It was the night before Thursday that the 30-year-old film director, Nikeisha Andersson, ordered a taxi via the Bolt app to go from Södermalm to Kista in Stockholm. During the taxi ride, she talked to her girlfriend on the phone. When the taxi driver heard Nikeisha talking about Pride and saying “you are my girlfriend” during the phone call, he suddenly swerved off the road and stopped the car on Kungsbron. – He turned around and said I was haram, says Nikeisha to TV4 Nyheterna. The driver then got out of the car and tore Nikeisha out of the car, put her on the street and started screaming and spewing foul words, Nikeisha says. “Said I should wash my tongue” – He said I should wash my tongue and that I am disgusting, and that people like me will die. I thought either I’m going to be raped or beaten to death. Nikeisha says she is shocked that a taxi driver would dare to open the passenger seat like that and wear someone out. Something she experienced as “sickly unpleasant”. – I was just shocked during the whole situation because everything happened so quickly and he was so insanely aggressive. I didn’t quite connect what it was I had done to upset him considering we hadn’t had any conversation. Nikeisha has received a lot of love and support afterwards but feels sad about what happened and is worried that a similar incident will happen again. – That someone really chooses to listen to a conversation I have with someone else, and offends me in that way because I am who I am, makes me very sad. – It’s not like I’m going to get into any taxi in the future, she continues. She hopes that Bolt takes responsibility and reviews its routines and which drivers they hire. Bolt apologizes Nikeisha has been in contact with the taxi company Bolt who informs that the driver is now suspended, and regrets what happened. TV4 Nyheterna has sought Bolt for a comment without success. But the taxi company says in a written comment to the newspaper QX that it is aware of the incident. “We are aware of the case and are in contact by phone with the passenger. Bolt strongly opposes any form of discrimination, including against LGBTQ+ people, and we are sorry and apologize for what happened. As soon as a serious incident comes to our attention, we prioritize blocking the perpetrator’s access to the platform so that a further investigation can take place, so also in this case. We urge the victim to report the crime to the police so that we can cooperate with the police by sharing information that can help the investigation,” writes Lina Dahlander, who is Sweden manager for taxi operations at Bolt. Nikeisha says she reported the driver to the police, who are now investigating the incident as a suspected case of molestation.
t4-general