An Uber driver picked the wrong couple to mess with when he went on a racist and homophobic tirade on Sunday night in Melbourne. His callous behaviour has now resulted in him losing his job.
The driver began using derogatory language about AFL players, and called the lesbian couple in the back of the car ‘faggots’.
Lucy Thomas, one of the passengers in the car, is the co-founder of an anti-bullying campaign called Project ROCKit. The program aims to empower young people to stand up for others publicly and stop bullying, going to schools to get young people involved. She took this moment as a chance to lead by example, recording the driver’s tirade and challenging him by asking him why he felt the need to use that kind of language.
The driver didn’t take this well, and proceeded to threaten Lucy and her girlfriend Chelsea Lang.
“Are you going to give me a one rating and make a complaint?” the driver said.
“When I write my report about two faggots, who don’t like being called faggots, then what are they going to say?”
“Get out of the car … and if you don’t I will get out and drag you out.”
Lucy Thomas has since talked to ABC and explained why this kind of language is dangerous.
“His attitudes aren’t safe, not just for LGBTI people, but people of any diverse background,” she said.
“You need to know, when you’re getting in a car for the purpose of getting a safe ride home, that it will in fact be safe.”
Uber Australia has since spoken out and explained that they do not support discrimination of any kind. The driver has been removed from the system and he will not be allowed to drive for Uber again.
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