this incident has not only Shocked the senses of human decency. but has shown the monstrous behavior to kill .even by chance
3
I’m an 80-year-old white male. After a baseball game at Nationals Park, my buddy & I called Uber (his choice) and Lyft (mine) to take us to our respective homes in Northern Virginia and Northwest DC. My pockets were stuffed with $180 in cash he had received from selling my stadium seat during a period of absence.
His Uber came first. I remained standing on the corner when a sedan pulled up across the street. “Are you So & So,” I called out, using the name given on the Lyft booking. “Yeah, Get in.” I did but I gradually realized that he was not the ride I was looking for. He took a different route than I would have done from SE to NW DC. He was silent and I began to calculate how much of my cash I would surrender if he attacked me. Yet he followed my directions and after a silent and (for me) tense ride pulled up in front of my apartment building. I tipped him $20, thinking maybe I’d misjudged him. “What about the $50?” I had left it sticking out of my shirt pocket. I said “No” and hastily got out and scurried inside.
Once home, I totaled up the things I’d done wrong:
1) I had given him the name of my expected driver.
2) I hadn’t checked the make, model and license plate of his car against the details in the Lyft app.
3) I left the cash stuffed in my shirt pocket visible then failed to conceal it once in the car.
I learned a lesson that might have been more expensive had the guy been cruising the ballpark area with criminal intent. What was he up to? Who knows?
11
in Colombia the uber-like taxi apps require the driver to enter a code before he can start the meter. Drivers must get the code from the passengers who requested the ride through the app. Before getting in the car everyone confirms that the license plate matches what the app says.
9
Check the license plate - I always do because it's the only way I can tell if it's the car I'm waiting for on a busy crowded street. This is not rocket science it is common sense. I see a lot of comments below with cockamamie ideas of how to 'verify' you have the right car. Hello! They already give you all the info you need to do that! If customers aren't going to bother to check that in the first place there's not much that can be done to help them.
7
The Black taxis in London have an automatic feature that unlock the rear car doors when ever the car stops moving in traffic. One can hear them locking and locking as the car stops and starts in traffic.
9
@Aristotle Gluteus Maximus If you're not even going to bother to check if you are getting into a taxi just hop into the first car you see, requiring taxis to have those locks isn't going to do anything at all except raise costs for drivers.
1
Women; carry a can of mace and/or a rape whistle. Remain vigilant and don't be afraid to call 911. I have called 911 out of fear and the cops could not have been more understanding and respectful. You have every right to reach out if you are afraid. As they explained to me," we'd rather you reach out than have to notify your family something tragic happened."
4
I used Uber a few weeks ago here in NYC and will never use Uber again based on my experience in which I ended up getting charged $40 for a two and a half mile, 15-minute ride, twice as much as I agreed to pay when I got into the car and triple the price of a yellow cab. I took the Uber home from the vet, with my cat in his carrier, because I thought it would be easier than standing around trying to hail a cab in the cold rain. The ride was uneventful. But 2 1/2 hours after I was dropped off I received an email from Uber saying my fare had been updated—with no explanation as to why—and I was charged an extra $20. After contacting Uber through the app (no telephone # to call) I was informed the next day that the driver charged me an extra "cleaning fee" for "making a mess" in the car. A photo was attached that showed—I kid you not—10 cat hairs on the seat. Something that could be cleaned with one swipe of a rag. For this they deducted $20 from my bank card, with no warning beforehand. Research on the net revealed this is a common occurrence, with some people being charged as much as $150 for fraudulent cleaning charges after the fact.
I reported it as fraud to my bank and my bank is challenging Uber over it.
And now this spate of sexual assaults and murder with Uber doing nothing to address the problem because they do not care to take any responsibility whatsoever towards their customers. They just want to make money.
This is what unregulated business looks like, people.
12
I had this happen several years ago before Uber was vigilant on having photos of the drivers and car information. Needing to get to airport urgently for a flight, I hailed an Uber black car and sure enough a few minutes later one pulled up and I got in.
Within a couple minutes my phone started ringing. Not recognizing the number I ignored it, without realizing that was the driver I had just snubbed. Shortly after I got a text informing me I would be charged for the canceled ride which, again, I completely didn’t register. I know, I was being stupid in that moment.
