# Lyft Driver Refused to Drop off his Passenger...recorded on Video



## Archie8616 (Oct 13, 2015)

Just when I thought Lyft was in the clear, and no news articles to be found, unlike Ubers constant news grabbing articles....

Article credit: WJLA Washington, DC

WASHINGTON (ABC7) - A cell phone video shows the darkened interior of a Lyft car, and the sound of a woman's voice, frustrated, and perhaps a little bit frightened.

"I don't know where he's taking me," Desiree Taylor is heard saying, raising her voice. "Dude can you stop?"

The Wednesday evening ride still had Taylor shaken a day later.

"I didn't know what was going to happen to me last night," she said quietly. "He didn't stop, he was speeding, the door was open the entire time."

Taylor's fifteen minute odyssey as an unwilling, trapped passenger began simply enough. According to Taylor, she and a friend arranged for a Lyft-line pickup in downtown D.C. But then they asked that the drop-off location be changed.

"We were just re-routing him, so he would still make it to my destination, and drop my friend off along the way," she explained.

Then, the conversation turned into a dispute.

The driver, named 'Brian' said "no", and Taylor's friend got out. Taylor said she was pretty unhappy, especially since the trip had been pre-paid by her friend.

She told the driver, "We're going to write a bad review on you, and that's when he got upset."

Taylor said both she and 'Brian' got out of the car, and then climbed back in.

"My door was open the entire time," she recalled. "He made a violent U-turn and went the opposite direction of my house."

The driver didn't say a word, Taylor said. She, on the other hand, began to loudly protest, and started to record the ordeal with her phone.

"You're not taking me to my destination, what are you doing?" she is heard shouting. "This door is still open, because I'm trying to get out, and he won't stop."

The ride, at least for Taylor, ended at Sixteenth and Longfellow, when the driver approached a stop sign, and she jumped out.

Taylor admits she kicked the Lyft car in frustration, and left.

When she got home, she said she called the company, and 9-1-1. A trio of MPD officers arrived about five minutes later. Taylor said they listened to her account, and watched the video. But it didn't appear that the driver's actions could be defined as criminal.

"They said because there was no threat, that he didn't threaten me, and there was no sign of any harm that was done to me, that's why they said they couldn't do anything," Taylor said.

She said a Lyft representative returned her call, and apologized, saying 'Brian' was no longer with the company.

Thursday night, Lyft spokesperson Alexandra LaManna issued this statement:

"We are extremely troubled to learn about this incident," it stated. "We have a strict zero-tolerance policy and any behavior threatening the safety of a Lyft community member is not tolerated. The driver's conduct was absolutely unacceptable, and his access to Lyft has been permanently removed."
Taylor said she plans to file a written complaint about the ride with MPD. She said she has also contacted an attorney.

"I do want to file charges," she said. " I want to press some sort of charge because of what I went through.

Link: http://wjla.com/news/local/lyft-driver-who-refuses-to-drop-customer-off-caught-on-cell-phone-video


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## jahmerican (Feb 29, 2016)

These types of incidents will keep happening until Uber/Lyft get a better process to screen its drivers. These things seem to be happening more frequently with the drop in driver pay. The less stable drivers go off the deep end.


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## XUBERX (May 26, 2015)

With the new low rates this is just gonna become more and more common, specially with uber.


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## rleezx (Dec 15, 2015)

Cheapasses ordered a lyft line and wanted to change or add a destination....cheap, should have called an uberlol


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## Reversoul (Feb 8, 2016)

It's obvious these slave wages are literally driving people crazy. Not to excuse big bad Brian's behavior, but she does sound like a drama queen. That said, Brian should have just driven her to the new destination or ended the trip. I love it when pax change their destination especially when it means a longer fare. That's kind of the point, right? Longer fares equal more money, Brian.


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## UberPartnerDennis (Jun 21, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> It's obvious these slave wages are literally driving people crazy. Not to excuse big bad Brian's behavior, but she does sound like a drama queen. That said, Brian should have just driven her to the new destination or ended the trip. I love it when pax change their destination especially when it means a longer fare. That's kind of the point, right? Longer fares equal more money, Brian.


