The taxi company lies flat.
“Yasmin” is a single mother and originally from Iran. She has made a choice not to be religious. Last week, she noticed this choice on her body, she tells Nettavisen.
– My son and I went to the health station that morning, and his kindergarten was to have an activity day in the woods, says «Yasmin».
The online newspaper knows “Yasmin”‘s identity, but she does not want to go out with a picture and name for the sake of her son and because she does not want to appear in the media as a non-religious, Iranian woman.
The hour at the health station took longer than expected, and the single mother called the kindergarten to tell them that they could only leave in advance, so they would rather be able to find them in Solemskogen. It is the four-year-old son who usually leads when the kindergarten goes from the bus stop and inwards towards the lavvo in the forest.
When “Yasmin” and his son finally lined up at the bus stop at Storo in Oslo, it was a long time before the next bus arrived. They also brought the boy’s bicycle, a sack with warm clothes and other luggage. “Yasmin” thus decided to take a taxi.
The moment it turned
In the beginning, the taxi driver was a completely ordinary, service-minded professional driver, she says.
– Even though he did not have a pillow for my son, or offered us another taxi at the stop that had it. He said it went well, that he was big enough.
“Yasmin” trusted the man, and it was never a lack of a pillow that became the problem on this trip, according to her.
The man asked where they were going. She answered “last bus stop towards Solemskogen”, and the driver headed towards the end of the bus route to the 56 bus in Oslo.
On the way, the single mother of the son was talking in the back seat. He speaks Norwegian, but she speaks Persian to him, so he will not forget his mother tongue, says «Yasmin».
– When he hears us talk, the taxi driver asks where we were from, and I answered Iran. Then he asked if I was a Muslim, she says to Nettavisen.
– Then I replied that I was not interested in religion.
It is not, under any circumstances, legal for Oslo Taxi’s drivers to ask about religion, the company says. Read their response further down in the case.
That was the end of that conversation. The mood changed, says “Yasmin”. What had been an ordinary taxi driver turned into what she perceived as a very little service-minded, and eventually angry man.
After a while, the taxi driver stopped the car. He wondered where to go next, says “Yasmin”.
“I do not know, I do not know the way,” she replied.
Then the driver became aggressive, she says.
“I must have the address,” said the driver, adding that if she did not know the address, he could not drive her.
This had not been a problem earlier on the trip, says “Yasmin” to Nettavisen.
Then the driver asked her to find the road herself via GPS, since it “was not his job to find out”, she says.
– Thrown out bike and backpack
– Suddenly we see a bus stop where it said Solemskogen on the board, she says.
That it said 56 Solemskogen on the board turns out in retrospect to be because this is one of many stops for the 56 bus on the way out towards the end stop. However, the stop is also marked with “Kringlevann”, and there are four stops before where they go off.
Then the driver was determined that they were ahead, and said that the two passengers should get off, says “Yasmin”.
– He was very angry, but I thought that ‘now we are here’, and that I was with my son, so I did not think to make a scene in front of him. I did not want him to discover that the driver was so angry, she says.
– Then he goes to the back of the trunk, and started throwing out all our things, both the bike, my son’s helmet, bags and everything. It was proper throwing and he cursed, she says.
By this time, she had already paid for the trip.
– Then I said that he could not swear, and that I would take a picture of the taxi sign and complain to Oslo Taxi. Then he called me an idiot, and cursed even more times, she says.
– My son was very scared and shocked. I teach him not to throw things, so he stood there with big eyes and looked at me and the driver, and wondered what happened every day.
“Yasmin” decided both to take a picture of the sign, and to film the driver, to get the employee number registered. After several insults from the driver, he drove off.
Crying and nightmares
The son, who usually leads the kindergarten on the way to the lavvo in the forest, did not recognize himself in the area. After a quick phone call to the kindergarten, it turned out that “Yasmin” and his son had been released by many bus stops prematurely.
Then my son started crying. He did not want to move on, but wanted to go home.
After carrying the son for a while, the bus came behind them.
– We were not at a stop, but I waved at the bus, and it stopped, fortunately, says «Yasmin».
When they met the kindergarten teacher at the end stop, the son began to explain the whole course of events.
– He had caught everything, she says, in a worried tone.
After delivering the son, “Yasmin” took the bus back. When she came to work, she decided to complain to Oslo Taxi. At the same time, she was a little put out after the incident, and was very nervous about calling.
That’s why she got a colleague to call her. The online newspaper has been in contact with the colleague. He says that he called Oslo Taxi and was greeted by a switchboard. After calling and being put over 5-6 times there was no answer to get – they were finally greeted by a dial tone. According to “Yasmin”, it all took about half an hour.
