Even though racism is everywhere we look, it can be easy to turn a blind eye to the instances where we see it playing out in real life, especially when it is casual racism that can be played off as “a joke.”
One Lyft driver in Pennsylvania has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to casual racism, and his firm stance recently went viral.
Why a Lyft Driver Refused to Give a Ride to Two Passengers
One night, Lyft driver James Bode was doing his usual rounds, picking up passengers and helping them get safely to their destinations. Everything was going fine until he picked up a ride for a woman named “Jackie.” The woman, later identified as bar owner Jackie Harford, got into his Lyft and immediately blurted out that she was surprised he was “a white guy.”
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James pressed her, asking what exactly she meant by that comment. Happily, she went further, saying: “You’re like a normal guy, like you speak English.” Slowly realizing her comments may not have landed with a receptive audience, she reached forward and patted James on the shoulder, saying “sorry.” The weak apology was not accepted, and James told his passenger to get out of the car.
Nah, you can get out of the car. That’s inappropriate, that’s completely inappropriate. If somebody was not white sitting in this seat, what would be the difference?
James Bode to his passenger
How One Lyft Driver Handled an Escalating Situation in the Best Way
The situation began to escalate when the woman’s companion entered the Lyft, expecting a normal ride. Bode explained that the woman had expressed racist views and he was asking them both to leave the Lyft. Her companion was not having it, and began to cuss Bode out and threaten violence.
Bode, who had a dash cam rolling the whole time, let him know that his threats were being recorded and that he would call the police. Adding insult to injury, the man harassed Bode, using a racial slur. Finally, Bode did call the police and the couple left his vehicle.
There was a police report filed (only because of the assault threat) not sure if that will do anything… if you make me feel uncomfortable, I will absolutely do the same especially in my car or property.”
James Bode
How One Lyft Driver's Act of Bravery Is Bring Celebrated
Bode posted the dash cam video on Facebook to illustrate how prevalent casual racism still is and how we should continue to make efforts to fight against it. When he posted the video, people congratulated and showed appreciation for the man’s actions -- while also showing disdain for Jackie and the apparent racists with whom she surrounds herself.
People all over social media thanked James for his bravery and being firm in his position, but he insists that he only did the right thing, and that it is what anyone else would do. We could all take a cue from James and never let our values and morals be compromised to make a buck, or to make bad people comfortable.
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Speak up if you’re uncomfortable with it because it makes them uncomfortable, as they should be. F—- racism.
James Bode
Jackie's bar, Fossil's Last Stand, received poor Yelp reviews and people started calling the bar administration out for their racist behavior, and she ultimately had to delete her personal Facebook page as well as the bar’s website and social media.
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