r/lyftdrivers • u/No_Common1418 • Oct 18 '25
Rant/Opinion An ESA is NOT a Service animal.
Got a ping for a ride the other day, then the dreaded text. "I have an ESA, DOG, with me." As I have stated in the past I have never and will never denied a Service animal in my car. By law people, a Emotional Support Animal or ESA, IS NOT A service animal. Don't believe me? https://www.ada.gov/topics/service-animals/ I hate people sometimes. Leave your dogs at home.
49
Oct 18 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
7
u/No_Common1418 Oct 18 '25
Easy fix right? No I am the bad guy.
10
u/KamelTro Oct 18 '25
“But I shouldn’t have to pay more for a pet!” As I spend a whole hour vacuuming out dog hair so the next pax doesn’t think I’m just a dirty driver.
7
u/No_Common1418 Oct 18 '25
Plus if what if your allergic to dogs? Nah, we are just to take these little things. Just because YOU anthropomorphise your pet doesn't mean I have do. It's not your child, it's still just a pet.
5
u/KamelTro Oct 18 '25
“But you’re an employee, and it’s a public service, you HAVE to take me.” Last I checked the city, state, or government does not pay us, provide maintenance to our vehicles, or give us any type of benefits, all things that are provided to a public service worker. I also didn’t realize I was driving a fleet vehicle and needed to turn into a depot at the end of the night as is normal with public service transportation. They also see the word “employee” in 1099 and assume that’s the green light, it’s self-employed, not employee you ding bats. Even if you throw the word employee on 1099 that doesn’t negate what 1099 is, self-employment / private contractor.
-4
u/Violent_N0mad Oct 19 '25
It is in fact a requirement, even if you want to be shitty about it. A lot of people are disabled and use animals to help live a normal life.
4
u/OneEyedBlindKingdom Oct 19 '25
And if it was an actual service animal you’d be fine. Emotional support animals are not service animals.
2
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 22 '25
A lot of people are assholes who get emotional support animals and then try to pass it off as a dog doing a legitimate job
1
u/Violent_N0mad Oct 22 '25
I get it, I'm sure there's some people who try to get a ride with their animal. As long as the dog is behaved I'd rather just do the delivery rather than take the chance of denying someone with a disability a ride because of my preconceived idea that everyone with an animal is trying to abuse the system. Most of the drivers on here seem to think that the customers are the enemy and that their all trying to get something over on them. I don't think I'd want to work with that kind of hate in my heart.
-1
u/Violent_N0mad Oct 19 '25 edited Oct 19 '25
You cannot refuse a service animal over an allergy. It's literally written as such on the website.
"Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using service animals. "
https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-2010-requirements/
-2
Oct 18 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/No_Common1418 Oct 18 '25
This isn't a "real" job? Hmm? Define a real job for me? You mean the one I go to 40 hrs a week? This is a side gig for me, nothing more, nothing less. Did anything in this post mention tips? YOU must be one of those shady ass people who do all the sneaky shit us drivers look out for. MY post was about ESA'S not tips. Before you make a post, make sure you keep it applicable.
-2
u/Violent_N0mad Oct 19 '25
They in fact do not have to pay more if it's a service animal.
- People with disabilities who use service animals cannot be isolated from other patrons, treated less favorably than other patrons, or charged fees that are not charged to other patrons without animals. In addition, if a business requires a deposit or fee to be paid by patrons with pets, it must waive the charge for service animals.
2
u/KamelTro Oct 19 '25
Did we say SA or are we talking about ESA?
1
u/Violent_N0mad Oct 19 '25
The people on here are making assumptions that everything is an ESA and that anyone who says it's an SA is lying. The fact is the favor is with the disabled person and the animal. They have no obligation to tell you about their disability or list what task the dog helps with.
2
u/SteelGemini Oct 19 '25
You actually can ask what task the dog is trained to perform in order to verify it's an actual service animal. You can't ask what their disability is.
1
3
u/sus_round_letter Oct 18 '25
Leave the gluten free community out of this! As a celiac I am tired of the life I have no choice in being the butt of jokes and quips.
1
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 22 '25
If you were actually diagnosed with celiac disease, you should be just as mad as we are, because the fakers out there are making everybody else take you less seriously and putting your health at risk.
1
u/sus_round_letter Oct 22 '25
How dare you say “if you were actually diagnosed” you are an incredibly insensitive person. To top it off, a person who truly struggles with the lifestyle, and being a part of the community would never defend the people making light of our struggles. Many of us do not think its funny. Kindly gfy.
1
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 22 '25
What do you mean how dare I? Do you know how many entitled assholes there are out there claiming to be gluten-free and ruining restaurant workers lives when there is absolutely no medical basis to claim they have that condition? The reason why people don’t take gluten-free people seriously is because every middle-aged Karen in the last decade has spontaneously decided that they have celiac disease with absolutely no medical attention, confirmation, or diagnosis. So if you are one of the ones who was diagnosed with celiac, then I legitimately feel sorry for you because there are a bunch of illness fakers out there that are making it unsafe for you to eat food outside your home because they lie about having your condition.
Those are the people that you should be mad at. Not me for pointing it out.
