Ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft have revolutionized travel – no one can argue that. The ease of ordering a car the same way you would a pizza or movie tickets has mass appeal – whether you’re trying to avoid driving while under the influence or you’re traveling in a foreign country – it takes the guesswork out of getting from A to B while conveniently taking cards instead of cash. I have used these apps in 5 different countries in a number of situations: alone, with my husband, with my kids, and with girlfriends. Each time, the drivers were friendly, the service was excellent, and I didn’t have to navigate foreign streets in a foreign language or hop behind the wheel when I should have been in the passenger seat.
However, like all innovative advances in technology, there are dangers that can’t be ignored. On a recent trip in Athens, our taxi driver explained why Uber didn’t work for us there as it had in Rome: the government had created stricter rules for private ride sharing apps due to an alarming increase in sexual assaults. Instead, licensed and monitored taxi drivers are ordered via the Beat app.
And here in the United States, Uber and Lyft are both battling the same growing problem: sexual assaults perpetrated by drivers and those pretending to be drivers.
Without delving into the nuances of rape culture, we should all be aware of the risks we take when we ask the internet to provide a stranger to chauffeur us. Here are some best practices for anyone – male, female, single or in a group – ordering a car service, ride share, or taxi:
1. Wait inside (if possible) and meet your car in a well-lit, populated area. Even if it means you have to walk a block or two to get there. Having people around you just in case you need help is never a bad idea.
2. Check the license plate when the car pulls up. Does it match the number given on your app? This was helpful to us in France where the makes and models of vehicles are much different that what we have in the U.S. I wasn’t always sure what a silver Peugeot or Black Renault would look like.
3. Stand 3-5 feet away from the car and have the driver roll down their window so you can…
4. Ask the driver for their name. Don’t volunteer, “Are you John?” or “Are you here to pick up Jane?” If someone is pretending to be a driver in order to poach rides w/o paying fees (or worse) all they have to say is “yes”. Make them prove they are who they say they are. You can also ask them to provide the name of the person they are picking up and the final destination to make sure they’re legit.
5. Make sure the child locks are OFF when you get in the car. Could the driver turn them on after you’re in? Sure. But if the child locks are already on, tell the driver you have changed your mind, close the door, and get out of there. It’s not a good sign!
Unfortunately, horrible people are out and about doing horrible things every day. In the age of ever-changing technological advances and conveniences, we need not only to teach our kids to trust their instincts and how to be aware of their surroundings – we need to practice it ourselves.
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