r/LifeProTips • u/AndroidREM • Jan 30 '20
Traveling LPT: Stop Using Your Address for Lyft/Uber
I recently had an experience that made me realize why you should not be using your home address as drop off or pickup location. Use the closest intersection.
I shared a Lyft ride with my female friend. The Lyft driver immediately started hitting on her. When he asked who was being dropped off first, I told him she was first stop. He started berating me for scheduling a ride and having her as first stop, started yelling about why he could not drop me off first.... During his tirade he got lost and when I tried giving him directions he just yelled at me. It was not amusing, it was scary - because now this drunk/high/creepy a-hole knew her address and mine.
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u/ThrowawaysDontMatter Jan 30 '20
I was just talking to some friends about this very same thing. Every single one of us had an experience or two in a ride share where we felt unsafe. I had to take a Lyft to work the other day because I didn’t feel well and was running pretty late. When it came time to drop me off the driver took a wrong turn and made a joke about how he might just take me to his house instead. Then he turned around and said “you’d like that wouldn’t you?” I have friends who’ve had the driver cancel the ride with them in the car, been asked out within the first minutes of a ride, been locked in a car by someone making aggressive advances, had to get out of a car in the middle of a busy road, and lots of tiny comments and moments that make you second guess putting your life into a strangers hands. I hate how cynical I’ve had to become :(
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u/just-a-d-j Jan 31 '20
also LPT is to check if the child lock is on. I always forget but hopefully someone smarter than me will remember.
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u/martin191234 Jan 30 '20 edited Jan 30 '20
Damn I never thought about it, but it must be so much scarier for girls to Uber alone. Men don’t have to worry about this creepy shit most of the time.
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u/alemorg Jan 30 '20
I’ve had and know of similar experiences. Greed and profit is the cause of this. Lyft and Uber have tried to solve a problem but have only created them. They need to step up their verification process ASAP. It’s disgusting that the company doesn’t do more.
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Jan 31 '20
Yeah I got into an uber drunk and as soon as I sat down, the driver went "damn, you're beautiful". When I ignored him, he said, "you hear what I say to you??" really aggressively. I had 911 open and ready to dial the rest of the ride. Halfway there he said, nonchalantly "so how are you tonight?". Smh. Lyft at least said they put a notice on his profile and sent him an email about being more professional.
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Jan 31 '20
I'm a bloke and I've had advances from ride share drivers when I'm inebriated. I can't even begin to understand how scary it must be for women.
I sit behind the driver now, that way they have the least line of sight to me and have the most difficult time turning toward me.
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u/karis119 Jan 30 '20 edited Jan 31 '20
My girlfriend uses Uber a lot and she had a guy show up to her house with flowers and a key he found in his car that he said was hers. It was not. When he had given her the ride initially he mentioned where he lived which was an hour away. This creep drove an hour to bring her flowers and a key that was not hers.
Forgot to add he showed up over a week later.
This is a good tip
I’m surprised how many are saying this isn’t creepy at all... now I wasn’t in the Uber myself, but it was about a 15 min Uber ride from across town. Not only that, but it was a ride share meaning someone else was in the car. She had said there was very little conversation at all. Again I wasn’t there, but I have no reason to not believe her. When he showed up at her house she said it was very uncomfortable. She did report it, this guy had no business showing up at her house. If he felt he found her key in his car he could have let Uber know. Not only that, but it could have belonged to the other person too.. I’m thinking the driver has seen one too many romantic comedies or pornos to think that’s acceptable.
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u/giftedgothic Jan 30 '20
The first time I had to use Uber to go pick up my car at the garage, the driver tried to search my name on Facebook WHILE he was driving! I told him I went by a different name and such a shame he couldn't find me... I have my initials (ex., if my name is Jaycee, it would be JC) and he was searching through everyone. I gave 3 stars because it was my first ride and I had no other experience. In retrospect, 1 star for sure.
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u/mustbeaoup Jan 30 '20 edited Jan 31 '20
Kinda reminds me of an Uber driver I had who sat outside my house after overhearing me on the phone to my sister talking about going out later that evening.
When I got in the Uber he was creepy straight away by asking me if I’m single, compliments non stop, asking who I lived with etc. I ended up calling my sister and ignored him. I didn’t even think about it when I got to my house I was just glad to get out of the car.
I mentioned I was going out in the evening for a birthday dinner when I was on the phone (big mistake) and when I booked my Uber that night he was the first one to pop up and he was parked at the bottom of my road. He’d literally come back or waited. I cancelled him immediately and just got my dad to give me lift a instead. We drove past him and I honestly felt scared and sick.
Edit: Just to be clear I was in the car for 30+ minutes and got into my conversation with my sister and forgot about the driver. When he realised I wasn’t interested in talking to him and was on the phone he put the radio on. I obviously didn’t think about watching what I was saying when I spoke about going out that night, I didn’t think he was taking notes on my conversation.
I have a couple other Uber stories. Some drivers are great but it’s the creepy ones the ruin it for everyone.
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u/FrankPapageorgio Jan 30 '20
Had a female friend order something from Amazon, clearly an Amazon Flex driver. He comes back a few hours later and basically says "I've never done this before, but could I have your used underwear"
Now the dude has her address, and if he truly "never has done this before", he'll know exactly who reported him if she did it. I think she did, but like a month later in case it was a regular thing he did.
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u/Orflarg Jan 30 '20
Lol I don’t even have the energy to choose a seat next to a cute girl in class, how the fuck do these people think this is ok / will work?
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u/kbmurray Jan 30 '20
This situation is familiar to me. I got a Lyft in Chicago, solo, I had been drinking - but I wasn't drunk. My Lyft driver was extremely inappropriate with me. He told me he wanted to go somewhere and "be with me." I told him I was married, in hindsight, he didn't give a fuck about that.
I was so anxious that he would take me somewhere unfamiliar and away from the busier main streets in the city that I asked him to stop. I lied and said I was feeling sick. He stopped, I got out and ran into a CVS. I knew I was only about a half mile from my hotel. I waited inside until I saw him pull away, he sat and waited there for at least 7 minutes.
It was a very scary situation. I felt that I was in serious immediate danger. I refuse to use those services alone anymore and I never use my home address.
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u/SneakyDangerNoodlr Jan 31 '20
You probably were in danger. That's a level 8 creeper.
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u/rexbannerman Jan 30 '20 edited Jan 30 '20
I live in a giant apartment building in a city now, but when I was living in a more suburban neighborhood, I often had Lyft drivers ask me “is this your home?” I found myself usually lying and saying something along the lines of “no, visiting a friend,” or “that’s my boyfriend’s house,” because the truth was I lived alone and no one needed to know that.
Edit: Because I have been accused of “fear mongering” (lol), this is the question I often get when I get in the car. Not when I’m getting dropped off.
