North Carolina teen jumps out of cab as Lyft driver made suggestive remarks and used 'suspicious' spray
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: A 17-year-old from North Carolina jumped out of a moving cab after the Lyft driver made her uncomfortable with his remarks. Eziya Bowden was returning home from work when she booked a cab and was bombarded with uncomfortable questions.
"How many boys flirted with you?" asked the driver, reports Dakota News Now. Bowden further revealed that the man said, "Oh, you just look good. I would date you if you weren’t so young." The Lyft driver even sprayed something inside the car which made the teenager feel dizzy and warm. Fearing that she was being drugged, she got suspicious.
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In an interview with the outlet, Bowden mentioned that when she entered the car, it smelled of cigarettes so the driver sprayed something. After a single spray, the scent faded but he kept on spraying. "But for you to keep spraying it, then roll your windows up, like, I know it’s not about me being nervous or anything," she said. The words and actions of the driver terrified the teenager, who then took the risky decision to jump out of the moving car to escape him.
"I was very scared, but then again, I was more so like I’d rather get out of this car than fall asleep in a car with this man I don’t really know," said Bowden, who blacked out after opening the car door to jump. When she landed, she was still a few miles away from her home and was crying. Notably, the driver did not stop when the door opened or when he saw her jump out and land on the ground. She also said he only stopped when he was a little up the way, turned around and called the police, pretending to be a bystander.
Following the ordeal, Bowden has several scars on her face and body that were treated in the emergency department. A spokesperson from Lyft told People, "We've been in touch with the rider's family to offer our support, have removed the driver's access to the Lyft platform, and stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation." Still, the 17-year-old is now permanently scarred from the thought of booking a cab ride. She said, "I don’t think that’s stopping him from anything else. It doesn’t really bring peace to me at all. As us young girls, or even women, we have to be very aware and safe of our surroundings. Cancel your ride and wait. Wait for somebody ‘cause honestly, I would’ve waited for my friend."
No criminal charges have been filed.