You cant change the destination on a lyft line without ending the trip first. This self righteous entitled slag of a passenger decided she wanted to make a change...she was told she couldnt and threatened the driver with a bad review...so he asked her to get out, even nicely opening the door for her but she refused.....instead getting her camera out to record......so...when he got back in and she was still there he drove off until she got out.....effective? Yes....good judgement....meh YMMV.....she is no victim....shes the slag here.


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## andaas (May 19, 2015)

Driver is an idiot for not stopping. If passenger wants out, let them out. Line ride or not, don't keep someone in your car that doesn't want to be there.

*edit* If driver offered to end trip (I missed that part of the story), then good. The news focuses on the passenger too much.


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## jahmerican (Feb 29, 2016)

UberPartnerDennis said:


> You cant change the destination on a lyft line without ending the trip first. This self righteous entitled slag of a passenger decided she wanted to make a change...she was told she couldnt and threatened the driver with a bad review...so he asked her to get out, even nicely opening the door for her but she refused.....instead getting her camera out to record......so...when he got back in and she was still there he drove off until she got out.....effective? Yes....good judgement....meh YMMV.....she is no victim....shes the slag here.


Though that sheds some light on the situation (I don't know how Lyft differs from Uber) it doesn't change the bottom line. He was getting jipped on pay and apparently lost it. He's still wrong and lucky he's not been arrested.


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## UberPartnerDennis (Jun 21, 2015)

jahmerican said:


> Though that sheds some light on the situation (I don't know how Lyft differs from Uber) it doesn't change the bottom line. He was getting jipped on pay and apparently lost it. He's still wrong and lucky he's not been arrested.


Dont know what he can be arrested for....the girl was offered an exit and she refused....the only thing I can say is that I would have grabbed my phone, keys, pepper spray and got out and called 911 to have her removed.


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## ColdRider (Oct 19, 2015)

New platform announced!

Lyft Kidnap!!!!


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## jahmerican (Feb 29, 2016)

UberPartnerDennis said:


> Dont know what he can be arrested for....the girl was offered an exit and she refused....the only thing I can say is that I would have grabbed my phone, keys, pepper spray and got out and called 911 to have her removed.


He could be charged with attempted kidnapping.


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## UberPartnerDennis (Jun 21, 2015)

jahmerican said:


> He could be charged with attempted kidnapping.


Depending on the state law you may be right, but in most cases you have to show intent....and the fact that he opened the door for her and left it open could be used in his favor at trial or even before an arrest is made.

I think the only way charges will be brought against him is by way of citizens arrest, and then that leaves the girl open to a civil suit when he wins the criminal case. She would be smart to back off and chalk it up as a lesson learned...when you are told to get out, leave.


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## OrlandoUberX (Feb 15, 2016)

rleezx said:


> Cheapasses ordered a lyft line and wanted to change or add a destination....cheap, should have called an uberlol


 I agree, what cheapasses. They ordered a Lyft line which has pre-determined pick up and drop offs then tried to change it on the driver (which according to Lyft, once the line is set..its set). I get the pax is self-entitled and wanted to pay for one drop off and get two (which is beyond cheap). I also get that the driver lost his mind (Lyft's first disgruntled contractor). I think the pax was in the wrong and seems like a terrible person but the way the driver reacted is equally as terrible.


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## nickd8775 (Jul 12, 2015)

Using Lyft Line or Uber Pool to get 2 drop offs is like hidden city ticketing on airlines.
If a person is going from NYC to Chicago, it might be possible to get a cheaper flight that connects in Chicago and goes onwards to LA. The airline is responsible to get the passenger from NYC to LA, not to Chicago. There may be a reroute and the passenger would connect in Minneapolis instead of Chicago. The passenger has no right to make the airline take them to Chicago.
Similar thing with this Lyft Line. The intermediate dropoff might be on the way to the final destination but the driver might have to pick up someone out of the way. The passenger paid the fare to the final destination, not the intermediate point.
It's as much "kidnapping" as an airline not letting the passenger jump off the plane on the flight from NYC to Minneapolis as it flies over Chicago.


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