Once we got to the airport the driver, who had been silent the entire time, turned around and demanded $60. I was floored. Being in a hurry, I explained I only had $20 which he took and that was the end of it.
I called my now-ex to explain what happened and he was horrified. He immediately tweeted a complaint to Uber who informed him that I had canceled the ride and was at fault - apparently they weren’t especially concerned about how that could have turned out. They did eventually credit my account and apologized, but to this day I am 1.) much more careful about double checking the plates and driver info and 2.) a steadfast Lyft user.
2
I have never used ridesharing and this is a good reason not to do so, despite the efforts by providers to increase safety. No doubt most drivers are good decent people, but I won't take a chance.
4
I ride Uber or Lyft daily. I have had 3 drivers who were NOT THE PROFILE DRIVER. One of them said he arrived in the country less than 2 weeks ago from Brazil. The other laughed nervously when I said he does not match his photo. Two of them had posted photos of attractive white men, they were not the stock photo. When I've called Uber or posted help messages, there is never follow through with outcomes of investigations. You'll get a refund but that's all. I was injured in the car of the first-mentioned driver because he nearly hit a car when he nearly ran a red light. Uber said his insurance would contact me, this was in February and still no contact. I've been paying out of pocket for treatments of this injury but the physical pain is constant. They really need to vet their drivers. My heart goes to these women and their families.
10
1. I take the bus as much as possible (even though, as a woman, that comes with its own fun set of particular harrassments)
2. I always check the plates
3. I wait for them to say my name to me, before I get in the car
4. I take pool. It takes longer but I like that there are other people in the car with me
5. I am on alert the whole time, send my husband the “follow along” option
6. Every time I sit and wonder: why is it like this? For me to travel as an independent adult, I have to set up precautions as though I am getting in the enemy’s car. I mean, aren’t I?
13
I was in a Lyft where there was no license plate or photo but the model of the car was correct. the driver drove southwest towards the Mission. I kept telling him he was going the wrong way, my house was 1.5 miles northeast. He bullied me in accented English saying that I was wrong. I kept confronting him and he finally gave up and took me to my destination. This happens more frequently than reported.
8
I've never had a personal experience to justify my underlying unease with using a ride-share app when traveling by myself; however, that all changed last month when I was headed home solo from a wedding reception to catch an early flight the next morning. I was waiting for my Lyft in the well-lit entrance to the reception venue (with a security guard nearby) when a driver driving past the venue saw me and proceeded to make made a u-turn on the deserted street and glided up to the sidewalk where I was standing. (With my phone in hand I'm sure it was obvious I was waiting for a ride.) The driver (who had both Lyft and Uber stickers in the front windshield) rolled down his passenger window and gestured to the car saying "Your ride?" His car color did not match the description of the one my app gave me so I quickly said "no" and nodded firmly. He shrugged and drove off. Moments later my car pulled up, which (as usual) I confirmed with license plate, make, model and color of the car, and asked the driver for the name of the rider she was picking up. I'm so grateful I was hyper vigilant about my ride details that night and returned safely back to my hotel. No one can know what would have happened had I gotten in that first car, but I prefer not to think through the possibilities. Regardless, it was an experience I'll never forget.
20
I've been a driver going on three years and I have always (since day one) required people to confirm whether or not I'm their driver by giving them my name. When you order a ride it gives you my picture, first and foremost. It also gives you all of the information you need to confirm i.e my license plate and the make model and color of my car. You are advised to check all of that before you get into anyone's vehicle. I have never been so intoxicated that I didn't know where I was or what was happening around me. With all of the news coverage on these attacks by fake drivers it sickens me to see another case where someone was pretending to be a driver and got another person to fall prey. It makes our job extremely more difficult and dangerous when people approach us or are sitting in our vehicles. It has created several difficult conversations. I'd warn anyone that is going to get into an Uber or Lyft to seriously consider using the share your trip options. To Google your route before you get into the vehicle to confirm you're going the right way. To buddy up if you know that you're going to be drinking you can always choose the "split the fare" option and last but definitely not least. Confirm your driver's name and check their picture, their license plate number and car before getting in to avoid these situations in the future.
