Periodically I check the news for sexual assault stories and inevitably I find one related to taxi drivers sexually assaulting female passengers. Here are two I found this week about the topic, one about a woman assaulted in Whitehorse, Canada and another about how women in Sydney, Australia are being urged to report taxi drivers who engage in “sexual misconduct.” A quote from the latter article:
“Women have reported sexual harassment and unwanted sexual advances by taxi drivers, with one saying a driver tried to kiss her, and another complaining she was constantly touched on the arm, neck and shoulder during her journey.
Three drivers were accused of exposing themselves, while a number were alleged to have groped their female passengers, News Ltd said.
Mr Campbell described such behaviour as ‘absolutely unacceptable’, saying he would try to involve police in future investigations.
He also urged women to keep reporting sexually inappropriate behaviour, so the government could stamp out dodgy drivers.”
I’ve come across at least two other incidents of taxi driver assaulters in Australia alone (one and two). I’m glad that the current approach in Sydney is to get rid of the assaulting drivers, rather than move to women-only taxis…
Has a driver of your taxi ever engaged in sexual misconduct? What happened?
Stop Street Harassment! 