Bengaluru Woman Recounts Harassment By Ola Driver During Late-Night Ride
A Bengaluru woman's harrowing late-night cab ride has triggered widespread concern on social media over the safety of women commuters in the city. In a detailed post on X, Shravika Jain alleged that her cab driver behaved inappropriately and made her feel extremely unsafe during a ride home from the airport around 11 pm.
"People said Bangalore is safe? Last night's cab ride from the airport was one of the most frightening experiences I've ever had," Ms Jain wrote in her post, which has since gone viral.
According to her account, the driver began staring at her shortly after the journey began. When he asked if she spoke Kannada and received a response, he allegedly started playing loud music on YouTube and began singing loudly while tapping his thighs. Despite her request to lower the volume, the driver responded with an unsettling look and barely reduced the noise.
Ms Jain further claimed that the driver lit a cigarette inside the vehicle and ignored her objections. "I was alone, it was late at night, and I had three male friends tracking my location on a call," she wrote.
The situation escalated when the driver reportedly stopped the cab in the middle of the road, saying he wanted to get tea. Despite her pleas to be dropped off at home first, the driver exited the vehicle and returned after nearly 10 minutes. Ms Jain said he continued to stare at her during the remainder of the ride, making her feel even more anxious.
"I was scared and just prayed I'd reach home safe," she wrote. Thankfully, she made it home without further incident.
Bengaluru Police responds
Responding to the post, the Bengaluru Traffic Police asked Ms Jain to share her contact number via direct message, indicating that they would look into the matter.
Meanwhile, the post has sparked outrage online, with many users demanding stronger safety measures for ride-hailing services. "So sorry about it. I believe every company whose workers are working this way should make it mandatory to teach them sex education, what is bad touch, good touch, and how to look for others & punishments if you do something," a user suggested.
"Bengaluru isn't as safe as people think it is. I have guys following me and my roommates around 8 pm even though we weren't wearing anything revealing, and since they were a gang of 5-6 men and all were south indians, we had to keep quiet," another user shared on X.
"Drivers should be video-monitored, with footage available for review when users activate an alarm. One should be relaxing and enjoying the cool night breeze after a long day of travel, not staying on high alert," the third user suggested.
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