Do you feel safe on your own in a taxi/having a total stranger know where you live?

leggo · 02-02-2012 12:47PM

To be honest OP, I'd report him then just never use that taxi company again for two reasons:

1) Guilt: what if you opened the paper one day and saw this guy's mug plastered on it after attacking a girl? At least now you can flag the issue with his colleagues and know you've done everything you can to stop it when it's not that serious. People may say its an overreaction, but when you look at these cases it's generally down to a failure to recognise small warning signs. And if he's just a normal, average Joe then it should embarrass him enough into thinking about his behaviour in future.

2) Shame: **** him. If he's happy enough to force details of his encounters with prostitutes down customers' throats, then he better be comfortable with everyone in his rank and sending him out on jobs knowing about it too.

Or if you really want to shame him, call Adrian Kennedy and complain. They all listen to that show obsessively.

greimorm · 02-02-2012 12:51PM

Seachmall wrote: »

There was a taxi driver around where I live who, allegedly, used to buy drink for underage girls and approach them for stuff you shouldn't approach underage girls for.

If my memory serves correctly he topped himself after he started getting serious harassment from kids. I don't know if he did what the rumours suggested but I'm sure there are some serious creeps out there driving girls, and guys, home after a drunken night out.

That is awful,the man may have not even been guilty of said things.
I remember some awful rumours about people when i was growing up and they were not true,practically destroyed their lives aswell.Somewhat similar of what you encountered in your rumours.

saa · 02-02-2012 01:22PM

No I don't worry about a man of any race driving me home. I'm comfortable with getting taxi's here, not so sure if I was abroad how comfortable I would be.

Deus Ex Machina · 02-02-2012 01:49PM

Why didn't you tell him that you were uncomfortable with the subject matter and ask him to stop talking about it? If he continues at that point you have a legitimate complaint, but the fact that you didn't raise the issue with him could have been reasonably taken as tacit acceptance or that you weren't bothered by it. The word creep is thrown around by people these days without justification.

44leto · 02-02-2012 01:52PM

Yes I do, 99.99999% of taxi men out there are sound I have no complaints.

ste551 · 02-02-2012 01:56PM

we need to really do some proper back ground checks on taxi men.

too many dodgy stories

Zen65 · 02-02-2012 02:13PM

adrianna_cerva wrote: »

Do you feel safe on your own in a taxi/having a total stranger know where you live?

For women the statistics strongly suggest that you are safer with strangers than with people you know, but that's no comfort when you're in the company of a creepy stranger. Sadly for women most violence committed against them will also be in their own home, so no comfort there either.

The best approach for your own safety is not to engage in conversation on such topics. Be assertive about changing the topic rather than sitting in silence, as the creep may take delight in thinking that he has "subdued" you in some way. Using a "motherly" type of reprimand can work well e.g. "Never mind you and your whores now, what's business like these days with all the increased competition in the taxi market?". Taxi drivers love giving out about the Regulation of the market, so this can get him off the hook easily as he can talk about the new topic easily and deep down he knows you've reprimanded him.

If you know the number of the taxi you could notify the Taxi Regulator without giving any details of yourself. They may not act, but if they get enough complaints about the same taxi they may pass the information back to the taxi company, or the gardai (new Regulations being introduced soon may allow Gardai to refuse continuation of licences).

Cheers,

Z

Seachmall · 02-02-2012 02:15PM

Zen65 wrote: »

For women the statistics strongly suggest that you are safer with strangers than with people you know

Is that true? Seems very counter-intuitive.

Downlinz · 02-02-2012 02:40PM

OP, it sounds like an overreaction. Taxi drivers are paid to drive, not for their chit chat or PR skills. I'd imagine the whole situation was amplified for you to make it seem more sinister than it was. Him knowing your home, it being late at night and the topic of his idle banter obviously had you on edge and things can appear worse than they are when on edge.

