- 5.1Kshares
- Share
- Tweet
- Facebook Messenger
I am a woman and I’d be lying if I said, I feel safe every time I take a cab home. And it might be my words but I can bet on anything that it is the collective voice of innumerable women my age, older and younger. Women who have had to go through harrowing experiences just because a cab driver decided to assert his perverseness or chauvinism.
While women safety is arguably the most debated topic in India, unfortunately, talks do not translate into action. And dismaying as it sounds, it is getting scarier by every passing minute. Why? Because another woman was on the verge of getting in trouble, had it not been for her better sense.
Priya Pradhan, an engineering student from Gurgaon recently took an Uber cab and got the shock of her life.
She was not only manhandled by the driver but she was also forced into a trap that had all the possibilities of turning into the headlines we read in the paper. But it was her sharp sensibilities that saved her from the impending danger. She even took to Facebook to share her ordeal. Read her post here.
Date of incident: – 3rd October’2017, Time of booking cab: – 10:30 am
This is my last experience with Uber. Yesterday morning I booked an Uber Cab from Vatika India Next sector 82, Gurgaon to Unitech Business Tower, Sector 50, Gurgaon.
Driver Name: – Karan (As shown in Uber App)
Car Name: – Hyundai Xcent (White)
Car Number:- DL1YE6563
I booked a cab near 10:30 am from my home and he reached at 11 am at my home. He was already late but I had to reach Sector 50 by 11:30 am. While driving to my destination, he took the car to the village area near Orris Floreal Towers which is adjacent to Hyatt Regency. I had doubt on him because I have to go to Sector 50 near nirvana country and he was taking me to some other route. I started questioning him,
“Bhaiya kahan lekar ja rhe ho, apko toh highway pe jana hai toll ki taraf”.
He replied me, “Madam meri car ki challan hui hai and mere pass paise nahi hai toll mein pay karne ke liye”. So I replied him angrily, “Apne mujhe ghar se pick karte waqt yeh sab kyu nahi bataya”.
As it is under rule and regulation of uber that, if one is booking from uber, the respective driver has to pay at the toll tax. At the same time when he was taking me to wrong route, he was also talking to some other person on his phone telling the information about me. I felt suspicious. On the toll, while waiting in the queue, I talked to my mom and dad and sent the driver’s name, car number and driver’s mobile number in my family WhatsApp group. I asked him for his driving license, he lied to me that he forgot his license at home. I started shouting on him, why he is driving the car without carrying his driving license. Then after this at reaching kherki daula toll for payment, I paid to the toll through my paytm account and asked him to return me the money as soon as possible whatever it is.
Then he was supposed to drive straight along the road on highway towards rajiv chowk but he took the car to the left most lane near subway at kherki daula exiting the highway (Opposite to haldiram). I again scolded him asking, “Bhaiya ap yahan kyu leke ja rhe ho, apko toh straight jana tha highway par”. He replied, “Mam mai bhi nirvana country mein rehta hoon, yahan se bhi rasta aata hai”.
My mom called me, she told me to get out of the cab and book another cab.
When I asked him to stop the car, he didn’t listen to me and kept driving. Then I started shouting aloud and then, he stopped the car. I started shouting and many people gathered around him and told me to file a complaint against him.
He asked me to talk to his car owner and his boss told me that “Madam hum apko paytm se pay kar denge, ap usko chodd do please”.Then I replied to his boss, “ap paytm karo ya na karo, mai iski complain police station mein karke hi jaungi”. After that his boss ended the call without saying a word.
I snatched his phone and didn’t give him his phone back until my dad reached to the point where I asked him to stop. In his phone there were total 50 missed calls from a mobile number. When my dad reached on the spot, After 1 meter distance, police station was located. Me and my dad told the whole scenario to police about him.
Police checked his wallet and found his driving license where it was found that the name on driving license was Lalit and in Uber App, his Name was Karan which clearly depicted that the driver was fraud. I told police that when I asked him for the driving license at the toll, he lied to me that he forgot his license at home.
Police asked him why he did so and started beating him badly and police sued his car too. And I handed his phone to the police.
Three things that worry me is that-
1. What happens to the safety of a female passenger? What if the driver comes to my place and disturbs me again as I am pretty sure he can do anything.
2. I was known of the location and route of Gurgaon and If in place of me, if some other girl would be there who is new and unknown about the location and route, do not know what he does to her.
3. The driver’s reply clearly states that he doesn’t care whether you complain to Uber or not. Because he is pretty sure Uber is not going to take any action against him for which I had to file a complaint at police station. What happen if he will involve in something serious in the future. From the experience of my 2 hour encounter with that shady person, I am very confident that he is capable of doing anything to a girl.
I have been a loyal customer of Uber from last one year as I don’t use any other taxi services other than Uber and I am really anxious to know if Uber is cautious enough to be more vigilant and avoid any future risk by not roping in the same person.
By this last experience, I am very disappointed with Uber’s Service.
Conclusion: – Women safety is a big social issue which needs to be solved urgently by the effort of all. It is inhibiting the growth and development of the country and most importantly hurting the half population of the country in all aspects (physically, mentally, and socially).
The incident not only shows that a woman is not safe even in the broad daylight but it also throws light on the fact that there callous systems in place that leave little scope for us to think otherwise. The question is for HOW LONG?
- 5.1Kshares
- Share
- Tweet
- Facebook Messenger