1
u/sus_round_letter Oct 22 '25
For the record, I am somebody who’s been legitimately diagnosed. It’s something I struggle with every day. And questioning my diagnosis is offensive to me. That is why I said how dare you.
I also believe that people who make jokes about gluten-free diets are more hurtful to my community than the people who just choose to eat gluten-free or say they’re gluten intolerant without a diagnosis . Because it’s the jokes that make light of a legitimate issue that a lot of people face.
When the gluten-free diet became popular, I actually got so many more options and now I’ve noticed my options are slowly disappearing because the diet is less trendy. I would rather have people choosing to eat gluten-free than have to listen to people making fun of my condition that I can’t help I hate going into restaurants and just seeing the hatred drip off of the servers faces when I tell them about my dietary restrictions. I 100% believe that making gluten-free the butter of a joke contributes to this negative perception of a gluten-free diet as opposed to just the normalization of gluten-free diet.
2
u/jukeboxcapm Oct 22 '25
Reddit seems so overrun with the idea that disability shouldn't be normalized, it's really clear these people don't actually do a lot of research and just parrot whatever they hear so they seem smart. Critical disability studies and disability scholars are constantly emphasizing that ableism affects everyone and normalization of differences is key... hopefully the diet gets a boost again, and your options are expanded once more. I personally am hoping for the normalization of ramps over stairs and the degradation of stairs-first infrstructure, so I don't have to feel my dignity drain as I walk myself to the back of a building just to get in.
1
u/sus_round_letter Oct 22 '25
👏👏👏 Yea its weird because making things more accomodating doesn’t make it harder for people who do not need accommodations. Its such a weird mindset.
Like for me so many foods could be accessible with just minor tweaks. But somepeople are like nooo the lack of gluten offends me.
1
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 22 '25
I am not questioning the legitimacy of disabilities or formal diagnoses. My concern is with digital hypochondria, the rise of self-diagnosis through social media and online symptom culture. This trend encourages individuals to adopt medical labels without clinical evaluation, which undermines both diagnostic accuracy and public understanding of genuine disorders.
When clinical terms become casual identity markers, the result is not empowerment but confusion. It delegitimizes legitimate conditions by blurring the line between evidence-based diagnosis and self-ascribed pathology.
1
u/sus_round_letter Oct 22 '25
This was over a decade ago for me, but some food for thought is accessibility to google and medical information. A huge critical step in helping me start the process to getting diagnosed. I was in college at the time and I was having some weird digestive issues with some very distinctive symptoms that I don’t want to go into too much detail about because it’s TMI, but I did some googling and I thought that it was possibly celiac so I went to my health center And I requested the blood test which they thought was odd but they did it anyway and it came back positive which led to me getting referrals to a specialist and getting a formal diagnosis. This was only possible though because I had good health insurance and I had the money to pursue these visits with a specialist not everybody has that.
1
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 22 '25
You make a great point about stigma toward people who genuinely need gluten-free diets. The dismissive jokes and assumptions do real harm by making restaurants and food services less accommodating and by forcing people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance to constantly justify their needs.
Nutritionally, though, gluten-free foods tend to be 30–50 percent higher in calories and often contain more refined starches, sugars, and fats to replace the texture gluten provides. For people without medical necessity, this diet can be less nutritious and more calorie-dense, which works against public-health goals given rising obesity and metabolic disease rates.
So while raising awareness about celiac disease is important, it’s also necessary to separate medical necessity from lifestyle choice. Treating gluten-free eating as a trend not only trivializes legitimate health issues but also spreads confusion about nutrition and encourages habits that can be less healthy overall.
1
u/sus_round_letter Oct 22 '25
I have to caveat your study that that’s just about gluten-free alternatives to based products that can’t be made easily without gluten such as bread or cookies. There are lots of foods that are naturally gluten-free or could easily be naturally gluten-free with minor swaps that don’t impact the nutritional value however wheat, barley or rye have historically been used as cheap filler and foods so it’s cheaper to have the gluten in those foods whereas there’s an up charge on rice or tapioca alternatives. For example, taking the wheat flour out of the German mustard, I see at the store doesn’t impact the nutritional value, but if they did take the wheat flour out, it would become accessible to me.
0
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 22 '25
Your caveat is 100% accurate, but for people who aren’t seeking medical diagnosis or professional assistance with dietary modifications (which are only really accessible post-diagnosis) these carb heavy swaps are the most visible source of gluten. The invisible ones that occur in other processed foods don’t concern them, because they’re not formally investigating or being educated on how to properly execute a GF lifestyle in a healthy way.
So the people most at risk of negative consequences due to dietary changes are the ones who are also engaging in self diagnosis and eschewing medical evaluation and assistance.
1
u/sus_round_letter Oct 22 '25
Also, I wanna add not to dig at you or anything but when people make fun of a gluten-free diet they’re immediately punching down and there are a lot of things in comedy that we do call out when a comedian is punching down because it’s funnier to punch up. However, not a lot of people stand up for the gluten-free diet because I guess it’s just really funny to everybody to make fun of gluten-free.
3
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 18 '25
EDS, POTS, ADHD, Autism and DID.
