‘Creepy’ taxi driver tracks down customer and invites her for drink

A taxi passenger was horrified when a ‘creepy’ driver tracked her down on social media and asked her out for a drink- saying he had not stopped thinking about her for three months.

Miniver Larman, 25, from Oxford, said she booked a taxi with Go Green Taxis from the train station to her house on the evening of 5th March and had a pleasant journey, chatting with the driver about her day and his holiday.

She said she thought nothing of it until June 12 when she claimed she received a Facebook message from him which read: ‘Hey! So since we had a lovely little chat in my taxi following your London Theatre trip your name has pretty much stuck in my head.

‘Hope you don’t mind me messaging, I’m wondering if you might like to go for a beverage some time.’

He suggested meeting with her last weekend at a festival in Southampton, with the exchange leaving her feeling ‘unsafe’ because the driver knows her address and had tracked her down on social media. 

Miniver Larman, 25, from Oxford, said she booked a taxi with Go Green Taxis from the train station to her house on the evening of 5 March and had a pleasant journey chatting with him

She said she thought nothing of it until June 12 when she claimed to have got a Facebook message from him which read: 'Hey! So since we had a lovely little chat in my taxi following your London Theatre trip your name has pretty much stuck in my head. She said the exchange left her feeling 'unsafe' as the taxi driver knew her address and had tracked her down on social media

She said she thought nothing of it until June 12 when she claimed to have got a Facebook message from him which read: ‘Hey! So since we had a lovely little chat in my taxi following your London Theatre trip your name has pretty much stuck in my head. She said the exchange left her feeling ‘unsafe’ as the taxi driver knew her address and had tracked her down on social media 

The 25-year-old made a complaint to the taxi company and asked them to block the driver from picking up her fares in the future, receiving a brief apology message which read:  ‘I’m sorry to hear you had this bad experience with us.

‘I will pass this onto my manager to be picked up in the morning and dealt with in the correct manner.’

However Miniver is calling on them to discipline the driver for his messages to her to ‘prevent another woman going through the same’, and says she has not heard anything else from the firm since.

Miniver said: ‘This taxi journey was in March which is why it was kind of confusing for me to see him in my message requests because it was quite a while after.

‘He messaged me on Facebook so he must have saved my full name and searched and found me.

‘It’s an app so that’s how he saw my full name on the booking. I do have quite a unique name so that doesn’t help me.’

The 25-year-old made a complaint to the taxi company and asked them to block the driver from picking up her fares in the future, receiving a brief apology message which said they were sorry she had the experience. She was told the incident would be 'dealt with' but has heard nothing since and said the taxi driver should be 'disciplined'

The 25-year-old made a complaint to the taxi company and asked them to block the driver from picking up her fares in the future, receiving a brief apology message which said they were sorry she had the experience. She was told the incident would be ‘dealt with’ but has heard nothing since and said the taxi driver should be ‘disciplined’ 

She added: ‘I feel like he should at least be disciplined, like at least a month or two where he can’t drive a taxi service.

‘If he’s done this to me there’s a big likelihood that he’s done this to other women, or that he doesn’t realise that it’s not okay to do.

‘It doesn’t make me feel that reassured – just a quick message to say ‘I’m sorry you had a bad experience’. It kind of feels very cookie-cutter to me.’

She said that she thinks the taxi driver took her friendliness during the journey for something else. 

Miniver tweeted about her experience and most of the replies to the post were sympathetic and agreed that the driver acted inappropriately

Miniver tweeted about her experience and most of the replies to the post were sympathetic and agreed that the driver acted inappropriately 

She added: ‘When I saw the message I was just immediately shocked because you hear about these things happening but when it actually happens to you, you think how is this real?

‘How has this person not realised how creepy it is? I started to feel unsafe about it because he dropped me off at my house.

‘I think it’s really unprofessional and puts, especially women, in a really dangerous position.

Miniver tweeted about her experience, saying: ‘Literally the creepiest thing. Please do NOT do this.

‘I’ve reported him to the taxi company and asked them to block him from ever picking me up again.

‘Very anxious right now but feel like I’ve done the right thing.’

One person wrote: 'They should sack him really. Hope you're okay Mini' while another said: 'Yo that needs to go to the police asap'

One person wrote: ‘They should sack him really. Hope you’re okay Mini’ while another said: ‘Yo that needs to go to the police asap’

Most replies to the tweet were sympathetic and agreed that the driver acted inappropriately, with one saying: ‘They should sack him really. Hope you’re okay Mini.’

Another said: ‘So grim, intrusive, and creepy. Sorry you went through that.’

One person that replied, however, expressed concern over how the complaint would impact the driver, saying: ‘Bit much, lad could lose his job.’

But another was quick to respond with ‘good’.

However one person replied and expressed concern over how the situation could impact the driver but another responded 'good'

However one person replied and expressed concern over how the situation could impact the driver but another responded ‘good’ 

Miniver now says the experience has put her off using the taxi company or any firm that uses apps where drivers can access customers’ full names.

‘I’m definitely put off going with that taxi service again,’ she explained. 

‘I used to like that it was on an app because I felt more secure that I had all of their details and stuff.

‘But now I’m like maybe it’s better to use a normal taxi service because then they won’t know my name.

‘You’ve trusted them with your address and you’ve trusted them to take you home safely and also, as a woman, it shouldn’t be that if you are kind to someone that means you’re coming onto them.

‘I know there’s that argument of how do you meet people if you can’t do that during your job but I just don’t think it’s the place.’

Go Green Taxis were contacted repeatedly for comment but failed to respond.