Cousins! A vacation in Dubai ended terribly for a Houston truck driver and TikTok influencer “Sassy Trucker,” after being detained in Dubai for allegedly shouting during an argument with a rental car agent!
According to the New York Post, Tierra Young Allen, 29, has been stuck in the United Arab Emirates since April after getting in a minor fender bender while riding as a passenger in a friend’s rental car. Her mother Tina Baxter says the rental vehicle, Tierra’s phone, credit cards, and other personal belongings have since been impounded.
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, a London-based non-profit organization advocating for releasing travelers stuck in UAE, has been speaking with Tierra to share her story.
“She was met with two men at the rental car agency who were quite aggressive, who said she couldn’t have her possessions back, and then she says they started intimidating her and following her out. So she shouted back at them to stop, to leave her alone,” explains Stirling.
Eventually, authorities arrived and the truck-driving influencer was detained. Fox 26 reports , her passport was also confiscated, and she has been placed on the travel ban list, blocking her from leaving UAE.
Although Tierra was released from custody, she’s still unable to receive her passport to go home. Emirati authorities are trying to determine whether or not to charge the social media influencer.
It has been stated that Ms. Sassy Trucker can face up to two years in prison for offensive behavior if charged.
Radha Stirling states since she founded Detained in Dubai 15 years ago, she’s dealt with over 20,000 extortion cases similar to Tierra’s. “The agency actually said to her they’d drop the police case if she paid money. So it’s a form of extortion and blackmail, and it’s extremely common with these rental car companies, ” she explains.
“It’s usually the luxury rental car or the private rental car companies, and they have a pattern of behavior of taking allegations against their customers, withholding their passports at the front desk and provoking them.”
Allen’s family and Stirling are working diligently with Sen. Ted Cruz and other Texas lawmakers to bring Tierra back home. Cruz’s office has released a statement on this ordeal, “We have spoken to the family of Tierra Young Allen and have contacted the Department of State about the case. Sen. Cruz will continue to gather details and engage on this case until Ms. Allen is returned home to her family.”
Cousins, would you think again before vacationing in Dubai?