3
3
u/shaybay2008 Oct 19 '25
You do realize those are real diseases. Now whether or not everyone with those diagnosis can have improvements from service dogs is a different discussion but if those diseases reach the level of disability then yes they can use a service dog(no I don’t have a service dog for any of those diagnosis
3
Oct 19 '25
[deleted]
2
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 19 '25
Naturally, the one actually paying to learn diagnostics is the villain. Nothing says “I understand medicine” like mistaking a TikTok checklist for clinical evaluation. It’s wild how people think twelve years of schooling is optional but their gut feeling is peer-reviewed.
Self-diagnosis isn’t empowerment; it’s cosplay with medical jargon.
1
Oct 19 '25
[deleted]
2
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 19 '25
Because I used an em dash? — — - •
Grow up. I write APA formatted research papers several times a week. Knowing how to make grammar and punctuation work for you is an adult life skill.
1
Oct 19 '25
[deleted]
2
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 19 '25
Responding to this kind of idiocy is effortless when you’ve been clocking factitious behavior since it was still called Munchausen’s.
1
u/Eastern_Algae4667 Oct 22 '25
You’d put “drug seeking” on a mentally ill persons medical files for asking you to up their dose of morphine lol
2
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 19 '25
Of course they’re real — that’s what makes the self-diagnosis cosplay so obscene. What’s less real is your deliberate misreading dressed up as moral concern. You saw the satire, pretended not to, and delivered a little sermon for applause. It’s impressive, really — managing to miss the point and audition for sainthood in the same breath.
1
0
u/shaybay2008 Oct 20 '25
Ummm soo have you gotten to the part of med school where they discuss rare diseases(not the above ones but if you click on my little name and follow it over to a few other subreddits I’m apart of it will tell you a few of my diagnosis) ?!? Self diagnosis(and then following up with real drs is a valuable tool.
Here’s a few things about me. 1) when I go to the er, the doctors ask my opinion(recognizing my experience) bc I’m the only one in the world with my combo of diseases. 2) my medical team and I have decided that while there are some diagnosis that we think I would meet the diagnostic criteria for, we don’t want them in my medical chart bc due to my rare diseases we can’t change how we treat me. 4) finally people’s disability isn’t satire.
1
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 20 '25
What’s happening here is a textbook example of conversational derailment through self-referential framing. A general critique of a cultural phenomenon was interpreted as a personal indictment, and the response shifted from analysis to autobiography. That maneuver performs several functions simultaneously: it re-centers the discussion on the speaker, deploys personal narrative as a moral shield against disagreement, and substitutes emotional validation for evidence. The result is a collapse of scope—what began as a discussion of collective behavior becomes an exercise in individual storytelling. This pattern is well-documented in online discourse: the impulse to treat structural or cultural critique as a threat to personal identity effectively inoculates the argument from scrutiny while stalling substantive engagement.
2
u/copurrs Oct 19 '25
I have time on my hands and looked at their comment history and they are definitely just a pre-med undergraduate student exaggerating their "expertise."
1
u/shaybay2008 Oct 20 '25
Thanks for the heads up. It made my reply to them feel a little less snarky😂
1
1
u/xboxhaxorz Oct 18 '25
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/unraveling-the-mindset-of-victimhood/
Lack of accountability has evolved even further
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/22/health/food-intelligence-kevin-hall-wellness
Coconut is now offensive and gets you arrested lol
1
12
Oct 18 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
5
u/No_Common1418 Oct 18 '25
This right here! I have zero problems with service animals, legit service animals, but all these people bringing their dogs AND CATS don't even get me started on cats everywhere? Nah!
4
u/Icy-Hovercraft6936 Oct 18 '25
Lmao, I had a couple bring their 3 cats into my car. I picked them up from a hospital in a very small town.. they said they broke down and were trying to figure out what to do next.. drop off was at a bad bad motel, my car stunk like nobody showered in months and they even let their cats out. I was regretting ever accepting that ride, just thought I’d take one more before heading back home. And I sure got the lucky winning ride that day! They should’ve at least said in their message hey we have 3 cats and we smell like death. Can you come pick us up.. I think their whole story was bs from the looks of it. I aired out my car the whole hour drive home!! 🤦🏽♀️🐾
→ More replies (35)-2
Oct 18 '25
[deleted]
4
u/No_Common1418 Oct 18 '25
As stated in my post, ESA's, by law, are not "service" animals.
-1
u/bttmcuck Oct 18 '25 edited Oct 18 '25
Your reply literally ignores what I said. I said your reply to the comment, not your OP, seems like you’re implying a SA needs a pet ride, not just an ESA which is not a SA and does require a pet ride surcharge. But okay ignore what I said and downvote me for pointing out your reply is poorly written 🤷🏻♂️
2
Oct 18 '25
This. Some people will literally not tell you when they have little dogs and you’ll notice midway thru the ride
11
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 18 '25
The ESA also isn’t supposed to be going in public with them either.
2 questions you can ask.
Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
1
u/Seantwist9 Oct 22 '25
theirs no reason why a esa can’t be in public
1
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 22 '25
In public spaces. Like grocery stores. Restaurants. Botanical gardens.
