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Journalism of Courage
A Delhi-based lawyer, Tanya Sharma, has publicly called out Uber after receiving inappropriate messages from a driver shortly after booking a ride. In a LinkedIn post that has since gone viral, Sharma shared screenshots of the messages, describing the experience as “traumatic” and raising serious concerns about women’s safety.
Tanya questioned how such incidents could occur even in what she referred to as one of Delhi’s “poshest areas”.
“We live in the 21st century, and yet things are still so pathetic and traumatic for people on a daily basis. Even an auto driver can harass you in broad daylight,” she wrote, tagging Uber in her post.
Tanya explained that she immediately canceled the booking and filed a complaint against the driver. However, she was disappointed with Uber‘s response, which she described as limited to a “sympathetic message” with no tangible action. “Is this how it works?” she asked in the post.
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Sharma, in the comment section of her post, shared an update mentioning Uber’s response, which stated they would get back to her within 24 to 48 hours. Criticising the delay, she questioned, “What if this same thing happened to other women during these so-called 48 hours of your policy? Are you ready to take responsibility for my safety and the safety of other women out there?”
In a follow-up post, she said Uber banned the driver from its platform. She expressed gratitude for the support she received, saying, “Thanks to everyone who supported and shared their experiences. I’m grateful that people around me were actually there for me in this situation.” She emphasised the importance of taking such incidents seriously and raising awareness, adding, “Please escalate such matters with seriousness and, more importantly, let others be aware.”
Her post sparked a conversation on LinkedIn, with many users echoing her concerns about safety and highlighting the importance of improved grievance mechanisms.
One user commented, “I booked an Uber today, the driver refused to turn on the AC and asked me to get another cab as he was equally rude and carefree of any rules or accountability. To my surprise, I was charged almost 60% of the fare as he started the ride and marked it as completed. Uber doesn’t help the customer in any way and drivers know this well.”
Another user wrote, “Auto Number, Name of the Driver, FIR both on the Auto driver and Uber. Uber will suddenly start responding. It’s a shame that these kinds of boys still exist even after such shaming incidents which keep happening constantly in the country, it seems that very few learn. Furthermore, some of the educated illiterates find this funny.”
