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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think more female taxi drivers would make people more comfortable?

110 replies

SueSylvesterforPM · 09/04/2011 15:07

I've pondered this for a long time

after having a nasty incident with 2 taxi drivers at 15
and now my cousin is telling me (14)

that she got a taxi with a few mates to a birthday and he was asking for numbers address generally being innapropriate and knew how old they were.
Many women I've known have had unpleasant experiences at the hands of Taxi drivers

i'm not tarring them all btw, I've always wondered if I had enough money behind me I'd make a company for it

so yeah is it a daft Idea??

OP posts:
SardineQueen · 09/04/2011 19:58

zukie it was when I was a teenager/young woman, certainly. Including all sorts of unwanted touching under the banner of "sexual assault" for ease. It's always been men, yes! I've never been groped or grabbed or wanked at by a woman.

TBH I've only had dodgy cab drivers late at night when I was much younger. Middle of the day these days - high alert no. Middle of the night after a few drinks when I was in my late teens - certainly I was wary. In those situations it would have been nice to have the option of a female cab driver. Although only a couple were odd enough to make me get out - and nothing actually happened. Still - I think there have been enough incidents with cab drivers (male) attacking their customers in the news to make a young woman a touch wary in the middle of the night. I don't think it is unreasonable in those circs to be wary TBH. Even though the vast majority of cab drivers - like the vast majority of men - are blameless upstanding types.

SardineQueen · 09/04/2011 20:01

Although TBH when I was in my late teens I usually got the night bus and walked Grin I wasn't that loaded!

Georgimama · 09/04/2011 20:05

Perhaps I have led a very sheltered life (although I am certain I haven't) but never once in my life have I ever thought that a stranger was going to sexually assault or rape me. Not once.

SardineQueen · 09/04/2011 20:10

And has anyone ever actually sexually assaulted you? Your radar may be off! (inappropriate Grin)

Georgimama · 09/04/2011 20:11

Me? No of course not. My radar is functioning perfectly well, thanks. Most women who suffer sexual violence do so at the hands of someone they know. Not that anyone I know has ever sexually assaulted me either.

SardineQueen · 09/04/2011 20:13

TBH I have spent a lot of time wandering around all sorts of dodgy areas at all sorts of times of the night in all sorts of altered states of consciousness Grin and the only time bad stuff has happened to me is when I should have been "safe" - on the tube in the daytime, lots of incidents in crowded pubs and clubs, people I knew suddenly being random Hmm. All of the times that on paper sound dodgy, have been fine.

SardineQueen · 09/04/2011 20:14

x-posts

You lucky thing you! Everyone I know has had something happen - a flasher, a groper in the pub, someone propositioning them when they were 12, a stray hand on the bum on the bus, that sort of stuff. I am very pleased for you Smile

SardineQueen · 09/04/2011 20:17

Maybe a good question would be.

A lot of women have been sexually assaulted and raped. Should they have the choice of a female cab driver, if they wish? I think on balance, yes. If the alternative is that they don't go out, or spend all the time crapping themselves, then yes. Why not.

Georgimama · 09/04/2011 20:18

I've been flashed at, and some weird bloke once started chatting to me when I was walking home at about 13, but I didn't think they were actually going to do anything to me. Not because I am naive, but because 1) the flasher was an old man (probably actually suffering from dementia, poor thing) who weighed about seven stone compared to my (at the time) ten and I could have kicked him and legged it, if push came to shove 2) I told the creepy bloke that I knew his sort and if he didn't piss off I would scream my head off. I was near houses and confident I would have been heard. He looked most taken aback and wandered off (and yes I did tell my mother and she reported it). So whilst I have "suffered" unwanted attentions, I have never felt threatened or in danger.

MikeOxstiff · 09/04/2011 20:23

Women tend to get lost and do not know how to read maps so this could be a bad idea plus I will not get out of the car to change the tyre for her if we have a flat

Goblinchild · 09/04/2011 20:25

] You are a twit with a very simplistic SOH Mike.

MikeOxstiff · 09/04/2011 20:28

Goblinchild
Thanks I try my best

HerBeX · 09/04/2011 20:28

MO she won't need you to, she will either be able to do it herself or she will have breakdown insurance who will do it for her

YouaretooniceNOT · 09/04/2011 20:32

If there was a female taxi company i would always use that company. They would take over other taxi firms and put them out of business i reckon!

I too was attacked by an Asian taxi driver when i was 17. I have never been so terrified in my life. I fought like a tiger and ran in a friends back garden and hid. He came after me searching for his fare with a torch! Still haunts me sometimes.

YouaretooniceNOT · 09/04/2011 20:33

OFGS! I mean i was attacked and the driver was Asian as i went to 6th form college with him. OK yeah i know doesn't matter he is Asian yeah yeah

SardineQueen · 09/04/2011 20:33

But you can see that other women have been in situations in their lives where they did feel threatened?

And additionally, that while many women have been in situations where they did not feel threatened - that these situations are still not ideal and most women like to avoid them. So if offered the choice between walking home and being wanked at, and walking home and not being wanked at, the latter is preferable?

So if a person has had cab journeys where they have (eg) had to get out way before they were home because the driver was being an utter weirdo, they might prefer to minimise their chances of that happening again by asking for a female cab driver.

Your flasher - did you report it? You were not scared - if his next target might have been someone who was scared. What of them? I'm not sure I understand your point TBH.

YouaretooniceNOT · 09/04/2011 20:39

Not at 6th form WITH him he was in the year above and i had noticed him about very rarely and we had never spoken until 2 years later oin that fateful night. The BASTARD.

YouaretooniceNOT · 09/04/2011 20:40

YES i was almost raped

skrumle · 09/04/2011 20:40

i work as a taxi controller and we don't take bookings requesting a female driver - we only have one woman driver at the the moment but we have had more at various times. it's a small town and it's like offering up the woman driver, might be a woman that phoned but how do you know who/what will be waiting when they get to the pick up point?

i drove taxis for a couple of years part-time when i was 22-24, and never felt frightened despite driving weekend nights - although i did get lots of drunks who didn't know where they lived, lots of sailors telling me i was pretty, and lots of people who didn't realise i was a woman till i spoke since i tied my hair up and wore unisex clothing and most people don't pay that much attention to taxi drivers...

YouaretooniceNOT · 09/04/2011 20:42

Not looking for attention just needed to be honest and write it down.

RitaBix · 09/04/2011 20:43

Asia is a big place From Russia to Japan could you be more specific as it is unfair to tar every Asian with the same brush

SardineQueen · 09/04/2011 20:44

What an awful experience youaretoonice.

Don't know what to say really.

AintMissBeehiving · 09/04/2011 20:45

Professionally, I have something to do with licensing taxi drivers - there is no way I would ever get in a cab on my own - whether the driver was male or female.

YouaretooniceNOT · 09/04/2011 20:45

It is the first time i have written it down - when i have thought about it i have blanked his face - i just know he was Asian NOW! OK?

YouaretooniceNOT · 09/04/2011 20:46

Indian or pakistani i cant .................Sad