Chariot for Women Offers Safer Rides

Six months ago, I wrote about the rising number of sexual assaults on women worldwide and how one solution that has been implemented in several countries is establishing same-sex cars on trains so that women can travel without the fear of being assaulted. While this sounds great, I noted that there are problems with separating the genders: that it introduces the notion of a culture that fears men and where men’s violence and aggression set the tone for everyone. (You can read more in the post here.) Now, the complexity of this issue is being highlighted right here in the United States, as companies like Chariot are trying to corner the same-sex market for Uber-like ride-share services.

A good friend of mine had an Uber experience that convinced me that Uber is not a safe place for women. A driver tried to keep her in the car because he found her so attractive, he told her. She had to struggle to get out. (I’d like to add that it’s actually irrelevant that my friend is very attractive because sexual assault and rape are not acts of sexual desire but acts of sexual perversion and power. But I mention it because the driver named my friend’s attractiveness as cause to suggest that she not leave his car.)

Even though most Uber rides don’t end this way, if even one Uber ride ends this way, it’s both unacceptable and could potentially change someone’s life in tragic ways. (And you can see some screenshots of sexual assault reports from Uber riders in this Buzzfeed piece.) It’s not always easy to shrug off the attentions of men, especially if they are unstable enough to not know that you don’t try to trap women in your car when you are supposed to be driving them to a destination, no matter how attractive you find them. And no matter how much self-defense training or pepper spray women are given, the fact is, most men are statistically stronger than women and being overpowered by a man is something that most women instinctively fear.

I hear from a lot of young women that they refuse to be intimidated by the threat of men assaulting them, and I suppose I wish I had that confidence. I also wish I didn’t know the things I know or the people I know who have been raped and assaulted. Maybe the young women who don’t think it can happen to them don’t know as many people as many of us know who have had it happen to them.

When I attended UCLA, rapes and assaults happened all of the time, as they do at most colleges. “Take Back The Night” sought to bring these stories out of the darkness, and the women who organized rallies with poetry and essays about assault were ridiculed by many, called “dykes” by many, and disregarded by many as women who just regretted having drunk sex and needed to “get over it.”

How do we avoid a culture of fear and of intimidation? I honestly don’t know, but what I do know is that I welcome the rise of Chariot and other such services that cater to and protect women. (In the interview linked above, Chariot’s cofounder notes that their service will cater to mothers, children and all passengers, to “make everyone comfortable, safe and secure.”)

And take note: the founders of Chariot believe in the principles of feminism which seek for equality and justice for all people; not just women. Two percent of their profits are donated to charity – and the charities selected are crowdsourced by the riders.

I can’t wait for the day when I am not afraid to use a non-female-only car service. Until then, your Chariot awaits!