The newspaper Le Progres reported the case of Djema Ouada, who paid for a ride to Grau-du-Rois using BlaBlaCar. But after seeing the young women wearing a veil, the driver refused to give her a ride.
“For Djema Ouada, a young hairdresser, looking for work and living in Grigny, holiday traffic forced her to take the Solaize route, along the A7. The driver from Mégane, who should have helped her meet her mother at the seaside station of Grau-du-Roi, left her at the pick-up point.”
“He refused to shake my hand, saying ‘I don’t take the veil,’” reported Le Progres.
The 17 year-old, accompanied by an adult friend, had already spent the 42,4 euros after a text message exchange. Contacted, BlaBlaCar affirmed its commitment to service that “allows exchanges between persons from different areas and of different origins.” The site says it “sincerely regrets a reaction of this nature,” but also reminds its customers that the driver is free to choose his/her passengers.
