The taxi rape story takes an interesting turn: Sources say that the district attorney's office will not press charges against the cab driver that allegedly raped a passenger in her home after dropping her off because, the cabbie says, the sex was consensual. The woman had been out drinking with a friend until 2:40AM on the Upper West, then she hailed a cab downtown. The woman told police she woke up when she realized a strange man was having sex with, asking him who he was; he replied, "I'm your cabbie," and she passed out afterward. According to police sources, interviews with the cabbie, who was tracked down after yesterday's frenzy, and the woman's doorman, there is "no indication she had been under duress." The police say, "At this time we can't substantiate a criminal complaint against him."
There are a lot of questions about the behavior of drunken passengers who look at taxis as havens and probably ten times the opinions, but for now Gothamist guesses that the Taxi and Limousine Commission will come down like a bag of bricks and attempt to draft a code of conduct (if there isn't one already). And, people, drink slowly - those $14 cocktails are hitting your wallet! - and alternate your drinks with water. You might have to go to the bathroom more, but you'll be more sober.
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
email this
add to facebook
add to del.icio.us
Possibly the only thing worse than having to ask the person you're screwing,"who are you?" is having that person answer, "I'm your cabbie."
That would make the Coldplay lyrics:
"I'm no baddy, I'm you ladies' cabbie."
Isn't it a bit insensitive to call this Taxi Rape Rashomon? Damn, a girl was probably raped!
Should that quoted text say that there IS indication she had been under duress or that there is NO indication she had been under duress? If there IS indication she was under duress, why the hell did the cops release the guy?
Also, your link for that quote goes to the Gothamist home page. I assume you meant to link to a news story somewhere.
Often law enforcement will decline prosecution at the initial outset while gathering more information/evidence (the cab driver may make a comment to someone about what happened or the like, he may be under surveillance, etc.). Disturbing case, regardless.
slow down?? alternate with water?? be less drunk??
now my mom has a blog?
;o)
to um: Rashomon was about a woman who was raped (and her husband murdered), as told from the various perspectives of the people involved. So it's not an insensitive reference, it's actually really appropriate.
And your quote is incorrect, the other sources I've read say "law-enforcement sources said there was NO indication she had been under duress." (emphasis mine). It's a pretty important mistake, that you might want to fix ...
So there it is (I wondered yesterday if she was intoxicated). Has there been a description of her yet?
Not that it matters in terms of evidence, but I could see hugely different reactions based on it.
mixup - thanks for pointing out that I accidentally deleted the "no" - so you can see by the link that goes nowhere, I was working on this late at night.
Just because the woman didn't say no doesn't mean the sex was consensual. It was rape; she was under the influence of a drug (in this case, alcohol), and the cabbie took advantage of the situation. If the cabbie had given her the alcohol himself, he would've been busted flat-out. Just because the woman got herself drunk doesn't give ANYONE the green flag to rape her.
>>Just because the woman didn't say no doesn't mean the sex was consensual. It was rape; she was under the influence of a drug (in this case, alcohol), and the cabbie took advantage of the situation.
That's a very important point, and one that seems to have been lost on NY's Finest...
-=-Joe
Somehow I doubt we'd be reading about it if this was one of the 4,000 nightly cases in which a thoroughly plastered girl yuppie has sex with some boy yuppie she just met. But let some Morlock dare come up out of his hole and bag an Eloi, and We're All Just Horrified.
The whole idea that a taxicab is a haven or a sanctuary is absurd, btw. Whenever I put a woman in a taxi I make sure to say the hack number out loud so the cabbie can hear me, and I give him my cheerful but level gaze when I do it. After that he knows that I can identify both him and his cab, also that I'm not the shy and retiring type. If a woman is falling-down drunk, whoever is with her should escort her home.
So, if I take a cab home and the driver follows me inside and starts stealing my shit or stabbing me, it's okay if he says "I'm your cabbie"? Somehow "I'm your cabbie" makes everything magically all right?
A huge hike in cab fare prices, and now this. I'm only drinking within walking distance.
ruffies, perhaps?