Of course he shouldn't be reported for his conversation topic, jesus.

fishy fishy · 02-02-2012 03:32PM

Millicent wrote: »

Have you ever been trapped in a space that is not your own with someone probably larger than you who is being sexually aggressive?

are you serious??

we go from a taxi DRIVER having a conversation in the car to being"trapped in a space with a larger than you male who is being sexually aggressive".

to the op - if you feel that bad about it, go to the firm and report it. (at least you had the sense to call a company taxi). Next time tho, maybe open your mouth and say you would rather not hear about it, OR,, OR, you could always SIT IN THE BACK SEAT.

02-02-2012 03:49PM

i always get out of a taxi near but not outside my house, and i'll usually wait for him to drive off before going in. just in case he's a bit loopy.

Where To · 02-02-2012 04:01PM

07734 wrote: »

i always get out of a taxi near but not outside my house, and i'll usually wait for him to drive off before going in. just in case he's a bit loopy.

I usually wait until my customers have got into their house safely (not locked themselves out late at night etc.)

Looks like you and me would have a Mexican standoff.

adrianna_cerva · 02-02-2012 04:14PM

fishy fishy wrote: »

are you serious??

we go from a taxi DRIVER having a conversation in the car to being"trapped in a space with a larger than you male who is being sexually aggressive".

to the op - if you feel that bad about it, go to the firm and report it. (at least you had the sense to call a company taxi). Next time tho, maybe open your mouth and say you would rather not hear about it, OR,, OR, you could always SIT IN THE BACK SEAT.

I was sitting in the back seat and I genuinely did try and change the subject agood few times i.e ryanair are doing lots of deals to european cities at the mo etc etc but he brought it back.

I think though as the guys have said on here, I should have been clear and direct with him and deffo take that on board for the future!

Where To · 02-02-2012 04:42PM

adrianna_cerva wrote: »

I was sitting in the back seat and I genuinely did try and change the subject agood few times i.e ryanair are doing lots of deals to european cities at the mo etc etc but he brought it back.

I think though as the guys have said on here, I should have been clear and direct with him and deffo take that on board for the future!

It's his job to get you home safely and comfortably.

If he was making you feel unsafe or uncomfortable then at the very least he was not doing his job properly.

You should report him in my opinion.

adrianna_cerva · 02-02-2012 04:47PM

where do i go from here wrote: »

It's his job to get you home safely and comfortably.

If he was making you feel unsafe or uncomfortable then at the very least he was not doing his job properly.

You should report him in my opinion.

Thanks wdigfh! I appreciate the input

Zen65 · 02-02-2012 04:59PM

Seachmall wrote: »

Is that true? Seems very counter-intuitive.

Well when teaching self-defence to people I always point out that for women the statistics (based on UK Police data because I don't have Irish data, but US data confirms similar findings) are a little bit grim, and possibly counter-intuitive.

Reported attacks on women:

Two in three attacks are indoors, half in own home.
Less than 15% attackers are strangers, over 40% attacks by partners
25% sharp implement, 15% blunt implement, 26% strangulation, 5% shooting, hitting & kicking 8%.

One could deduce that this means women are safer with strangers than with people they know, but in fairness that is probably not entirely true. The statistics need to be correlated with the amount of time a woman spends in the company of strangers, and this was not included in the police data.

I hope this clarifies my earlier statement.

Z

jdooley28 · 02-02-2012 05:26PM

did the OP actually mention to the driver she was uncomfortable and wanted him to stop talking?

Spook_ie · 04-02-2012 01:38PM

adrianna_cerva wrote: »

I was sitting in the back seat and I genuinely did try and change the subject agood few times i.e ryanair are doing lots of deals to european cities at the mo etc etc but he brought it back.

I think though as the guys have said on here, I should have been clear and direct with him and deffo take that on board for the future!

Especialy cheap deals to Amsterdam to see the redlight district so I hear

RichieC · 04-02-2012 02:14PM

I can understand the uncomfort in the taxi but not the residual fear.. Thats ridiculous.

saa · 04-02-2012 02:35PM

Knowing where I live isn't a problem as long as I'm careful not to drunkenly say I'm going away on holidays next week, two weeks in the sun can't wait and a mate of a mate of a mate of his cousins mate robs my gaff.

Do you feel safe on your own in a taxi/having a total stranger know where you live?

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