Yellow Cab is investigating an independent contractor who forced two Houston men out of his cab Sunday after seeing the men kiss in the car. Partners Travis Player and Andres Orozco say they were left on the side of the road after the cab driver saw what Player describes as a “peck” and very PG.
"It never clicked in my head that this was an issue. It’s 2014. We should all be equal."
Player and Orozco took a Yellow Cab from F Bar on their way home and were stunned when the driver pulled over and told them to leave the car.
“It never clicked in my head that this was an issue. It’s 2014,” Player tells CultureMap. “We thought it was a joke, but when he told us he doesn’t give gay people rides and that we would burn in hell, we knew he wasn’t joking.”
The men exited the car and didn’t pay the driver the $6 fare he demanded of them. Player says he had called Yellow Cab as a last resort after Lyft and Uber were booked.
Yellow Cab released a statement to CulturMap saying that it will take appropriate action upon completing its investigation. The company also spoke out in support of all Houston communities in the statement.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that any passenger ever be denied service because of her or his sexual orientation. Yellow Cab has consistently been a vocal ally of the LGBT community in Houston and does not condone any discrimination whatsoever. No matter who you love, Yellow Cab will be there for you,” the statement reads.
Player initially shared the incident with KTRK Ch. 13 and says the response to the incident in the comment section of the station’s Facebook page has made the uncomfortable situation much worse.
“I’m upset and surprised because I didn’t see it as a big issue, but after reading the comments, it makes me mad,” Player says. “The comments say to read the Bible and are so negative. We should all be equal.”
Yellow Cab currently has a cultural and sensitivity training in place and spokesperson Cindy Clifford says the company is always looking for ways to improve the program.
Yellow Cab is investigating a cab driver who kicked a Houston gay couple out of his car for kissing.