4
THANK YOU for shedding light on this issue. I am a frequent Uber rider and a woman. I stupidly never gave much thought and often check with the driver by announcing my own name to make sure it's the right car. Never again! Instead I'll ask who he is picking up (99% of the time it's a "he" in Paris). I do practice caution inside the car and don't encourage small talk. I am a foreigner in the country I live in and work in a confidential and lucrative industry. I don't want my driver knowing that. I keep the conversation to a minimum, sometimes get dropped off a few doors before my own building. My "home" address registered is not my correct one. If asked I mention my husband even though my partner and I are not married. I don't divulge information about my life, vacation plans, work schedule even if asked. I know most drivers are not dangerous, clearly it is better to be safe than sorry. It makes me sad as a woman we are constantly living in this fear. Being abducted/attacked is my NUMBER 1 fear.
Other ideas for Uber/ride sharing services to make things safer for riders (in particular women):
1. Assign an ID number upon booking to both driver and rider to use upon pickup. This is a standard practice for all large Parisian taxi companies.
2. Give the rider a large, full size driver profile photo, car photo and licence plate tag to easily identify (often I don't know the make/model of the car especially in a foreign country)
3. Mass communication on these new standards
6
I just received an email from Uber saying I should be sure and check the make and model of the car before I get in. But how do i find out the make and model?
@BL The make is easy - it's the logo on the car which should be familiar most people in the car-crazy USA. Model is often not obvious. Checking the license plate should be enough since that is the true unique identifier of a car.
The entire reason behind NYC's expensive and very complex licensing system for it's "Yellow" cabs was to ensure that drivers were both knowledgable and caable but also known and licensed.
The system began to break down-I am told-only when individuals with excellent language skills but little or no attachment to the city, began to drive interchangably, using one another's licenses. It became impossible to get service outside of Manhattan, outside of rush hours-going in the wrong direction, etc.
The Yellow or licensed cabs were always considered safe and and except for the inability to get a ride to queens in the middle of night, no one I heard of comlained of being hustled or robbed by a "licensed" taxi driver.
The concept is simple: one must pay a fair price for the bureaucracy of safety
17
Om March 29th, Lyft went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange. The company priced its IPO at $72 a share on valuing it at around $24 billion. And it will almost certainly be seen as a proxy for what to expect from its chief rival, Uber.
The high money valuations of these ride sharing companies will never compensate for even one life lost like that of Samantha Josephson. Have their investors and board members no shame in pursuit of profit?
6
@HMP, Sorry, but how the heck us Uber responsible for this? The person whose car she got into had no affiliation with Uber whatsoever. Obviously nobody should every attacked or murdered - nobody ever deserves that! But it is incumbent on all people to take the most basic steps of checking to make sure they are getting into the right car to ensure their own safety - this is common sense and self-preservation 101. Ride sharing companies have driver photos, names, car make & model, license plate numbers and GPS beacons that you can track on your phone. It's like hopping in a yellow car event though there is no medallion number or meter...that's not a real taxi and the TLC would not be responsible for your mistake.
4
I get that people can be intoxicated and not watching carefully, but the ride-sharing apps make it quite easy to connect with the right driver. I memorize (temporarily) the last three digits of the plate and note the color and make of the car. I also exchange greetings by name with the driver and check that he or she looks somewhat like the picture in the app. Really, folks, take the extra time. It's worth it.
7
If you think about it background checks are a waste time &money There has been a lot of times where the driver had
a clean record people can snap and commit there first bad
felony you could be 50,60 yrs old and commit your first murder
rape, sexual assault
2
The only Uber driver I know is a female. She has a CC permit and carries a handgun even though Uber prohibits it. Passengers should do the same. They should also follow the simple safety rules in the article such as verifying the driver. Lest we forget, follow the most obvious safety rule of all - especially if alone and female, don't get so drunk that you pass out in the back seat. For those of you in NYC, SF, NJ, etc. where your political controllers do not want you to exercise your Second Amendment right to take your own safety into your own hands I have only suggestion - move.
When your friend's backseat passenger sticks the barrel of his handgun to the back of her head as she is driving, what is her next move? Does she find a safe place to pull over, draw her concealed weapon, and then engage him in a gunfight?
Or, do you think that her brains will have already been relocated to the windshield and dashboard by then?
I will give you a moment to consult with your political handlers before responding.
22
Just have the driver's app create a QR code that needs to be scanned by the rider for verification. Just like a reverse boarding pass. So simple.
