Photo: TikTok
She was made to feel like an inconvenience.
By Nia Tipton — Written on Feb 27, 2023
A woman criticized her Uber driver after he audibly grumbled and made a big show about having to put her wheelchair into his car.
In a TikTok video, Karlee Rose claimed she was paired with an inconsiderate and irritable Uber driver, who displayed an attitude when she told him she had a handicap device that needed to accompany her during her ride.
She said the Uber driver 'sighed' and 'complained' about having to load her wheelchair into his car.
In Rose's video, she had called an Uber to take her someplace, but when he showed up and she explained that she needed him to load her wheelchair into the seat next to her, he wasn't pleased.
"I love when Uber's sigh and complain about my wheelchair when I get into the car and then we sit in silence," she wrote in overlay text.
In the caption of the video, she added that after putting her wheelchair into his car, he made sure she saw him wipe his hands as if the wheelchair had been covered in filth.
In a follow-up video, after receiving comments that the Uber driver was just trying to wipe away the dirt, she explained that he had made a big show of clapping his hands against his body after barely touching her chair.
"Granted, like I get you wanted to wipe your hands off. I don't mind," she pointed out. "But to have the door open and clapped his hands together and wiped them off in front of me was rude."
She continued, saying that as soon as she came out to meet the driver, she politely asked if it would be fine to put her wheelchair in his trunk.
Rose said after she asked, his demeanor changed and he immediately started letting out multiple sighs as if it was an inconvenience.
"Maybe someone doesn't want to take me because I'm in a wheelchair, cool, just tell me and I'll call a different Uber."
Rose acknowledged that the driver worked for Uber, and "people in wheelchairs take Ubers," so his behavior had been extremely "disrespectful."
"He was grunting and moaning and then sat in silence for the entire ride, and made me feel like an inconvenience [by] giving me an attitude," she continued, adding that she can't help her having to be in a wheelchair.
"I would have rather called a different Uber than be uncomfortable in his Uber. I just think that's really disrespectful."
TikTok users agreed that the Uber driver was acting out of line for complaining about Rose's wheelchair.
"I did Uber and not only did I carry a passenger using a wheelchair I put her chair in for her and she rode in front," one user wrote.
Another user added, "I hate when Ubers complain about a necessity or even give a look. I have to take a car seat with me and they get mad they have to wait for me to install it."
"This breaks my heart ... nobody deserves to be treated this way," a third user chimed in.
A fourth user wrote, "That’s just so odd. I go out of my way to help someone who needs help. We all need some kind of help."
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.