Former Rare Staff
A Spanish-speaking Uber driver was giving rides to and from the Miami International Airport when she was stopped by airport security and slapped with a $250 fine because she didn’t speak English.
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One year ago, Miami-Dade County issued a memorandum requiring drivers of all ride-sharing applications to be able to speak English, despite the area being home to many Spanish-speakers. After the incident, the driver Carmen Hechevarria said she “felt discriminated against.”
She recounted the story to Telemundo, saying she couldn’t understand what the security guard was saying to her after he stopped her car. She then asked her passenger to translate for her, the passenger defended the security guard.
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“[The passenger] asked why, if I was a Uber driver, I did not speak English,” Hechevarria said.
County official Karla Damian explained the violation as being a safety necessity, saying, “The code does not require the driver to be proficient in the English language, but the driver must have some knowledge of the English language to communicate with a passenger in the event of an emergency or to receive and understand the passenger’s basic instructions.”
However, Hechevarria appeared to have been able to understand directions and was able to ask her passenger for help translating, suggesting that she does have “some knowledge of the English language.” In fact, even a spokesperson for Mayor Carlos Gimenez believes the driver should have been given a warning.
“It does seem like she could communicate in the English language and take directions, so it’s unfortunate that a fine was issued,” the mayor’s communications director Mike Hernandez said.
Uber later came to their driver’s defense, taking up the citation with the city. On Tuesday, Hechevarria’s fine was reversed following her employer’s complaint.
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