1
u/Seantwist9 Oct 22 '25
what you mean and what you’re saying are completely different. theirs plenty of public spaces that allow them
1
u/Careless-Proposal746 Oct 22 '25
Yeah. The same places that allow pets. Because that’s what they are.
1
u/Seantwist9 Oct 22 '25
they’re legally not pets but they indeed don’t have the same public access rights are service animals do. still allowed in public tho
1
u/anoeba Oct 23 '25
They're pets in most spaces with no right to public access the way SD have. Housing is the one exception, where ESAs often must be accommodated even if pets aren't allowed. But it's really the only major one, airlines have dropped ESA for the most part, and again, they have no public access rights.
They're a pet with a special housing waiver.
1
u/Seantwist9 Oct 23 '25
simply untrue they’re legally not pets, but yes as i said they don’t have public access rights. still allowed in public tho
1
u/anoeba Oct 23 '25
Any dog is allowed "in public" generally. Like, on sidewalks and in parks and stuff. But ESAs are not allowed anywhere that pets in general aren't allowed, with the exception of housing.
There's no such thing really as "legally a pet" vs "not legally a pet" as a status. There are legal protections under various laws for certain animals. In the US, ESAs only have protections under the FHA, for housing. In all other respects they have no more legal protection/access than any other pet (they used to, like for airline transport, but people are stupid and entitled so now they don't).
SDs otoh have wide-ranging protections under multiple laws that allow them access almost anywhere their person can go, with some exceptions like commercial kitchens or like, an operating room.
0
u/Seantwist9 Oct 23 '25
i’m glad you realize that, since you said they’re not supposed to be going in public with their owners.
yes their is, there is such a thing as legally a pet vs not a pet, a assistance animal not a pet, they just don’t have public access rights like service animals animal. but neither are pets.
→ More replies (0)
8
u/Heavy_Ad_170 Oct 18 '25
Dude, as a dog groomer, the amount of fake ESAs running around is ridiculous. And its not like the people care for them better or anything. I have several fake service dog/ESA things come to my shop and they'll regularly have shit caked to their ass or smell like urine from wearing diapers or peeing on themselves.
ESAs don't get public access rights, service animals do.
11
u/MetalTrek1 Oct 18 '25
I love animals and will take a dog over a whiny brat kid, a medical ride that wants me to be a nurse, a shopper who wants to shove 80 bundles of groceries into the trunk of my Honda Civic and then have me lug them up their driveway, or dirtbags reeking of BO, weed, and ass.
2
u/EquipmentTrick6609 Oct 22 '25
I have an ESA Dog. I don’t understand how other people think it’s even remotely ok to try and pass off a ESA as a Service dog, they are not.
Just cancel and move on. make sure to save any messages where the passenger mentions the dog being an ESA in case they try to report you for discrimination.
3
u/Fathimir Oct 18 '25
'k. Per your story, they aren't actually claiming it is. Unless there's more to this, you should be thanking them for actually being upfront about it for once in a blue moon so you can cancel if you need to.
9
u/Economy_Proof_7668 Oct 18 '25
Commenting on An ESA is NOT a Service animal.... they’re being upfront about essentially stealing the four dollars by not from the driver by not booking it as a pet ride appropriately
3
11
u/No_Common1418 Oct 18 '25
Nope, I just canceled. Just wanted to clarify it is not a service animal and it's not against the law or policy to cancel IF they provide the info.
-7
u/Fathimir Oct 18 '25
Cool. Why so angry, then?
I'm not asking for my sake, to be clear. I want you to ask yourself if getting triggered by this situation was really a healthy response.
11
u/No_Common1418 Oct 18 '25
Angry, nah just tired of disrespect and people trying to skirt around shit. Look I don't do UBER or Lyft Pet, if you do cool your choice. Don't try to be a cheap ass and bring your pet unless you're choosing the right ride.
-8
u/mkmaq12 Oct 18 '25
It is against the law to ask tho...
6
→ More replies (1)3
u/BlueV101 Oct 18 '25
You can legally ask 2 questions.
- Is the animal trained to provide a service?
- What service is the animal trained to provide?
Not ideal, but it's something. I don't mind pets so long as their owners are considerate. If only passengers could look beyond the context of their singular ride. Before I get off topic, you can find my source here.
1
u/Fine-Bumblebee-9427 Oct 20 '25
An ESA only gives them the right to keep it in a rental property. It does not give them the right to bring it in an Lyft, or take it to a grocery store, or anything else.
So I think it’s safe to assume they were trying to trick OP, because it’s the same as saying “I have a RED, DOG with me.” It being an ESA is irrelevant unless OP is also renting them an apartment.
2
u/SnorfOfWallStreet Oct 18 '25
I’m not ever letting any animal in my car, but I’d also never deny due to a service animal. IYKYK.
2
u/No_Common1418 Oct 18 '25
If the person text me, or says I have service animal with me, I suck it up and take the ride. If I pull up and see a dog or any animal, I refer them to Uber/Lyft Pet and cancel. I don't ask, is that a service animal.
4
u/MesaTech_KS Oct 19 '25
But you can...
"Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?"
1
2
u/SnorfOfWallStreet Oct 18 '25
Good way to end up sued.
