Let's Not Meet Again

"You're Too Sexy To Go Home Alone"

This incident occurred a few years ago (and I'm still amazed by my absolute naïvety at the time). It was a typically dull night in the suburbs of England, and myself and my best friend decided to go to a nightclub night a few towns over - there was really nothing else to do at the time.

As per usual, we had a few too many drinks, and by the end of the night neither of us knew our arse from our elbow. A very smart state to be in for two 20 year old petite gals out alone, but c'est la vie.

Anyway, my friend made very good 'friends' with some guy that night - I myself was really upset about a relationship-gone-wrong and not in the mood for hooking up with some random dude from a bar. However, we stuck together more or less for most of the night. The perpetual third-wheel.

By 3am the club had to close their doors, and with no trains running and no money to fund my own taxi home, I agreed to split a taxi with my friend and her new acquaintance. We clamber into the first one we see at the taxi rank, stupidly not checking if it's a company we recognise or even a licensed one.

The ride begins without hitch. We discuss sleeping arrangements for the night - I live a 15 min walk from my friend, and though she offers me her sofa, I insist I can walk home from hers without any trouble. Another idiotic assumption, but I was tired, upset, drunk and just wanted to wake up in my own bed.

We get to hers, pay the driver, and huddle on her porch for a quick smoke. As I bid adieu and start walking home, I realise the taxi driver is idling in the street a few houses down. I shrug it off, believing he's either checking his sat-nav or taking a call for another ride. As I walk by, however, the window quickly winds down.

"Hey, darling", he calls.

I jump and nervously wave a weak hello to him.

"You say you live very near? I give you ride for free".

I politely decline and say I'm fine to walk, but he starts insisting.

"No, a girl like you will not walk alone at this time. Please. You say you live near? Please. I give for free".

Cautionary tales briefly flicker through my mind, but in my exhausted and inebriated state, I thank him and approach the taxi. Perhaps he's a very generous and thoughtful taxi driver? Another stupid decision. As I go to open the back doors, he tells me to sit in the front because "it's more comfortable. More room up here". And yes, I foolishly, FOOLISHLY take my seat next to his. Yes, if I was in a horror movie, I'd be the first to die.

I tell him my address, and the ride again begins innocently enough...for a minute. The route to my house should be simple enough after all. But before I know it, he suddenly veers into a small side street that goes in the complete opposite direction. At this point my palms descend into full on sweat-mode and my heart starts to beat like a bongo. We've all heard the horror stories, but this doesn't happen to me, surely?

I tell him that I don't think he's going the right way. No response. I then demand, much more firmly, to know where we're going, but my voice seemed like a squeak. To my surprise though, he then slows down the car to a halt. But it's then I hear the audible click of the car lock. If I gave him an ounce of credit before, it's all wiped out by now, and my mind and body are obviously telling me I'm in big danger.

He looks at me much too thoughtfully. "Look at you. You're so sad. But so beautiful. Why is this?". I'm speechless.

"Your friend, she leave you, yes? That boy with her? He doesn't choose you? He doesn't choose you over her?".

At this point I am completely frozen in my seat. I've never been so completely frozen through fear. Any rational thought is not in my mind.

He continues. "You're too sexy to go home alone. I will take you back with me. I will appreciate you. Not like him. You're too sexy".

I sat a few frozen seconds more, then suddenly heard a guttural 'fuck off' come from somewhere in my voice - still in my seat, he then slyly tells me, "Ok, I let you off if you kiss me like a good girl". At this moment he quickly slides his hand between my legs and leans forward, and it's now that I finally scramble for the door lock. He very suddenly turns back and starts the car up, but luckily, due to the slow starting pace, I'm able to open the door and stumble out into the road (and had my bag around my front thankfully). I sprinted for my life down the road, and wound my way around a few side roads that I knew before I hid behind some industrial bins. When I eventually stumbled home, massively shaken up, I'd like to note my mum was amazing and looked after me.

I realise this isn't as horrific as the spine-chilling tales that I so love to read on here, but it was a terrifying realisation on how violations can arise when you least expect it. So, creepy taxi dude, let's not meet again.

MORE IMPORTANTLY: Everybody, please try your very best to pre-book a taxi, or at the very least check their license.