A Bolt ride-hailing driver in Berlin has been fined 800 euros for a homophobic insult. The ruling was issued in March 2026 and is now final, according to Maneo, Berlin’s LGBTQ+ victim support organization.
According to the verdict, the incident occurred on April 13, 2025, around 1:30 a.m. A 31-year-old gay man was in a Bolt taxi with two friends, one of whom was also gay. Even during the ride, the driver categorized the group as homosexual and directed derogatory remarks at them, Maneo said.
At the destination on Schlesische Straße in Kreuzberg, the situation escalated: the victim assumed the payment had already gone through via the app. Since this was not the case, the fare had to be paid in cash. The driver aggressively and loudly demanded the money. When the victim failed to quickly provide the exact change, he was repeatedly insulted as a “faggot.” Afterward, the driver stepped out of the car with a raised fist as if he intended to strike. The victim and his companions fled, physically unharmed, Maneo reported.
The victim reportedly filed a police report the following day.
Marcy Ellerton