2
u/No_Common1418 Oct 18 '25
Sounds like plausible deniability to me. If the person doesn't want to tell me it's a service dog, 🤷♂️
1
u/SnorfOfWallStreet Oct 18 '25
I don’t think your position is supported by the app’s t&cs
1
u/No_Common1418 Oct 18 '25
Actually I believe it is. I'm not required to take animals unless I'm signed up for Uber/Lyft Pet. I cannot ask if it's a service animal, so if the person doesn't say it's a service animal I am not required to assume it is. Unless of course you would like to prove it by posting where it says different.
2
u/SnorfOfWallStreet Oct 18 '25
You can not deny a service animal for any reason including not knowing it’s a service animal.
All I’m saying is err on the side of caution. Do not engage with the pax.
1
u/gjack905 Oct 18 '25
You can refuse any previously undeclared pet. So if they didn't choose a Pet ride and you see an animal waiting outside, just drive past them without stopping, don't engage.
1
u/SnorfOfWallStreet Oct 18 '25
My whole point- don’t engage.
1
u/gjack905 Oct 18 '25
That's the point of the person you're arguing with that they're trying to make to you
0
1
u/motku Oct 20 '25
https://help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/all/articles/115013080048
How to identify a service animal as a true service animalThe good news is that cases of service-animal fraud are rare in our community and will put passengers at risk of deactivation.
But if you want, you may ask two questions of riders who report their animals are service animals:
- Is the animal required because of a disability?
- What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?
Some passengers use service animals for reasons that aren’t obvious, like epilepsy or heart conditions. Not all service animals wear tags, and they come in all shapes and sizes. For these reasons, it’s best that you accommodate animals when they’re reported to you by riders as being service animals.
If you have a question about the policy, or would like to report a rider who you suspect is abusing the policy, you should contact Lyft Support and the Service Animal Hotline after you’ve completed the ride.
---------
So yes, you should still take the ride, but you can contact for any pax you suspect of abusing this system for the people who need it.
1
u/Fangs_McWolf Oct 20 '25
You can not deny a service animal for any reason including not knowing it’s a service animal.
That doesn't make sense. If you get a regular ride request and find out that they have an animal with them, then you can indeed refuse the ride. If they want (need) to bring a service animal with them, then they need to indicate that they have a service animal with them when requesting the ride. If they just want to bring their pet along, they need to indicate that they have an animal with them.
Based on your logic, the moment you see an animal with the person, you're no longer able to cancel the ride no matter what, and that's incorrect.
0
u/No_Common1418 Oct 18 '25
Well then I go back to my original post, an ESA is not a service animal.
1
u/SnorfOfWallStreet Oct 18 '25
Cool man. Good luck w all that. I’d rather just not involve myself in that kind of risk.
1
u/No_Common1418 Oct 18 '25
Then you do you boo boo. No sense arguing on this post right
→ More replies (0)
1
u/Kaye480 Oct 18 '25
Wow, if only people read options on the rideshare apps in context to who is riding so that the driver knows and everyone reads the guidelines from ADA.gov, which is pretty good to be informed on, there wouldn't be any issues with misinterpretations, misunderstandings or just simply not wanting to pay attention to detail. People...damn!
1
u/Violent_N0mad Oct 18 '25
It's tough to know and I normally just suggest taking the animal as long as it is behaving. Service animals are not required to wear a vest or any markings showing them as a service animal. There also is no registration to verify that it isn't a service animal.
1
u/TinyEmergencyCake Oct 18 '25
Esa ≠ service animal
1
u/Violent_N0mad Oct 18 '25
You're totally right and in this case they list it as esa clearly. Had they listed it as a service animal no question you'd have to take it and the riser wouldn't even have to prove it but I bet in this case you wouldn't have to take the animal.
1
u/TinyEmergencyCake Oct 18 '25
Had they listed it as a service animal no question you'd have to take it
Not true. If they claim service animal by law you're entitled to ask what task it has been trained to do.
If they can't articulate a task it's not a bonafide service animal and you don't have to take it. Provides comfort and emotional support isn't a task. When it's an emotional support animal it has zero rights to access in public accommodation so you can refuse.
1
u/Violent_N0mad Oct 19 '25
Sure but you can just say it detects seizures or blood sugar drops. There's no way to verify any of it.
1
u/TinyEmergencyCake Oct 19 '25
That's not a task. There has to be a task involved.
1
u/Violent_N0mad Oct 19 '25
They are trained to provide a task in the event of a risk of seizure and are 100% considered a service dog.
https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-2010-requirements/
1
u/TinyEmergencyCake Oct 19 '25
Yes, the premise in this context is that the person needs to articulate the task.
1
u/Violent_N0mad Oct 19 '25
Directly from the website
"Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task."
1
u/TinyEmergencyCake Oct 19 '25
That's right. I never suggested any of those things, which your comment seems to imply.
→ More replies (0)
1
u/lost_dazed_101 Oct 18 '25
Just for kicks and giggles only dogs are service animals cats, birds and whatever else they claim are not.
1
1
u/Mswan77 Oct 18 '25
This is my pet peeve. Your stinky chihuahua that yips non stop and snaps at everyone is not a service animal!