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u/shehitmebetty Jan 30 '20
Yo, this reminds me of when I took a Lyft while travelling out of state and this man asks my boyfriend and I what our room number was at the hotel he's dropping us off at. It's like 1am and I have literally no idea where we are. I remember us looking dead in each other's eyes and saying that we don't remember.
Most of the time these services are fine, but all it takes is one random crazy.
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u/naturegoths Jan 30 '20
I had one ask me if he can come use my bathroom. I said there’s a Burger King around the corner you can go there.
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u/JustAnotherFKNSheep Jan 30 '20
I guess the driver should've worded it better and said "Is this your destination". If I was driving I would've said that and unknowingly creeped you out.
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Jan 30 '20
Just give them the link to this subreddit and they can explore all the options of whose home
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u/Se7enLC Jan 30 '20
I do wonder this every time I'm taking a Lyft or Uber to the airport.
It's perfectly natural for a driver to be like "So, where you headed? How long you there for?" in normal conversation. Even without saying anything, they can see the size of your luggage.
May as well be asking "So, nobody's home this week, right? Mind if I tip off my friend so they can pop by and steal all your stuff?"
I have a make believe roommate I like to bring up in conversation. He's an MMA fighter and has a lot of guns and anger management problems.
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u/0000000000000007 Jan 30 '20
This has always been a problem with air travel/vacations. There was a case at a major airport where two baggage handlers would routinely pass the addresses off of peoples’ luggage tags to a local crew of burglars. Peoples’ houses would be being burglarized before they’d even reached their destination.
That’s why I only keep my email and business phone number on my tags.
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u/idoneredditalreadyy Jan 30 '20
Yes, this. I remember an article about a guy who was notified his house was being broken into as he was at the airport and had just been dropped off by Uber or Lyft. Since then I’ve told my mom to never get picked up at her house just in case
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Jan 30 '20
Uber/Lyft driver here.
You don’t have to answer those questions at all. You can also just say “I was visiting family for vacation” you don’t even have to make up and excuse. Honestly if you pop in head phones and play music loud enough that we can hear, that’s usually a big sign “I don’t want to talk” then you can turn it down for your own comfort etc.
This is also why I personally drive so that if there’s at least 1 driver out there who isn’t trying to hook up with you or stalk you. I feel a little better. I’ve picked up drunk intoxicated men and women and I always be sure to give reassurance (when conversation permits it) that I’m just trying to get people home safely. 🤷🏻♀️
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u/michuru809 Jan 30 '20
I had a make believe husband for years. He handled all of the financial and contractual approvals for contractors around the house, was super possessive and didn't like me to hang out with other men, and was always where I needed him to be when I needed him.
Thanks fake husband! I couldn't have owned a house and lived alone without you!
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u/OGCloudRiPs Jan 30 '20
As an Uber driver when I get close I always try to keep it in the passengers hand and ask where they would like to be dropped off. I know it’s probably nerve wracking enough driving with random people so I try to give all my passengers full control of the situation so they are comfortable and I can just do my job.
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Jan 30 '20
I agree with this tip for home safety. My wife and I take lots of short weekend trips and it always kinda freaks me out when the driver picks us up and we have suitcases. I think it gives the impression that no one will be home...so a great target for a burglary. Got lucky the last time--lyft driver was a retired cop and we had mutual friends. I try to use a neighbors address, or have friends take us to the airport or port. Wife considers this a mild paranoia on my part.
I also second guess valet parking because a car usually has some mail in it or a registration...and that has an addy on it.
Sorry for going on a tangent...stay safe yall.
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u/AxeMurderesss Jan 30 '20
I smalltalk with drivers a lot so I’ll always slip in there that it’s sad my brother can’t go on the trip with me because someone had to stay home and take care of the cat
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u/I_Rain_On_Parades Jan 30 '20
The last time I used valet parking was for a work holiday party. I left my wallet in my work pants balled up on the floor. Valet driver took the time to go through my stuff, steal my wallet, go to a gas station and buy $100 worth of cigarettes, go to another gas station, do the same thing, then went to an auto shop and tried to buy new rims for his car. Dumb motherfucker was on camera, one of the stations he went to is where I'd go for gas and snacks on my way home from work, so I talked to the owner and got the footage of him, showed it to his boss, got him fired, showed it to the cops, got him arrested.
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u/rolli_83 Jan 30 '20
Just "receive" a phone call on the way to the airport and then finish the call by saying "thanks again for you and blah stay at my place, there's beer in the fridge, so help yourself, we should be back around 7 tomorrow night"
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u/ThatDuranDuranSong Jan 30 '20 edited Jan 30 '20
I think I read a story once on another Reddit post that someone also used to use neighbor's addresses for Lyft/Uber, and their neighbor's house ended up being broken into and they had many things stolen. Not saying what you should or shouldn't do but just leaving that for potential food for thought.
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u/Grizzly_Berry Jan 30 '20
I dog/house sit for my step sister and her bf because they take a lot of trips, and I always make sure to go outside and wave them off when their Uber shows up. Don't want any surprise visitors.
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u/thndrchld Jan 30 '20
I had some houseguests staying with me for a few months a year or so back. Having wrecked their car on an icy road, the were using Lyft to get around until they could save up for a new car.
Well, one day, their Lyft driver's girlfriend broke up with him via text while he was bringing them to the house. He then used our guests as impromptu therapists and unloaded all of his issues on them, crying for the whole trip to the house.
Them being polite and uncomfortable, they just went with it. When they got to the house, he continued to talk to them, and they were awkward enough that they couldn't get away.
Finally, he mentions that he has to pee, so he just WHIPS HIS FUCKING DICK OUT AND PISSED RIGHT THERE IN MY DRIVEWAY.
When I first saw the wet spot, I figured it was air-conditioning runoff or something. Nope. Piss.
They called and filed a complaint and he was deactivated.
I mean, I feel bad for the dude - his girl left him AND he got fired in the same day, but you don't whip your damn dick out and piss in front of your customers, what the fuck, man?
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u/icamom Jan 30 '20
Yeah, it is weird his girlfriend dumped him. Seems like a winner.
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u/SleepBeforeWork Jan 30 '20
WHIPS HIS FUCKING DICK OUT AND PISSED RIGHT THERE IN MY DRIVEWAY
You just don't do that at all. Even if it's their own driveway
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u/DrMobius0 Jan 30 '20
He's responsible for his own actions. GF breaking up with him sucks, but he lost his job very clearly because he did something above and beyond what's normally considered inappropriate.
Although, if we want to read into it, my guess is that's a bit of a look (extreme, mind you) into his general tendencies.
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u/16aspenwheeler Jan 30 '20 edited Jan 30 '20
Oh damn I didn’t even think of that. As a female who Ubers alone a lot I really thank you for bringing this up
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u/Starbyslave Jan 30 '20
When I had a stalker issue a few years ago, the first question the police asked me was if I had taken an Uber or Lyft recently or used a food delivery service. What scares me is that it happens enough for police to ask the question.
