No woman should face harassment from taxi drivers

It’s tragic that Iqaluit women feel the need to consider alternatives to taxis out of fear for their safety but it’s great they’re standing up for themselves.

Next week, Rosalie DeMaio, a Nunavut Arctic College student, is hosting a community meeting so people can discuss how to develop alternatives so they don’t have to rely on taxis.

Women routinely face unwanted come-ons from drivers, she said in an interview with a Nunatsiaq News reporter. (The news story about her concerns is on page 3 of this week’s paper).

DeMaio said a driver once called her “baby girl” when he asked about her night out at a bar. He offered her wine. She declined, saying she just wanted to go to bed.

He persisted.

“I said, ‘No, I want to go to bed.’ And he said, ‘You can go to my bed,'” DeMaio said, adding she has also been followed or watched after being dropped off.

The yuck factor of that story is off the charts.

No woman should be subjected to that kind of advance, but especially not while making use of what’s almost an essential public service.

It’s inappropriate, whether it’s when a woman is taking a taxi to the grocery store or home after going out for a drink with some friends.

Taxis are a vital part of how Iqalummiut get around. The service needs to be safe and reliable for everyone.

The number of people who attend DeMaio’s community meeting on Thursday at the YWCA-Agvik women’s shelter at 7:30 p.m. will be telling. It could give some indication how widespread this issue is.

Both the taxi company and the City of Iqaluit should take note of what’s going on and what people who attend the meeting have to say.

They should have more robust ways of rooting out offensive drivers.

Five years ago, the city’s recently revived public safety committee looked into the issue when taxi drivers were victims of some bored youths who threw rocks at them.

Now, if some drivers are causing problems for Iqaluit women, maybe it’s an issue the committee — which has been looking for something to do — could tackle.

Some of the experiences DeMaio described happened when she took a cab home from a bar. It’s potentially dangerous if women are reluctant to take a taxi home after going out for drinks with a friend. They might choose to drive their own vehicle.

Caribou Cabs manager Rod Mugford said the company has not received a direct complaint from female passengers but has embarked on a human resources program aimed at avoiding problems by training drivers in safety, anti-harassment, sexual misconduct and cultural sensitivity.

Some of DeMaio’s remedies include a women-focused rideshare service, a Facebook group or carpooling app to reduce women’s reliance on taxis.

DeMaio has been looking around for funding to help develop a cellphone app that people could use to co-ordinate their own rideshares.

That should be a no-brainer. Some organization should come to her aid. How much can it cost to develop an app? Some Nunavut organizations have spent money on a lot more trivial things. Give her a little seed money and see if it makes a difference.

Because it’s terrible and unacceptable that women don’t feel safe riding with some taxi drivers.

DeMaio deserves credit for identifying a serious social issue, airing it out and for putting alternatives on the table. That’s how change starts.