13
It should be required that a driver asks the customer to look at their car license to make sure the driver is legitimate. Or they should send a code when they arrive. A sign won't work. They can be easily forged. The worse part about all of this is most people have been drinking and aren't thinking right to begin with and are easily taken advantage of.
2
@Debbie It is required that a customer look a the car license place to verify they are in the correct car. Required by common sense, that is! You can't outlaw being an oblivious consumer.
1
I am a grandmother of nine and of a certain age. I called for an Uber in Washington DC to take me to the airport at 4 a.m. My phone showed the car arriving, I was outside, a car stopped and I tried to get in. Luckily it was a neighbor coming home from a night shift. He laughed at my mistake but I didn't. From then on, I always asked for the drivers name before getting in.
6
I am an Uber and Lyft driver in Virginia Beach. Both apps give a description of my car, have my picture displayed, and, most importantly, give the passenger my license plate number. I am not one bit offended by my passenger checking the plate number.
71
I have been a driver for 3 years. I do not verify passenger until they are in car and seated so that my dashcams can capture their image and voice as I verify their name. Much more often you have passengers taking advantage of their anonymity by later claiming they were never in my car and never took the ride (passenger fraud in order to get a free ride refund and free ride credit). Happens about once every other month to me.
Rarely do I get a female who doesn't just hop in the back seat without asking me to verify her name first. At the new, measely $0.60 a mile Uber pays drivers in L.A. (keep in mind this is only %30 of what L.A taxis charge and $0.58 a mile is the standard IRS deduction for operating vehicle for business) you are getting increasingly apathetic drivers who don't take security seriously.
6
It's way worse for us since they let passengers use fake names and have no pictures. We have zero protection and drivers have been killed before by people who might have been weeded out had their been some sort of check for passengers. It also means we can't verify people are over 18 since they can use fake names. And if we cancel people retaliate by making up false claims to get us deactivated. As for the passenger: you have 100% of the information you need ahead of time to get in the right car. If you're too drunk to check, that's on you, not us. We get like $3 for those rides. We're not going to get out and go searching for the right drunk. Some of this has to be on you.
5
This happening is unfortunately not a surprise to me. My daughter was visiting NY years ago, seeing a Broadway play with a friend and afterwards going their separate ways. My daughter called an Uber. In the midst of a chaotic and busy corner sidewalk with seconds to react as the police were looking to manage the traffic she reacted as this young woman did and got into a car where the man behind the wheel told her he was her ride. She called me from inside the car once she realized her error and we spoke the entire time with my mind racing as to what her options were and how I could possibly summon help with virtually no information as to the car's identification. Fortunately, the guy was "only" wanting to scam the situation to take business away from a legit Uber driver and he charged her cash before she could leave the car. Uber wasn't sympathetic nor interested in my story to them. I wanted them to come up with something as a solution but I was only noise to them. They just wanted as much proof as possible that their fee should be returned to her. It was done grudgingly as a "one-time courtesy". We have no interest in using Uber again, ever.
That said, how about a code word or number just like a password that the driver is given when a pickup order is created? Both the driver and the passenger get it. The driver must offer it before anyone gets in? Or the same code can be transmitted on a lit sign that is installed? Everyone's code must match.
12
How about a unique code word or number created when a pickup order is created? Both the driver and the passenger get it.
Or the same unique code shows up on a lit Ride Share sign provided and installed at the expense of the Company? The rider, the driver and the sign's code must match and be clearly visible.
7
I am a woman, I take uber all the time. I have never had a bad experience. The Uber app shows you the license plate and make of car and picture and name of driver. How about checking all of those before you get in? That seems sensible.
17
I was a friends date to a wedding in Las Vegas which was off the strip. Our Uber came around 12:30am. Luckily my friend quickly noticed we were driving away from the lights into the desert darkness and not towards the strip to our hotel. When we questioned him, he refused to speak English. Luckily again, my friend knew enough Spanish to tell him if we weren’t going back to the strip she would call the police. We kept threatening to call 911 and only then did he turn around and drive us back.
Up until that point I was an Uber VIP with a high rating and complained formally less than 5 times in my years using the app. Uber’s response was because he eventually dropped us off, it was considered a complete ride and sorry, no refund. Refund, how about even pretending to look into this driver?! Even with multiple social media complaints on this (oh yeah, you can’t call them), silence. I stopped using Uber after that trip.
