NEW DELHI: When women climb into a taxi or a bus, they often don’t think of a simple ride home or to the workplace or the campus. A mental checklist of precautions weighs heavily on their mind, especially during late evening rides.The recent incident in which a cabbie was arrested for allegedly masturbating and making obscene gestures while driving a 22-year-old postgraduate student to her campus is a grim reminder of the daily travails of city women. From sharing vehicle details with friends or family to quietly planning escape routes or using audio clips that mimic conversations with family, women TOI spoke to listed a slew of measures they take to ensure a safe trip.Shreya Yadav, 23, a lawyer living in Vasant Kunj, said she prefers autorickshaws to cabs even if they cost more. “In an auto, there is an open exit. You can jump off if the situation requires it,” she said. Her worry is not unfounded – last Thursday, a 42-year-old woman apparently escaped molestation by a three-wheeler driver by jumping out of a moving auto near Gurgaon’s Feroz Gandhi Colony. Yadav added that she often shared live locations with friends and family and kept SOS texts ready if she felt insecure, especially on dimly lit stretches.Other women revealed that the illusion of being tracked helps. Student Harneesha Makkar, 23, said, “Whenever alone in a cab or an auto and if I don’t feel comfortable, I use the simple trick of saying something that gives the impression that I am in touch with my father throughout the ride.”Along with mentally figuring out potential escape routes, women say that they also keep sharp objects such as pens and keys readily available in their bags. “It has become necessary for all women to carry pepper spray,” said Shanti, 25, of Kalkaji. “You never know when a dangerous situation arises. Last winter, a woman was harassed by the driver of the cab provided by her own company.” In another incident on Thursday, a 25-year-old Lucknow woman allegedly faced sexual assault by an auto driver in Mathura.Such cautionary routines, often honed through experience, are passed down through conversations with mothers, sisters, and peers. Technology too has become entwined with women’s safety practices. A recent social media trend features audio clips that mimic conversations with family members, helping women pretend they are on a call. Safety apps, such as Delhi Police’s Himmat Plus app which sends a distress call and emergency messages to the cops and specified contacts, also play a role in giving women riders some sense of security. Shristy Kamal, 24, said, “I also have certain contacts saved in cab aggregator platforms. I know that my friends can be alerted by a simple tap if something should go wrong.”Vaidehi, 22, who moved to Delhi four months ago, said navigating unfamiliar routes remained daunting but she had taught herself to mask her unease. “I can’t afford to let people realise that I am new to the city. So I pretend to be a local, pretending to be calm as if I know the roads like the back of my hand, even when I have maps open on my phone,” she smiled. Even those familiar with routes admitted they kept maps open frequently to be able to immediately flag it if the driver took an incorrect turn.For women, the long-developed habits are less about paranoia and more about survival. But safety measures, however well rehearsed, do not offer full assurance. As Yadav noted, “We all try to do these things, yet when you are in an actual situation, you freeze.”
