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Safety Tips Before Getting in Your Next Uber or Lyft

Michael Agruss

Written and Reviewed by Michael Agruss

  • Managing Partner and Personal Injury Lawyer at Mike Agruss Law.
  • Over 20 years of experience in Personal Injury.
  • Over 8000+ consumer rights cases settled.
  • Graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law: Juris Doctor, 2004.

At about 2 a.m. on March 29, Samantha Josephson, age 21, was waiting for the Uber she had requested to take her home. Standing outside a bar in the trendy Five Points area of Columbia, South Carolina, she got into a Chevy Impala that pulled up. The following afternoon, hunters found Josephson’s dead body in a field about 70 miles from where she had been picked up.

“We believe she may have mistakenly gotten into the Impala thinking it was an Uber ride,” said Columbia Police Chief William “Skip” Holbrook. The Impala was driven by Nathanial David Rowland, age 24, who was not an Uber driver. Detectives found Josephson’s cell phone and blood in Rowland’s car. It is believed Rowland had activated the child locks so that Josephson would be unable to escape. Rowland has been charged with her murder.

Although an extreme case, this is not an isolated incident. An April 2018 investigation by CNN showed 103 Uber drivers had been accused of sexual abuse or assault in the United States. In September of last year, a San Francisco man was attacked after approaching a car he mistakenly thought was his Lyft rideshare.

If you’re concerned by the uptick in reports like these, consider taking these safety precautions when using rideshare. When your ride arrives, you shouldn’t just confirm the driver’s name and the car’s license plate; you should also double check the model, color, and make of the car. Verify that the driver knows your name and your destination, too.

When the vehicle gets moving, open a mapping app on your phone. This will help you ensure your driver is taking the route they are supposed to. Also, both Uber and Lyft allow you to share information about your ride with friends. This can be helpful if you are meeting someone, as they will be able to see what car you’ll be arriving in as well as your ETA, but it’s also a great security feature to help people know your whereabouts.

Make sure to check your driver’s rating before accepting a ride. The most common reason Uber drivers receive a 1-star rating is if they are involved in harassment or a “physical altercation.” For Uber, 4.8 is the average rating. If you feel a driver’s rating is too low, you should request another driver. Don’t forget to rate your driver after your own trip to help other riders make informed decisions.

Be careful with the information you share with your driver. Don’t give out your phone number, credit card details, or anything else which may compromise your safety. Remember that your driver doesn’t have access to this information unless you give it to them—although your driver is able to call you, your number is not visible in the app.

If there are no other passengers riding with you, sit in the back seat. On the one hand, this gives both you and your driver more personal space, but on the other hand, it also means you can exit the car on either side in case of an emergency.

Finally, travel with friends if possible. There’s truth to the phrase “safety in numbers.” If several of you are traveling at once, it is harder for the driver to take advantage of the situation. This is especially true if you have been drinking and, therefore, are more vulnerable.
“Samantha was by herself,” said Seymour Josephson talking about his daughter’s death. He warned people about taking rideshares alone. “She absolutely had no chance in this, but if there’s someone else in the car, there’s actually a chance.

Submitted Comments

Michael
4 years ago
The most common reason for a 1 star rating is an arbitrary reason. What you wrote in your article might be why you give a 1 star rating, but not everybody is like you. Your prose is a disservice to drivers who actually are doing a good job. I do appreciate you are asking riders to be careful. I am an Uber driver.

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