Woman Is Shocked That Her Lyft Driver From 3 Weeks Ago Came To Her Workplace, Warns Others
It’s vital that you always consider your safety, Pandas. Whether walking down the street or using transport, it should be your priority. However, it can come as a shock when someone that you assume is a professional acts anything but.
Twitter user @sighjunwa had a stark warning for all women that they might become the victims of a stalker even when using well-known transport service providers like Lyft or Uber. She shared how shocked she was when her driver from a few weeks back showed up at her workplace, came up to meet her, and asked for her number.
It’s creepy. It’s scary. And it shouldn’t be happening. It’s no surprise that the woman was left incredibly frightened. Scroll down to read what happened in @sighjunwa’s own words, how people reacted, and their own stories about getting stalked. Has anything similar happened to you, Pandas? Share what happened in the comments to warn and help protect others in the future.
A Twitter user had a frightening experience with her driver, and she felt she needed to warn others
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The Twitter user started up an important discussion, as her posts reached a massive number of people. Her thread got over a quarter of a million likes, and got women to open up about their own horrible experiences. It just goes to show that these situations aren’t as rare as some might think.
Starting from the basics, begin by checking if the car is the same make and model as the one on your app. Then, have a glance at the license plate and your driver: are they the same ones as the info listed on your phone? If not, something might be wrong and it’s best to not get in. Trust your gut. Request your ride from indoors where it’s safer and always try to sit in the back seat when you get in the car.
‘A Girl’s Guide To Cars’ suggests that women ask the driver to confirm your name. For instance, you can ask, “Who are you here to pick up?” After you do that, ask for their name.
Another layer of security can be added by telling your friends and family about your trip. Get in touch with them before you get in the car and after you get out. You can also share your trip’s progress with them so they can keep an eye on you as you travel, if you or they are particularly worried. Riding together with a friend might be one way to help reclaim your sense of safety if you’ve had bad experiences before.
Meanwhile, if you want to protect your privacy, only message or call the driver via the app you’re using. This way, your info will be anonymous and you reduce the likelihood of being harassed afterward.
Above everything, if you feel that your life is in danger or you feel threatened, call the police, possibly through the ridesharing app you’re using. Some apps also have emergency features. Again, trust your gut.
Here’s how people reacted to what happened to the woman
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Previously Emily May, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of ‘Right To Be’ explained to Bored Panda how common harassment is and how to respond to it. The nonprofit aims to end harassment in all of its forms. According to a 2021 study that they did, 80% of women have experienced street harassment. Meanwhile, they’re working together with L’Oreal Paris to train a million people in bystander intervention, in order to address street harassment.
“Our Stand Up Against Street Harassment Training offers three strategies to use in response to harassment: assess your safety, reclaim your space (optional), and practice resilience. Proven ways to reclaim your space include setting a boundary, asking someone for help, or documenting your harassment,” Emily told Bored Panda during an interview.
“There is no such thing as a perfect response to harassment, it’s their responsibility not to harass you. Taking time to find a sense of safety inside yourself, educate yourself about the issue, share your story, and learn how to intervene on behalf of others are all key parts of the healing journey,” she said.
Some folks gave advice on how to stay safe and avoid dangerous situations
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Others were inspired to open up about their own creepy and scary experiences
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Men reading - I hope you're internalizing these stories and that it's very clear what sort of behavior is creepy and scary. No woman you've just met owes you ANYTHING. They don't owe you their number, their time, an explanation, a smile. Be courteous, respect boundaries, respect women BECAUSE THEY ARE HUMAN AND YOU ARE HOPEFULLY NOT A COMPLETE AS*HOLE SCUMBAG.
