Uber customer: Drivers gave me a low rating because I’m gay

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a white background.

An Uber customer from London has said drivers from the cab firm Uber have given him a bad rating because he is gay.

Svend Littauer, who is the chief operating officer for a services company, told the Standard that drivers had given him an inexplicably low rating, despite saying he had never been abusive or rude

The 45-year-old, who often travels with his partner, found out that he had been rated 3.4 from one driver, despite that passenger ratings are supposed to be kept secret.

He told the Standard he thought the only reason he could think of for the low rating was because he is gay.

Littauer said: “A driver told me anything under a rating of four was a bit scary. I’ve not been abusive at all so the only thing I can put it down to is the fact that we are a gay couple. It is the only explanation.

“Uber is a service, it should not be discriminating, it is wrong, and sometimes it is important to stand up to this sort of thing.”

A spokesman for the company said: “We do not tolerate discrimination in any shape or form and encourage anyone using our platform to directly report any inappropriate behaviour.

“As yet the rider has not brought any concerns to our attention, so we would implore him to get in touch with us so we can further investigate.”

There have been a number of alleged incidents recently in which drivers have been accused of homophobia towards customers.

A gay couple in January said they were kicked out of an Uber taxi in London after they kissed.

Corey Watts and his boyfriend Jordan Sloan said they were asked by the driver to get our of the car after they kissed.

Days later, Uber faced fresh accusations of homophobia, as it emerged that another couple was subjected to homophobic abuse by one of its drivers.