Rhelyn Harder
- A passenger who fell asleep inside a Grab Car felt that the driver was trying to lift up her skirt.
- She realized that the driver’s hand was not on the steering wheel.
- She went ballistic and shouted at the driver for trying to molest her.
A passenger riding a Grab Car had a horrendous experience because of her driver. The passenger could not disclose her identity or that of the driver’s because she is currently pressing charges through Land and Transportation Office (LTO).
In her Twitter post, she said that she was extremely sick after eating out. Because she was not feeling well, she asked her father to book a Grab for her. On her way home, she fell asleep inside the car.
Will post about this because @grabph isn't responding
This is my Grab driver earlier. This screenshot is from my Dad because I asked him to book it. Got extremely sick over what I ate earlier in a coverage so I slept during the ride home. While sleeping he tried to lift my skirt pic.twitter.com/HIRfE8FhoL
— Gillian Cortez (She/Her) (@gmcortez_) July 31, 2019
She mentioned that her skirt was below the knee in length. Though she was asleep, she still could feel that someone was tugging on her skirt. She was actually seated in the back so she was shocked that the driver had reached over to try and lift her skirt. She even felt his finger under her skirt. When the driver was about to take a peek, she sat up in surprise.
My skirt is below the knee and even if I was asleep, of course I can feel if someone was tugging at my skirt. I rode in the back so why did he even try to touch my skirt? I felt his finger under the skirt as if he was about to peek and that was when I sat up, surprised.
— Gillian Cortez (She/Her) (@gmcortez_) July 31, 2019
I acted like nothing happened. The guy tried to talk to me but I tried to speak calmly coz I was really sick & any movement made me puke. I was still registering in my head "Did that happen?" but I know it did coz his hands were supposed to be on the steering wheel, not my skirt
— Gillian Cortez (She/Her) (@gmcortez_) July 31, 2019
After that, she acted as if nothing happened while the guy was trying to talk to her as she responded calmly because she was about to throw up with any movement that she would do. At that moment, she was still registering what really had happened to her.
I told myself I will tell my Dad when he gets home. I finally told my Dad just this evening and he asked me why didn't I tell him sooner. Of course I had to write once I got home but I couldn't think well. So he called the Grab hotline just now
— Gillian Cortez (She/Her) (@gmcortez_) July 31, 2019
But the person my Dad spoke to on speaker phone not only expressed doubt but even had the nerve to say "Did she really experience it? Why didn't she report it sooner?" It was my fault there but I got ballistic and I shouted my lungs out at the operator for invalidating me
— Gillian Cortez (She/Her) (@gmcortez_) July 31, 2019
Even if I got home after my coverage in Binondo & felt like puking everywhere and had the worst diarrhea, my mind then was to finish my articles. I couldn't even think straight while working. I spent over 500 pesos to feel safe and unbothered going home & this guy does this to me
— Gillian Cortez (She/Her) (@gmcortez_) July 31, 2019
Decided to message Grab after writing when a friend told me if I can't talk to my Dad sooner since it was his account that booked the driver, I need to report it myself. Never was the type to want to worry people like my friends or Dad but I couldn't stop thinking about it
— Gillian Cortez (She/Her) (@gmcortez_) July 31, 2019
When she got home, she went about her business before telling her dad what happened. Upon knowing what happened to his daughter, he immediately called the Grab hotline. The Grab agent answered their call but instead of helping them, they had some doubt about what she experienced and asked, “Did she really experience it? Why didn’t she report it sooner?”
The passenger admitted that it was her fault for not reporting it immediately but she was angry that the agent was seemingly making light of what happened to her.
Since college, I've experienced sleeping in the back of Grab rides because either I was tired and exhausted or drunk, but I have never felt any of my drivers bothering me inappropriately this way. The most annoying that could happen is that they shout at me para gumising ako
— Gillian Cortez (She/Her) (@gmcortez_) July 31, 2019
Hi guys! It's been a few days since this incident and I just want to say there are girls who came forward to me speaking about their own experiences of being harassed by their drivers and how their cases are just treated lightly by giving light sanctions on the drivers. Haay
— Gillian Cortez (She/Her) (@gmcortez_) August 5, 2019
“I couldn’t even think straight while working. I spent over 500 pesos to feel safe and unbothered going home & this guy does this to me.”
After a few days, some girls also shared that they had the same experience but their cases were also taken lightly as the offenders were given only light sanctions.
Grab finally reacted to the post and commented, “As discussed over the phone, corrective actions will be made regarding this and the driver may face termination from our platform. Sorry for the late response, though, as well as the inconvenience and trauma this brought you. We’ll keep you posted!”
