Just in case Mississippi and North Carolina gave you the idea that homophobia is a purely American thing, a gay man in New Zealand was told he needed “God’s help” by a taxi driver.
23-year-old Joe Nieddu opened up to Stuff about being shamed by a female taxi driver after she found out he was gay:
“She was asking about my partner, how long we had been together. She asked ‘what’s her name?’ and I said, ‘no, no, his name’.”
After that, the driver proceeded to berate Nieddu about being gay, how he needed to pray to God for forgiveness, and how God could help him. Nieddu was outraged and complained to the taxi service, but got little consolation.
Capital Taxi’s managing director Tim Lau said:
How about we take this to the next level?
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“As far as we are concerned there’s no legal requirement for us to tell drivers what to say If a passenger believed comments were offensive they needed to “complain to the person they’re offended by.
She was expressing something that’s entirely her opinion but he didn’t ask her to stop. He didn’t do anything to try and alleviate the situation. It’s up to him to say he’s not happy with it. People with feelings are hurt all the time. No law has been broken.”
Technically he’s right, though it’s still a bad move on the part of the company. As our favorite Atlanta housewife Sheree would say: ‘whatever happened to customer service?’
Watch Joe share his story below.
Christopher Silva
Everyone needs God’s help. Especially the cab driver
Andrew Button
I doubt the gay guy needed that and the help she needs is to stop being such a homophobic idiot plus her boss needs educating on homophobia and customer service
Bill Mountrey
God helped this man be out and open – and helped the cab driver be closed-minded and ignorant.
Mack
Gays have got to learn to tell the Bible thumpers “why would I need God’s help, he made me this way”. Then tell them to STFU.
John Kuehnle
Maybe the cab driver should ask God to pay the fare and worry about his own life
Ryan Carver
Oh good lord really, boo hoo, moving on, get a different cab.
John Kuehnle
Could happen to you someday in a different way, you never know.
Ryan Carver
It has, I got the one behind it.
Brian JC Kneeland
maybe he should not deal with the public!
Tony Chaplinski
“christian love” is everywhere, isn’t it wonderful, We don’t have a monopoly on bigotry and hatred, the word has spread worldwide.
Barry Shatswell
How about NOYFB as an acceptable response?
joeyty
@Brian JC Kneeland: The cabbie was female, not “he”. Why is queerty full of boobs who comment without reading ?
joeyty
@John Kuehnle: “her” own life
John Malin
My response to the cab driver would have been, “You sir are driving a cab for living, nothing dishonorable about it, but if you are a theologian, where is your pulpit?”
Lachkey Whyte
“amen to that lol!”
Ogre Magi
Christians are such rotten jerks
joeyty
@John Malin: You mean “You. Miss…” (another one)
joeyty
I swear, youarekiddingme and his whole gang have to learn to READ articles before spouting opinions.
Brian
It’s not a taxi driver’s job to hurt his customer’s feelings with unsolicited advice.
Billy Budd
When I visited China in 2009, a cad driver called the POLICE because I was wearing too much perfume inside his cab. I was wearing the classic fragrance Eau Sauvage by Dior. He was furious and shouting. The police did nothing at all, he was just trying to scare me, but it was horrible.
Daniel-Reader
He should have just screamed in her ear and then laughed at her. A woman talking about a Middle East religion which forbids women from talking about religion to men. What a hypocrite!
DCguy
She was on the clock for the company. They didn’t do anything about it, therefore they support what she said officially.
Lachkey Whyte
Just say this is not ! professional, as a conversation it should never lead to personal intimate questions….guarantee she is fired.
JessPH
I would have loved being inside that cab so I can shove down my atheist beliefs down her bigoted throat. I would have informed her that gay people do not need a psychopath mass-murdering imaginary deity who condones slavery, racism & misogyny in their lives.
Stefano
@JessPH: Me too ! But those ‘believers’ are like rabid dogs when you say you don’t believe un their big daddy in the sky. Just look at the comments on KweerTee.
GayEGO
I did pray to God when I was 20 and he told me to “Know Thyself” and “To Thine Self be true”. I knew I was gay so to be true to myself I knew I had to live my life as a gay man. I met my lifetime partner of 54 years, married almost 12 years, and we are both retired and living the American dream. That should satisfy the taxi driver and teach her that God loves us all! :>)
GayEGO
@John Malin: I would have enjoyed telling her – I did pray to God when I was 20 and he told me to “Know Thyself” and “To Thine Self be true”. I knew I was gay so to be true to myself I knew I had to live my life as a gay man. I am curious if she would have started to scream and tell me it was the devil talking to me. :>)
stranded
I half agree with the company, there should be a zero discrimination policy but also, take your beef with the employee, don’t sit there, take the abuse, cry about it later and go after the company
rickhfx
@Christopher Silva:
There is no God he is fiction.
rickhfx
@JessPH:
Thank you, your so right!
rickhfx
I have a big mouth and am not afraid to call someone out, but once in a blue moon even I can be caught speechless by the words of a crazy god warrior. I still am surprised anyone believes in that evil cult religion, its 2016 not 1016. In a way he was trapped, unless he want to get out and try to get another cab. Str8 people are wack.
scotshot
I would have told her “God says this ride’s on him.”
paul dorian lord fredine
i’d have asked her which god i should pray to, then start rattling off the name of every diety i could remember from my ancient history classes or simply said “nunyafuckin’ business. thought i was getting into a cab, not a church so shut your yap and drive.”
Transiteer
1. There is no god. 2. The Bible and 4 Gospels were written by the Romans to quell those rebellious Jews. 3. You don’t need religion to be a good person, BUT you certainly need religion to be a Shit. No surprise the cab driver was female – the straight ones seem to be the most bigoted.
Billysees
@GayEGO:
” I did pray to God when I was 20 and he told me to… ”
Good comment.
I bet she didn’t get a tip. That was her payback.
Joel Ramon
Mental case on the cab driver.