A Detroit woman who was denied a Lyft ride because of her weight says she “felt embarrassed.”
Deja Blanding, 29, filed a lawsuit over the Jan. 18 incident.
Blanding said she called a Lyft to take her to a Detroit Lions watch party when the driver denied her upon pick up.
“He said I was too big,” Blanding said.
Blanding recorded the interaction on her phone.
“You need to order a bigger car,” the Lyft driver says in the video.
Blanding said she’s been in cars the same size as the driver’s.
“We shouldn’t have to pay extra for an XL (car),” Blanding said.
Marko Law is representing Blanding in her lawsuit against Lyft.
“From a legal standpoint, it seems like obvious discrimination,” Zach Runyan with Marko Law said. “The Elliott-Larsen (Civil Rights) Act, which is Michigan’s civil rights act, specifically protects people from weight discrimination, and the driver here turned down her ride because of her weight.”
Lyft responded to a request for comment with the following statement.
“Lyft unequivocally condemns all forms of discrimination—we believe in a community where everyone is treated with equal respect and mutual kindness. Our community guidelines and terms of service explicitly prohibit harassment or discrimination." --
Lyft spokesperson