Former breakfast radio show host Ali Clarke has shared a shocking and disturbing encounter with a taxi driver on Instagram, leaving her in tears.
The incident occurred on Friday night when Clarke was trying to get a cab ride home from a Woman of the Year awards function at SkyCity in Adelaide.
The Incident Unfolds
Clarke had hopped into a taxi at North Terrace at 1:30 am and was about to give her home address to the driver when he cut her off, telling her to get out because the fare was too short.
Despite her pleas and offer to tip, the driver refused to take her and told her to find another taxi. But things took a turn for the worse when Clarke took a photograph of the driver and his employee number.
The driver then became verbally abusive, making a vile and disgusting comment about her.
The Taxi Company Takes Action
The taxi company, 13cabs, has since removed the driver from their network and apologized to Clarke. In a statement, the company said, “We do not tolerate any driver behavior that doesn’t meet our strict standard of conduct.
Passenger safety is our highest priority, and we remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of service and professionalism for all our passengers.”
Clarke Speaks Out
Clarke shared her ordeal on Instagram, saying, “I think I’m pretty tough, but it was just that vile sexual nature of it. I thought we were better than that.”
She also thanked 13cabs for their response and action, as well as her fans for their support. Clarke wrote, “Thank you to everyone who has reached out, and to those who’ve shared your similar stories, I’m sorry.
Whilst I take no joy from anyone losing their job – especially if others depend on that wage – I am glad action has been taken so that maybe the next time something like this happens, others feel like they can speak up.”
A Call to Action
Clarke’s experience highlights the importance of speaking out against harassment and abuse. As she said, “It shouldn’t take me being an ex-radio person for this to become a discussion.”
We should all feel empowered to speak up and report incidents like this, and companies should take swift action to address them.
Clarke’s bravery in sharing her story is a reminder that we all deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.