I am thankful that my friends sharp wit that night. I shudder to think of what could have happened if I was alone.
Shame on you, Uber.
37
Even if you do all the checking to verify you are in the "right" Uber or LYFT car, I don't understand why anyone thinks that having your phone in your hand with the "app" on, or being on the phone with a friend saying where you are, will save your life if the driver uses the child lock function and takes the wrong route, pulls over in a deserted place and does what he wants to do to you.
You can try to call anyone you want; you are stuck in the car, and most likely will be harmed before anyone can come to save you even with GPS.
And, the evil driver can just throw your phone out the window before he drives you off to where he plans to hurt you.
I am not victim blaming. Not at all. But, we all need to protect ourselves. Not just women.
And, come on......never get in a car with a stranger is taught to every little kid.
It's always a risk, even with a medallion taxi. A risk millions take every day with taxis......and now with ride sharing.
Not a lot of comfort being able to tell the police the medallion number or license plate number or any other information AFTER being attacked or raped. Reminds me of all the cop shows where they use all the CCTV or video surveillance and other evidence to find the attacker or killer......AFTER the assault or rape or murder.
We have to find as many ways as possible to prevent the harm before it happens. Even if that means that women have to be ultra/extra careful just because they are women.
6
Along with this most current hideous tragedy, the other accounts are also beyond harrowing.
And the egregious and dare I say, utterly clueless treatment of so many of these young women by law enforcement is simply beyond understanding as we near the year 2020.
Really, 'what were you wearing' and why were you out so late?' is the response and 'support' to a woman with a cracked skull and a broken wrist and ankle? One who clearly narrowly escaped rape and/or murder ... by jumping out of a moving car. This is the best she can expect or receive?
We, as women of any age, simply cannot allow this type of Neanderthal thinking to continue to be the default. This must change.
17
@jazz one You are right, but you are also wrong. Single woman out alone, drunk, wearing a "pick me up" dress and heels so high she can hardly walk, much less run, is a magnet for trouble. The perpetrator is ultimately responsible for the criminal behavior that is his, and yes, the cops should concentrate on arresting him. But the victim is also responsible for not being aware of her surroundings and her own behavior. This is not Neanderthal thinking. It is reality.
I always look for the license plate, not the car. You can’t go wrong that way.
5
Hooray for disruptive tech innovation! Making the already wealthy and privileged "disrupters" even richer while sweeping away hundreds of years worth of societal safeguards, destroying the old-school businesses that are uncool enough to abide by them, creating chaos and now putting lives at risk.
But they're creating jobs, right? Jobs with low pay and long hours, where you have to provide your own car or rent one of theirs at a rate that will prevent you from seeing any profit.
Gotta love 21st century capitalism.
15
There is a specific security protocol that drivers and riders need to use. It involves asking a question but not divulging information. If you ask, 'Uber for Liz', the driver only has to say yes and your check has failed to catch a bad actor. But if you say, 'who are you here to pick up', your check is better. Same thing for drivers who are also at risk from bad actor riders. I drove Uber for a few weeks, and you will not believe how petulant and impatient riders are, and how poorly they understand security. When I asked them properly what their name was, many got upset at me for the inconvenience. Sad.
8
Glad the article notes that fake Uber drivers seek out vulnerable, naïve victims often in the evenings and on week ends when someone who has ordered a real Uber driver may be less careful, especially after drinking.
Yet in the last couple years here in California we have also heard horror stories of men who have ordered a Uber and have been robbed, attacked.
So its ALL people who need to be more vigilant even if its a legit Uber one has ordered. Anyone know how many Uber drivers have been victims of crime?
As a woman I would prefer to order a female Uber driver after dark, or am I being to naïve in thinking this would be safer?
12
Ride Share apps: change your interfaces to display the license plate of the driver in a SUPER prominent way on the user's screen - flash it, make it the only piece of information - forget about how many stars or the driver's name; show those in the car perhaps. At least offer something like this as a safety mode, or have it as an automatic mode at night or near bars.
4
The fact still remains that since the taxi industry has been in existence, far more people have been assaulted, etc., using a regular taxicab with lights, decals, etc., than in Uber.
