Taxi Business

I (36, f) live in a small town in Canada, a place were human trafficking rates are high. I never considered myself to be a part of the statistics because my story is not like the warning signs we are taught to look out for.

Some context, I was raised in a single parent household, we relied on welfare. There was a huge generational gap between my mother and I. She was raised on a farm, the children did their chores and listened or else.... that's how I was expected to be. Sit and be quiet. I was the complete opposite of that and this created many problems within the household.

After finally turning my mother's last hair grey, she sent me to live with friends of the family. My "foster father" had an eye for young misunderstood women and decided to take advantage of it. I was thirteen when he asked me how I felt about the fact that I turned him on, and by asking me, he made me feel in control.

My "foster mother" finally found out about the affair after she snooped and found love letters from him to me. Promises that once I was of age we'd run away. She chose to turn a blind eye in order to continue getting money for me, but made sure I knew damn well he was HERS. As it should've been.

I finally told a school counselor about the affair. Police were called. I went M.I.A. Ran away. I was caught and shipped off to a group home, a place for "troubled teens" for a week until living arrangements could be figured out. My mother took me back. I assume paperwork had to be done, I'm unsure of the legalities.

One week into being home, I'm up sitting up one night watching late night shows, when I hear noises at the window. This is a second story window so I investigated, it was him throwing pebbles at my window. I ignored him, told my mother, but ultimately ran away again the next day.

I'm not sure how long I lasted being on the run that time, but once I got caught it earned me a few months in some group homes. One honorable mention, thank you Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children for completely messing me up. You can Google the home, it's famous around these parts.

I don't want to get into the deep, dark, nitty gritty of the court events of my "foster father". At this point I'm a complete delinquent teen. You just can't put a messed up small town kid in a home full of city kids who have already acquired the necessary street smarts to survive.... I threw my case. I was beat down emotionally and very mentally unwell. I let a monster walk. I sat in the court room and just continuously said "I don't remember" until I was allowed to leave. I wasn't strong enough nor did I have the appropriate supports.

Skipping ahead to my return home, because group home life is another story for another time. I appeared to be doing better, I even had myself fooled. My mother allows, now fourteen year old me, to attend a party with my cousin. I get completely inebriated but have a wonderful time, my cousin calls us a taxi to go home... and the second I stepped into that taxi, my whole life changed.

It didn't happen right that night, but the coming days, that taxi driver would see me around town and strike friendly conversations. We got pretty acquainted and I felt like a total bad ass with my new friend. He knew were to get me booze, until that started coming with an extra price tag. "You like sex right? Why not use it to get what you want?"

I didn't at first. In fact, my mom brought me to the police station and I wrote a statement. But nothing was ever pursued. So I continued hanging out with my new friend. He continued getting me alcohol and drugs. I never told him about the statement because in our world that was a big no-no.

I started dating a much older man, who encouraged my behavior. He was actually friends with Taxi drivers son. I did eventually admit to the statement to my boyfriend at the time, he handed me over to the taxi drivers son, where I was drove out to the middle of nowhere with the impression I'd be left to die. "Don't you ever talk to the cops again or you won't have a ride home next time". I was made to have sex with taxi drivers son, then brought back home. All was forgiven.

Taxi driver then stepped up his game and told me "well you clearly like sex, you should just get paid for it". So that's what I did. I lost so much of myself, he fed me hard drugs and I fed him a profit. Under the guise of the taxi he was running I was transported to different houses, and hotels. He had only a waiting and gas" fee, he vehemently denied pimp status.

My youth was stolen from dirty old men, that I still have to face to date. I'm to scared to come forward because of the traumatic experiences I had and death threats. I've been "passed around" (abused and SA'd) since thirteen. The justice system failed me to much for me to trust them. But lately, very recently, I've been wanting revenge, I don't know where I'll start, but I know I don't want anyone involved to pay for their involvement, I guess starting here is my first major step...

The taxi business is the most corrupt business I've ever seen. I'm willing to bet no matter the location or country, there's a taxi company involved in human and drug trafficking. I am a first hand witness of what happens. Sometimes, I'd be sold right out the back seat of these taxis. My children are never ever allowed to be alone in taxis. I refuse to take them. Always be vigilant of your surroundings and always protect your children. You can never be too careful.