Safety tips for women taking taxis

SO, since my car has been in for a service for what feels like an eternity, I have had to readjust the way I move around the city.

I’ve taken taxis for many years now and I’m pretty good at it.

I know where to stand, how to get to where I need to be, and how to negotiate a good rate.

But being in somebody else’s vehicle in the day or night isn’t the safest activity in the world, so below I’ve listed a few things I’ve learnt as a pedestrian and regular public transport user to stay safe.

Whenever I hop into a taxi I make sure people know which one I’m in. Especially if I’m moving around after sunset. I will text my mom and sisters to say “hey, I’m in taxi K31”, or I will tweet it to my followers.

Sometimes I’ll also just speak on the phone super loudly (even if it’s a fake phone call) talking about the cab I am in, where I am at the moment and my estimated time of arrival.

I’ve come across this app called Taxi Connect. It’s a Namibian marketplace for those who can take you places and those who have places to be. It’s not only convenient because you can set custom prices and decide how much you want to pay the cab, but also because every driver on there is certified and has been rated by other customers. They are also always being tracked by GPS, so you can share your trip with a friend and they can track your journey on their map. Pretty neat.

From a young age already women are taught to move in groups and to use the body system to their advantage. On many occasions I even sleep over at a friend’s place, because I don’t want us to be separated. It is better if the cab just takes us to the same place, and then I could perhaps take my own cab home in the morning.

I know this sounds pretty dumb, but if you are a woman, trust me when I say it is better to just leave early. Wherever you need to go, get there before sunset. Try as hard as possible to not need to move around in the night. I rarely go anywhere at night if my friend is not picking me up. I am super paranoid about being in a car with a man alone, and sometimes the anxiety is just not worth going wherever I want to be. I try really hard to schedule everything so that I am at my destination before or by sunset.

In the spirit of taking things just one step further: If you cannot plan your driving to happen before sunset, with other people or using an app, then simply do not go at all. There have been many times I’ve cancelled plans because I refuse to use public transport at 21h00. That is absolutely not how I’m going to die. Yes, some taxi drivers are noble and great people who will look out for you and make sure you get to where you need to go safely, but it is not worth the risk. So consider just staying home if taking a taxi is your only option.

* Anne Hambuda is a local poet, writer and social commentator. Follow her online.

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