5
ok- two related points
many comments are "...Blaming the victim....". And there are angry posts that neither the article nor many comments are stressing that society should be safe and that violence against women is wrong.
No offense but these angry posts are naive to the point of delusion.
Of course, society should be safe and predators should not attack women. Alas, society is not safe, particularly for women and predators seek out victims.
A woman posted below that three times in 6 months young women in their twenties have tried to get in her car while she was waiting for a friend. That poster, a woman herself, said that young women should be more cautious and got attacked.
There are some bad, bad guys out there looking constantly for victims. Women need to be aware of that and be guided accordingly.
1
The best way to force Lyft and Uber to protect their passengers is not to use either until they come up with a foolproof way to protect their passengers. Don't let these profiteers profit by ignoring the problems with their product offering.
9
I had an experience at LAX about a year and a half ago, where a guy claimed to be my shuttle. He had no identification, no tagged vehicle and pulled into my shuttle lane carrying an iPad. I told him without ID I wasn’t riding with him. I reported the incident to the shuttle company I rode through and they seemed unconcerned. It’s unfortunate that a highly publicized event had to happen in order for people to be concerned.
17
I find it incomprehensible that any Uber or Lyft riders are getting into the wrong car. Really? The apps show: car make/model/color/license plate and driver first name/photo! How is it possible that anyone who looks at the info these apps provide about their car/driver ever gets into the wrong car? The cure is paying attention to the information in the Uber or Lyft app -- which is real-time and cannot be counterfeited! All of the information riders need to stay safe is right in front of their noses! Geesh! I'm a senior citizen, and even I know to look at the car/driver info provided in the app. The idea of legislating special illuminated signs... are you kidding? That's useless compared with the real-time information Uber and Lyft provide about the car/driver you should be meeting.
7
Both Uber and Lyft have illuminated signs that drivers are given. Drivers can pick there color at the time of the order. Lyft displays the name of the passenger on their sign when the passenger gets in the car.
What the article is missing is even with all the different information displayed about the driver, passengers can order an Uber or Lyft for a different person. Or a passenger is so drunk that they pass out in the car or can't walk into their home.
If you don't pay attention to whose car you are getting into, or follow the rules, you put yourself in a dangerous situation. Seeing both sides of the issue is needed.
There seems to be a lot of talk about Uber and Lyft cars being the only sources of these types of crimes, but when I was raped by the driver of a yellow cab in Manhattan in 2015, NYPD told me that cab assaults were "the bane of [their] existence" – i.e. prevalent and apparently very tough crimes to solve. The reason I bring this up is to hopefully help readers to understand that the problem is older than the arrival of ride-share apps.
As one might imagine, I have little trust or allegiance to any company in the business of providing rides for hire, be it Lyft, Uber, or the Taxi & Limousine Commission. But I do worry that when we only focus on Lyft and Uber, we're not having the conversation we should be, and the ultimate result is that more people get hurt. (There's even a "public awareness campaign" called Who's Driving You? created by a global cab trade association – TLPA – to point the finger specifically at Uber and Lyft for various assaults, which disappointingly does nothing to report incidents in the vehicles TLPA represents.) Instead of waiting for the ride-shares to have another bad day in the press, can't we talk about enforcing more and more security measures on ALL for-hire drivers?
15
Uber gives you the license plate, name of driver, and make of car. I always confirm these match the car I get into
Uber could require drivers to say the passenger name as verification. Or require a QRS bar code on window that could be scanned by app.
These cases are sad and if convicted hopefully they will get death sentence but using Uber requires some self care. Especially at 2:00am when bars close
4
I had a scary experience by a Lyft driver in Minneapolis. I was working a freelance job there In the summer of 2017. I called the Lyft driver to drive me to the Airport. It eventually became clear that he had no idea where he was going. The man was a Somali immigrant. The car license plate he was driving matched the one on the App., but I began to realize that his face and name were not the same as the person that was supposed to pick me up. I began to suspect that there must be more than one person sharing this drivers ID.I began to get very worried and wanted to get out of the car but the man Got scared when I asked and would not let me. He began driving incredibly fast and erratically and ended up going the wrong way on a one-way street, driving up over a concrete median and just about rolling the car. I demanded to be let out and eventually was. I reported this Terribly dangerous driver to Lyft in writing on three separate occasions, and to this day, I have not received a single reply from the company about the incident. While this man was not a sexual predator, he was an extremely dangerous driver who should not have been driving a car at all.