I also hope that there are men who don't brush this of as an "incident" or "not all men" thing. This happens way too often
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I was fortunate that one of the retail jobs I worked had a woman manager for a while, and she knew and took seriously the problem of creepy men stalking women working at the store. We had policies that no one was to ever, EVER give out someone's last name, phone number, any info re: work schedule, no personal info at all, and it helped. She knew that when some doof came in and announced that he was "here to see Jan!" that the appropriate response is "This is a place of business, so we don't do social visits, can I take your name and number, and I'll pass it on to her," not even confirming if I was there at the moment or not. Guy employees walked us to our cars if we felt unsafe. We were about to switch to a new practice of fake names/nicknames on our nametags when she moved out of state. Guys, no woman who is engaging with you in any professional capacity wants to be harrassed by you. I don't care if you saw skyrockets and heard bells ringing. LEAVE US ALONE.
I am a Lyft driver and have been for over 4 years and almost 8,000 rides. I absolutely hate when I see these stories. I personally have driven women home when she was obviously intoxicated and the guy they were with was adamant they were staying with him, even though she wanted to go home. I've put guys out of my car when I hear a woman say that he's not going home with her, but he's dead set that he's going home with her. This behavior begins with a lack of honest parenting. I have made mistakes in my past, but even being in my 40's, if my dad were to see me or hear that I was disrespectful towards a woman he would still hit me and ask me what I was thinking. Buying a woman a drink or dinner means the only thing that you are entitled to is THANK YOU!!!! I would love for this OP to report the driver to Lyft so that's he is deactivated and banned from Lyft. We have had to all watch videos and agree to not do this. Yes even having people come onto me as they driver I still refuse.
I completely agree with you!!!! Just because you get her a drink or a meal, does not me "other activities" are required! - But ladies, trust me when I say this, us men would LOVE for you to buy us a drink once in a while if you are interested in us.
Load More Replies... Men reading - I hope you're internalizing these stories and that it's very clear what sort of behavior is creepy and scary. No woman you've just met owes you ANYTHING. They don't owe you their number, their time, an explanation, a smile. Be courteous, respect boundaries, respect women BECAUSE THEY ARE HUMAN AND YOU ARE HOPEFULLY NOT A COMPLETE AS*HOLE SCUMBAG.
I also hope that there are men who don't brush this of as an "incident" or "not all men" thing. This happens way too often
Load More Replies... I was fortunate that one of the retail jobs I worked had a woman manager for a while, and she knew and took seriously the problem of creepy men stalking women working at the store. We had policies that no one was to ever, EVER give out someone's last name, phone number, any info re: work schedule, no personal info at all, and it helped. She knew that when some doof came in and announced that he was "here to see Jan!" that the appropriate response is "This is a place of business, so we don't do social visits, can I take your name and number, and I'll pass it on to her," not even confirming if I was there at the moment or not. Guy employees walked us to our cars if we felt unsafe. We were about to switch to a new practice of fake names/nicknames on our nametags when she moved out of state. Guys, no woman who is engaging with you in any professional capacity wants to be harrassed by you. I don't care if you saw skyrockets and heard bells ringing. LEAVE US ALONE.
I am a Lyft driver and have been for over 4 years and almost 8,000 rides. I absolutely hate when I see these stories. I personally have driven women home when she was obviously intoxicated and the guy they were with was adamant they were staying with him, even though she wanted to go home. I've put guys out of my car when I hear a woman say that he's not going home with her, but he's dead set that he's going home with her. This behavior begins with a lack of honest parenting. I have made mistakes in my past, but even being in my 40's, if my dad were to see me or hear that I was disrespectful towards a woman he would still hit me and ask me what I was thinking. Buying a woman a drink or dinner means the only thing that you are entitled to is THANK YOU!!!! I would love for this OP to report the driver to Lyft so that's he is deactivated and banned from Lyft. We have had to all watch videos and agree to not do this. Yes even having people come onto me as they driver I still refuse.
I completely agree with you!!!! Just because you get her a drink or a meal, does not me "other activities" are required! - But ladies, trust me when I say this, us men would LOVE for you to buy us a drink once in a while if you are interested in us.
Load More Replies...
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