Lesbian couple kicked out of Uber car by 'homophobic' driver who saw them sharing peck on lips
A lesbian couple claims that they were kicked out of their Uber ride after the driver witnessed them sharing a small kiss in the backseat of the car, according to reports.
The couple — 26-year-old Alex Iovine, an advertising technology consultant and her girlfriend 24-year-old Emma Pichl, a senior recruiter — was reportedly riding in the car in Manhattan on Saturday evening when the incident occurred.
The driver reportedly saw them kissing and suddenly pulled over and told them to get out of his vehicle, Daily Mail reported. The women thought that the driver was joking but they say that when they realized what was happening they began to record the incident.
Recounting the incident, Iovine said that she and her girlfriend ordered an Uber to take them to a party in East Village at around 5 pm.
The women, while talking to New York Daily News, said, "We were sitting on opposite sides of the car. We leaned in for a peck, and that's what it was, a legit peck."
Iovine said that after their quick kiss the driver pulled the car over and asked them to get out.
"My girlfriend started laughing. She thought he was joking," Iovine said.
She added that both the women were aware of Uber's policy against riders having sex in the car. However, the kiss they shared in the car was not objectionable, Iovine continued.
"He yelled at us for being disrespectful and inappropriate because we pecked on the lips," Iovine said.
The video taken by them through their cellphone shows an unidentified driver opening the door to the backseat of the vehicle.
When they asked him why does he want them out, the driver then responds with, "It's illegal. You can't do this in the car. You aren't allowed to do this."
Iovine then asks the driver, "Why are we not allowed to kiss in an Uber?" and he responds with, "It's disrespectful."
The couple then gets angry and threatens to call the police, telling the driver, "It's not illegal to kiss in New York."
The driver then reaches for one of their phones to stop her from videotaping.
Reports state that both the driver and the couple submitted their complaints about the incident to Uber.
When asked, the Driver told New York Daily News that the couple acted disrespectfully and even though he told them to stop they did not listen.
To this Iovine said, “We would never disrespect someone else’s car in such manner and we always handle ourselves appropriately in public,”
Uber reportedly responded to Iovine's complaint with a statement and said, "Uber does not tolerate any form of discrimination, and we have reached out to the rider regarding her experience. We are investigating and will take appropriate action."
The 26-year-old said that she had not received a response from Uber yet and added, "Getting this out there, getting a refund and getting an apology is all I want right now. It was a really terrible experience and ironically occurred on a bright sunny day during pride month in NYC."
The technology consultant also filed a complaint with the city's Human Right's Commission and added that she thought the driver was homophobic.
"Obviously, he's homophobic. I was very surprised. I haven't experienced homophobic behavior in the city. We live in this bubble and think this can't happen here in New York City. This goes to show that it can happen anywhere," Iovine said.
The Taxi & Limousine Commission launched its own investigation and said, “We’ve reached out to the victim, and will be starting the investigation today."