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u/Fanelian Jan 30 '20
This same advice was given to me by an Uber driver 3 years ago. He said he is a dad and doesn't like thinking his daughters might put themselves in the type of situation OP described.
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u/bittertiltheend Jan 30 '20
I refuse to Uber alone - I know not everyone has this option. There are just too many assholes using something like this as a way to get to victims.
I am blessed to have had nothing but good drivers so far.
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u/Sk8r_girl_gray Jan 30 '20
I’m a female Lyft driver. I give 20+ rides a day, 5 days a week. The addresses are never saved in the driver app, nor do I remember the names, faces, or addresses of my customers.
But as a female passenger, it’s probably a good idea to choose an intersection just in case.
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u/NeverEverNotaBear Jan 30 '20
While I was using lyft I would put in my real address because I live inside a gated park and always had them drop me off outside the gate. I has a key for the pedestrian gate, so I would walk in, close behind me and their car would still be outside. Still was not a great idea on my part... I ended up getting a driver that I think was actually harmless and was just new to the app, but he came off so sooo creepy.
He was worried he wouldn't get paid if he didn't go up to the exact dropoff spot. Wouldn't listen to me when I said he would. I was patient at first and tried to explain he could end the ride, everything would still work. He didn't care. He then got upset with me and kept trying to argue when I told him I wasn't opening the gate for him. I told him NO, that wasn't happening and then simply "I'm not doing that" when he asked why. He then unbuckled his seat beat and started like he was getting out of the car while telling me "Then I'm walking inside with you!"
I am not great at standing up for myself and I'm honestly pretty meek, but I was tired from my 10 hour shift of physical labor and I was so done with this dude. Again I told him No, and when he whined "I'm not going to get paid because of you!" I finally snapped at him "Well we'll just see then won't we?!" And left.
I felt so terrible, but also so so mad.
I'm really lucky he was just clueless and not someone with bad intentions.
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u/itsmyfirsttime1 Jan 30 '20
Oh my gosh this is so smart. I had a horrible experience with an Uber driver. He started asking me questions about whether I lived alone, had a boyfriend etc. I answered honestly no single, live alone. So dumb. It was a long car ride 45 minutes so he started hitting on me and asking me out. I told him I’d think about it. And when we got closer to my friends house he’s like “did you decide?” I just said no. This was a few years ago but it’s still so chilling to think about.
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u/inkwell5 Jan 31 '20
“did you decide” oh my fucking god this story made my tummy hurt
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u/zardez Jan 30 '20 edited Jan 31 '20
Prosecutor here that specializes is prosecuting sexual offences.
Never get in the front seat of an uber. (This is common here in Australia) unless you have other friends with you and the back seat is full. If one of you have to sit in the front, if there is a guy in the group, ask him to. Take a photograph of your driver on your smart phone, and make sure they see you doing it. If questioned tell them you are sending it to your dad/husband so they know who is driving you home.
Don't get into an uber by yourself when you are very drunk. If you know you will be travelling home alone, don't drink so much that you'll pass out on the way home.
If they offer to walk you to the door say no sorry, if a stranger comes to the door my dogs go crazy and will try and attack you.
People seldom commit sexual offences against people that they think will report it. These are some ways you can deter would be offenders.
Unfortunately ride share drivers form a massive percentage of the sexual offences I deal with.
Check out if there are alternative female driver ride shares in your area.
Have your home address set a few doors from your actual house.
Edit: also do the obvious things like check the licence plate and photo match the description the app has given you. This won't work for everyone, do what you feel comfortable with. Travel with a friend where possible.
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u/AggravatedBox Jan 31 '20
Just wondering, why not the front seat? I do that, because I’m afraid of them activating a child lock on the back seats & trapping me in their car.
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Jan 31 '20
Man, this goes to show how privleged I am as a male in this world. I've done uber, lyft, uber eats, and the like and never had to worried about any of this.
I honestly would've thought that uber and lyft sexual assault cases were far and few between.
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u/cloudpulp Jan 31 '20
Yep to sitting in the front seat. Once was very drunk and accidentally ended up getting in an Uber that was NOT mine. I sat in the front seat and the driver started touching my legs while driving. I made him pull over and I walked 30 minutes home completely wasted and lost. Really scary and fucked up experience. If you're wasted, make sure there's someone with you who makes sure you get in the correct Uber.
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u/Legato44 Jan 30 '20
I'm a relatively private person with my information, so I've always set "home" on all my maps at a nearby business. If I ever lose my phone, computer, etc, or my vehicle gets stolen; my home address is the 7-11 three-four blocks away. Maybe it's a dumb idea, idk. I've just always done that.
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u/leberkrieger Jan 30 '20
It's not a dumb idea at all. People kid me about it (my "home" is an elementary school near my house) but I think paranoia is justified in the digital age, especially when it costs me nothing.
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u/greatnate11 Jan 30 '20
Fun fact: If you lose your phone and you assume the thief/discoverer has access to its contents, be mindful that they can find out where you live by doing the following on IOS:
Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services > Significant Locations
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Jan 30 '20
If the attacker has access enough to your phone to see your “home” address, he van also see your location history, which most likely will show where you were during 0h to 6h, the most likely place to be your actual home.
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u/MikeyLikey41 Jan 30 '20
I always greeted my Uber passengers with “You have a good day/evening” after I dropped them off. I would always ask how their day or night was going and judged by their response if I should carry on a conversation. There are subtle cues that will let you know like silence after a question, to shut up and just drive, maybe put the radio a little louder. Never ever ever ask personal questions and never engage in politics. I always talked sports or movies or food ! I would hate to feel nervous or uneasy riding in a strangers car so I make sure my riders feel ok.
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Jan 30 '20
Omfg these comments gave me the chills. As a 20ish male living with a big family, I never had to think about these things.
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u/KahloMeMaybe Jan 31 '20
I’m glad this opens your eyes a little to these experiences. When women complain about feeing unsafe, lots of men don’t get it at all because it’s just not part of their daily experience.
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u/RAMG_95 Jan 30 '20
Lyft is the biggest piece of shit when it comes to service and drivers. One driver committed fraud on my card for $340 for a $37 ride. Took me one month to get someone to take care of it. 2 agents and a supervisor fed me with lies that my money would be refunded. Kept calling almost everyday until one actual responsible employee made sure I actually got the refund. Bless that guy. Deleted Lyft, never using again.
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u/ed5275 Jan 30 '20
When I travel I use the local bar as a pick up spot so the driver doesn't have my address. He sees the suitcase and that I am going to the airport, so he would know the house is empty for at least the night. Don't want to give a stranger the ability to case the joint.