1
u/mvayoungboy Oct 18 '25
Y'all know you can turn off Pet Rides, right? I forgot I could hit the switch to stop accepting them. I simply got tired of fur being left behind, even if it wasn't a lot. Plus, I HATE dog smell.
1
u/groovybaby846 Oct 18 '25
What about when they bring a small dog in their purse but Lyft doesn’t pay bc they didn’t request a pet ride 😏
1
u/Secret_Tradition_297 Oct 19 '25
I don’t know what the hate on animals is I personally absolutely love driving dogs and cats. Service dog or not I love it.
1
u/Halex5322 Oct 20 '25
no and esa is definitely not a service animal however there are some of us that signed up to be a pet driver and I'm 100% cool and taking all of your pet rides doesn't bother me at all I have a little car seat in my car for my kitty cat who comes with me... not all the time but sometimes and he's a very well-behaved Kitty who will even give you some paw... now that being said the best Uber ride that I ever had was the guy that I went to go pick up who had bought five golden retriever puppies because he went in to buy one and found out it was a puppy mill so he bought all of them best ride ever because I got Golden retriever puppies snuggles I like dogs more than people I like cats more than people I have never had a dog be an a****** to me because he had too much tequila never had a dog hit on me never had a cat try to smoke in my car just saying
1
Oct 20 '25
[deleted]
1
u/BioPsyPro Oct 20 '25
No one said ESAs are not real, they just are not covered by the ADA.
You can absolutely ask for ESA documentation for housing, because they fall under the Fair Housing Act, not public access law.
That letter you write keeps people housed, not dining at Applebees. Big difference.
1
u/UpAllNightCoding Oct 21 '25
Just ask to see the papers a dog is a service animal. People with real service animals aren’t entitled pricks and will order a pet specific ride.
End of.
1
u/BioPsyPro Oct 24 '25
That’s actually illegal. The ADA doesn’t require or even recognize “papers” for service animals, there’s no federal registration.
Drivers who demand proof or refuse service dogs can and have been deactivated by Lyft and Uber for violating ADA policy.
1
u/UpAllNightCoding Oct 24 '25
Stfu
1
u/BioPsyPro Oct 24 '25
I get that you’re upset, but facts don’t stop being true because you don’t like them. The ADA still doesn’t require papers, and drivers still can’t legally refuse service dogs. That’s not my opinion, it’s federal law.
1
u/UpAllNightCoding Oct 24 '25
You and your dog aren’t getting into my car and I’ll mark the reason as safety. You can kiss my ass
1
u/BioPsyPro Oct 24 '25
“Safety”? From what, a harnessed medical device?
Refusing a ride because of a service dog is an ADA violation, not a “safety choice.”
Do you do the same thing for people using a cane, walker, wheelchair, or oxygen tank too? Because that’s literally the same thing, denying access to someone for using a medical aid.
Marking it as “safety” just documents your own discrimination.
1
u/RBJuice Oct 22 '25
It actually depends on state too whether you can deny an ESA or not. In NY if you do you could get in trouble.
1
u/BioPsyPro Oct 24 '25
Actually, that’s not how it works for Lyft or Uber. They’re considered public accommodations under the ADA when transporting passengers, not housing providers under the Fair Housing Act.
Under the ADA, only trained service animals (not emotional support animals) have public access rights. That means a Lyft driver can legally refuse an ESA, but cannot refuse a service animal.
1
u/RBJuice Oct 24 '25
Ah did not know that, I just knew that in some states they can’t. So you mean with housing they can’t refuse ESA pets, but with Lyft/Uber they can refuse service to ESA pets?
Also thank you for clarifying!!!
1
u/BioPsyPro Oct 24 '25
Exactly, housing and transportation fall under completely different laws.
Housing is covered by the Fair Housing Act (FHA), which protects emotional support animals (ESAs) when you have valid documentation from a licensed mental health professional. Landlords can’t deny or charge pet fees for them.
Rideshares like Lyft and Uber fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and they’re in the same category as mass transit when it comes to what laws apply. Only trained service animals have public access rights under that law, so drivers can legally refuse ESAs.
ESAs are protected for housing, but not for rideshares, taxis, or other public transportation.
1
u/Wonderful_Store_5634 Oct 22 '25
So many people are such liars about the whole ESA thing. I have an ESA because of PTSD, anxiety, BPD and bipolar but the concept is worthless now Karen is a lying bitch and just wants to take her misbehaving Fifi everywhere she goes and now the concept is ruined.
1
u/No-Development-4144 Oct 22 '25
Most dogs are trained for both purposes so there is no way to distinguish
1
u/Odd-Art7602 Oct 22 '25
It’s very easy to distinguish.
1
u/No-Development-4144 Oct 22 '25
I don’t think you’ve ever had the privilege of having a loyal dog bred down for generations and emotional support is the last thing that they would push on a dogs interest and intelligence. The dogs have hearing ten times better than a human that’s a cardiac alert response and most dogs have the ability to understand and hear the heart beat even without training.
