(JTA) — An Uber driver in New York made a harassing remark about measles to a Hasidic Orthodox female passenger.
When the woman entered the car in the largely Hasidic neighborhood of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on Thursday the driver said” You are one of those f***ing measles people,” the Jewish news website Vosizneis reported. The woman, who had been on her cellphone with her husband when she entered the car, kept him on the line until she got to her destination, out of fear for her safety, according to the report.
Yossi Gestetner of the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council, whose mission is to “counter the defamation and generalization of the Orthodox Jewish community,” tweeted about the incident and tagged Uber.
Uber responded 10 minutes later, saying in a comment: “We take this very seriously. Please send us a DM with your email address, phone number and the location where this particular incident happened, so we can connect ASAP.”
The woman also submitted a formal complaint via the Uber app. She told Vosizneis that she, her husband and her children are all vaccinated.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also responded via a tweet.
“Don’t ever accept bigotry like this. You have rights and your city has your back. Thank you to @NYCTaxi for your swift action in investigating this incident. Anti-Semitism has no home in this town,” he tweeted.
In April, a bus driver at first refused to allow a Hasidic man to board the bus over the measles outbreak, driving right by the stop in Williamsburg. When the man caught up with the bus at a stop light, she covered her face with her sweater, and refused to accept the man’s transfer, while shouting “Measles! Go in!”
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