Reggie Bibbs needed a ride to a doctor's appointment at Texas Medical Center, so the Houston man summoned an Uber driver. The rest of the story is hardly as innocuous.
Bibbs has visible tumors on his face because of neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form on nerve tissue, according to the Mayo Clinic. He believes his facial disfigurement was reason enough for an Uber driver to arrive at his home and then quickly leave, disregarding the potential fare.
“I saw him pass by. He looked right at me. He was going real slow. He just passed the house. I could see the brake lights on. He went a couple of houses down. He turned around and came back by the house again. He went real slow,” said Bibbs. “I’m looking at him. He’s looking at me. He just keeps going down to the end of the street. When he got to the end of the street, I got a message that said unfortunately your driver canceled. That was it. There was no explanation.”
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Bibbs, embarrassed and shocked, is now looking into legal options for the alleged discrimination. He works for a nonprofit called Courageous Faces Foundation.
As for Uber, a statement shows the company is remorseful for their driver’s actions:
"The <a href="http://rare.us/local/houston/houston-man-claims-uber-driver-canceled-his-ride-because-of-his-genetic-disorder/" target="_blank">situation</a> described here is unacceptable and has no place on the Uber app or any place. We apologize to Mr. Bibbs for the experience reported to us and we have been in contact with the driver to re-emphasize Uber's Community Guidelines, which prohibits any form of discrimination on the app."
Cox Media Group
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