A Winnipeg woman is speaking out about a scary cab ride home this weekend, claiming she was propositioned by a taxi driver.
When Patricia Nosal stepped into a cab in the exchange around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, she said her driver was outgoing and friendly.
The two were enjoying listening to music. Nothing prepared Nosal for the conversation that followed.
"On our way home he asked me if I’d like to make some extra money, and putting two and two together, [I said ] ‘you what, know what, that's not me, no thank you’," the 20-year-old University of Winnipeg student said.
The trip home got worse. Nosal said when the driver pulled up to her house, another cab was waiting outside. A passenger got out of the cab and also asked her an inappropriate question.
"The gentleman gets out of the other cab and says ‘I heard you want to make some extra money’. ‘And I was like oh my God. What the hell is happening here’," said Nosal.
Winnipeg police said they are aware of the incident involving Nosal, and officers are following up on her report.
“I don’t feel my cab driver should try and solicit me. I’m stunned. I’m shocked,” she said.
“On the surface it doesn't look criminal, but that doesn't mean it certainly isn't uncomfortable. Kind of give you a knot in your gut,” said Const. Rob Carver.
Officers said it's not the only instance of inappropriate comments from cab drivers this weekend.
Police received a second report of a cab driver speaking inappropriately to a customer.
Winnipeg recommend riders take extra care travelling in taxis, and advise riders to carry a phone, keep in touch with friends or family, and get out and change cabs if necessary.
The experience going home has left Nosal shaken. She feels lucky she escaped unharmed.
Nosal said she called the taxi company that drove her home on Sunday to make a complaint, but was told it couldn't be addressed on the weekend. That's when she called Winnipeg police.
Nosal doesn't know if the two cabs coordinated, and the hopes the driver is held accountable. She wants to make sure no one else has another trip home like she did.
"They were literally putting me in a position of soliciting myself when I said no from the get go,” she said. “When you get in a cab after a night out, you expect that these people are going to get you home safely."