Video After The Jump
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A Lyft driver denied a Detroit rapper a ride because of her size - and now she's suing.
Dajua Blanding, known on stage as Dank Demoss, requested a ride to a Detroit Lions watch party earlier this month. However, when the driver arrived, he saw Blanding and told her he couldn't give her a ride because of her weight. Blanding was recording the encounter.
At first, the driver told Blanding she wouldn't fit in his sedan.
"I can fit in this car," she can be heard saying, to which he responded, "Believe me, you can't."
The driver then told Blanding his tires couldn't handle the weight, apologized, and mentioned ordering an Uber XL - a larger vehicle. He added that he would refund the ride so she wouldn't be charged.
Blanding says she could have fit.
"I've been in cars smaller than that," she told FOX 2. "I just want them to know that it hurt my feelings."
Blanding has retained attorneys Jonathan Marko and Zach Runyan to sue for discrimination.
"I knew that it was illegal, and I knew that it was wrong," Marko said.
He said weight is a protected characteristic in Michigan. Marko said that denying someone a ride based on their weight would be the same as denying someone because of their race or religion - at least under the law.
Lyft drivers can turn down passengers for perceived security threats, but Marko said they cannot deny a ride based on protected characteristics.
Lyft released a 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."
The rideshare company has been served with the lawsuit
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