With everything at your doorstep with just a click on our smartphones, life would be convenient, you’d think. Especially for women, who have lived in constant fear, every time they step out of their homes, you’d think. Well, the truth is, we’re still far, far away from making this world safe enough for women.

And if you thought women's safety isn’t a real concern, this Delhi girl’s story should give you a much needed reality check.

Here’s what Probalika Boruah wrote on Facebook.

This is my last experience with Uber. Today morning I booked a cab for my residence at Mehrauli to my office at Gurgaon, Udyog Vihar phase I. Immediately after the driver picked me up he started giving undue attention and asked me if I am going to my office and where do I work. I got suspicious at the moment and in order to avoid his questions, I started talking over the phone. Once I started speaking on the phone, he increased the volume of the radio to the maximum, however I didn’t confront him as I didn’t want any arguments. Then, when I stopped talking over the phone he started to ask me creepy questions like; “Madam, where do you stay and where are you from? Do you stay alone? Aap Delhi se nhi lag rhe ho, itna bhi kya narazi hain, aap kuch bhi nhi bol rahe ho?”

Then I asked him to be professional and do his own work. Suddenly he started driving very rash and was about to hit a car. When I asked him to drive properly, he told me “should I hit the other car (gadi thok du kya dusre gadi mein, tab aapko pata chalega”…I told him that I’ll make a complaint against him. He then, asked me to get down from the car in the middle of the road and I had to literally get down from the car in the midst of the traffic. Once got down, he started following with the car. He kept on following me for 2-3 minutes and then something clicked in mind and I have pretended like reading the number plate of his car and complaining someone. He then drove away.

© Facebook

I had to walk till the Sultanpur metro station and booked a different cab. The story doesn’t end here. In the meantime, I wrote a feedback to Uber explaining about the incident and got a pop up that they will call me. I got a call within 2 minute, however couldn’t pick up as I was about to give the OTP to my OLA driver. Once I reach office, I called in the same number as advised by my friends and resent a feedback to Uber in written. I asked the person if he is from Uber and he was first confused and then told me he was from head office. When I was about to complaint, he interrupted me and told me that the driver has made a complaint against me. I was really furious and narrate him the entire incident. However I didn’t feel that I was talking to someone in customer service, it seems to me that I was talking to the same driver. At last when I told him that I am going to make a police complaint, he told me the same driver will not come to pick me up again. I tried to explain him that how it can be disastrous if the same person picks other girls and there can be an incident in the future. However, he didn’t listen to me and told me he had spent enough time talking to me. I told this incident to one of my colleague and he also listen to my recorded conversation with the Uber person. My friend told me that it can’t be any professional who has called me, but it has to be the driver himself or any of his friend. Then, my friend called in the same number and asked who it is; he replied that he is a Uber driver.

Two things that worry me is that-

1. What happens to the safety of a female passenger? What if the driver comes to my place and disturbs me again as I am pretty sure he can do anything.

2. The driver's reply clearly states that he doesn't care whether you complain to Uber or not. Because he is pretty sure Uber is not going to take any action against him. What happen if he will involve in something serious in the future. From the experience of my 20 minutes encounter with that shady person, I am very confident that he is capable of doing anything to a girl.

I have been a loyal customer of Uber from last one year as I don’t use any other taxi services other than Uber and I am really anxious to know if Uber is cautious enough to be more vigilant and avoid any future risk by not roping in the same person.

Below are the details of the cab and the person.

Driver name - Sandeep (9015198372). Maruti Suzuki Ritz

If a cab driver can get away with harassing a girl in broad daylight, it’s not hard to imagine what a late night cab ride could entail. And we’re talking about the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road – one of the busiest stretches in one of the biggest metropolitan cities in the city. Just to put things in perspective.

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Photo: © BCCL (Main Image)