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Cab driver Fred Batrony (pictured right) is in police custody today after an alleged sexual assault of a female passenger late Friday night. The 24-year-old woman hailed Batrony's cab near Fullerton and Clark and asked him to take her to Diversey and Clark. Instead, Batrony allegedly took the woman to a secluded area and assaulted her before dropping her off. Once she was out of the cab, the woman contacted police and gave them a detailed description of Batrony and his cab. Police tracked him down late last night and he's been charged with kidnapping and criminal sexual abuse. [ABC 7, CBN]
Cab Driver Charged With Sexually Assaulting Passenger
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Well thanks, random perp asshole, for making yet another thing unsafe for us young women. We can't walk the streets alone at night (cf. bucktown rapist), we can't take the el (cf. any man who "bumps into you"), and now we can't take a fucking CAB either? Guess I'll have to be carried around in a litter or something.
The harassment of single women by cabdrivers late at night is probably higher that we think; I remember a couple of rides where I was questioned about my marital status, why I was "out so late at night" did I like to have lots of sex, etc. I reported it to the taxi company but I don't think anything was done.
Because of these occurences and other things, I try to use Flashcab whenever I need a cab. I've never had problems with them taking me anywhere, the drivers tend to be veteran cab drivers so they know where they are going, and they tend to be very nice.
I hate taking cabs by myself late at night. I used to take them home last summer when I'd finish work at 2am until I got a driver who totally creeped me out. He offered to take me to his house saying he had a gift for me there (WHAT?), then offered to take me out on a date to this restaurant owned by his friend, asked me how soon I needed to be home (um, ASAP) and finally I had to convince him my mother was really worried about me and I had to get home just so he would actually do his job, ie take me where I needed to go. He hung around my work for a few weeks after that and would question my coworkers who happened to get in his cab about me, too.
After that I decided I'd take my chances with the red line.
Is there a place where we can publicly report bad taxi cab drivers. Cab companies need to take ownership to ensure that their cabs are safe. I'm glad to hear the Flashcab tip. I'd love to hear more tips like this. It's time to hold the cab companies accountable.
To clarify my comment, I'd be happy to hear reports of GOOD cabbies. I'm not happy to hear bad cabbies. We definitely need a system where we can publicly report bad cabbies (and good ones).
Complaints to the city are pretty well followed up on. Largely because the medallions are a goddamn GOLD MINE so there's an economic incentive. If you call 311 they'll get you to someone to take a report, then send you follow-up documents.
I did it last year when the cabbie started falling asleep at the wheel. Luckily we were in heavy traffic, but the guy was nodding off and letting the car just drift. Weirdness.
Can we stop with the whitewashing of the word "rape," please? It's an ugly act that requires an ugly descriptor. When I hear "sexual assault," I think of slapping a girl in the tit. It's no different than NPR refusing to use the word torture to describe, well, torture. It's bullshit.
The use of the words "sexual assault" isn't a whitewash as much as it is a distinct definition of a different crime. I think if the woman in the cab had been raped, it would have been reported.