Animals 2

Yesterday I posted on daily attacks on cabbies around the world. No big surprise, sadly. Also of no surprise is the not uncommon amount of sexual assaults by cabbies on passengers. A few days ago a Malaysian cabbie was sentenced for raping a passenger. The previous week a cabbie in England was convicted of rape and yesterday a US cabbie was jailed for sexually assaulting a passenger...

Aside from sexual assaults other cases of serious transgressions by cabbies have been reported on in the past week. A US motorist killed by a wayward taxi tyre, a Japanese cabbie jailed over killing an elderly passenger during an argument and an English dying mother ‘dumped’ by a cabbie. Admittedly many such cases against drivers can be classed as culpable negligence rather than intentional homicide.

However sexual assaults by Australian cabbies is a concern. Whilst cabbie murders are relatively rare in Australia the number of passengers who are sexually assaulted here is currently disproportionately high compared to other countries. This is due to a spate of sexual assaults last year by Adelaide cabbies leading to seven drivers being charged.

Though in encouraging news two weeks ago, an Adelaide cabbie has been quickly arrested and charged with sexual assault after rapid action by a passenger,

Within hours of the alleged assault at 1am, Suburban Taxis contacted the accused driver, 30, and ordered him to turn himself in to police after a woman made a formal complaint about his actions.

The rapid action was possible because the woman, in her 20s, had booked the cab, prompting the taxi industry to encourage all passengers to book ahead or, at very least, when hailing a cab demand drivers enter their personal identification numbers.

Last night I had cause to question a female passenger about leaving her very drunk female friend on the street in a shabby part of town, looking for a cab. Before leaving I hesitated and asked, ‘Is your friend all right there ?’. ‘Yeah, she’s looking for another taxi’. ‘Sure you don’t want to share this cab with her ?’. ‘No, she’d going in another direction’. Well, okay I thought, that's all I can really do and so left.

Within 100 metres the passenger asked for the time and being right on 11pm I turned on the ABC radio news. The second item was from Perth,

The Western Australian Government has promised to review psychological testing for potential taxi drivers, following allegations of two separate sex attacks on lone female passengers in Perth.

Police have charged one taxi driver, Sirwan Baziani, with the sexual assault of a 21-year-old woman, while a second driver has been charged with indecently assaulting a 39-year-old woman.

Yet it would appear these sexual assaults are not isolated cases. When I've made enquires, anecdotal evidence from my female passengers suggest there are quite a few incidents of sexual advances and assaults on passengers not being reported,

All true stories, all recent occurrences and none of them reported to the Transport Department or police: too embarrassed, too drunk and too ashamed. So what's actually going on? With these kinds of cases unreported it is difficult to know the full story, or how prevalent it is...

However, the spokesman said he was unable to provide figures about the number of licences which have been suspended or cancelled because of sexual mis-behaviour.

Obviously a detailed study on the issue is overdue.

Comments

[Tim]

Hi Adrian, found your blog on Stephs blog which I found on bocktherobbers blog....I found his blog on hangarqueens blog etc. etc. I have to say that I think the cabbies are the ones that get the worst of it, not too long ago in Indonesia many ethnic Chinese cabbies were murdered for being christians and in the North of Ireland many cabbies from both sides were murdered for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. My cousin is a Cabbie in Cork city Ireland, he was put in the boot of his own taxi by a couple of IRA thugs, he got away with a few scratches...he still drives a taxi, fair play to him and you for the great blog.

[klein]

Perth cabbies have been required to undergo psych testing on entry to the industry for some years now. It was originally thought up as a response to the Claremont murders. All it amounts to is an IQ test paired with a Myer-Briggs style test and enrichment of a single psychologist. It's about as effective as astrology.

Assaults on cabbies are far more prevalent than assaults on passengers, and while the latter are serious, I can't see any good reason to beat the story up.

[ab]

Klein, I with you on the Myers-Briggs - way too scientology but if most rapes and indecent accaults on passengers are unreported then how do you judge which assault is more prevalent?
The post is providing balance to the mentions of assaults on cabbies and is not a beat-up but in fact in line with the AJA's code of conduct for journos(which Adrian is, as a blogger). He is keeping the information fair and balanced - good one Adrian.

[unknown]

Little has been said that the charges against this man were wrong and have now all bee dropped!
The media is so fast to put it out there but not fast enough to let people know that the police were wrong!

[adrian]

Little has been said that the charges against this man were wrong and have now all bee dropped!

If you provide the name and link I'll be happy to post an update.

[unknown]

It has been all over the news in Perth including CH 7 & 9 News, radio, and newspapers...
Not 100% sure if it has made it onto the WWW as yet!

[unknown]

www.perthnorg.com.au/category/news/

[adrian]

Thanks unknown, I've recently done an update.