Dear Uber bosses, employees and stakeholders,
I am writing an open letter to you because you will not respond to my tweets, messages and emails two days after I was assaulted and left crying by one of your drivers.
I am writing because as a female travelling at night in London I feel it is essential to let other women and men know the dangers your drivers can pose.
I am writing because not enough people know that last year there were over 300 sexual assaults, and 30 rapes, in your vehicles. If this were any other crimes there would be a huge scandal but you have managed to keep this one quiet.
And it’s not ok.
Women have a right to feel safe and protected when travelling alone, and this should be one of your non-negotiable policies. And yet horrible assaults regularly take place within your cars. The media do very little. How much have you paid them to keep quiet?
My assault happened two days ago, when I was coming back home and really wanting to get back safely and quickly.
I had had a horrible weekend with my fiance cutting off our engagement, cancelling our wedding which I was so looking forward to, and cancelling our home purchase. We were meant to move into our first home together next month.
Of course, you or your driver couldn’t possibly have known this. But regardless, you should provide a safe service to your customers: male or female, young or old, rich or poor.
They should never be made to feel intimidated, abused, frightened or upset when paying for a service which is only to be driven safely from A to B.
When I posted about this on Twitter, you didn’t reply. Instead, you posted pictures of Rio and other exotic locations. Why fling your ambition so widely when you can’t even provide a safe service within the UK?
You then rang me at work at 10am when I was in a meeting and refused my polite request to email instead. Why?
Here is the link to the Evening Standard article. Luckily for me, when the driver called me a slut and dropped me in the middle of a dual carriageway with oncoming traffic, at 11.30pm, in the dark, with no cash, scared and alone, miles from my destination, a kind Black Cab driver picked me up and drove me home. Unlike your drivers, he spoke in a friendly, calm way, helping me reach my destination and recover my equilibrium. I cannot thank that Black Cab driver enough.
Uber, it’s nearly 3 days since my assault and I haven’t had an apology from you. My tweet has had over 200 retweets — it’s terrible publicity for you.
When will you apologise? Until you acknowledge your culpability in this, the women and men of London cannot travel safely within your cars.
Yours sincerely,
Frances Carbines
