Delhi Woman Shares Her Nightmarish Experience With An Uber Driver, UP Cops Did Nothing

Women safety is arguably the most debated topic in India. Yes, discussions that happen every time a daughter/sister/wife/mother is groped/abused/molested/raped. Talks that do not, for reasons known to ‘them’, translate into action.

While the categories I mentioned are not exhaustive, my collective conscience has run of out of words. Why? Because I can not begin to count the number of women I know/have read about, who have survived/escaped harrowing experiences just because a cab driver decides to assert his perverseness or chauvinism.

Unfortunately, there is an addition.

New Delhi-based journalist Ananya Bhattacharya recently took an Uber in the late hours and her ordeal will give you the fright of your life.

 

She took to Twitter to document the experience and it all sounds nightmarish.  

Had the most harrowing experience of my life. If you're a woman travelling alone in NCR, and trusting @Uber_India to get you home, read.

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

1. It all started with…

I get into an @Uber from a friend's place at 10.55pm. The car starts, driver asks where I had to go. The stench of alcohol and paan hits me.

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

2. Just when she thought she’d be home safe and soon,

I tell him the location, ask him to follow navigation. On Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. We take the service lane. In 5 mins, car stops.

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

3. Unsurprising really!

I ask the driver what happened. He tells me car's run out of petrol. The stretch where he's stopped the car is dark and infamous for crimes.

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

4. Because what would an ‘Aurat’ do anyway?

The driver calls up his 'brother' and asks him to go to a petrol pump and get petrol. Driver tells him he has an 'aurat' in the car.

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

5. Thinking on her feet…

At this point, I call up a friend and start working out options. Friend leaves from his place and tells me he's on way to pick me up.

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

6. Do you sense what I do?

The driver overhears me talking and asks if someone was coming to pick me up. I tell a curt yes. He locks the doors, switches on the light.

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

7. The last thing you’d want!

I snap at him, ask him to switch off the light. Meanwhile, he's made 5 more calls, to 2 different people (from what I could understand).

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

8. Hence brewed another spat!

10 minutes pass, no sign of his 'brother' or the petrol. My friend arrives. I get off the car and ask the driver to end the trip. He doesn't

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

9. As a last resort.

Driver gives both of us (friend and me) a death stare. I cancel the trip after asking him to end it falls on deaf ears.

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

10. Even the police does NOTHING.

Meanwhile, a @Uppolice patrol van passes the car. They don't stop to even check why a car is just standing in the middle of the road.

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

11. So much for safety!

The entire stretch from the beginning of the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway to Noida Link Road — NOT one policeman, NOT one police vehicle.

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

12. Something to ponder upon!

I'm numb from the experience. Shudder to think what could have happened had my friend not reached there before the @Uber driver's friends.

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

13. It doesn’t end there!

Funniest part: After I cancel the trip, @Uber_India decided to charge ME for the entire trip.

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

14. Even after raising the complaints…

This is all I got from the 'Your Trips' page on @Uber. The car number is HR(XX)4494, white Hyundai Xcent. pic.twitter.com/RqcA9GA8Cw

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017

 

The worst part is, she got an automated reply that doesn’t answer any of the questions she raised. 

Update: 8 hours later, 2 bot mails from @Uber_India in response to complaints on app, saying they have 'resolved' the issue. NOTHING else. pic.twitter.com/44cCJQIb4C

— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 12, 2017

While the last word is that the Uber Support team is trying to reach her, no amount of fending off will undo the treatment she was meted with. It could be me tomorrow…it could be you tomorrow! When will this stop?

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