Belfast: 'Revenge Porn' video goes viral

[Sarah]

Yesterday, in Belfast, it came to light that a couple had been caught 'getting amorous' in the back of a taxi. I use the words lightly because it was anything but 'gentle amour-ee'.

A video began to circulate, most of which has now been removed, that the taxi driver had shared (one of our leading taxi firms too!) from his in-cab camera. It is believed that he shared the video himself and it went viral very quickly, and I do mean viral. At the end of the video the driver says 'Cheaper than a hotel room!' as the male hands him £20 for the fare.

It's one of the most shocking things that has happened in our wee country for quite some time, and literally everyone you come across is talking about it. But the repurcussions of it have been huge:

1. The driver has lost his job (fair enough)
2. The male in the video has hired a lawyer and is suing the taxi firm.

And worst of all:

3: The female (who is married with a family) has tried to kill herself and is currently in a psychiatric ward.

Much debate is surrounding it, with some lashing out at the couple for doing this in the back of a taxi. There wasn't even any screen or privacy shield, just looks like a normal car. So many have said they knew what they were doing, are bound to have seen the camera and were really stupid to do this.

Others are solely blaming the driver, for not throwing them out of the cab as soon as it started, but also for sharing the video. Others are saying 'don't shame the victims' and siding with the couple, but particularly the female (and this was before the news broke of her mental state).

It's been explained to me that this falls into the category of 'revenge porn', is that the case?

https://www.reddit.com/r/northernireland/comments/onzgmh
(NB: Nothing sleazy in this video above apart from what the driver says).

I hope the girl will be ok and that lives aren't totally ruined by this.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I'm struggling to see how the backseat pair are the victims in any way. If two passengers had sex in my car while I was present I'd consider myself the victim of severe sexual harassment.

My sympathies lie with the woman's spouse and children.

 

[Rove]

A simple comment on this...

You Reap What You Sow.​

 

[DallasFanForever]

I’m sorry the girl tried to kill herself and is in a psychiatric ward. My prayers are with her but I’ve never understood this sort of behavior in public. Can’t it wait til you get home? There’s a million places they could’ve gone to be alone, I’m sure. And the fact that she’s married with a family should only make them want to be that much more discreet.

 

[Angela Channing]

Take a moment to think about the woman's husband. If I was in his shoes I would want to know how my wife was carrying on with another man. He is the victim here, not the woman or the man having sexual relations in the taxi. If the woman is now having mental health issues that's not the fault of the taxi driver but of her choice to behave in such a lewd and inappropriate manner.

 

[Barbara Fan]

I have little sympathy for the couple caught at it in the back of a cab
If i were the taxi driver Id have stopped the car and told them to stop or to get out

There is a time and a place and it aint the back of the cab, and god help the poor passenger who got into the back of the cab afterwards - euugh.

Feel sorry for the womans husband - no sympathy for the couple - actions have consequences and they should have waited just a little bit longer.

 

[Alexis]

I had somehow managed to miss all this until I was shown it today in work. Both the man and woman in the back of the taxi seem very drunk. That is in no way an excuse, but it's worth mentioning. The bit of the video I saw, the woman seemed totally out of it, like she may not have been fully aware of the situation or the extent of things.

It's really filthy and really bad, and if you behave in such a blatant and brazen manner in public, in day light then you will get what's coming to you. The guy has a cheek to involve a lawyer? Couldn't he be done with lewd behaviour in public or something similar?

All three behaved badly. The taxi driver should have asked them to get out of his taxi, and should never have shared the video.

 

[Daniel Avery]

I'm torn about the in-taxi camera. On the one hand, every human being on the planet ought to know that when you go out in public, you are likely being viewed by a security/surveillance camera. Even if you aren't being surveilled, have enough self-respect not to act that way in a public place.

But on the other hand, the driver could very easily have informed them (if they didn't know) that the camera was on and that they ought not do anything that they did not want broadcast to the world. That simple heads-up from the driver could have been enough to throw cold water on them.

 

[DallasFanForever]

That simple heads-up from the driver could have been enough to throw cold water on them.

The driver is just as much at fault imo. He could’ve let them know that the car contained a live camera or at the very least he could’ve told them what they were doing was strictly prohibited in his cab. I’m not excusing the couple by any means but the driver let this go on in his car.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Narcissism meets opportunism. Hilarity ensues.

 

[Sarah]

The guy in the video had on his Twitter handle a sentence from Dec 2020 which suggests he had this planned in advance.

 

[EEisdying]

The cab driver is a victim of sexual harassment at work to be honest.

He should have not shared it to the public, which is clearly a crime in itself but tbh is this really any difference to shagging in a street (where people have a legal right to film you), it's about as classless.