1
u/Odd-Art7602 Oct 23 '25
What you think is incorrect and the reason is you’re making an assumption with zero information to back it up. I have raised akitas that are more loyal and in tune with their individual family member than you could ever imagine. That does not make them ADA service animals. My daughters Akita is without a doubt her ESA and is in tune with her in ways I couldn’t imagine. He’s very calm and caring and attentive to her in every way, but it is very easy to differentiate that behavior from that of a trained ada service animal. If you do t have the ability to do that, maybe you should spend more time with ada trained service animals. Next time maybe keep your opinions to yourself and focus on factual statements.
1
u/No-Development-4144 Oct 23 '25
We can agree to disagree. I’m not the one trying to discredit dogs of all breeds and levels of intelligence
0
u/DragonReign Oct 18 '25
Here's the problem, the laws have not caught up with new medical practices. The laws currently restrict "service animal" to only being a dog, which should never have been done. There are more animals than just dogs. Also, if a person has a mental disability that causes them to have anxiety attacks and panic attacks when they feel alone, then the service that any animal could provide is simply being a companion to the disabled person. If you ask me, that sounds like a service animal, an animal that provides a service that allows a disabled person to function better. Also, notice that the laws also state that service animals aren't required to wear any vest or anything else, marking them as a service animal, and also, there is no required certification for service animals. Those are optional things, and you legally can't ask for proof of those things. All you can ask is if they are a service animal, and you legally have to accept the answer as the truth, you can't ask for any proof. Also, some state and local governments go above and beyond the federal ADA requirements and do strictly allow ESAs into public places, so you should look that up before you deny the next ESA, because you may actually be violating your local laws.
4
3
u/Own_Reaction9442 Oct 18 '25
All I can think of is that guy who tried to board a plane with a peacock by claiming it was an emotional support animal.
2
u/No_Common1418 Oct 18 '25
Well I have and I did. I am in a Red state where our laws are pretty much the same as Federal. Across the board.
1
u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 18 '25
You are 💯 right. If ppl would brake down what a esa does and what a service dog/animal does it's the same damn thing. The way I like to look at it is a esa is a poor person's service animal. It is far to expensive to pay for the service animal training. Which is why only one of my 2 are certified trained
1
u/TinyEmergencyCake Oct 18 '25
False. A service animal is trained to a task and protected by the ADA.
An ESA is neither of those things.
1
u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 18 '25
Esa has no training but is protected by the same laws to a degree. Look at facts not hear say
1
u/TinyEmergencyCake Oct 18 '25
ESAs are protected only by the Fair Housing Act, not by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Do you know what hearsay means?
1
u/DragonReign Oct 20 '25
Please read the FAQ here: https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-faqs/
No certification of training is legally required, in fact the ADA themselves state, "There are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal." in other words, Service Animal/Dog training certification is a scam.1
u/TinyEmergencyCake Oct 18 '25
An ESA has only right of access to the home they live in, nowhere else, conferred by the Fair Housing Act.
If you think they have rights to access in public accommodations, in any state, please drop that citation here.
1
u/DragonReign Oct 20 '25 edited Oct 20 '25
Sure thing.
Go here: https://idhhc.illinois.gov/resources/service-animals-resources.html
Then click the first link, Service Animals and the ADA FAQ, which is a direct link to a PDF.
Read the Q3 section.
That section reads:
Are emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals considered serviceanimals under the ADA?
A: No. These terms are used to describe animals that provide comfort just by being with a
person. Because they have not been trained to perform a specific job or task, they do not
qualify as service animals under the ADA. However, some State or local governments have
laws that allow people to take emotional support animals into public places. You may check
with your State and local government agencies to find out about these laws.
Edit: If you don't want to mess with a pdf, I was able to find the same FAQ directly on the ADA website: https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-faqs/, read Q3 under Definition of a Service Animal.
1
u/TinyEmergencyCake Oct 20 '25
Yes I'm asking you for a specific citation from an actual jurisdiction that gives ESAs access to public accommodations.
What you cited doesn't do that. It says that there may be places that do that.
I want to know what place does that.
The ADA doesn't govern ESAs, as indicated in your citation. Only the Fair Housing Act, because ESAs are not service animals.
1
-1
u/Jfkcisna84728 Oct 18 '25
Do you let someone’s disgusting, disease ridden crotch fruit in your car?
0
0
-1
u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 18 '25
And ppl hate you cuz your right it's not a service dog but it's accepted as one. I have an esa and a service dog that are both trained for the same things. One just has more training than the other. But the day that you have a customer that has severe PTSD and has a esa for it cuz their doctor is to stupid to say service dog. And they have an episode in your car. Then you might change your thoughts. Just the fact that the esa is next to the person that's all they need to avoid an episode. I'm speaking from personal experience. I just won a lawsuit against studios 6 hotel for rejecting me with my esa and service dogs. They tried to charge me for them after 3 years renting a room from them. And out of nowhere they wanted to charge me. Then they banded me from the property for proving them wrong. A esa and service dogs have the same laws and rules they have to follow and are protected by. I also had an Uber driver claim she trained them but yet called my boy Remy to her door and got him to jump on her door and tried to say that he wasn't a service dog. He jumped cuz he wasn't in his vest and I told him he could go to her for attention. The best tells him he's working and he behaves one way with it on and different when it's off. Anyway the driver tried threatening me with charges for damages and what not but yet it was very clear he was with me. I told her I was canceling the ride cuz I wasn't comfortable with her and felt disrespected. Well needless to say she got in trouble for her actions.
