A Houston social media influencer is reportedly heading back to the United States after she was allowed to leave the United Arab Emirates following her arrest for a public dispute with a car rental company in Dubai.
Tierra Allen, also known as “Sassy Trucker” online, successfully arranged her journey back to the U.S. from the UAE with the help of an international nonprofit organization “Detained in Dubai,” she managed to lift a travel ban by paying approximately $1,300 to the authorities.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Radha Stirling, the CEO of Detained in Dubai, revealed that Allen would soon be heading back home. Stirling emphasized how the situation underscored “the crucial role played by the media, and by the public, in demanding accountability and justice in the UAE.”
“Tierra was living a nightmare and facing fines and lengthy imprisonment until her case was brought into the spotlight of international media scrutiny. Without that attention, all too often, Emirati authorities pay little heed to due process, fairness, and human rights,” Stirling said.
“She was told at the police station (Bur Dubai) that she has been accused of ‘shouting,’ which under the UAE’s laws is illegal under ‘offensive behavior,’ which is an unclear and subjective regulation but warrants up to two years in prison, a fine and deportation,” Stirling said last month.
According to Stirling, the employee tried to intimidate Allen into paying a significant amount she didn’t owe.
“Tierra is the latest American tourist to get caught up in what is a common rental car extortion scheme,” Stirling said.
“Rental car agencies are notorious for opening criminal cases against visitors with the promise to drop the case if they are paid off. The prevalence of blackmail is damaging to the UAE’s tourism and investment sectors, and Dubai’s government needs to crack down on this abuse of process.”
After Allen’s arrest and release on bail, she couldn’t retrieve her belongings from the rental car. Suspiciously, there were attempted fraudulent charges on her credit cards left in the vehicle, Stirling noted.
The car rental employee who accused Allen left for Pakistan after filing the report mentioned Stirling.
UAE authorities told Allen not to return to Dubai, and she shared with Stirling that she had no intention of returning due to the constant stress.
