A woman has revealed two seemingly bizarre things she does every time she uses a rideshare service, such as Uber or Lyft, and other users chimed in with their own tricks they employ to ensure their safety and dangerous situations.
Using a ridesharing service can be dangerous, especially for women
It was estimated that in 2021, over 25% of the US population requested a ride from a ridesharing service at least once a month.
The dangers of using rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft can include theft, assault, and auto accidents. And according to reviews.com, there were over 3,000 sexual assaults reported in one year for one major ridesharing company, and it’s estimated that a multitude went unreported.
News4Jax in Florida stated that a report from Lyft revealed there were over 4,000 cases of sexual assault over a three-year period, while Uber reported almost 6,000 sexual assaults over two years.
Those are alarming numbers, especially so for women.
Woman and others reveal rideshare safety tricks to avoid danger
Some of these tricks may seem bizarre, but they are simple to do. These tips are going viral after one woman revealed the two strange things she does every time she uses a rideshare service, and others on the Internet are also sharing their tips for keeping safe and avoiding danger.
One woman has gone viral with a video she posted to TikTok that has racked up over 27.5 million views, in which she reveals two things she always does every time she uses a rideshare service, the Daily Mail reported.
The woman stated that she leaves some of her hair and fingerprints in every rideshare vehicle she travels in.
The obvious implication behind her actions is that she is leaving her DNA and other clues in case she is killed or disappears.
Many commenters noted how simple and “clever” the woman’s advice was.
One commenter shared her own scary story about an incident that occurred to her on one ride: “I had an Uber driver lock me in his car until I gave him five stars and a nice comment.”
More tricks to stay safe when using rideshare services
The tricks employed by the woman above would help investigators connect the crime to the perpetrator. However, it doesn’t necessarily ensure safety when using a rideshare service in the first place. A number of others online have offered tips for ensuring safety from the start.
“Set your Uber name to a guy’s name,” one commenter suggested. “It will look like a dad/boyfriend/boss ordered it for you, thus you have someone waiting for you.”
“Take a photo of the license plate and driver and send it to a friend,” another commenter suggested.
“I always pretend I’m on the phone with someone as I enter,” one woman said. “I’ll usually be like ‘okay I’m getting in the Uber, I’ll send you my location, love you, bye.”
“Get in, open the door again always,” another advised. “Act like it didn’t close right. Make sure there’s no child lock on!”
Another person suggested carrying pepper spray while noting it’s not legal to carry everywhere.
Finally, another person recommended avoiding rideshare services and, instead, using a reputable taxi company. However, as another user noted, attacks on women also have occurred with drivers from taxi services.
The bottom line is for women to remain alert, be aware, and have a safety plan before traveling alone in a taxi or using a ridesharing service.