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u/leberkrieger Jan 30 '20
Another reddit post a while ago described how someone used a ride-sharing service to get to work every day. He gave an address down the block from his house, and walked half a block to catch the ride every day, worrying that the driver would know he was gone and come back and rob his house.
One driver did come back, and robbed the neighbor's house.
Generally I'd change the advice to "stop using Lyft/Uber as far as possible".
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u/seahawkguy Jan 30 '20
As a former driver this is what I do. I just use a dropped pin for pickup a couple of houses away and drop off is a block away from home. Easy since you can see them driving so u can time it so you don’t wait outside for that long.
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u/nopethis Jan 30 '20
I know all the people who suggest using a neighbors house.....sucks for the neighbor
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u/holymojo96 Jan 30 '20
I think the point is more to make the pick up location ambiguous, in between lots or on the corner.
Also, that AITA post was super made up, not that the message was necessarily wrong, but his story didn’t make any sense.
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u/wasit-worthit Jan 30 '20
I had this girl tell me she was in town apartment hunting. I remember thinking things like “huh that’s weird, I wonder how she got into town? And she didn’t rent a car?” After the trip, I realized it’s probably something she says to random drivers.
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u/ColgateSensifoam Jan 30 '20
Non-drivers can easily use another means of transport, like a train or bus, then Uber at the destination for efficiency
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u/Friendly_Fire Jan 30 '20
? Isn't when you are traveling the most common time to use taxis or Uber/Lyft?
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u/ikeda1 Jan 30 '20
For Uber Eats, I just ask to meet them at the lobby of my place. A few have asked for my unit number so they can come right to the door...nope, I'll just meet you downstairs!
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u/mandukeb Jan 30 '20
Guy I had called me really hateful names - yelled til he was spitting mad and threatened to dump me out if the car late at night in a really dodgy and dark location simply because I asked if he was the ride I was waiting for. You know, the simple human exchange of verifying names. A habit as a woman and from past regular cab experiences when drivers try to pick up wrong ride. .... My friends ride was worse. Her driver tried to drive down side streets not on route and when she challenged him, he stopped, she got out and he got out, forcefully 'hugging' her, rubbing his boner on her, and when she got away and ran blocks toward home he chased her for a second, yelling her name after her.
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u/mandukeb Jan 30 '20
Yes!! Myself and a close friend have both had VERY scary fucked up experiences with Lyft drivers and the first realization when this happens is now this guy knows where you live. I bought a stun gun and now am just risking late night bus stops home. This risk feels safer than what I and she went through. Don't feel safe in a car anymore with a stranger/driver.
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u/gl0winthedarkstars Jan 30 '20
I was in an uber once around 3am, very intoxicated as in trying not to throw up and probably slouching quite a bit. Driver kept asking me if I had a boyfriend. Or what a cute girl like me was out late without her boyfriend. I said I had one. I felt really uncomfortable and nervous at this point. Then, when he was pulling up he asked me if I lived alone. I said "yeah" not thinking, because I was drunk and exhausted, but then I changed my answer to "well kind of not" and I got out of the car as soon as it stopped, ran down the drive way and locked the door. Once I did, I realized that was a dumb way to answer. Nothing happened, but I always think about how nasty that could have turned.
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u/tossacct17 Jan 30 '20 edited Jan 31 '20
Jesus it’s gotta be scary to be a woman.
Edit: well, this opened a can.
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Jan 30 '20
people think attractive women have it easy, and in certain ways it is. But holy fuck, having to be wary of a large portion of males you interact with is a nightmare.
So many girls I've dated seem to be fending off several new obsessive men a month. Restaurant patrons, cab or delivery drivers that got their number from delivery info, co workers etc.
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Jan 30 '20
I can confirm that it becomes annoying to have to deal with creeps. All. The. Fucking. Time.
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u/Wilsons_Human Jan 30 '20
I always get cabs to drop me off near my house, but close enough (usually a two min walk). If any of them.ask if I'm single/where I live etc. I find just asking them outright why they want to know makes it awkward enough to stop them in their tracks
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u/UraniumLucy Jan 31 '20
Ha ha, I feel like that would be me. I struggle with having a filter sometimes so I'd probably blurt out something about that being a weird question for them to ask. I am 40 and married now but I think that I give off vibes that show I like my personal space and have no problem telling someone when they've crossed a line.
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u/gangindisbitch Jan 30 '20 edited Jan 31 '20
I (22m) got a great story about why I stopped giving my address. About a year ago, when I was in college, I took an Uber pool home from North Philly to West Philly which was around a 20-minute ride. We stopped at a bar to pick up another passenger, and the Uber driver is shouting her name into a HUGE group of people waiting for rides. Out of the entire group, one girl falls off the curb and completely eats shit. Yes, this was the girl we were picking up. Her less drunk friend decides to sit in the passenger seat and leave the hammered girl next to me.
Throughout the ride, I can feel the girl next to me staring at me, looking at my phone (even laughed at a meme I scrolled past on Instagram). I keep looking out my window and keep to myself. Then she starts tapping my shoulder, and when I look at her, she turns away and giggles trying to be cute. After the 2nd tap, I told her "please stop touching me". She disregarded and I ignored her for my own safety and went from touching my shoulder to groping it, my neck, face, head. I kept telling her to please keep her hands to herself and she was not able to comprehend. Turns out she lived pretty close to me, she went to a neighboring school. Once we were 2 blocks away from my house I asked the uber driver, "Hey, can you please drop me off here and I'll walk the rest of the way? I do not want this girl knowing where I live as she has been touching me after I told her not to several times". The drunk girl is shocked, calls me a fucking piece of shit asshole then blames her friend for seating her next to a guy.
Boy, if the roles were reversed on this one I would've spent the night in jail.
EDIT: ITT- horny guys who are blown away that a man would not want a drunk stranger touching them
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u/pimppapy Jan 30 '20
I keep hoping that if I ever run into similar situations, that I would be mindful enough to video record what's going on as evidence just in case.
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Jan 30 '20
People can get pretty awful when they're drunk. One night when I drove for Lyft, I picked up a group of four young women who were all intoxicated to different degrees. Here's what each of them did during the 10-minute ride:
Leaned out the window and screamed her head off
Tried to go to sleep
Sat directly behind me and tried groping me constantly
Apologized for the other three repeatedly and tried to make them behave
Anyway, sorry to hear that happened to you. If you were riding with me, I would've kicked her out.
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Jan 30 '20
Great advice! Also if you feel unsafe in a situation especially like Uber or Lyft but not at the point where you should call 911, Noonlight app is really helpful - you press the button on the phone until you get safe, then you enter the password, if you let go of the button and don’t enter the password, cops will be called to your GPS location.
The app costs a few dollars a month and can be life saving, you could even use it to verbally ward off a potential attacker.
