"One month into driving for Lyft around Atlanta, Alicia Dukes was sexually assaulted by a passenger on 21 April after she drove him to a gas station and back to his apartment.
'He first asked me if I had any change because he wanted to leave a tip. He ended up finding a $5 bill in his pocket and gave it to me. He then proceeded to ask me if I wanted to come into his house and drink with him. I said no, I’m working right now, can you please leave,' Dukes told the Guardian.
The propositions escalated from offering to pay for sexual favors to insisting on bringing her back to his apartment. 'He said we could do it in the car, I said no again. Then he stuck his hand in my shirt, I was pushing him away from me, he grabbed my thighs and front area.'
A passerby caused the rider to briefly stop, and Dukes quickly unbuckled her seat belt and jumped out of her car, causing the rider to flee. She immediately called the police, and the rider was arrested and issued a restraining order after continuing to harass her on social media. When she reported the incident to Lyft, they offered no assistance other than deactivating the rider’s account.
'Someone emailed me and told me they suspended him from using their platform and that was it,' Dukes added. She hasn’t driven for Lyft since the incident.
A Guardian investigation has revealed numerous other cases where female drivers for Uber and Lyft have experienced safety issues, ranging from sexual assault and harassment to being attacked by riders. In each case, the drivers felt Uber and Lyft offered little to no assistance or support, and that current company policies are inadequate."
