Many students arrive on campus in the fall without a car. For residents, the cost of parking on campus adds an additional $200 a semester to an already hefty tuition bill. So we’re commonly told about all the other means of transportation: bikes, buses, cabs, Safe Ride and the streetcar line. Biking isn’t ideal for a night out. The bus, streetcar and Safe Ride have their limitations on timing and distance. The most probable means of transportation becomes a cab.
Not often do we question our safety while in a cab, but recent events are making some people second guess the ride home.
On Aug. 1, 2010, a woman who was on her way Uptown from the French Quarter was allegedly raped when the cab driver pulled over unannounced. On Dec. 17, 2011, a young woman fled from a taxi in the 9200 block of Airline Highway after the driver tried to sexually assault her. In both cases, the accusers have not been apprehended since they couldn’t be identified.
Unfortunate situations occur closer to home than we would all like to acknowledge. On Jan. 13, psychology freshman Lauren Brand caught a cab from Downtown. She told the driver her destination was Loyola University. “I didn’t recognize anything. I didn’t know where we were going,” she said. A few minutes later, the driver stopped at Loyola Avenue and ordered that she and her friend “pay and get out.” She recalls telling him a second time they needed to go to Loyola University, when he responded, “I don’t go Uptown, pay.” They had no choice but to get out on a dark street occupied by vacant buildings with burglar bars — lost — as men walked past them whistling and cars honked.
In October, friends and I were in a taxi headed to Loyola. Five minutes away from campus, the driver asked for our payment type, and we told him we were paying via credit card. He then looked back and told us he only accepted cash. He asked where an ATM was located. We told him there was one next to The Palms on Freret Street. He then drove to the ATM, where we had to get out. Moments after we payed, he drove off without taking us home.
During lectures, we hear constantly how beneficial it is for us to go out and explore the community around our university. Yet what are we supposed to do when others in the community become the problem? We should not limit ourselves because of the fear we have for what might happen when we cross St. Charles Avenue. At the same time, we should acknowledge that there is a possibility our safety will be compromised — and prepare ourselves.
Before getting in a taxi, make note of the cab number and company, located at the front of the cab. Throughout the ride, keep someone updated with your location in case there is an emergency.
Dawn Chae-Jiles can be reached at [email protected]
