Tips for Uber-Safe Travel
A wild night out inevitably leads to needing a ride home. If you prefer to order your designated driver via Uber or Lyft, these tips are a must-to guide to getting home safely. After news broke that twenty-one year old, Samantha (Sami) Josephson--a student at University of South Carolina--was kidnapped and brutally killed by who she believed was her Uber driver, students and concerned parents across the country have taken to social media to offer up tips on how to stay safe.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the most helpful ideas we’ve read:
Try to avoid getting in an Uber alone
If you are in a situation where you have to leave alone, use the “share my trip” function and let your roommate, mom, best friend, or whoever, track you as the car moves.
When you get to the car make sure to check the license plate to confirm you are getting in the correct car
Check the make and model of the car with the information provided in the app
Compare the drivers picture with who is in the car to pick you up
Never ask “Are you here for (insert your name),” always ask “Who are you here for”
Ask the driver to confirm their name too
Try to be alert, and if necessary, question the route the driver decides to take
Check to see if the child-lock is on our door, if it is, request that the driver turns it off
If you feel threatened or uncomfortable, holding down both volume buttons and the power button on any iPhone, it will automatically call 911