Since ride-hail services started, sexual assaults have been an ongoing issue. State regulators have been working on reducing these attacks by way of good background checks while companies have been adding other safety features. The system is open to imposter drivers, sexual predators and other violent criminals who have shown they can exploit the system.
Suffolk County D.A. Rachael Rollins says, “We are not going to victim blame. We are going to be teaching very vocally our overwhelmingly young men about consent. We’re going to be talking to people about being safe when you are out drinking and when you are out.”
That makes good sense but for those sexual predators out their roaming for victims, her statement is pretty useless. The Commonwealth can pass all the legislation in the world over these ride hail drivers and public safety but in the end, the bottom line remains with those folks calling for a ride hail service.
As former Boston Police commissioner Bill Evans observed, “If you’ve had a couple, and you’re not about your right wits, you’re not going to read the plates as well. You’d be very susceptible to jumping in the wrong car with the wrong driver.”
Evans is so right.
The late-night bar scene is chaotic with all kinds of numbers of people waiting for their rides to show up and many of these folks are stinking drunk too. As someone who operated a sausage cart late into the early morning hours down at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, I speak from first-hand knowledge of this situation. Many of those coming out of a bar about to go home would buy food off my cart and weren’t even able to handle putting mustard on their hot dogs without help from me. Do we think any of them would know if they were getting into their called for Uber or Lyft?
Whatever happened to personal responsibility on those out late bar hopping? Gina Scaramella, executive director of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center says (if I understood her correctly) that this whole problem most reflects a societal failure to stem sexual assaults.”
I am sure that is a big part of the problem but her suggestion that bars should have staff making sure that customers get into the right cars is just so lame. Bars and restaurants have enough work taking care of business inside their establishments without having to escort folks to their rides outside in the street.
Please don’t accuse me of victim blaming but the bottom line is that everyone is responsible for their own safety.
Stay together with your group, don’t walk around alone and keep your eyes open. Oh, that and don’t drink so much that you don’t know how to pour mustard or ketchup.
