Former Mix 102.3 radio presenter Ali Clarke has opened up about a distressing incident in which she was refused a taxi ride and verbally abused by a driver in Adelaide’s CBD. The incident happened on Thursday night after Clarke attended the Women of the Year Awards at SkyCity and tried to get a ride home.
In an emotional video posted to Instagram, Clarke recounted how she got into a taxi, but the driver refused to take her on the short trip. He claimed he had been waiting outside the casino for 40 minutes and wasn’t willing to take her home. Despite her attempts to convince him, the driver became hostile and told Clarke to get out of his cab, before hurling verbal abuse at her.
“People who know me, know I’m not one to cry wolf. I can honestly say I’ve never felt more alone and exposed as tonight,” Clarke’s post to Instagram read.
“I have the @13cabs car number and have tried ringing them to report this guy and they haven’t answered. It was only after I took a photo of him and his number he started getting abusive.
“This is not ok and I know Melb and Syd have been dealing with non-metre gouging, but this was next level. Thanks to the security who helped me get home.
“On International Women’s Day I’ve never felt sadder.”
The emotional impact of the experience was compounded by the timing, with International Women’s Day tomorrow, a day that is meant to celebrate and support women. Clarke’s story touched many people, with comments flooding in from women across the country, who understood her feelings of fear and distress.
In her video, Clarke highlighted bigger problems with safety and accountability in the taxi industry. She called for better protection for passengers to make sure all feel safe and respected when using transportation services.
Watch the full video here.
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