most part I usually wouldn't mind but I do worry that pet hair or dander left behind might trigger pax allergies that get in my car afterwards.


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## prdelnik666 (Sep 17, 2014)

UL Driver SF said:


> I had a passenger call and ask me if it's ok to have a dog? I said yes but I really don't have time for one. I have a lot of things to do and not enough time to spend with a pup.
> 
> She said...no...is it ok if I have a dog? I replied....Are you asking my permission. I don't know. As far as I'm concerned you can.
> 
> Who calls an Uber driver and asks if they can have a dog?


Nice people ask. Assholes just jump in with their dogs (I can't stand that they don't even ask!). I have allergies and am afraid of dogs especially the bigger ones. How dare they just assume I want their non service dog jumping all over my car and all over me while I'm driving??? Not cool - our of my car, no ride


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## xr650r (Dec 22, 2014)

I have 2 poodle-mix dogs that live in the house.They dont shed and are bathed once a week.I had a german shepard-rotweiler that shed like a monster-an outdoor dog only.Sometimes I can deal with dogs better than people.Dogs will mirror the attitudes of the people they are around.If the dog owner does not have a properly trained dog they will get a rating drop.I find that if I just drive and ignore the dog it will go to sleep-May be some xm chill to listen to.I did a 90 mile airport run today and the pax had a aussie shepard puppy on board.It slept the whole run.The owner was making business calls while inroute.


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

AliciaWMarie said:


> I had a driver call me the other day as soon as I accepted her call and asked if I'm okay with having a dog. I thought that was nice. Of course I said yes - dogs are the best!


My policy, and it's working very well so far, is charging a non-refundable $10 cash deposit for any animal not in a cage. I have black seats and if I transport an animal I have to head directly to a vacuum cleaner after the trip. I should actually be charging more than $10 as I likely miss out on more than $10 in fares while I'm vacuuming, but I love animals and I have a real soft spot for people who travel with furry friends. I have a houseful of furry creatures myself.


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