A lesbian couple was kicked out of their Uber ride by the driver because the girls were kissing each other in the back seat. Now the driver has been banned by Uber for being homophobic.
Alex Iovine and her girlfriend, Emma Pichl, were riding with the car service on Saturday evening, when they started smooching and snuggling in the back seat. The driver pulled over and told the girls to get out of the car, saying they were being “disrespectful.”
The girls recorded the incident and released a video that shows the driver’s name and license plate. During the argument, the couple threatened to call the police and have the driver fired.
Uber has removed the driver’s access to its app, saying it does not tolerate discrimination.
Blonde-haired lesbian Alex Iovine and her brunette lover, Emma Pichl, were riding in an Uber from a friend’s birthday party to another party in Manhattan on Saturday night. While in the back seat of the car, the girls leaned in and started kissing each other.
The driver, identified as Ahmad El Boutari, pulled the car over and told the kissing lesbians to get out of his car. “You can’t do this in the car,” El Boutari said. “It’s inappropriate.”
Uber’s terms of use prohibit riders from engaging in sexual conduct during rides. The amorous girls, Alex Iovine and Emma Pichl, say they are aware of the policy, but claim that the driver is homophobic.
Reports state that the lesbians locked lips in the back seat after a night of partying. The female lovers also may have been handling each other in a sexual manner.
El Boutari says that he took offense to more than just the kissing. “I did what I believe is my freedom,” he said.
He says the lesbians were acting “crude” in his cab. One forced the other to smell her armpit, one put her feet on his seat, they were playing loud music, and then the girls started making out, El Boutari says.
“It’s my own car. I didn’t feel comfortable with them,” he said. The driver said he asked the girls to stop kissing, but they refused. At this point, El Boutari kicked the lesbians out of his car.
According to Uber Community Guidelines, passengers agree to the following upon entering the vehicle: “Don’t touch or flirt with other people in the car. As a reminder, Uber has a no-sex rule. That’s no sexual conduct between riders, no matter what.”
The female same-sex couple admit they kissed in the back seat of the car, but claim it was merely “a peck.” Moreover, they accuse El Boutari of being homophobic.
According to LinkedIn, Alex Iovine attended Manhattan College and works in advertising. Her girlfriend, Emma Pichl, studied at Fairfield University and went to Notre Dame School, and works as a recruiter.
Ahmad El Boutari, meanwhile, is now unemployed. Uber revoked his ability to drive for the ride-sharing app, and the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission has suspended the driver’s taxi license, pending an investigation.