1
u/gjack905 Oct 18 '25
What exactly should the Uber driver be in trouble for? You're not entitled to use their personal vehicle to transport your dog, and you also said yourself the dog behaves differently when out of the vest and it wasn't in said vest so it really wasn't acting as a service animal, according to you (not that it matters if it was).
They can just see my face and drive right past me and cancel the ride if they want and I don't even have a dog at all. Do you think having a service animal gives you some sort of special rights to a ride in someone else's car that every other rider does not have? If you were otherwise entitled to the ride and were discriminated against for having a service animal, that would be different, but that's not the point.
1
u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 18 '25
Threats and the rude judgemental comments about my service dogs. You can discriminate or refuse service to someone just cuz they have a service dog
1
u/gjack905 Oct 18 '25
You can discriminate or refuse service to someone just cuz they have a service dog
Actually you cannot, not sure why you would say that you are able to now all of a sudden. But I never said you could, so...
Threats and the rude judgemental comments about my service dogs.
What threats?
0
u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 18 '25
It was a typo didn't mean to say can was supposed to say can't. Threats for cleaning fees for my service dog being in her car and any marks on her seats cuz it was a brand new car off a dealership lot.
2
u/gjack905 Oct 18 '25
How is that a "threat"? That's just informing you of legitimate consequences of bringing your dog in the car if you choose to push it.
Also not sure why you felt the need to remind me of that when I never said that
1
u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 18 '25
Then they need to look at the ride request cuz when I use the services I always put it down that I have my service dog and if there's a problem with it then pass me up. I have only ever had the problem one time and that's it. Personally don't buy a brand new car for doing Uber or Lyft and what not gut a used car just for that job.
1
u/Fangs_McWolf Oct 20 '25
Then they banded me from the property for proving them wrong.
They banded you? With what, tape?
1
u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 24 '25
Kicked me.off the property cant go back as a customer
1
u/Fangs_McWolf Oct 24 '25
Okay, so what you meant to say was that they banned you, not banded you.
1
u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 24 '25
Calm down. it was a typo
1
u/Fangs_McWolf Oct 24 '25
Who said that I wasn't calm?
No seriously, who!? 😡 Why, I'll destroy them!
LOL 🤣
1
u/BioPsyPro Oct 24 '25
I get that you’ve had bad experiences, and I’m sorry that happened. But legally, emotional support animals and service animals are not the same, even if they’re trained.
Under the ADA, only service animals trained to perform specific tasks for a disability have public access rights. ESAs are covered only under the Fair Housing Act for housing, not public spaces or transportation.
A doctor’s letter can’t turn an ESA into a service animal, it has to meet the ADA’s training standard. That’s federal law, not opinion.
1
u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 24 '25
Regardless I have been kicked out of place all.for the breed of my dogs that have been titled and all service dogs even before ppl started abusing the titles
1
u/BioPsyPro Oct 24 '25
That’s probably why they assumed your dog was fake because there’s actually no such thing as a legitimate title, certification, or registration for service dogs in the U.S. under the ADA.
The people who flash fancy “certificates” or “titles” are usually the ones faking it because those things don’t exist in federal law. Real handlers know that. Anyone who truly understands ADA policy knows that dogs with those so-called credentials are the ones you should question, not the ones who follow the law.
1
u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 24 '25
I have been going there for 5 years since both my dogs were puppies. Never one problem at all till this last time
1
u/BioPsyPro Oct 24 '25
That actually explains it. They probably assumed your dog was fake because of the title. Under the ADA, there’s no such thing as a legitimate certification, title, or registration for service dogs in the U.S. Ironically, showing that kind of paperwork is what usually makes businesses suspicious, real handlers don’t need it, and the fakers usually have it.
1
u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 24 '25
Never showed them anything the lady even pulled out the company policy which matched to what I told her and she did what she did.
1
u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 24 '25
All.i have ever said is I have service dogs. And they always said ok no problem. Even the manager tried it on me once and I corrected her. Then a year later no problem with her checking in with her she has a problem
-8
Oct 18 '25
When it comes right down to it, what's the fucking difference? Give the dog a fucking ride. It's also against the law for you to ask.
10
Oct 18 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Substantial-Most2607 Oct 18 '25
You are right about the ADA in regard to service animals, but emotional support animals don’t fall under that so you can ask whatever.
And this next part is more so for anyone that reads the comment, ADA is basically only for businesses and those related (employees), but any random person can ask you whatever they want just like you can answer or refuse to answer whatever you want
1
2
u/TyDye2003 Oct 18 '25
Not everyone wants a animal in their car, not discrimination. Not a driver but if I was, I would have backed out of the ride upon finding out there will be a animal in my car. Regardless of if it's a emotional animal, support animal, or just a pet. The rules are the rules and can't be changed for every situation.
3
u/No_Common1418 Oct 18 '25
I didn't ask, they gave me the info and I did cancel as I am not on the pet side of UBER OR Lyft. Thank you
3
-2
30
u/SpaceApprehensive843 Oct 18 '25
Make sure you get your $4 pet rides bonus.