Female Only Ride Sharing: SEXIST or SPLENDID?

“Hi, how are you?”

“Good thanks. And you?”

“Oh you know, can’t complain.”

“Been driving for a while?”

“Yeah about 4 hours….but I haven’t picked up anyone as beautiful as you in a while”

*cringe* Oh lord

“Oh…I bet you say that to all your passengers”

“I wish I had more [passengers] like you. Please tell me you’re single”

*cringing intensifies* Please stop talking

This was a conversation I had with a male Uber driver whilst on my way out and, if you think what you just read was awkward and uncomfortable, I had to endure this guy’s “wooing” for a further 7.5 minutes.

Even after politely informing the gentleman (and I use that term very loosely) that I was already taken, he responded “But, what if you didn’t have [a boyfriend]” and “what would I have to do to call you mine”.

Now, I’m guessing this guy intended his remarks to sound ‘cute’, but it should have been clear by my obvious discomfort and lack of response that I was not interested in the slightest. Finally reaching my destination, I swung open the door leaving without another word and gave him a 1 (out of 5) star rating.

This was my first bad Uber experience, and it bummed me out because I love Uber! It’s cheaper, the drivers have never ‘accidentally’ taken me the long way to my destination, and there is some nice chit chat. However, as a 21 year old woman, it’s bad enough getting unwanted attention from a creepy dude at a bar where you can easily run away, let alone having ‘that guy’ hit on you AND know where you live. So, in order to do my bit in filtering out the creepers from the Uber database, I went online with a goal of informing the ride sharing giant of my less than pleasant experience. However, what I found whilst Googling was much scarier.

I thought my experience was uncomfortable, when really it was nothing compared to what some young women had gone through. There has been a significant rise in the number of harassment and sexual assault allegations made by female passengers of ride share services. Woman have claimed that male drivers have attempted to follow them into their houses after dropping them off, others have reported being forcibly kissed and groped, and worst of all there were several confirmed reports of rape relating to Uber trips.

We were given this great service that promised a safe journey at a lower cost, and then a bunch of a-holes had to taint it with their abhorrent actions and ruin it for the rest of us.

Although ride share services do seem to be trying their best to protect us from the undesirables, most of the safety-related elements of the services (rating systems and complaint services) are after the fact remedies, useful only when potential damage is done. Rather than know what I can do after a bad experience, I’d much prefer to simply avoid that type of incident at all costs. So what do I, and any other females who have had their own grave experiences, do?

I can practically hear the baby boomers in unison telling us to give up this ride sharing business, after all, we shouldn’t be hitching lifts with strangers we met through a phone anyway. But this would place limits on what I could do and where I could go, and I don’t want my life to stop. I can also hear the unfazed riders, who have had the bad experiences but choose to tolerate them, telling us to let it go. But I don’t want to feel uneasy each time I get into a ride share car.

Now, before you assume I’ve reached an impasse, I would like to introduce you to Shebah; an Australian ride-sharing service created by women for women. Shebah features female only drivers, female only passengers — however is inclusive of transgender men, as well as men who feel ‘vulnerable’ — and an implicit creeper-free policy.

Shebah, named after the queen, was founded by Australian comedian and mother of four, George McEncroe. After her daughter displayed concern for her safety when getting herself home at night, McEncroe decided, in true mum fashion, to build an entire business on this concept of female safety. McEncroe has also developed another ride share service, Mum’s Taxi, which features only female drivers and is aimed at safely transporting children and the elderly. Besides providing a safer alternative for female passengers, both services also offer a safe environment for female drivers. Female taxi and Uber drivers tend to feel less safe than their male equivalents, with many choosing to drive only in daylight hours or refuse male passengers when driving at night. The female-only policy eases concerns about possible unwelcome incidences whilst also offering flexible working options for those who decide to become drivers, allowing them to work when they want, and for how long. As if that wasn’t enough, McEncroe has also decided that 1% of all Shebah and Mum’s Taxi fares will go to charities that support women and children. Both services are set to launch in October 2017 in Melbourne and Sydney, with the intent to move into other states…come on Queensland!

Of course any time there is a win for women, there is an unnecessary tantrum had by the man babies of the world. Basically the argument goes something like this: although we have full use of Uber, Yellow Cabs, Black & White Cabs, Silver Service, and Business Class taxis, and (in Australia) have a 94% chance of having a male driver, we believe that female-only services are a big ol’ form of discrimination.

Although some men cry discrimination, it is a fact that it is rarer that a male would be exposed to unwanted sexual attention from taxi or Uber drivers than a female. There is a significant differentiation between discrimination that excludes women from particular men’s clubs and the like, and “discrimination” that strives to ensure women to feel equally as safe as men when travelling. The truth is, female-only services are one way for women to experience the same perception of safety as men who take regular ride share services with largely male drivers, and it is seriously unreasonable for anyone to begrudge us that.

Originally published at The Isthmus.