Street Roots • August 11-17, 2017
News
STALKING, from page 4
around the world. He also left his phone
number.
Snitily called him, and he answered. The
officer told him that if he came back to
Montana’s house, he would be arrested. The
officer then urged Montana to call 911 and
apply for a stalking protective order if he
returned.
Over the next 10 days, Montana was
fearful to be home alone. She asked friends
to keep her company when her roommates
were away.
“I was home alone for no more than 20
minutes,” she said.
Montana wrote a detailed Facebook post
outlining her experience with Chi, complete
with a screenshot of his Lyft profile picture
and a warning to others to not get into his
car. She posted it on June 20, and it got
more than 1,700 likes.
The post also drew comments from
women who said they’d had similar
experiences with cabdrivers or other ride-
hailing services.
Street Roots asked Portland Police
Bureau if it tracks how many police reports
are filed against drivers working for ride-
hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft.
Bureau spokesperson Sgt. Pete Simpson
said he doesn’t have a way of linking and
tracking these reports because, unlike brick-
and-mortar businesses, complaints filed
against Lyft and Uber drivers are not tied to
a specific address.
While not every incident makes headlines,
those that do are listed at WhosDrivingYou.
org, an initiative of the Taxicab, Limousine
& Paratransit Association. It links to articles
about Uber and Lyft driver accidents and
crimes around the globe, including sexual
assaults, kidnappings and deaths.
This drivers lobby argues that neither
Uber nor Lyft uses fingerprints or law
enforcement to background-check their
drivers and that Uber does not meet with
drivers in person before putting them
behind the wheel.
One woman who read Montana’s
Facebook post told her that she, too, had
been stalked by Chi.
Street Roots reached out to this woman,
but she declined to go on record with her
story, citing her job as a private dancer as
reason.
Chi confirmed he knew the stripper when
Street Roots contacted him to get his side of
the story. He also confirmed Montana’s
version of
events. He
May 5, 20 17” 9:47 PM
appeared to
have no
understanding
of why his
actions caused
$9.01
her alarm.
Thanks for riding with Michael
He said it
was “no big
deal” and asked if Montana was still in Costa
Rica.
,
x
Being blind or indifferent to the distress
of their victims is a common trait among
stalkers. (See “Stalkers” on this page.)
Montana showed Street Roots messages
between her and the other victim. The
dancer said she met Chi while she was
working and regrettably gave him her phone
number, thinking she could just block him.
He called and messaged her nonstop. He
even tried to follow her home from work
one night.
Page 5
Every other of the subway’s heated seats is
a 50yo MILF that looks 30.”
The same day Montana received the
letter, she called the police again, and
another officer came out to take a report.
The following day, she went to the
Multnomah County Courthouse to get a
stalking protective order. She was given a
thick packet to fill out.
As she filled out the packet, she realized
there was a problem. The courts required
Chi’s address.
She said Lyft told her repeatedly they
couldn’t give her the address without a
subpoena. Officer Snitily worked nights, and
Lyft was only open during the day. She was
getting nowhere.
On July 5, she walked into the Lyft Hub
on North Mississippi Avenue and pleaded
her case to a manager on duty, who said he
would check with Lyft’s legal department.
Finally, the address was released to the
police department the following day. The
next morning, Montana went back to the
courthouse.
According to a statement from Lyft, “As
soon as we were made aware of this
incident, we immediately deactivated the
driver from the Lyft platform. We also
reached out to the passenger to check on
their well-being. We have been in touch with
the authorities and are prepared to assist
further.”
As Montana filled out the stalking order
packet, she realized there was another
issue: She was required to submit her real
name and birthdate - information that
w o u ld b e a v a ila b le to C h i, w h o o n ly k n e w
Eventually she had to change her phone
number and had him 86’d from the strip
club where she works. She never reported
him to the police.
She said Chi drove for Uber, as well.
However, a spokesperson for Uber said the
company does not have “anyone on the app”
with his name.
Chi had pursued the dancer, who bears a
more-than-striking resemblance to Montana,
through the winter and into April. It was in
May when he met Montana.
“He basically went straight from her to
me,” Montana said.
On June 29, Montana came home from a
day on Sauvie Island to find a letter from
Chi with no return address. It was five pages
of rambling, meandering miss-matched
stories from his childhood and past
relationships. Here are a few excerpts:
“I had a Jacuzzi in the backyard of the
house I grew up in .... All the girls had to
change into their swimsuits in my room too,
her alias.
“I was like, do I want to file this?” she
said. “He could stalk me forever now.”
She said she explained this to the man
behind the counter at the courthouse, but
he told her, “Everybody has the right to face
their accuser.”
Feeling out of options, she filed for the
stalking order.
“I thought if he comes anywhere near me,
I want it on paper that I have a protective
order against him - if I need to defend
myself or whatever,” she said. “I can build a
case against him, so in the future if
someone does do a background check on
him, he can’t drive for these companies.”
Three days later, Montana returned to
the courthouse for her hearing. She brought
a friend who manages a security company in
case Chi showed up. He didn’t. He said he
never got the hearing notice.
which was also pretty cool. ... 12th grade I
Judicial Officer Jon Ghastin read through
got drunk once and climbed into this girl’s
Montana’s packet, where she described the
window.... You have to forgive me for
events leading up to the hearing. How Chi
creeping you out at the bar and at your
came to her work, and her home right after
house... You must forgive me and be friends
she walked in the door, and how he had
with me. ... You are the only SE II know in
mailed her a letter, all stemming from a
Portland. (SEI is a personality type that
10-minute ride.
Montana does not identify a s .)... My best
Ghastin read the letter, making comments
friend in high school was an SEI and the
about how Chi appeared to be a “unique”
first time I met him I pushed him off a bike.
character. Montana felt like he wasn’t taking
... You are like a Leo (his friend’s name)
her fears seriously.
with ovaries. We so need to be best friends.
“Obviously this guy has a very special
... My last GF ... she wouldn’t sleep with me
flavor,” Montana recalled him saying.
for the first m onth.... Once, I tried to
In a recording of the hearing, Ghastin can
corner her when she was taking a shower,
be heard rendering his judgment:
but it didn’t work. ... I was 31 and she was
“Is this improper conduct or maybe
19. ... The girl before her ... she got hella
unlawful? Perhaps. There are statutes that
mad at me. She gave me the exact same evil forbid telephonic harassment and trespass,
eye that you did at the bar when I asked you
but I don’t think we have the circumstances
those personal questions, and OMG she
here now, and hopefully ever, for a stalking
looks just like you, same facial structure,
hair color and eye color.... Japan has the
See STALKING, page 7
highest MILFs per capita in the w orld....