Is It Even Safe For Our Women To Get Into A Taxi Alone These Days?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-170276/No-woman-safe-minicab-says-rape-judge.html

/// Police figures show that 214 women were sexually assaulted in the capital last year after getting into illegal minicabs and 54 raped. ///

But it would appear that the Transport for London is withholding information on the number of women who are sexually assaulted when they get into taxi cabs, why could this be?

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/uk-minicab-drivers-claim-tfl-hiding-data-sexual-assaults-taxis-they-are-demanding-truth-1544945

[anotheoldgit]

hc4361

/// AOG, a minicab has to be ordered either at the cab office or over the phone. ///

Also from my link:

*** He called for compulsory licensing of all cab drivers after police checks on the firm where the rapist worked revealed that not one driver was being legally employed. ***

*** Further inquiries into the rapist's firm revealed that each of its 32 drivers was working illegally in some way - either through their immigration status or by claiming benefit while working. ***

So it would seem the rapist worked for a Mini Cab firm, so there is every reason to believe that his victim or her friend, phoned that particular MINI CAB firm so as to book their taxi.

[Eve]

Mamya, I got caught by a private hire taxi driver pretending he was my taxi (the second incident I referred to), which had been called for me by a concierge. I got a panicked phonecall when my actual taxi turned up and my friends were worried who I was in a car with. Thankfully the driver did actually take me home but it was a worrying trip after they rang me.

There are stings set up round here, there was a recent local new article about a man who lost his licence for picking up some police officers posing as passengers hailing on street.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/private-hire-driver-lost-licence-10978031

[Gromit]

// why could this be? //

AOG
Do you think the sexual assaulters and rapists are foreigners, and that is why the authorities are withoholding the information? Do you have any evidence, if that is your opinion?

[Mamyalynne]

It does happen Eve of course, over the years I have reported drivers and on one occasion fled a cab at traffic lights as the conversations was most unnerving.

The two firms I use now are well known to me and one does do the text you with car details etc as your driver is about to arrive, very useful in areas where lots may be waiting for pick ups.

[anotheoldgit]

EcclesCake

/// 'Our women', is a patronising and unpleasant term. ///

It is a well known collective term, some of you will get upset over the smallest of matters.

[jackthehat]

If unaccompanied women will insist on leaving their kitchens they should do all they can to safeguard themselves from potential attackers, who are legion and to be found all over the place.

They really would do better to leave all this 'going out in public' nonsense to their husbands who are far better equipped to deal with any unpleasantness....

[Eve]

With Uber you get a small photo of the driver and the driver's name along with the make of car and vehicle registration number.

You can also track the cab by GPS as it shows it's location on the map within the application so you can see exactly where it is along the way. You also get an estimate count down of the time it will take to get to you and you get a notification when the cab is about to arrive.

You have to put in your pickup and drop off location so the driver will already have the information as to who you are and where you are going.

They can ring you through the app without getting your phone number and you can ring them (so I'm told) but it's routed so that they do not get your actual telephone number.

The fare is taken from your account so you don't even need to have cash on you. You are emailed a receipt when the journey has ended with the fare, route and how the fare was calculated. Via the app, you have the chance to rate the driver (number of stars) and give feedback about the driver, journey, fare etc... This is optional for the passenger but the driver has to rate the passenger when the journey ends.

Hope that helps.

[EcclesCake]

Not at all upset, I simply resent being 'claimed'.

[Hypognosis]

@AOG

The thread topic is about rapes.

Change the phrase to "[X], coming over here, raping our women" and that is probably the association Eccles is making. It's the sort of thing right-wingers like to say. It is proprietorial and women, evidently, detest it.

"the women" is just as much a collective and lacks the possessive "our".

hth

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// AOG
Do you think the sexual assaulters and rapists are foreigners, and that is why the authorities are withoholding the information? Do you have any evidence, if that is your opinion? ///

No I have no evidence to that fact, neither is it my opinion.

Try a little harder next time, you seem to be obsessed in your attempts to play the racist card against me.

[Gromit]

With Uber you rate the driver on the app. If the driver allocated to you gets a poor rating, you can decline them and ask for another driver. If is robably this very useful service that so irks Black Cab Drivers.

[retrocop]

anotheoldgit
// 'Our women', is a patronising and unpleasant term. ///

It is a well known collective term, some of you will get upset over the smallest of matters.

Lol. Mr aog Just imagine our English roses on AB going to the cinema together 75 years ago and settling down to Pathe News!
"And here's Winnie again visiting a war production factory somewhere up North where OUR women are doing sterling work in the absence of OUR men in the front line".

If the lady's of AB are true to form the usherettes would be dashing around with smelling salts for the rest of the perfomance.

[Gromit]

The request for this information has been long running, and the refusal of the London licensing authority to disclose the information has also been a long record of denial.

It is interesting to see the timeline for this request
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/cab_related_sexual_assault_stati

[anotheoldgit]

jackthehat

What can one say about your latest post, how can you be such a sexist.

[Mamyalynne]

Even though my phone doesn't have all the modern functions, I think these extra layers of info for the cab user are a great way of making everyone feel a bit more secure.

[woofgang]

retro, there are many well know collective terms that are neither polite not acceptable and well you know it.

[EcclesCake]

And you AOG get 'upset' when you are referred to as Old Git despite it being part of your chosen epithet.......such a small matter wouldn't you say?

[sp1814]

In answer to your question AOG, no woman can be 100% safe when using cabs, but there are sensible provisions she can make, the biggest of this is that the cab should be ordered from a taxi company.

No-one should ever simply jump into a car touting for business. Practically everyone has a mobile phone nowadays, and they should keep the telephone number of their preferred cab office in their contacts.

Another safeguard is that when waiting for the cab, if a car pulls up, the person waiting should always ask for the name of the passenger on the booking. That way they will know they are getting into the cab that they ordered.

[sp1814]

Oh, and by the way AOG, isn't it awful when someone tries to imply that you have some ulterior motive in your posts? Just as well that you don't do the same eh?