This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A Salt Lake City-based driver with the Lyft ride-sharing service was fired after a video was posted allegedly showing him engaged in a profanity-laced political rant with two passengers en route to a Bernie Sanders for President party earlier this week.
Samuel Grenny told The Salt Lake Tribune that the Wednesday clash ended when he and his girlfriend, Sara Day, who caught the exchange on video , were abruptly told to get out of the white Nissan Juke by the driver, known only as "Dave."
Shortly after learning that Grenny, 24, and Day, 26, were Sanders' supporters, the driver — who could not be further identified or reached for comment on Friday — began talking about Donald Trump's candidacy, Grenny said.
When Grenny countered with criticism of Trump's calls for more scrutiny of Muslims in the U.S., and a moratorium of further Islamic immigration, the driver angrily declared that, "Muslims are terrorists and pieces of [excrement]."
Grenny said the driver also "called Hispanics worthless and rapists," threatened him physically, stopped the car, and ordered the couple out, about six blocks short of their destination.
Grenny admits that he, too, used profanity as the ensuing discussion grew heated, and threatened the driver's job. In a Facebook post accompanying the video, he acknowledged that, "I absolutely lost it and started yelling angry things at the man," something he was not proud of. Grenny alerted Lyft about the incident. By Thursday, the San Francisco-based company sent him an apology and a refund.
Lyft spokeswoman Alexandra LaManna confirmed on Friday that it had taken immediate action by firing the driver.
"Lyft is committed to maintaining an inclusive and welcoming environment, and discrimination and racism are not tolerated. This driver's access to Lyft has been permanently removed," LaManna said.
Efforts to further identify the driver, and reach him for comment, were unsuccessful.
Grenny said that he is happy with Lyft's response, and that he planned no further action by firing the driver.
"We are not hating on Lyft, this could happen to any service," he stated. "They have now taken appropriate action and we are extremely satisfied with the role they have played."