National

Uber driver says company fired him after he refused rides for unmasked passengers

Danny Darling, a now-former Uber driver, says he was wrongfully fired after refusing rides to people who were not wearing masks.

Originally Darling said he would ask potential ride-share passengers to wear one, but most of the time the request was met with arguments even violence with some passengers kicking his car, even going as far as spitting on him, he told WCSH.

To avoid the outbursts, he said if his passenger wasn’t masked when he arrived, he’d cancel the trip, posting “not wearing a mask” as the reason.

From June 1 Uber allowed the practice and set the rule that riders must wear a facial covering, but many didn't, Darling told WCSH.

Click here to read the regulations Uber has set for both drivers and riders.

Drivers must not only wear a mask, but they must also go over a checklist that confirms that the vehicle has been sanitized and that they will not allow anyone to ride in the front seat, the regulations state.

Drivers are also required to take a selfie showing that they're wearing masks and the rider will receive a message stating the same.

But the riders who he canceled on filed complaints with the ride-share company, and after two and a half years working for Uber full time, he was fired with the company saying he had “unsafe practices” and “problematic behavior.”

The company told WCSH that this termination was based on reports before and leading up to March and had nothing to do with his cancelation of trips because riders were not masked.

Darling has filed an appeal with Uber and a complaint with Maine's governor's office. Uber is investigating the termination, company officials told WCSH.

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