News

Actions

Latina woman says Uber driver kicked her out after conversation about her heritage

She says driver asked, "Are you one of them?"
Posted at 9:34 PM, Nov 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-08 00:51:18-05

DENVER -- A Latina woman says her Uber driver asked her to get out of the car during a tense conversation about her heritage. She said he asked, "Are you one of them?"

As Denise Soler Cox made small talk with the driver, she told him about her work as a documentary filmmaker. Soler Cox explained her latest project called "Being Enye" about life for first-generation American-born Latinos. 

"Right from when I said the word 'Latinos' his whole demeanor tightened," said Soler Cox.

She became uncomfortable as the driver asked her a series of questions.

"In a very convoluted way [he] asked me... [if] illegal immigrants to this country really feel like they should be back in the countries in which they came here from," said Soler Cox.

The short ride from 18th and Wazee to the Pepsi Center turned into an ordeal. Soler Cox says the driver dropped her off before she reached the venue, where she was meeting friends for a concert.

"And then he turned around and he said, 'I think you should just get out of my car,'" she said.

After the incident, she took to Facebook to write about the ordeal.

Denver7 reached out to Uber to inquire about the incident. A spokesperson said she was looking into the matter. She said the company has a zero tolerance policy and sent the following statement via email:

"Uber does not tolerate any form of discrimination, and we have been in contact this rider to offer our support. As soon as we were made aware of this incident, we removed driver partner's access to the platform."

---------

Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.

Or, keep up-to-date by following Denver7 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.