Pamela Williams was on her way to go wine tasting Sunday with her sister when her Uber driver unexpectedly left her then allegedly sent a text about why he wouldn’t give her a ride – because Williams is black.
"I think my heart sank a little," she said. "I don’t feel victimized or sorry for myself but I was a little stunned. I can’t believe that just happened."
Williams said that once her rideshare arrived, the driver did not let her in.
"I was kind of trying to wave him down and he pulled back and finally turned around," she said. "I grabbed my purse to get in and he sped off. I was like, 'What the heck?'"
She then tried to give her driver a phone call to come back, but the driver instead allegedly sent a text that reads:
"I'm not coming back and take you as a cheap pool rider. Cancel it next time. I like white peoples."
A second text to Williams read:
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"I'm at home with my family going for breakfast."
Uber refunded Williams a $5 cancellation fee after she complained, but prompted an investigation after she posted about the experience on Facebook. The rideshare company said the driver would be suspended during the investigation.
In response to the incident, Uber released a statement saying that they do not tolerate any form of discrimination.
"We have been in contact with the rider to offer our support and apologize for her experience," the company said in its statement.
Williams said that although she is happy that the driver will no longer be working for Uber, she will instead begin taking Lyft.
