I started using Bykea for transportation around 2021 when the news of the hike in petrol prices began. You know what wasn’t going to go up? My salary. The crunch of inflation was taking a hit on any ounce of savings I had.

Since there was no way I was dedicating half of my paycheque just to get from point A to point B and, in lieu of a functioning mass transit system in which I wouldn’t be praying for dear life jumping on and off a bus, I decided to use the least-picked option in my ride-sharing app.

Since becoming reliant on motorcycle ride-sharing apps as my main form of transport, I have received a ton of questions, comments and “concerns” and I thought I would present FAQs [Frequently Asked Questions] for anyone who might want to go down this path, aka Karachi’s Sharae Faisal.

Q. HOW DO YOU SIT?

I sit like how you’re supposed to sit on a motorbike — with my legs on either side. As the Aurat March poster that incensed hundreds goes “Lo Baith Gayi Saheeh Se” [Here, I’ve Sat Down Properly] I too sit “saheeh se [properly].” One time a rider said “Please, ladies ki tarha bethain [Please sit like a lady]”, to which I said, “Bro, I don’t want to die.” The rider will assure you that nothing will happen but, be warned, sitting like a lady got no one anywhere.

There is also physics involved when straddling the bike. Your weight is distributed evenly, lessening your chances of any accidents. Every bump doesn’t make you feel like you will fly off because your core muscles aren’t engaged in keeping you balanced. And the most important thing: you don’t have to hold on to the rider — an uncomfortable position for them and you, given our cultural and religious sensibilities.

How can women get the best out of motorbike ride-sharing apps? The Frequently Asked Questions and their answers

Q. DO THE MEN REACT STRANGELY?

In Shilpa Padke’s Why Loiter? Women and Risk in Mumbai Streets, she makes the argument that the lower class Brown man is villainised to make women feel the threat of violence lies outside the home. On the contrary, any research on violence against women concludes that, in most instances, the perpetrator is known to the woman and the violence takes place in the home or workplace.

I have found this to be the truest in my experiences with Bykea. The riders, in fact, politely address me as ‘madam’ and ask if I am sitting comfortably. A journalist asked what I do to keep myself safe from street crime when on a bike and I realised, I did absolutely nothing. In light of what I know about violence and street crimes and their frequency, I don’t believe in the need to keep tasers and pepper sprays, because safety is a social construct.

Q. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN REJECTED?

Yes, by fellowships and Bykea. This does not happen as often as I thought. I can count on my hands the number of times Bykea says no or cancels the ride if they find out I’m a woman rider. Most of the time they think I want to send something for delivery. Pro Tip: Careem often changes the ride type to a car if you’re a woman requesting a ride on the bike. In that case, order a delivery bike and when he shows up, say “Yes, it is I who needs to be delivered.” It gets the job done.

Q. HOW DO YOU DRESS FOR THE BIKE?

How I usually dress. Most of the time, I don’t wear a dupatta because then many men tell me to fix it as I am going and, really, a dupatta is a noose for a woman’s modesty anyway. The less I am conscious about my clothing and my body, the easier it has become to wear whatever I feel comfortable in. But a mask is non-negotiable, as it protects me from the Karachi dust and guarantees anonymity.

Q. WHAT IS THE REACTION WHEN YOU SAY YOU TAKE BIKES FOR TRANSPORT?

Usually it is “Good for you, but not for me.” Some of my friends have been using bikes for years before me, so what I am doing isn’t anything new.

That said, it did make me re-evaluate that not everyone will overcome their discomfort that quickly and, no matter how much feminist discourse there is around body and respectability politics, everyone is at different stages in their journeys.

The best course of action is to lead by example and always talk about the money you save and how you never face traffic because a bike just zips past — sometimes the wrong way and on the footpath, but who’s looking!

Atiya Abbas is a communications consultant and talks about feminism, gender and public space.
She tweets @bhumrobhumro

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 18th, 2022