This is what Oslo Taxi says
The online newspaper has contacted the head of sales, marketing and communication at Oslo Taxi, Lars Mollerud, to get an answer after the incident.
– What do you think about the customer service here? What may have gone wrong?
– This incident is very unfortunate, says Mollerud and continues:
– This will not happen as a customer of Oslo Taxi. We are now investigating the case internally to investigate further what has happened, and assessment of necessary measures to avoid incidents where customers do not contact us within a reasonable time, he says.
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He says that the drivers receive thorough training, also when it comes to situations where there are small children present:
– Yes, both when it comes to children and safety equipment for children, it is part of our driver training.
– On average, how often do drivers receive courses or training?
– Newly trained drivers must return to the course after six months. If they pass this course, they will have to complete a compulsory continuing education course every two years, as long as they work for Oslo Taxi, says Mollerud.
“Yasmin”‘s driver did not get a street address, because she did not know it, other than that it was the last stop on the 56-line. That should be sufficient, says Mollerud.
– We have strict requirements for the geographical knowledge that our drivers must possess, which has led to the drivers generally having very good knowledge of the streets of Oslo. In many cases, it will be sufficient to state the area or other descriptions to get to the destination, he says.
Not allowed to talk about religion
– I have always used to take Oslo Taxi, but now I paid 240 kroner without having arrived, says “Yasmin”.
She immediately wondered if the taxi driver was not a real driver, but someone who had borrowed the car from, for example, his brother.
– It was so strange that he did not know the way, and that he asked about religion and that he cursed and treated a customer like that. That’s not right, says “Yasmin”.
To Nettavisen, Mollerud says that there are requirements and guidelines with regard to what a driver and a passenger can talk about:
– The most important thing is that the driver respects the customer’s wishes. Under no circumstances should religion or other controversial topics be discussed, says Mollerud.
– Drivers receive training in this before they graduate and are approved as drivers. Ask a customer about religion, then the driver should change the topic or say that this is not a desirable topic to talk about, he adds.
“Yasmin” is still shaken after the incident:
– It was very rude. I will not take more taxis, at least not Oslo Taxi.
– When I picked up my son in kindergarten, everyone knew about this. He asked if I had called the police, she says with a small laugh.
Then I just said that I had submitted a complaint, and then he was very happy. Still, the son had nightmares for two days in a row afterwards.
The boy does not usually sleep in her bed, but had to these two days, says “Yasmin”.
– A four-year-old should experience the world as safe, she says to Nettavisen.
Iran and religion
According to “Yasmin”, it is quite common to be originally from Iran and not be religious.
– But not everyone talks about it, she says.
Mina Bai, ex-Muslim, Iranian and Nettavisen columnist, have previously written about just this.
She says that it is very common among immigrants to ask about country and religion.
– So even though Oslo Taxi says it is not allowed, this is something that happens in practice, Bai says on this occasion.
– Why is it like that?
– I do not know. Ever since I came to Norway in 1992, it has been like that, but my impression is that it has gotten a little better in recent years, says Bai to Nettavisen.
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– Do you understand that “Yasmin” will not appear with name and picture?
– Yes I have. Especially in Oslo, where there are many immigrants, it is problematic to appear in the newspaper with this.
– Why?
– It is a very sensitive matter. Islam is the only religion that punishes those who leave it. In Muslim countries you are imprisoned for it. In 10 countries you get a death sentence. It is the state that punishes you, but at the same time there is also a social control, and families that freeze you out if you break out of religion. We need openness and understanding that many people want to leave a religion, but some get very angry if they do. It can be provocative.
Bai tells Nettavisen that Muslims, also in Norway, can to a certain extent be programmed to ask immigrants – from, for example, the Middle East – where they are from and whether they are Muslims.
– It’s very strange. I have noticed this myself, that it is common to chat in this way. It becomes a kind of mapping if you are “one of them”. Whether it is conscious or unconscious, I do not know, Bai concludes.
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The tram driver who made a positive impression
After the taxi experience, “Yasmin” says that it is not the first time she experiences something like this, but that it is the first time with her son.
She has a good example of opposite customer care. It is not so long since she and the four-year-old took the tram, and experienced that the door was about to hit them on the way out, because it closed too quickly.
– Then the driver came out and started apologizing to my son, and said that there was something wrong with the door. The tram driver was to take it up with the company.
– It seemed my son was very nice, that the driver talked to him, says “Yasmin” with a smile.
She is very happy with the tram incident. This is not the time for the four-year-old son to be afraid of public transport, in addition to taxis.
– As a single mother without a car, I simply have zero chance of getting anywhere else, she concludes.
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