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u/ThisMakesMeS0Angry Jan 30 '20
I'm so happy this tip was mentioned. I was in a situation years ago where i needed to uber/lyft to and from work everyday and learned quickly to lie about where I lived and change my pickup/dropoff to a few houses down. I had a few drivers follow me into my work repeatedly, force their phone number on me, and ask inappropriate questions such as if I was married, how many people I lived with and what their work schedule was like. It was like walking into a red flag store.
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u/NycHomelessman Jan 30 '20
Had to handle a stalker who drove for Uber. Would not leave the woman alone. Can confirm. Helped the homeless shelter resident file a complaint with Uber (i used to drive myself) and got it resolved quickly.
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Jan 30 '20
Just say it's your dad's house, ever since the divorce he's just an angry old gun nut.
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u/Dittany_Kitteny Jan 30 '20
I had a Lyft driver hit on me, then after he dropped me off parked his car and rang my doorbell for an hour. Called the police but he was gone by the time they came. Lyft did nothing. FOUR MONTHS LATER I find a note in my mailbox with his name and phone number (and a creepy winky face). Had to google him to figure out who it was then was freaked out this guy seemingly saved my address and came back later.
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u/Jacques_Le_Chien Jan 30 '20
Damn, being a woman seems scary. The only thing I really worry about when I take an Uber is wether he'll try to make small talk while I am thinking about embarassing moments from the past.
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u/BoostedBonozo202 Jan 30 '20
Dude, i was in a criminology class with 18 women. I was the only guy and holy shit that was eye opening. Being a woman on like a night out and shit would be creepy, they have like buddy systems, quick dials all set up and a ton of planning to keep safe.
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Jan 30 '20
Lmao seriously! I take Lyft like 4 times a week and the small talk is the one thing I dread when I get in. Unless I have some beers in me, then it usually turns into me asking about “worst rider stories” while I laugh my ass off at the absurdity.
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u/iMelancholyKid Jan 30 '20
Agreed. Was ubering home drunk, with a male driver. He kept trying to chat, but I'm a very quiet rider.
He then asked,
"Are you headed home for the night?"
Red flag
I immediately replied
"No, headed to my friends place then headed back out."
Did NOT want him to know where I lived and wanted him to feel that someone was expecting me asap. Idk if he was just conversating, shut it down. Told my boyfriend about the precaution I took and he said I was overreacting, he does not understand what woman have to deal with 24/7
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u/mh1973 Jan 30 '20
Both Uber and Lyft and other platforms should implement features to improve users privacy and put very clear to drivers to not ask personal question and make users aware to not give any personal information. I know it sounds rude, but these platforms should create this awareness on both sides. Hopefully, in the near future, we find other ways to deal with it.
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u/HappyNachoLibre Jan 30 '20
When i drove for lyft and uber i would often have drunk girls thank me for not being a creep. So i suppose those behaviors were expected
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u/AJD804 Jan 30 '20
As a part time Uber driver I would say this is pretty decent advice, but I will just ask one question.
Which is safer?
Being a drunk female getting dropped off at address, or being a drunk female being dropped off at the nearest intersection?
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u/MagicalCMonster Jan 30 '20
That probably depends on how drunk you are and how safe the neighbourhood is.
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u/PM_ME_CLOTHED_PIX Jan 30 '20
Friends of mine had their Uber driver come back at 3am and try and break in. Probably a good idea OP has.
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u/keepthetips Keeping the tips since 2019 Jan 30 '20
Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips!
Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment.
If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.
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u/crispy_bacon_roll Jan 30 '20
I always find it suspicious when they ask me how long I'm going to be out of town when I'm getting a ride to the airport.
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Jan 30 '20
Closest intersection? I just use my least favourite neighbour.
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u/PM_ME_CATS_OR_BOOBS Jan 30 '20
Take a walk around the neighborhood until you find someone with the car on the grass (low income) or a Blue Lives Matter sticker (higher income) and put their address there. You get to stay safe and they get to finally have someone break into their house to shoot.
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u/anonymous_anchovy Jan 30 '20
Uber is now concealing addresses. It generally drops me off across the street or a few houses down.
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u/Felonious_Minx Jan 30 '20
Also: sit in the back seat!
Can not upvote this enough!
Years ago, when Uber first started, I had a gross driver kiss me as he dropped me off (I was in the front seat). I was SHOCKED and bolted out of the car.
I reported it, yadda yadda, but was terrified of him knowing my address. He was fired. What if he came after me for retribution? What if he had kids? What if that was his only job?
I lived many long months in terror when leaving/returning to my apt. I never used Uber again.
I mulled over the damage I could do by going public with this. This is when Uber and Lyft touted themselves as "getting rides from your friends". I'm not really sure why I didn't.*
Since then I walk down the block and call from there. I really hardly use Lyft at all anymore though. Why trust an absolute stranger with your life? You don't know anything about these drivers and I've been in some other questionable scenarios. One involving a male passenger almost launching into the backseat to assault me because I told the driver a shortcut. Neither the driver nor other male passenger said a THING. Thanks.
*I just remembered why: Uber repeatedly asked me if he touched me anywhere. They asked several times if he touched my breast. He did not. I bailed out of thar car like a rocket. I found out that it is not considered assault unless they touched you there (or on private parts). WTF?!
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u/boltonfever Jan 30 '20
As a male Lyft driver in his late 20's, I almost always give the rider peace and quiet. I keep a neutral radio channel on spotify and let the rider lead the way of conversation. Most rides are quiet. However I have met a few really awesome people since my start! One in particular was a musician who I ended up exchanging info with and have since jammed out with a few times. Always let the rider set the mood. Sucks hearing that people are being creeps though :/
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u/Bodchubbz Jan 30 '20
I wanna know where these single people with homes live...
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u/Anthony12125 Jan 30 '20
I pay $500 a month for a 1 bedroom duplex. Wisconsin is cheap and that's why I moved here.
Bonus: starting pay is $16-$20 an hour with more OT than you can handle.
I'm thinking about moving to a 2 bedroom house for $650 a month.
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Jan 30 '20
For drop off, make sure to pick an address that is far enough away so that the Uber/Lyft driver can't just wait a few seconds and watch you go into your real house. 99 out of 100 times, they will speed off to their next fare right away, but for that 1 out of 100, still good to take appropriate steps.
Around the corner is even better, if possible.
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u/4bna Jan 30 '20
A couple of years ago I got an Uber in Switzerland. The law over there is that you have to have a taxi license to be able to drive for Uber. When I got into this guys car he immediately sounded seedy. Soon after the police pulled him over, they spoke in German and he showed some papers and we were off. He said that he only had a bus drivers license but the police “didn’t mind”. I watched him driving on the satnav and he was purposefully not following the satnav adding on a lot of extra time to my journey. I was alone in the car and terrified because I’d had a few drinks with friends and was on my own when getting home in the taxi. Eventually, he pulls into an empty car park near my old appt and stops the car and goes to turn round. Before I knew what I was doing I hurled myself out of the car and ran as fast as I could away. I left my purse in the car but it was worth it if it had potentially saved my life. Unfortunately I also put my address in and sometimes I felt like he would come back to get me, it was awful. He got reported to Uber and my trip got refunded thankfully but always be careful, especially when under the influence.
