Ride-hailing apps, like Uber and Careem, have become a norm in Pakistan. It’s an easy way to get around town and it’s made traveling more convenient for many Pakistanis. However, even with the safety precautions promised by the companies, women tend to face some terrifying situations.
Unfortunately for Maryam Aftab, she had a terrible encounter with a Careem driver which left her very confused and scared. She shared her thoughts on Twitter in a series of tweets.
Last night something really creepy and unsettling happened. At around 12 am, I was on the Saba Avenue road leading to Khayaban e Ittehad with my friends and I decided to book a Careem as I had to go somewhere else.
— Maryam (@maryamful) June 7, 2018
After booking her ride, she had a little trouble locating her Captain.
The captain arrived on my pin location but was no where to be seen. I called him several times to ask where he was and he kept saying “main pin location pe hoon. Aik black Vigo ke peechay hoon. House number nahi likha.”
— Maryam (@maryamful) June 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/maryamful/status/1004701008046493696
After a few minutes, the Captain arrived at her location and had another car with him…
After about 5 mins, the careem car AND the Vigo, both arrived. A man came out of the Vigo and said “apne careem book ki hai? Hum ayein hain, aap humare sath bethain.” I was confused as to who he was and why he was here, I told him “meri careem tou agay khari hai, aap kon hain?”
— Maryam (@maryamful) June 7, 2018
The driver of the other car which was NOT the one she had booked came out and asked her to get inside his vehicle
This random man kept telling me to get in his car, must’ve told me five times “aap humare sath chalain, humari gari main bethain.” He was persistent to take me. My friends freaked out as well and told me to get in their car back and that I wasn’t going on a careem or anything.
— Maryam (@maryamful) June 7, 2018
Alarm bells were going off in Maryam’s head, but she wanted to get to the bottom of the situation so she asked yet again who the man was and why he was asking her to get in his car.
I knew something was shady but I was totally baffled and wanted to know what was happening so I asked him “yeh kya horaha hai? KON hain aap?” Seeing me so stern, the man became timid and said “oh sorry hum bas funny video bana rahe thay. Ap kal morning show pe zaroor dekhain gi.”
— Maryam (@maryamful) June 7, 2018
Realizing that things were going awry, the men made excuses about being from a morning show’s production team and pranking her and handed her a business card to seem more legitimate
He hands me a business card saying “yeh humari company/boss hain” and leaves. This is the business card. (A quick facebook search told me it’s a fake company that frauds people, don’t know what else they’re up to.) pic.twitter.com/sOZZ9WoVSK
— Maryam (@maryamful) June 7, 2018
She then called the Careem driver to ask him what exactly had just happened. Strangely, he asked her to go with him to a restaurant nearby and see their recording equipment herself.
I got back into my friend’s car and called the careem driver as to what the fuck is going on. He was visibly afraid but said the same thing, “wo pata nahi kuch log funny video bana rahay thay” I was like “kya funny video? Cameras kahan thay? Isme kya mazak tha?”
— Maryam (@maryamful) June 7, 2018
He says “ap ayein sath seaview village restaurant udhar cameras hain” Mind you, this restaurant is miles away. I said “may kyun aon apke sath?” and told him to cancel my ride. He did that and added charges to my balance. Thanks mate 🙂 pic.twitter.com/hBCpyhoTCf
— Maryam (@maryamful) June 7, 2018
She summed it all up with this:
It’s not about the money but @CareemPAK get your shit together. I’m a loyal customer, I regularly travel using careem thinking it is safe but your captain potentially put me in threat bringing random goons with him to take me in their car and defended them. What the hell?
— Maryam (@maryamful) June 7, 2018
Thankfully, she reached home safely.
Anyway, I made it home safely. I don’t know what they were thinking of me, why they wanted to take me with them, but to all my friends, girls and boys: Be safe and vigilant. Don’t travel alone at late hours. Be around people you trust. I definitely will be.
— Maryam (@maryamful) June 7, 2018
The entire experience left Maryam shaken to the core. However, she spoke up about it to ensure that other women were promptly warned about such instances.
And of course, people were upset after reading her harrowing story
What the fuck maryam? Im glad youre safe but please be extra careful now
— dolphins are dying ? (@naheinyaar) June 7, 2018
Others gave tips on how to stay safe when using such apps.
Security tip: also Always check for child lock before getting into car.#StaySafe
— ?? ʀᴇʜᴀɴ ꜰᴀʀɪᴅ ?? (@rehanjhn) June 7, 2018
But most people were just relieved that Maryam was safe and had the presence of mind to sense something was off.
Glad you’re okay. You did all the right things and the most important one was as soon as you felt things were a bit off, you didn’t go. Be safe everyone.
— hasnain (@hasnainyc) June 7, 2018
Maryam lodged a complaint about the incident with Careem immediately.
They assured her that they were investigating the matter and that they would take action against the Captain, if he was involved. Talking about her experience, Maryam said that while she appreciates how Careem helps in the mobility of women, they still need to screen their Captains better because the entire experience hinges on safety. Moreover, she emphasized how it is important for everyone to stay vigilant and to report incidents such as these immediately.
When it comes to safety, all of us should and can do our part. You too can help make such rides safer.
Digital Rights Foundation, is working on a survey, which is aiming to collect information on how secure Uber and Careem are within Pakistan, to possibly help the companies better their operations here.
DRF’s Communications Manager, Hija Kamran had this to say about the entire episode:
“Ride-hailing companies, just like any other corporate organization, play an essential role in providing safety to their users before, during and after their services are acquired. While this is not an isolated incident, it is reflective of the fact that customers’ safety albeit remains a priority in their books, in practice it’s still neglected. In current circumstances, it’s crucial that strict background checks are done on drivers, strong security and safety policies are developed by consulting with all stakeholders, and solid and transparent implementation of those policies is ensured.”
Till more mechanisms are put in place for a safer experience, stay safe everyone. Let this be a reminder that we must be vigilant at all times.
Update: Careem also shared what they have to say about the matter:
“For Careem, the safety and security of our customers are of utmost importance. This is a very unfortunate incident. We fully empathize with Ms. Maryam Aftab and are sorry for what she went through. We understand that any customer would feel unsafe due to this and are in constant touch with her for all the support she needs. Our Safety and Security team has taken strong measures. The person who was driving the car has been suspended and we are doing a thorough investigation to create a roadmap to ensure such incidents do not take place in the future. We take pride that over 70% of our customers are women and are fully committed to providing safe rides for all our customers.”
Let us know what you think.
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