Harassed during cab ride home
Location: Yellow Cab Taxi Ride in Maryland
Time: Late Night (12am-5am)
I’m an intern in the D.C. area. I was bitten by a stray cat and went to the ER at Howard U after work to get it checked up and receive any necessary shots. ERs always take a while, so by the time I was finished, it was almost 12 am so I called a cab back to Silver Spring, MD where I lived. The cab came pretty quickly (it’s the Yellow Cab company) and I got in. My driver seemed friendly and I sat in the front to make sure he knew where I was going and to talk (I’ve only ever taken cabs while in Nanjing, China where it’s expected of passengers to chat with cabbies). Our conversation was fine until we neared where I lived. At this point, he slowed the cab down to almost a crawl and asked when he would see me again. It was late and I was tired so I just said “if I ever need a cab.” And he said “no, I meant personally.” This cab driver was at least 40 years old. I said no, thank you, not interested, you’re too old. And he asked me if he could at least have a hug. This is in the middle of the night in an empty street so I thought it was better to oblige him than to potentially escalate the situation, so I briefly gave him a 4-point hug (no full contact, just my hands on your shoulders) and drew back quickly. Before drawing back I felt his breath close to my face and he laughingly admitted that he tried to kiss me. That is disgusting. Honestly, this is only the most uncomfortable instance out of a number of such situations I’ve encountered this summer. I love DC as a city, but the sketchy men I’ve been accosted by have made me come to have quite a low opinion of the more peripheral areas (aka not Union St, Capitol Hill, Foggy Bottom, etc.).
Submitted on 7/18/12 by “Cecilia”
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