Ride share driver posts about offensive passengers, who then get trolled online
A Pennsylvania pub’s Yelp reviews page was bombarded with stinging write-ups and gross images, thanks to a livery driver’s complaint about an alleged racist encounter with a woman who appeared to be the establishment’s owner.
All postings for Fossil’s Last Stand, a bar in Catasauqua, had been suspended by the restaurants reviews site Monday.
The drama started when ride share driver James W. Bode posted video on Facebook that he said stemmed from a Friday night run-in with a woman named “Jackie.” He claimed that he picked her up outside a suburban Allentown, Pa., bar.
(WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE)
The Morning Call website identified that woman as bar operator Jackie Hartford. In that video, the passenger gets into the back of Bode’s car and says in a surprised tone, “Wow, you’re a white guy.”
Seeing Bode is caught off-guard by that greeting, his passenger continues trying to make her point.
“You’re like, a normal guy?” she adds. “You speak English?”
Clearly agitated, Bode orders the “inappropriate” woman out of his car. Shocked, the passenger and her male counterpart begin arguing with Bode. The man, who’s standing outside the car, then says he “should punch” the driver and calls him a “N-word lover.”
“Do you guys own the place?” Bode asked. “Is it your place?”
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The man arguing from outside is inaudible, but Bode replies, “That’s great — everyone is going to know.”
By Monday afternoon, that did indeed seem to be the case. Yelp users swamped Fossil’s Last Stand’s review page with posts calling the establishment racist and uploaded photos of a Ku Klux Klan rally. It has a lowly one-star rating.
“This business recently received increased public attention resulting in an influx of people posting their views to this page,” reads a pop-up from Yelp, explaining the unusual activity on its review page for Fossil’s Last Stand.
No one answered the business’ phone when the Daily News tried its listed number on Monday.
Bode was widely praised on social media for making a stand against bigotry.
He wrote on Facebook that he appreciates the praise, but that everyone should do what he did when encountering such a situation.
“Speak up if you’re uncomfortable with it because it makes them uncomfortable, as they should be,” he said.
