With technological advances, leaving us capable of knowing our taxi drivers’ names, along with their location, it’s no wonder we love our Uber cabs. There’s a sense of security when we have an idea of who is driving us, before embarking on the ride. However, if it’s one thing technology hasn’t been able to curb, its human nature. Several of us can testify to having one or two disastrous dates with someone we met online. Then there are the unlucky ones, who meet psychotic people, capable of putting them in harm’s way. One such unlucky person was an Uber cab passenger, who endured a terrifying experience at the hands of a psychotic taxi operator.
She starts by stating, “Be wary of an Uber Driver named Stephen who drives a Nissan Tiida registration number KCE, tel number 0713632593”. The same taxi driver picked the lady up at around 7:30 p.m., and already, there was bad blood between the two. He started insulting her, threatening to drop her at Makaburi, a place prone to cases of hijacking and rape. Her requests to be dropped off at the Parklands Police Station went unheard, as he continued to drive to the concerned destination, being her house. All this was happening while he continuously disrespected her, even calling her a prostitute.
Being absolutely terrified, she stopped him at an area close to her dwelling place as she didn’t want him knowing where she actually resided. He forcefully attempted to find out where she stays, confronting her angrily by punching her arm with his fist! Not much later, he tells to get out of the car, and she immediately rushes to the nearest apartment, and starts banging on the door, hoping that the barking dogs who reside there will scare the cab driver away.
She was unquestionably frightened at this point, when a knight in shining armor, a McFrys delivery man passed by. At this point, the taxi operator started making a U-turn, heading back to where she was standing. She asks for help, and informed the delivery guy of the terrifying events that had taken place. Noting that it wasn’t safe, they both went and hid behind the apartments until the cab driver finally left. Considering that it was probably dark out, I could almost feel her anxiety.
This isn’t the first instance where an Uber Taxi operator has been a danger, or caused harm to an unknowing passenger. In Delhi, it was reported that an Uber Taxi Driver kidnapped and raped a female passenger, causing the city to briefly ban the company from operating there. Also last year, an Uber driver in Houston was charged with sexually assaulting an intoxicated woman he’d picked up from a bar and driven back to his home. Despite the advantage of these technological advances, we need to mind and ensure our safety. If anything seems amiss, we should address it immediately and take steps to prevent harm to ourselves, by calling for help or getting out of the vehicle.
Update. The uber driver in question has since been suspended.
