Ali Clarke refused taxi ride, verbally abused in Adelaide

A leading industry body has reacted to the popular media personality’s video, saying such behaviour “cannot be tolerated”.

Popular SA media personality Ali Clarke has spoken out on how she was verbally abused by a taxi driver in Adelaide’s CBD, describing his comments as “vile”, and saying he would “never have dared to do that if there was a bloke with me”.

Clarke was trying to get home from SkyCity around 1:30am on Friday morning following The Advertiser Sunday Mail Woman Of The Year function, when she hopped in a taxi and was confronted by the driver, who refused to take her after hearing her address, saying that the fare was too short, even though Clarke offered to pay extra.

The driver told her to find another taxi, claiming he had been waiting outside the casino for 40 minutes.

Ali Clarke during her final show on Mix 102.3. Picture: Mix102.3

In a tearful video shared to Instagram early on Friday morning, Clarke shared how she pleaded with the driver to take her home, while he responded by telling her to get out of his cab, before slamming her with abuse.

“He said, you need to get out, your p***y smells,” Clarke said.

Clarke shared how she got out of the cab, but the driver continued to abuse her, rolling down the window to hurl the slur at her again.

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“On International Women’s Day I’ve never felt sadder.”

“I think I’m pretty tough, but it was just that vile sexual nature of it.”

“I thought we were better than that.”

Clarke made it home following assistance from casino security, who found another cab that would accept her fare.

Clarke told The Advertiser she doesn’t believe the ordeal would have occurred if a man was with her.

“If there was a bloke with me, he would never have spoken to me like that,” she said.

Taxi Council South Australia told The Advertiser it is considered illegal for taxi drivers to refuse short fares, and condemned the incident.

“This behaviour cannot be tolerated,” Taxi Council president John Trainer said.

“We have hundreds of taxi drivers who do the right thing, and you get a dozen or so who are just absolute outlaws.”

Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis described the incident as “absolutely disgraceful” and said his office had reached out to Clarke for further information.

“It is particularly galling that this happened on the eve of International Women’s Day, and after an event at which Ms Clarke had been celebrated as a deserved finalist in The Advertiser’s Woman of the Year event, after her recent brave battle with breast cancer,” Mr Koutsantonis said.

“My office and department have spoken to the Taxi Council and the company involved and have emphasised that we expect this matter to be dealt with swiftly and with the utmost gravity.”

Since sharing her ordeal, Clarke has received overwhelming support online, with one commenter describing her story as “petrifying and scary”.

“It’s things like this that make me still so scared to catch a taxi or uber by myself,” the comment read.

Women of the Year Awards. Matthew Clarke and wife Ali Clarke 6th March 2025 Picture: Brett Hartwig

“Hope you’re ok xx”, former newsreader and radio host Rebecca Morse commented.

Clarke said she’d contacted the taxi company to report the driver, but no one answered her phone calls.

A spokesperson for 13 cabs told The Advertiser they had contacted Clarke, and that a “thorough investigation” was under way.

“The driver’s actions will be reviewed under our code of conduct, and any behaviour that does not meet our standards will not be tolerated,” the spokesperson said.

“We are committed to ensuring the highest standards of service and safety for all our passengers.”

Clarke was host of the popular breakfast program on Mix 102.3 for three years, before stepping down at the end of 2024.

She recently purchased a stake in South Australian gin distillery Prohibition Liquor Co., alongside husband, Adelaide Crows AFLW coach Matthew Clarke.

Originally published as Ali Clarke refused taxi ride, verbally abused in Adelaide