'You Speak English?' PA Lyft Driver Refuses Racist Bar Owner: Report

CATASAUQUA, PA — A Pennsylvania ride-share driver asked a Lehigh Valley bar owner to get out of his car last weekend after she showed excitement he was white and asked him if he spoke English.

James W. Bode shared a video taken from inside his car as he stopped outside Fossil's Last Stand in Catasauqua to pick up a woman named Jackie at 10:37 p.m. Friday.

"You're, like, a white guy," says the woman as she gets in the car. Other media outlets have identified the woman as Jackie Harford, the owner of the bar.

Bode asks the woman to repeat herself, twice.

"You're, like, a white guy?" Jackie says. "You're like a normal guy, like, you speak English?" She laughs, says "sorry," and gives Bode a pat on the shoulder.

"Nah, you can get out of the car," says Bode, not hesitating. "That's inappropriate, that's completely inappropriate. If somebody was not white, sitting in this seat, what would be the difference?

As Jackie expresses shock, a man comes up, and Bode explains to him why he won't take the ride.

"That's OK, I'm not gonna take the ride. You guys can get out," Bode says to the man, who is not named. "Completely inappropriate."

The man calls Bode a "f------' asshole," threatens to punch him in the face, and says a slur.

"You guys are racist f----." Bode says as Jackie slowly gets out of the car, expressing shock.

A man's voice tells Bode to "get the f--- out of here."

"No, I'm calling the cops on you, man," Bode says, leaning forward to call out his passenger side window. "It's on camera, it's all on camera. You guys own the place? Is it your place? That's great, everyone's gonna know. 'Fossil's Last Stand for Black people,' right? Yeah, f--- off."

Since Friday, Bode's video made the rounds on social media. Many are calling him a hero and offering to send him money.

"For everyone reaching out and showing support, thank you. I appreciate it, truly," Bode wrote on Sunday. "But this is the way it should be everywhere, every time. I shouldn’t be 'the guy' who did it or said it … we should all be that person. Speak up if you’re uncomfortable with it because it makes them uncomfortable, as they should be. F--- racism."

Lyft said they were "incredibly grateful" to him "for instantly shutting down this hate & upholding our no tolerance anti-discrimination policies."

"We're looking into these riders & are in touch with James to show our thanks," the company said on Twitter.

Bode said he filed a police report because of the assault threat.

"If you make me feel uncomfortable, I will absolutely do the same especially in my car or property," he said in the initial post. "Yes they were made aware I was recording, yes I have postings in my car indicating such."

Yelp has disabled new reviews for Fossil's Last Stand, which has a one-star rating at the moment after a cavalcade of bad reviews. The bar's Facebook and website are down as of Monday morning.

Bode has asked other people to make sure they aren't criticizing the wrong person in any online discussion.

"Please PLEASE do not persecute the wrong people … shocker, other people have the same name," he said in a Twitter post. "I’m sick thinking of what these people have been through. Please make it right. Apologize if you shared before doing the homework, and remove it if you’re not sure it’s them."