It’s so convenient nowadays to get around in Malaysia, even if you don’t have a car. Ride-hailing apps like Uber and Grab have made life so much easier for locals and foreigners to just go from one place to another.
Source: The Verge
Singaporean woman, Ace Wong, recently came to Malaysia and took a ride with her sister using the popular ride-hailing system, Uber. But it turned out to be a rather harrowing experience for her, which she shared in a Facebook post that gained much attention.
“Yesterday, around 6.00pm in the evening, I got into an Uber with my sister and we were chatting happily so we did not notice the route the driver was taking. But we saw that he was using back roads because he wanted to avoid traffic jams.
“The driver is a middle-aged man and I saw him glance a few times in the rearview mirror at me, he looked slightly shifty but I didn’t take much notice of it.”
But as their journey went on, she noticed how the roads got quieter and more remote. This naturally raised alarms for the lady but she chose to remain calm first and made sure to update her family with the driver’s information.
“I made a phone call to my brother-in-law to inform him of the situation and asked him to make a police report. My brother-in-law told me to tell the driver to that he was ready to make a police report, unless he drove out to the main road, and that I was already in the midst of contacting my family members.”
Source: Hype
“I quickly informed the driver that he was using the wrong way and asked him to make his way out to the main street, as my family members were very worried about me and would report to the police.
“I told him I know the route he should take once he exits to the main road. At that time, my hand was shaking, but I held on to my umbrella and was prepared to use it as a weapon, while my sister was holding a metal spoon, as she said she only had this.”
“When he heard my instructions, he did not get angry or flustered, and made a U-turn. That was when I saw there where three men waiting at the roadside. I thought to myself, “If those are his accomplices, we are finished.” But luckily, it was just my imagination.”
Once they were at a residential area with shoplots, Wong immediately asked him to stop and they got down the car.
Source: Poskod
“It was almost 7.30 by the time we managed to get off the Uber, when usually it only takes 40 minutes to reach home! Usually, I always take Uber rides alone and felt that they are safe but after this experience, I think I will stick to taking buses when I am alone. It was an alarming incident, but thankfully, we made it home in one piece.”
She concludes her post by offering some tips to other ladies who to protect themselves if they find themselves in similar situations.
- Always share your location with your friends and family if you are going out alone using Google Maps or Wechat.
- Make sure your mobile phone has battery so that you can call for help anytime.
- Be alert and aware of your surroundings. Do not just concentrate on chatting or play with your phone.
- If you feel something is amiss, quickly get down from the ride at a location that has many people.
- Contact your friends and family for help immediately.
- Give the perpetrator clear and firm decisions, such as “Stop now!” “Turn around!”, as sometimes they may be indecisive and you need to take control.
- Always remain calm and do not panic.
- If possible, ask your friends and family to pick you up even though it may be quite troublesome sometimes. But they should help you in times of need.
- Take up self-defense classes.
Take note, ladies!
Also read: Man Warns Malaysians ‘DO NOT Get Into The Car’ After Dodgy GRAB Driver Arrived