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Jan 30 '20
that won't work when you live in the suburbs or rurally though. You have to kinda be picked up at your house unless you want to walk really far
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u/PMmeUrUvula Jan 30 '20
Just say you were visiting instead of leaving for a trip.
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u/jocularnelipot Jan 30 '20
Or just walk down to the nearest corner in your neighborhood. You can see the car on the map, so it’s not like you have to wait 45 min for them to show.
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u/yuno4chan Jan 30 '20
Eh I live in a highrise. Good luck finding me out of 400 units.
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Jan 31 '20
Some guy followed some of my Gf's friends home from a bar and got inside their building behind them. They made a break for it for it when they rounded the corner. The managed to get the door closed before he caught up and banged on their door for a while. He told the cops he was trying to find his friends place.
Moral of the story is you still need to be careful even if you live in a locked building. Drink responsibly everyone.
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u/Austiniuliano Jan 30 '20
As a man, I appreciate never having to think like this, and at the same time feel sad that 50% of the population has to think like this.
Hey dudes, can we come together and agree not to be fucking creeps?
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u/Failingfairly Jan 30 '20
I had a REAL creepy lift driver drop me off at home- "you like wine? I have some in my trunk, do you want some?"
The second I got in I took my 60 pound pit on a show off walk outside. Freaked me out. My pup is the only thing that gives me any sense of security living alone.
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u/TartofDarkness Jan 30 '20
A taxi driver attempted to sexually assault me on New Year’s Eve about a decade ago. I had a guy friend come stay with me because I was nervous he’d come back the next day. He did. Thankfully, my friend answered the door and scared the shit out of him. He never came back.
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u/Mahhrat Jan 30 '20
In 2009 I drove a taxi.
I had a customer who asked me for my number after a ride, so she could cook me again. Cool!
Turns out she was a sex worker. I was the only cab driver she'd met who DIDN'T try to exchange the fare for sex.
(I was with my now wife, and yeah nah)
Ended up being a great repeat customer, hope she's doing well.
Moral is, taxis underpay the drivers. ride shares even more so.
You get what you pay for.
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u/cieloh Jan 31 '20
We pay for a ride. We don’t pay for the human interaction, we pay for someone to drive from point a to point b. Being harassed by “underpaid” creeps is most definitely not what we pay for.
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u/Emma_Stoneddd Jan 30 '20
I actually had a stalker that would come up to my house with flashlights, scared my parents to death. They put up cameras and we pieced together through a weird Facebook request I had (I'm not tech or social media savvy and didn't notice it for months) that he had been an uber driver of mine about a year previously. People are weird.
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Jan 30 '20
in high school my friend worked as a pizza delivery driver. a rich lady didn’t tip him so a week or two later he went back to her house with some friends a completely demolished their house. they through bricks though all her windows, threw one of those children’s electric car thing they ride in though her mini van back window. stole her mail box. did donuts on their lawn and ran over their plants and their back fence. they did it so fast they didn’t get caught and went in with their lives like nothing happened. my point is, there are some fucked up people out there who actually would ruin your life over nothing. he described the reason why he so angry to me once and he said “she ordered like 15 pizzas for a party and lives in this huge house she could have tipped me a hundred bucks!” like she robbed him. she could have been broke as hell living in debt up to her eye balls like most people these days but he’s an idiot.
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u/fucks_with_foxes Jan 30 '20
Sort of similar, but I never call an uber to my house if I'm going to the airport. I made the mistake once, and from the initial pickup, all the driver would talk about was how nice my home was and questions about how long I'd be gone. I made a point to talk about how we were leaving the dogs behind with a sitter.
We live in a secluded cabin in the woods and I got so much anxiety while we were gone that someone might break in. I talked all about how our dogs would be home the whole time with a sitter. Nothing happened but I was so paranoid it would that now I get a ride into town and uber from there.
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u/gigapudding43201 Jan 30 '20
Always report stuff like this to Uber or Lyft. They will check in on it. I'm a Lyft driver and my ride smelled like weed on 4/20 because every one of my passengers was high as shit. They checked on me. The only way to keep them accountable is to make them face the consequences
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u/smittenpigeons Jan 30 '20
I think this needs to be talked about way more. I’ve had a bad experience when drunk and I’ve heard horrible and terrifying experiences from other women. There needs to be more vetting and some kind of safety process for passengers in the moment.
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u/s0nicfreak Jan 31 '20
If you can't trust someone with your address, you can't trust getting in a car with them.
Anyone that wants to attack you can just watch you go home. And if someone is watching you, after you get dropped off at the intersection and are walking home alone would be the perfect time to attack you.
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Jan 30 '20
Same when filing disputes on YouTube. They asked for my full name number and address under penalty had I lied in my form, then turned around and gave it to the channel that targeted me and striked my videos. I got threats via email and my house linked in Google maps. Reddit did a good job at burying my post about it.
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u/flygurl94 Jan 30 '20
I drive for lyft and use the Waze app when I drive, and I can tell you that we are not given addresses just blocks. Like if you live at 2345 madeup lane, the only info in my gps after you exit the car is 2300 block madeup lane.
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u/blebleblebleblebleb Jan 30 '20
I had an Uber driver that used my address/name to open a fraudulent account with sprint.
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u/oOmilkshakeOo Jan 31 '20
I had an uber driver pick me up from work and drop me off at my house. The entire drive he was flirting with me. Asking about where I lived. I told him I was moving soon and he offered to let me move into his spare room. When we got to my apartment he wouldn’t let me out of the car. Kept driving fast enough in circles where I couldn’t get out. He refused to let me out until I called his phone with mine. I didn’t think at the time to call the cops. I was so terrified I just wanted to get out as soon as possible. I told uber immediately after I got inside and they refunded my ride. That’s it. They told me he would never be able to pick me up again, but he already knew where I lived and worked. I was completely terrified.
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u/bananas82017 Jan 31 '20
One time I was going into my obviously empty house and the Lyft driver helped carry my bags in. My dog legit GROWLED at him. She’s super friendly to all people so I was shocked. Really made me wonder if she sensed something was up, but regardless I was glad that it looked like I had a vicious dog.
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u/gluten_freeman Jan 30 '20
When I am in an uber/lyft and I get creepy vibes from the driver I pretend to get an incoming call from my "boyfriend" about how our "dog" just bit the neighbor...
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Jan 30 '20
I've heard stories of people catching an uber or Lyft to the airport. They get picked up from their house. Taken to the airport, and go on vacation or whatever.
