Uber and Ola have almost become a necessity for office-goers and youngsters who either have erratic working hours or who like hanging out with their friends but due to non-availability of public transport services late in the night or during the wee hours, these apps are the only thing they can bank on. But with Delhi-NCR becoming unsafer for women (and for everyone, in general) day-by-day, even with numerous cases and complaints against Uber and Ola drivers for their misbehaviour, nothing much seems to be changing. On Wednesday, another incident of a woman’s ‘harrowing Uber experience’ (now it seems like these words almost go together) came to light when she decided to take a cab late in the night.
The woman who’s a journalist with a leading media house booked an Uber when she was at a friend’s house in Noida. The cab arrived at around 11 pm and after an hour what all happened with her will send shivers down your spine. Her experience is more than harrowing and the mere thought of the possibility of what ‘could have happened’ is disturbing.
She shared her experience in a series of tweets:
I get into an @Uber from a friend’s place at 10.55pm. The car starts, driver asks where I had to go. The stench of alcohol and paan hits me.
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017
I tell him the location, ask him to follow navigation. On Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. We take the service lane. In 5 mins, car stops.
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017
I ask the driver what happened. He tells me car’s run out of petrol. The stretch where he’s stopped the car is dark and infamous for crimes.
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017
The driver calls up his ‘brother’ and asks him to go to a petrol pump and get petrol. Driver tells him he has an ‘aurat’ in the car.
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017
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At this point, I call up a friend and start working out options. Friend leaves from his place and tells me he’s on way to pick me up.
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017
The driver overhears me talking and asks if someone was coming to pick me up. I tell a curt yes. He locks the doors, switches on the light.
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017
I snap at him, ask him to switch off the light. Meanwhile, he’s made 5 more calls, to 2 different people (from what I could understand).
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017
10 minutes pass, no sign of his ‘brother’ or the petrol. My friend arrives. I get off the car and ask the driver to end the trip. He doesn’t
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017
Driver gives both of us (friend and me) a death stare. I cancel the trip after asking him to end it falls on deaf ears.
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017
Meanwhile, a @Uppolice patrol van passes the car. They don’t stop to even check why a car is just standing in the middle of the road.
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017
The entire stretch from the beginning of the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway to Noida Link Road — NOT one policeman, NOT one police vehicle.
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017
I’m numb from the experience. Shudder to think what could have happened had my friend not reached there before the @Uber driver’s friends.
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017
Funniest part: After I cancel the trip, @Uber_India decided to charge ME for the entire trip.
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017
This is all I got from the ‘Your Trips’ page on @Uber. The car number is HR(XX)4494, white Hyundai Xcent. pic.twitter.com/RqcA9GA8Cw
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 11, 2017
The woman dropped a complaint with Uber India after her disturbing experience and Uber responded with this:
Update: @Uber_India‘s response. They spoke to me this morning. pic.twitter.com/r8AeBCiuCx
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 12, 2017
Response from @Uber_India (2/4) pic.twitter.com/PKJMap5vCa
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 12, 2017
Response from @Uber_India: (3/4) pic.twitter.com/0lK6cRIsUG
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 12, 2017
Response from @Uber_India: (4/4) pic.twitter.com/S0BjqVgq1x
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) July 12, 2017
Hope Uber and Ola be more careful while selecting it drivers because so many complaints in such a few years is not something to be proud of.
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