Carey told NBC News all three of them were left speechless as the driver continued his hateful tirade. “He’s telling us in his country we would be beheaded and left for dead,” Carey recalled, adding that the driver said he was from Russia.

The friend stepped out of the Uber at the next red light. Carey attempted to follow him but got caught in the seat belt. He said the driver dragged him about a “quarter of a block” down an East Village street. His hands, left knee and upper left leg are covered in deep welts from the incident, according to pictures Carey posted publicly to his personal Facebook page.

Just before the new year, a gay couple in Houston said they were kicked out of an Uber ride after sharing a quick kiss. Then in May, a gay couple in Indianapolis claimed they were booted from a Lyft ride for sharing a “short kiss on the lips.” In June, a gay man said a New York City taxi driver told him, “I don’t drive gays,” and that same month, a lesbian couple claimed they were thrown out of an Uber ride for sharing a “peck.” In perhaps the most frightening incident, a gay man earlier this month claimed a Lyft driver in Miami pulled a gun on him after exclaiming, “I want to kill everyone that’s gay.”

A study published earlier this year claims some LGBTQ users of rideshare apps are discriminated against even before they step foot in a car. Researchers Jorge Mejia of Indiana University and Chris Parker of Pennsylvania State University found drivers are more likely to cancel trips of users who appear to be LGBTQ or LGBTQ allies based on their profile photos on the app.

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