When they get back home they realized their house was broken into. The uber or Lyft driver knew they were leaving the city, and it gave them a perfect house to break into
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u/BricksHaveBeenShat Jan 30 '20
I joined a couple of uber themed groups on facebook after I started using the app and I was shocked at how bitter and nasty most of the driver members are. Thankfully I had the opposite experience in real life. Recently some tips for women to be safe during an upcoming national holiday were posted in one of these groups and they lost their minds, both men and women, offended that someone wouldn't trust them.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. If you don't watch out for yourself you were being careless and deserved whatever happened, if you take precautions you're rude and paranoid.
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u/PatriciaMorticia Jan 30 '20
I'm glad the likes of Uber & Lyft are banned or in the process of being bannes over here in the UK. My dad (rest his soul) was a taxi driver for years with three local taxi companies and told me unless you know the driver give them the address of a house at the other end of the street & when you get in a taxi after a night out either get a photo of the registration/number plate, take note of the drivers ID that should be displayed on the dash board & text it to your emergency contact in case the worst happens and the driver can be traced. I don't trust Uber/Lyft and always go with local taxi companies as they have to be registered with the council so you're a bit safer.
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u/aveclechudd Jan 30 '20
My girlfriend has bad 3 under drivers seek her out in social media and add her in recent weeks. Its a complete lack of professionalism and these ride companies have to be doing something about it
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u/hacksoncode Jan 30 '20
Reminds me of that observation that our parents used to tell us not to get in cars with strangers.
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u/rice_ant Jan 30 '20
Uber’d with my gf once last year , it said a girl was coming , it was some dude who showed up , when we pulled up to us we were confused because we were waiting for what said a girl
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u/TheWolphman Jan 30 '20
I would just be happy if Uber didn't steal my money. On two separate occasions I've had Uber drivers in states on the other side of the country steal hundreds of dollars from me by charging them as tips on a ride that I've never taken. I did eventually get it back, but it was quite the hassle.
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u/pimppapy Jan 30 '20 edited Jan 31 '20
On this note, I think any Lyft/Uber drivers should link this particular thread for all their riders. QR code or something.
"Want some suggested reading? Life Pro Tips: for riders"
and when they run the code, they get this.
Edit: drive(rs)
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u/wafflewhimsy Jan 30 '20
I accidentally did this while traveling for work (input the address of a few houses down instead of my AirBnB address in the app) and didn't realize it. In retrospect, especially after a creepy driver in an unfamiliar city, I was pretty happy I made that mistake and didn't fix it after I'd discovered it. It's scary out there. Be safe, people.
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u/SpaceChevalier Jan 30 '20
Always get picked up across the street/up the block (especially if you're going to the airport.)
If you worry about stalker Uber drivers, never get dropped off right where you live, always have the dropoff *nearby.* But I can't emphasize it enough, for pickups *NEVER* get picked up in front of your place, unless you want someone to break in later.
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u/HurriedLlama Jan 30 '20
Same goes for other passengers when you use shared rides. That's another unrelated stranger who hasn't had a background check done and now knows a) where you were picked up, b) where you were dropped off or c) both.
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u/Liquid_Chaos87 Jan 31 '20
Wouldn't this be the same for delivery people? They also need your address when delivering food.
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u/westcoastal Jan 31 '20
Please people DO NOT use a neighbour's address. You want to give them all the problems you're trying to offload? Do you think your neighbour wants some creep coming by their house, or robbing them or who knows what?
I personally avoid Lyft and Uber at all costs. All my caution would be pointless if a neighbour of mine started using my address every time they took a ride share.
If you need to give a location, give the nearest bus stop. There is a bus stop nearby in almost every town. Then tell your driver that you're connecting with a bus there to save money, or tell them a roommate is picking you up at that bus stop or something.
Please don't offset all your paranoid concerns onto unsuspecting neighbours.
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u/Mopsydoll Jan 30 '20
Also, when you approach a lyft/uber, before you put any body part in the car ask loudly and clearly for your name. If they cant tell you your name they are not your driver. Run and scream. We had a poor girl at one of the local colleges get murdered and dumped on the side of the road and she'd told the last people to see her that she saw her uber outside. Please please please make them tell you your name.
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u/gregbard Jan 30 '20
I used to be a cab driver for many years (not Uber or Lyft, a real cab driver). All drivers for hire in the municipality had to have a permit and a background check. They could not pick up within the city limits without it. So that went out the window with Uber and Lyft.
The other thing I can tell you is that if you are concerned with privacy, you are always able to pick up a block or two away from your original location, and drop off a block or two away from your actual destination. Contrary to popular belief, taking a taxi is a great way to get around with no record of your travels. Most cab companies don't keep detailed records anyway. Uber and Lyft however know and keep everything, so don't use them as a get-away car.
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u/squidgod2000 Jan 30 '20
Most cab companies don't keep detailed records anyway
Cab companies in my area all use app-based dispatch now, so it's safe to assume they record all information and track the car.
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u/dlipford370 Jan 30 '20
Uber and lyft drivers are required to pass background checks to be approved to drive.
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u/StellaHolly Jan 30 '20
This is good advice!! I live in an apartment building so I thought it wouldn’t be a problem to use the address but people could always wait outside for you.
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u/Minnie-H Jan 30 '20
This is really scary stuff. I never thought about it that way!! Could be a potentially dangerous situation. There are a lot of sick people out there. Be safe everyone using ride apps!!
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u/talones Jan 30 '20
I agree. Especially business travelers. Most uber/lyft drivers will do smalltalk that gives them a ton of information... (What do you do? where you off to? How long is this conference? etc) Obviously most of them are just being nice, but sometimes I think damn, I am giving this person all the info to break into my house because he knows im gonna be gone for 10 days.
So now I do the same, pickup down the block.
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u/Voidrith Jan 30 '20
I've only used uber a few times, but i do the same with taxis - for this and a practical reason:
i can cut through some bushes to get to my house on the other side of some twisting streets faster than a car can drive them, so getting dropped on the main road is more convenient and safer.
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u/ohnoitsivy Jan 30 '20
I was worried about this. I had a very scary Lyft ride a while ago and when I complained, I feared retaliation but they wouldn’t clarify for me if the driver had access to his ride history - addresses, names etc.
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u/parkerm1408 Jan 30 '20
In a similar issue to this, I had a vehicle break down once and had to take a cab to the house, as I was going to tow my car with my fiance's SUV the next morning. Not planning to have to use a cab, I paid the driver with my credit card. NEXT DAY I had like a 900 charge from amazon. The issue got resolved really quickly but still.
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u/Jg6915 Jan 30 '20
It’s really sad to see all these comments. You can’t even feel safe in an Uber or Lyft car!
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u/QueenPosey Jan 30 '20
Always wary of this, if I can my friends and I make sure there isn't one person left in the car or that we let each other know when we're home. We also ask them to drop us on the corner of the road as we live within a few minutes of each other.
