I don't know what took me to Instablog Naija's page on Instagram where I stumbled on DSF's story of her sordid experience with a Taxify driver. I actually follow her on SnapChat and had seen her snap stories explaining the event. She didn't release the videos but still I didn't really get the picture. Then on Friday, I saw her snap stories again and this time, she was talking about people calling her a "liar" who was only trying to frame up the "innocent guy" and gain popularity from it. That didn't really get to me cos of course, people spit shit occasionally but then, I saw the two videos she released and right there in the coolness of my office, I froze, I panicked cos I could feel the fear and threat she felt as she screamed in the second video where the driver was dragging her out of the car. I was automatically reminded of my own ordeal with another taxify driver two weeks ago who caused a scene, laid hands on my laptop bag and suit as well as threatened to beat up my friend and I outside our house all because, he had refused to listen to the direction I gave him after picking me from my office and had chosen to drive me around Lekki for close to twenty minutes on a trip that usually took me just about ten minutes.
His annoyance was that even if he was at fault, I was to pay him the extra amount that accumulated the fare which I wasn't willing to. I had paid him the actual amount I was to pay cos there was no surge and refused cos, he had taken his time on the trip, driving in a snail like motion, stopping and parking at will on the road, taking his time to go through his phone, driving slowly again, before finally entering a street I could finally recognize.
Luckily, my friend knows one of Taxify's staff so we called and I was able to speak to a customer care representative who took down the details of the incident, apologized and assured me that I would receive an email the following day about the penalty that will be meted out to the driver. Unfortunately, I never got any mail till date. I chose not to talk about it cos I'm not the type that would go to any extent to make someone lose a job but I'm writing about this today cos I'm ashamed of some of the comments I'm reading on Instablog's page; especially those coming from some of the women. It reeks of hate, vindictiveness, vengeance, envy and worse of all ignorance. Why so judgmental people?!
I don't know what really ensued between Dorcas and that driver cos I wasn't there but seriously though, didn't anyone see that video? And to that person that decided to become Investigator and got the driver's side of the story, did the background of that video look like a safe place? How did he suddenly drive Dorcas to his own house at that time of the night? Why did he choose a dark and isolated area to park if really she refused to pay him his money? Where were the concerned residents and his sisters while Dorcas was screaming in the video? how come they didn't show up while she was screaming but they showed up while he was shouting for help?
Another thing is, let's say for instance it wasn't a case of rape, was this driver supposed to harass her like that? I don't get it but my question now is for those women lashing out at Dorcas, is this the way you love to be treated and mishandled by a stranger you've never met before? Would you love to be dropped and dragged in an unknown location in the middle of the night? Honestly, I really pray this doesn't happen to any of you cos if it does, the stigma might not even allow you come out to speak about it.
Dorcas isn't my friend or sister but I am writing this as someone who's had a similar experience. I mean, if it wasn't for the security guards in our compound that day, God knows what that driver would have done to my friend and I cos even after we entered the compound, he banged on the gate and tried to come in as well. Dorcas's case isn't the first, someone on Snap Chat also complained that that same driver tried to rape her twin sister save for the fact that she was able to escape out of the moving car! Jeez! And that makes me wonder about other victims of such circumstances who can't come out to speak.
To Taxify, it's high time you handled these issues professionally. If you're out for business, you should have measures to handle and curtail crisis like these. The appropriate measures should be taken to ensure the safety of your clients as well as the drivers. I don't even want to talk about some of the drivers who are arrogant and can just cancel a trip on you even after arriving at your pickup location; thereby wasting your time. In the process, they taint the image and spoil the hustle of the honest and hard working drivers out there. Dear Taxify, call your people to order! A customer relations training organised for them is highly recommended for them at this point. Do you even know your drivers well enough to trust them with the lives of people? Asides that, they should also be taught safety measures to protect themselves as well in a civilized way and not in such horrendous manner as what I saw that driver do in Dorcas'video.
Dear Nigerians, it is not every celebrity that likes cheap fame and would go to the extent of bringing down non celebrities just to achieve such and also, it is not every hard working, hustling person out there that's honest in achieving their goals. In other words, it's not every wealthy person that's wicked and it's not every poor person that's the victim. It happens Vice Versa sometimes too. Let's not be too quick to judge cos it just might be you.
I hope this ends well for both parties.
