Don’t make this mistake female alone on Camino

[Camino35]

I am walking to Camino Primitivo with my mom. I’m on day 5 of Camino and had to stay behind since my knees are injured. My mom walked the hospitales route alone while I took a taxi to our next hotel in Polla de Allande. The taxi driver was nice and told me he had bags to drop pick up before taking me to the hotel. After he was done he drove me to my hotel and bought me a coffee. He can sense how sad I was that I couldn’t walk because of my swollen knees. He then left but noticed I was crying at the hotel as I drank my coffee. After my coffee I walked to the pharmacy and he was out on the street picking up more bags from hotels. He waved at me and I went to the pharmacy. Once I got out of pharmacy he asked me to come over used Google translate and asked if I wanted to drive with him to Berducedo since he had bags to drop off. He said that way I can see the scenic route and not be bored while I wait for my mom. I know dumb of me to say yes as a female but I was emotional that I was missing out. He showed me nice views and chatted with me with Google translate. I felt more comfortable as I chatted with him. Once he was done dropping off the bags he said we were driving back to Polla to drop me back at my hotel. He later stopped chatting with me which scared me. He was most likely just doing a nice gester for me but I soon became uncomfortable that he stopped chatting with me. I had to call my husband just to make me feel safe that he knew where I was. I ended up getting dropped off at my hotel and the taxi told me he had a good time. I’m just putting a warning out there even if a person makes a nice gester don’t accept it. The car ride from Polla to Berducedo and back was long. Never making this stupid mistake again.

 

[trecile]

I'm trying to understand. I agree, that it's probably not a good idea to accept a ride from a stranger (but this was a taxi driver) as a solo woman, and that you felt uncomfortable after a while, but did he actually do anything threatening? And was he only communicating with you through Google Translate? That can get exhausting.

 

[CWBuff]

Which would explain why he stopped chatting...
I agree with @trecile - unless he said or did anything threatening to you, everything (at least the way I see it) could be chalked up to your emotional state: it went up then it went down, crashed and got you into paranoia
re: sitting somewhere being bored while waiting for your companion- take care of yor feet/legs etc and rest them. Tomorrow you still need to get from A to B and nice taximan may not be always available
Good luck and Buen Camino

 

[Grousedoctor]

I am walking to Camino Primitivo with my mom. I’m on day 5 of Camino and had to stay behind since my knees are injured. My mom walked the hospitales route alone while I took a taxi to our next hotel in Polla de Allande. The taxi driver was nice and told me he had bags to drop pick up before taking me to the hotel. After he was done he drove me to my hotel and bought me a coffee. He can sense how sad I was that I couldn’t walk because of my swollen knees. He then left but noticed I was crying at the hotel as I drank my coffee. After my coffee I walked to the pharmacy and he was out on the street picking up more bags from hotels. He waved at me and I went to the pharmacy. Once I got out of pharmacy he asked me to come over used Google translate and asked if I wanted to drive with him to Berducedo since he had bags to drop off. He said that way I can see the scenic route and not be bored while I wait for my mom. I know dumb of me to say yes as a female but I was emotional that I was missing out. He showed me nice views and chatted with me with Google translate. I felt more comfortable as I chatted with him. Once he was done dropping off the bags he said we were driving back to Polla to drop me back at my hotel. He later stopped chatting with me which scared me. He was most likely just doing a nice gester for me but I soon became uncomfortable that he stopped chatting with me. I had to call my husband just to make me feel safe that he knew where I was. I ended up getting dropped off at my hotel and the taxi told me he had a good time. I’m just putting a warning out there even if a person makes a nice gester don’t accept it. The car ride from Polla to Berducedo and back was long. Never making this stupid mistake again.

I don’t think your discomfort was unwarranted. At the moment you became uncomfortable you were not in control of this situation nor were you necessarily able to get back to your hotel safely. It was beyond your control. Your advice should be heeded. Just because an offer appears to be “nice” doesn’t mean it is! My advice to my daughters would be exactly what you stated. Whether at home or on the Camino, one needs to exercise care not to become a victim. Like others, I want to believe that other people have the best intentions. However, that’s just not reality. If you feel something isn’t quite right, go with that feeling. And better yet, as you stated, don’t put yourself in certain situations to begin with. Good advice!

 

[pat932490]

I don’t see how she is a victim of anything.

 

[trecile]

I want to make clear that it's definitely good advice to not put yourself (female or male) into a situation where you don't feel comfortable or safe, but in this case there's no evidence of any ill intent by the taxi driver, at least as @Camino35 has presented it.

 

[Joynz]

The title of this thread is very misleading - total Clickbait, in fact.

Seriously, what are you complaining for? A nice person did something nice for you and didn’t talk the whole way?

What exactly are you warning women about? A gap in the conversation?

 

[Joynz]

Which would explain why he stopped chatting...
I agree with @trecile - unless he said or did anything threatening to you, everything (at least the way I see it) could be chalked up to your emotional state: it went up then it went down, crashed and got you into paranoia
re: sitting somewhere being bored while waiting for your companion- take care of yor feet/legs etc and rest them. Tomorrow you still need to get from A to B and nice taximan may not be always available
Good luck and Buen Camino

And it’s hard to use Google translate while driving. That man deserves a medal.

 

[Joynz]

I don’t think your discomfort was unwarranted. At the moment you became uncomfortable you were not in control of this situation nor were you necessarily able to get back to your hotel safely. It was beyond your control. Your advice should be heeded. Just because an offer appears to be “nice” doesn’t mean it is! My advice to my daughters would be exactly what you stated. Whether at home or on the Camino, one needs to exercise care not to become a victim. Like others, I want to believe that other people have the best intentions. However, that’s just not reality. If you feel something isn’t quite right, go with that feeling. And better yet, as you stated, don’t put yourself in certain situations to begin with. Good advice!

I invite you to explain exactly how the OP’s fear wasn’t ‘unwarranted’?

 

[NualaOC]

@Camino35, it's hard for us to understand what happened to you here. It's good that you're safe and in a position to reflect on your experience.

Wishing you well and I hope your knees get better soon.

 

[ShoshTrvls]

While you may have felt uncomfortable, this taxi driver was doing you a favor, and a very generous one at that. It seems that he's exactly the type of person that we talk about the Camino "providing" for us when in need, whether physical or emotional.