WARNING: Some of the details in this story are disturbing. Discretion is advised.
Investigations are now underway into a disturbing encounter a 19-year-old Langley woman says she had with an Uber driver.
Caitlin, whom Global News is only identifying by her last name, said she was travelling in an Uber with her mom and her mother’s friend to an event in Langley, and Caitlin sat in the front seat.
“I noticed my daughter was quiet. Normally she’ll butt in the conversations but she wasn’t doing that,” Caitlin’s mother Tylyn Fasciglione said.
After the 10-minute ride was over, Caitlin told her mom what the driver was allegedly doing.
“He showed himself… his private parts… and he started to masturbate,” Fasciglione said Caitlin told her.
She also told her mother that the driver tried reaching for her.
“When he was trying to touch my leg and putting his hand closer to me I started moving away so I was closer to the door and further away from him,” Caitlin said.
Fasciglione said she did file a report about the driver through the Uber app and called Langley RCMP who confirmed that officers are now investigating.
No one has been arrested in the case.
“What if there’s other vulnerable women out there?” Fasciglione said. “Children are now able to take Ubers.”
In a statement to Global News, Uber says, “The reported behaviour is deeply concerned and has no place on the Uber platform.
“We have been in touch with the rider and removed the driver’s access to the app while we continue to investigate.”
Fasciglione said it was 24 hours before Uber contacted her.
“I think Uber should be more accountable to the community, to women, so we know this is gonna be safe for us,” she said.
“Right now it’s not. Twenty-four hours (before) contact (from) Uber, that’s not right.”
Caitlin said her message to rideshare users is to have their phone ready to call for help and to always sit in the backseat.