Lyft Sued By A Detroit Rapper After Driver Denies Her A Ride Due To Weight

The woman, Dajua Blanding, called the experience a "slap in the face."

A Detroit rapper has sued Lyft after a driver denied her a ride due to her weight.

Dajua Blanding, also known as Dank Demoss, was on her way to a Detroit Lions watch party when she encountered what she considers weight discrimination. As her Lyft driver came to pick her up, he told her she could not get in because of her size.

She recorded the whole ordeal, with the footage reposted by The Neighborhood Talk.

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To Fox 2, she recounted him “making faces” at her as she approached the vehicle. Despite her assurances that she could fit in his Black Mercedes sedan, the driver refused to let her in to “not stress his tires.”

“Believe me, you can’t,” he said to her in the original video. “I’ve got no space because my car is small.”

He added, “You need to order a bigger car.”

He then apologized and offered to refund her ride, stating that she should call an Uber XL instead. The ride is typically for larger parties. She said the treatment felt like a “slap in the face.”

However, Blanding has now taken legal action for the alleged discrimination. Her lawyers argue that weight is a “protected characteristic” under Michigan law, and denying someone due to it could be considered illegal.

“I’ve been in cars smaller than that,” she told the news outlet. “I just want them to know that it hurt my feelings.”

Lyft has since responded to the matter, stating it “unequivocally condemns” discrimination. Its policy does state that drivers can deny a rider over potential security risks. However, Blanding’s lawyers claim that the driver violated the law by infringing upon a protected characteristic.

“Lyft unequivocally condemns all forms of discrimination—we believe in a community where everyone is treated with equal respect and mutual kindness,” Lyft wrote in a statement. “Our community guidelines and terms of service explicitly prohibit harassment or discrimination.”