[MUST READ] Taxi Driver Beats Up 23-Year-Old Girl For Challenging His Exorbitant Rate
Kavya Kriti, an expatriate from the the city of New Delhi, India, who has been living and working in KL for the past seven months, was attacked by a taxi driver in her face in front of the Petronas Twin Towers. Kavya reached out to Coconuts KL with her story, we publish her account on SAYS here.
By Sadho Ram — 07 Nov 2014, 02:36 PM — Updated almost 10 years ago
23-year-old Kavya was harassed, verbally abused, and ruthlessly punched in her face by an errant taxi driver in front of the Petronas Twin Towers. This happened back in September this year.
This is an unrelated photo of the Petronas Twin Towers, used for illustration purposes only.
Image via wordpress.comWhy was she attacked? Let's hear it from her:
"I got punched in the head and face multiple times right in the heart of KL for simply standing up to a bunch of taxi drivers who decided to degrade and debase me after I refused to pay the obscene flat rate they proposed."
coconuts.coIf you are thinking she might have done something to provoke the 'gentleman', please stop! While she simply walked away after he and bunch of other drivers refused to go by the meter, it was they who weren't okay with an 'inferior sex' snubbing them like that.
"So what ensued was a barrage of catcalls and insults based on what I was wearing. 'Strange' I thought, walking away with my friend as the aggression grew with every step we took. I don’t deserve this."
yahoo.comRefusing to let him dehumanise her, Kavya decided to confront the taxi driver and walked towards him to give him a piece of her mind. But being told about his backward views and how he should treat a woman, he didn't like it. Kavya shares what followed next:
"Next thing I know, he’s swearing and threatening to show me my place, looking all tough in front of his cab driver buddies. “I’m going to hit you” he yells, unable to bear the fact that I didn’t budge from my spot and engaged him in a verbal duel instead. I guess this is the moment when us women are supposed to step back and protect ourselves. This must be what he’s used to when dealing with the “inferior” sex. That's when I got my first taste of his fists. And the next one too. And the next, and the next..."
coconuts.co"This turned into a massive altercation and I refused to back off. Instead I fought back with all my might. By this time both of us were raining blows on each other and the other taxi drivers had joined in seeing that I was not running away or stopping. Yes, I punched back. Was it smart? Probably not. Was it human? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely."
yahoo.comWondering where the KLCC security guards were? Did they not see a woman being abused and beaten in public? There was one who did, and, yes, he saw it all. Here's what he did:
"A security guy from KLCC had seen this and come over to check out what was happening. I explained what happened. Then went on to add “wear decent clothes, men will call out otherwise”. Also, he asked me and my friend if we were drunk, because according to him only drunk women raise their voices, the decent ones just take the shit as it comes. All the taxi drivers, around eight of them smirked at this, lit a cigarette and patted him on the back."
coconuts.co"I asked that waste of space of a man to leave and take his judgments with him to hell, guess it didn’t go down with him. “Call the cops if you have so much problem or wear better clothes” he yelled at me before walking off."
coconuts.coWhat about the passersby? Surely, there must have been others out there during this travesty and seeing how she was obviously being harmed, they must have intervened?
"During this entire episode my friend was distressed and shouted for help and not a single person intervened. This was the main street right in front of the Petronas Twin Towers, swarms of tourist were walking around and tons of security from the buildings were around. Yet, no one interfered. That’s ok, these things happen, we should not get involved."
yahoo.comKavya had her face swollen, bruises all over her head and neck
"I got hit and I hit back. The guy attacked me twice, second time because we dared to click pictures of the cab’s number plate to lodge a police complaint. Perhaps also because when he attacked me again, I refused to run away and back off, that I didn’t care whether he burnt me with a cigarette in one hand and rained blows on me with the other. I just hit back with all my might."
coconuts.coAfter the incident, she lodged a police complaint. But, as Kavya asks in her write-up, what does all of this has to do with YOU?
In her own words, "It's an opportunity to speak up about the much deeper issues that plague the fabric of our society, that gives birth to such incidents. It is about the gender based harassment that affects millions of women everyday as they walk the streets."
"It’s about us being ok with catcalls and treating it as normal everyday occurrence. It’s about the confidence with which cab drivers refuse to run by the meter after 6 pm and ask for exorbitant prices, like that’s the law. It’s about the numerous expats that have had such bitter experiences as they embrace a new country."
yahoo.comAs Kavya further writes, "It's about the bystanders, who can witness a woman being beaten up in public and not interfere. It's about the fear that has been pumped down their throats lest they speak up and the fact that they feel as helpless as the victims."
Refusing to consider this incident as a random unfortunate occurrence, Kavya concludes, and rightly so, that it's a culmination of these deep attitudes that exist within all of us and the role we play in keeping the situation as it is, including herself
"I see this as an opportunity to do what’s right and I want you to know that there is an alternative. Stand up, speak out and fight for yourself. I don’t want you to put yourself at risk, I want you to realize what part YOU play in this situation and how you can help."
coconuts.co"Yes, it’s easier to walk away but not better. Because if we cannot participate in the process of shaping this world, then we deserve it as it is. Let no one get the message that this is ok. Get up and fight till the fight doesn’t exist anymore."
coconuts.coAdmitting that its difficult and impractical to actually implement such an attitude in real time situations, that things can get dangerous and there are real implications to consider, Kavya isn't advocating provocation, but imporing us to not remain silect in the face of smaller injustices to only see them grow bigger
"Because when we stop standing up for ourselves, we are NOT protecting ourselves. WE are only encouraging an attitude that puts us, our sisters, mothers, friends and loved ones at more risk. WE are letting them assume that there are no consequences, we tell them that you can do this and get away with it. WE hand the power over to them."
coconuts.co"WE are giving a message to not just the people involved in the situation but to the bystanders, to the onlookers and to everyone who reads an article on this in the media later that it is OK. That someone can de-humanize you any time and you will not react."
coconuts.coWe support Kavya for taking a stand and coming out with her story. It's not everyday that we hear someone taking a stand in the face of harassment. Like Kavya, if you have encountered a similar experience or know someone who has, write to us at [email protected]. We'll publish your story.
