this post was submitted on 10 Jun 2024
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50
Indigenous singer Emma Donovan alleges entire taxi rank refused to serve her at Perth airport (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
25 comments fedilink hide all child comments
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[–] saltesc 22 points 4 months ago (5 children)

Yeah, nah. I find this incredibly hard to believe. It's extremely unlikely that even one behaved like that. Australian taxi drivers are immensely racially diverse, as it's one of the easiest jobs to get when first arriving here, and all would sell their child for a $20 fare. And you're telling me an entire rank of 20 drivers are somehow all racist toward indigenous Australians, like at levels they'd refuse a job? Yeah, nah.

Something seems off, like it was more her behaviour or condition. Or, ya know, the album she just released...

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Short fare. So they're all still cunts

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

This. I lived a few kms from the casino and they would all refuse to take me home. It's bullshit. I waited in line like everyone else, sucks to be you guy but that's the breaks.

[–] saltesc 1 points 4 months ago

Heh. Probably was that. "I don't serve your kind" being someone 5 mins from the airport when they'd usually get a massive trip into a deeper suburb.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

What's racial diversity got to do with it? Plenty of non-white people are racist against Indigenous Australians.

But yeah it's possible that there is more context, and I could see it being a racism + erratic behaviour combination (that may have been ignored if she was white).

[–] saltesc 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

The racial diversity is very valid and important.

If a driver isn't white, which is a high chance, then it's very likely the driver is from Bangladesh through to the Middle-East and all the way down into Africa, that we know cop racism from passengers plenty. I struggle to see how they'd quickly form a position of racism themselves, even actually caring enough about indigenous Australians to do so.

It'd be like me moving to Finland and forming a position of racism toward the Sami before I had even learned Finnish fluently, all the while I'm copping racism myself at least once a day from non-Sami people.

I could really only see this happen if the cab company has a wildly effective anti-Sami program, which I wouldn't understand, but just stuck to for my job.

But now you see the level of wild scenarios and assumptions needed to try validate some truth to the customer's allegation. It's not impossible, but it seems highly improbable. Or everyone in Perth really fucking hates Aboriginal Australians.

[–] Cypher 1 points 4 months ago

If you think people can only become racist after moving to a majority white nation then boy do I have news for you.

Many of them are racist before they immigrate.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I'm inclined to believe her. She's already gone to the media, and taking photos of plates. She's hardly going to do all that in one of the most camera-covered parts of the city, and open complaints with Main Roads / Equal Opportunity commission if she weren't legit.

The article would hit exactly as hard if it were at some less popular rank with no/minimal CCTV covering it. She wouldn't pick the airport if she was planning on exaggerating her position for clout.

[–] saltesc 1 points 4 months ago

Yeah, I could be wrong. I just find it very hard to believe from a numbers point of view. Mind-boggling odds or rampart racism in Perth that'd make Klan members blush.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I wonder how much of what an indigenous says you would believe.

[–] saltesc 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

"I wondered up a profile of you that implies you profile people."

Classy.

[–] ASeriesOfPoorChoices -1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

also, who would get a taxi instead of an uber/etc?

[–] skittlebrau 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

I’d get a taxi if there was surge pricing in effect.

Downvoted for preferring a lower cost option when available in a cost of living crisis. Ah well.

[–] ASeriesOfPoorChoices 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

I'd rather pay double than get a taxi in Australia.

edit: to be clear, I hate the taxi industry. the drivers are fine.

[–] Cypher 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I would rather pay more for a taxi over an uber.

Last time I tried to get an uber they put the pickup zone in a bus only interchange, cancelled the ride and charged me an outrageous fee for their fuck up.

[–] ASeriesOfPoorChoices 0 points 4 months ago

"they"? this sounds like something you poorly selected. Use a stylus if you find your fingers are too fat when using the map to change your pick-up location.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (2 children)

“I know this wasn’t because of a short fare, I know this was racism at its finest,” Donovan wrote.

You read the article and it was clearly about a short fare.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago

One of them made a comment that they don’t take my kind of people, and that was when I started to cry and I got upset.”

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

I have been berated by taxi drivers from Perth airport for getting a short fair. I imagine that's entirely what it was about.