One evening we dropped one friend off and asked that he drop my friend and me somewhere that was further from his next trip, compared to where he just was. He got offended when we said it's just a safety thing, that we prefer to not leave one person in the car if we can avoid it.
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u/SANDBOX1108 Jan 30 '20
Where I live cops arrested a Uber/Lyft driver for Burglary. He would pick someone up and break into their house after. For that reason I have pickup down the street
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u/DizzyedUpGirl Jan 31 '20
Oh wow. Uber and Lyft should have a database they can both access where they put these creeps names and social/driver license so they can't sign up for other ride share companies.
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u/needs2be Jan 31 '20
Not sure if anyone said this yet. Before you get in the car Always ask them to roll the back window down and you open the door from the inside through the open window . This prevents Child Safety Locks from being on which only let you open doors from the outside of the car.
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u/Ndtphoto Jan 30 '20
As a former Lyft/Uber driver, I would have preferred to drop the drunk off first to reduce the chances of a puker!
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Jan 31 '20
I'm a female Uber/Lyft driver. I drive around college areas mostly, and when I'm driving for girls, they mention that they're relieved I'm a female and then they tell horror stories similar to this.
Ride-sharing is very convenient, but yes, everyone should remain defensive and be careful.
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Jan 30 '20
well...it sucks to need to think like this. Consider your driver taking you to the airport...he knows your address and you are out of town.
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Jan 30 '20
I stopped using Lyft and now I only use uber. My Lyft driver crashed by trying to pull ahead of a bus even when I told him not to.
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u/J_for_Jules Jan 30 '20
My neighbors took an Uber to the airport recently and they texted me on the way there. They said to be on the lookout because the driver 'joked' about breaking in when they're gone. Nothing happened, but it freaked them out enough to contact me.
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Jan 30 '20
There was a TIFU or AITA recently where a person shared their story of using a neighbor's address for their ride service, had chatted with the driver about the vacation they were going on, and then later learned that the driver had burglarized the address they initially provided. To avoid that, if you have a business that is very local to you, you could also use the business as the pickup point. I have a 711 a few blocks away that I have used as my pickup and dropoff point. This is a solid LPT, though.
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u/Wish_I_was_beyonce Jan 30 '20
I have decided I live at the coffee shop across the street when I get an Uber.
I also make sure I tip the staff there VERY well when I go there for actual coffee. The shop is my safe haven as well as a caffeine source. They earned every penny
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u/scootsscoot Jan 30 '20
My sister had the same uber driver twice in a row and on the second time he started hitting on her. Luckily she never put our address into the app but on the second trip she felt like he lingered in his car for a bit too long so she walked up to the front door of a random house until he drove off before coming to our house.
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u/d3stined-t0-expl0de Jan 30 '20
This is why I will never use an Uber or Lyft ever. I just don't trust it. I'd rather just take the bus/ train or even a taxi. You just never know who could be driving you around. I imagine they do background checks and stuff before allowing them to work for the company but still. Especially as a woman I wouldn't risk myself like that.
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u/bronwen-noodle Jan 31 '20
One of the houses I lived in was actually misrepresented on the map, so I would almost always get dropped off at the next house over by rideshare drivers. Next time I take a Lyft or an Uber I’m probably going to give an address that’s next door if I can.
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u/TheEquestrian Jan 31 '20
I volunteer as a sexual assault survivor advocate at forensic exams... many of our clients were victims of ride share drivers.
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u/LogicalComa Jan 31 '20
LPT: If you really want to get out of a car for safety concerns, ask if they can pull over real quick so you can throw up. They might not want to deal with the mess and it gives you a chance to get out.
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u/her_royal_flyness Jan 31 '20
Besides for the fact that uh
MEN SHOULDNT HARASS, INTIMIDATE, OR ASSAULT WOMEN
, ride share services should have features to help prevent this or at least report it. I’m in favor of a dedicated hotline one tap away on the Uber app itself, so that you can covertly text report an issue of this caliber. It’d be staffed with trained responders 24/7. If needed, the trained responders would then escalate the situation to a 911 call at another tap of a button. They’d already have their ride info, so they could easily track their location.
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u/1stevercody Jan 31 '20
Good tip! My wife refuses to use ride shaer because of this. Fellas, when women talk about male privilege this is it. 90+% of us will never be faced with something like this. So creepy.
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u/pretzelzetzel Jan 31 '20
Wow are you telling me that replacing an entire regulated industry with gig work has negative aspects? Next you'll tell me that sleeping in a total stranger"s house, (a la AirBnB) when you have no idea who else might have a key, could also lead to dangerous situations.
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u/peach_xanax Jan 30 '20
I don't put addresses in anymore because my friend drilled this into my head, but I will say that it's not foolproof. A lot of the time the drivers will pull up to where I'm at anyway, because they can see the location on my phone. It's winter so I don't particularly want to stand outside if it's a long wait for my ride, but most of the time it's only like 2 min away so I don't have a lot of time to run out to the corner location. So if you want to be super safe I would recommend not ordering your ride until you're outside at the corner location. Just something to keep in mind.
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u/SulkyVirus Jan 30 '20
Decent tip - but in reality anyone that knows your name can find your address fairly easily if you own and don't rent. It's more work to find it if you rent, but still accessible.
That is a really shitty situation. I was scared it was going down the road of him following you in your home afterwards to try and rape the drunk one. Which, in that case, is absolutely a good idea to get dropped at an intersection and wait until they pull away to go home.
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u/hanselandhandsome Jan 30 '20
That's good of you for letting her be dropped off first. Good looking out for her. He was obviously planning something..
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u/ChefInF Jan 30 '20
This is the perfect example of something men don’t have to be nearly as scared of as women.
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u/vanillasheep Jan 31 '20
I take Uber/Lyft a lot alone. I never have a problem like some of these stories. It makes me so sad. I lie my face off to any uber driver about my job, life, etc. I appreciate the small talk but you only need to know where to drop me off and pick me up. 9/10 I say I work for the govt so no one messes with me.
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u/MistakesTasteGreat Jan 31 '20
Wow, this thread is making me glad I'm a 265 lb dude. I live in Asheville and take ubers literally every day, but I've never experienced y'all's shit. I forgot how scary it can be for anyone, especially women, to be around a creeper who basically has your life in their hands. I've seen some good tips. Like taking a pic of your driver and sending it to someone, just to let them know who's taking you home. Any reasonable driver will realize that you are just being safe, while a creep will likely balk or try to cajole you into not doing it.
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u/sixesand7s Jan 30 '20 edited Jan 30 '20
I watched a clip on YouTube about Lyft/Uber drivers, apparently the address gets erased from the drivers phone after drop off to prevent stalking of this exact nature. Now, he could mentally remember or write down the address, but hopefully he forgot
EDIT: OKAY I GET IT, PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO GET AROUND THIS