We understand that using ride share services like Uber or Lyft with your Hearing Dog might make you feel anxious. Below are some tips that we can offer to help decrease the chance of being denied a ride and to make the ride sharing experience more enjoyable for everyone.
Request Your Ride Early: It’s important to have enough time to get to your destination without feeling rushed. Plus, it gives you peace of mind knowing that you have a buffer in case anything goes wrong.
Talk to your Uber/Lyft Driver: After your ride is confirmed, it may be helpful to contact your driver and inform them of your location and the fact that you have a Hearing Dog. Although it is not necessary, having this information in writing may be beneficial in case you encounter any issues. Furthermore, in select cities Uber now offers an option called “Uber Pets”, which matches users with pet-friendly drivers.
Be Respectful and Mindful to the Driver: If you rely on a guide dog, showing respect towards the ride share driver’s vehicle is of utmost importance. Your Hearing Dog may make a lot of noise, leave some fur behind, or move around, but you can easily manage this by reminding your Hearing Dog to remain calm and ensure the car stays clean.
By following these tips, you can help prevent discrimination and denials of service for Hearing Dog handlers. Lastly, these tips will surely help to make you and your Hearing Dog more comfortable when using ride share services.
