please read

[elizalavelle]

I've just got permission to share this story with you all and I feel that it's a really important cautionary tale no matter where you live. Please remember to be safe in taxis and be really cautious with police officers, clearly not all of them are doing their job for the right reasons

Comments

[damedini]

Taxis now have cameras - all of this should be on record and provable.

[elizalavelle]

I'll pass that on, odds are good if it was a cab that shouldn't have been on duty or the driver was trying to get extra cash and was refusing to stop that tape will be "lost." I can't see someone coming up with evidence that gets them in trouble.

[gonnashine]

Wow...what a story! I don't blame "Jane" for wanting the cab to stop and not wanting to pay the fare after how she was treated! I take a taxi home from work a few times a week and lately I've been very unhappy with the drivers and the service I've received. Taking too long to pick me up, taking the "long way" to up the fare, screwing up the meter before I pay... it goes on and on! Now its rare that I'm actually happy after taking a cab. grr

[elizalavelle]

I've always been raised to be clear with drivers that I'm not a tourist and that I know where I'm going and to point out if we're going the wrong way/the long way. I'm sticking with transit over cabs unless I'm with other people from here on out though because this scares me a lot. The fact that he called her a whore and wouldn't stop the cab makes me think that this is a situation that could have gone very badly had he not stopped for the red light.

[gonnashine]

If the driver doesn't ask, I'm usually very clear which way I want them to go (avoiding lights, etc), but if I'm tired after work I sometimes forget and thats when they take the route which has all the long, red lights. Once in a blue moon the driver will have half a brain and do all they can to charge me as little as possible....but thats rare, and NEVER at night.

After reading this story, I'll be a little more wary. It is frightening.

[elizalavelle]

It's not that they don't have a brain when they go the wrong way, that's the smart way for them because they get more money from you ;)

[giantlovetingle]

I feel so sorry for her and what she's gone through. Even though you say it's a truthful event, the whole thing just sounds so ridiculous - I really hope she can somehow prove her side of the story.

[elizalavelle]

I think this is the reason that some police officers can get away with things like this. When it's taken to an extreme so that it looks as though it might not be true the victim isn't believed.

I did talk with someone who used to work closely with the police department about this and was told that I'd be surprised at how often incidents like this happen and are swept under the carpet. Scary stuff.

[fireaspark]

That is a horrible, horrible thing for anyone to have to go through. I can't even imagine. Thank you for sharing this.

[elizalavelle]

Thanks for reading, it definitely opened my eyes and made me more cautious about things and I wanted my friends to have the extra safety tips too. :)

[avathebrat]

I've always felt safer taking mass transit than a cab, especially if I'm alone. The movie "The Bone Collector" freaked me out on cabs. With mass transit, there are almost always several other people on the platform/train with you, even late at night. Also a conductor on the train, usually at least one transit employee in the station, and often police in the stations. Obviously in this story the police were not helpful and part of the problem, but I feel like with multiple witnesses, stuff like that is less likely to happen.

[elizalavelle]

I like the idea of witnesses. My mind went straight to the Bone Collector the as soon as I heard the cab wouldn't stop when she asked to get out. That's scary stuff. I'd far rather take a little longer to get home and be sure that I get home.

I think that had there been other people around the police here would have never got as out of control with their power trip as they did here.