I still take Lyft and Uber from time to time when I am absolutely forced to, but this experience confirmed my fears that this is an extremely unregulated industry.
26
Riders and drivers should provide their names to each other instead of saying yours at first. Criminals could take advantage of kidnapping riders or hijacking the car.
I took an uber once and my driver shared a color block to my phone. The red block was really bright and flashing. He called my phone and told me that he would have the same color displayed on his dashboard. It was so easy. There in the string of cars, was my ride, with the same glowing red light in the dash. At night, this was so helpful. I found my ride without worrying about a license plate number or asking the drivers name. I just looked for the car with the same color on my phone. This could help anyone find their ride, you don’t even have to be drunk. I’m sharing this cause I think if this was used more, it could really make a difference. I don’t know how my uber driver did it, but maybe it should be used more often.
4
I'm from Austin, Texas and I remember how hard Uber and Lyft fought against the city because they didn't want to subject their drivers to having to do a fingerprint check. Really? All taxi drivers are required to do it, why shouldn't ride sharing service drivers do it as too? Now, they claim they are because of their background checks they do on drivers, but it is not the same as checking against the FBI database which shows if they have a criminal record. Bottom line, they don't care about your safety. They are a business who cares about maximizing profits. I realize that for convenience sake it makes sense and sometimes might be necessary to do depending on where you live, but please be safe out there. I refuse to take Uber/Lyft and take the bus everywhere. I'm lucky that's an option here in Seattle and where I was in Austin. Sometimes it's not an option.
12
What Uber and Lyft need to do is to clearly identify their vehicles from a distance, require clear dividers between the driver and the passengers (for the safety of both parties), and create some sort of dedicated licensing system to ensure that drivers have a clean record and are mentally stable.
But wait. Then they would be indistinguishable from taxis... and that would mean that all the money they've made by "disrupting" the transportation industry is largely at the expense of the safety of everyone involved...
12
Perhaps there is something to be said for licensing ride-shares like we do conventional taxis, with visible unique license numbers, and requiring specific licensing for those who drive them, following clearance by the local police.
7
Approximately 28 years ago I was attached while jogging early in the morning in the West Los Angeles/Westwood area of Los Angeles.
Every morning before heading to work I went running in the residential area where I lived at approx. 5:30 am. About a block and a half from home, I ran by a police car each morning on my first lap. Not once did that police officer stop me or warn me that there was a serial rapist in the neighborhood.
When I was attached, I was lucky, something made me look over my shoulder and I saw the guy, with a ski mask coming upon me. So instead on hitting the asphalt face down I hit it face up, and I had mace with me. My Women's Network Group had just had mace training. I got more mace in my eyes that I got on him, but he took off when he realized what it was. Someone, after banging on doors and screaming for help let me in, helped me wash out my eyes and called the police.
And who came, but the police officer who drove by me every morning. He informed me I had no business running in the dark and that the police dept. was keeping it a secret that this was probably the guy was rapping women bed by going through their open windows. Officers called me twice at work saying I should provide them with more of a description, all I had was I believed he had a knife and he was wearing a skin mask, and it was dark. My three encounters with the police made me feel re-victimized.
By the time they caught him, he had rapped approx. 30 women.
25
Ask the driver before getting in: "What is my name?"
10
Perhaps in a more perfect society, it would be permissible for for women to pack, you know, carry a pistol.
She takes a training course, gets her license, buys her pistol
and has a fighting chance.
In a more perfect society, it would be recognized that most all men are dogs.
2
i once was driving slowly through a neighborhood and a woman ran up to the car and attempted to get in...when i asked her what she was doing she said "aren't you my uber?" i was more scared than she was.
18
Bottom line is that murders and rapists and robbers are out there posing as Uber and Lyft Drivers looking for people who are not paying proper attention to their safety. There must be big large letter warnings in the phone application that one should not get into a ride share car under any circumstances without checking the details in the companies Uber or Lyft phone application. It has proven to be fatal for those who do not check or verify that they are getting into the right car. Please check. It was horrible what happened to that college girl in South Carolina. What makes it worse is that it could have been avoided.
8
Remember when folks were told not to talk to people they meet on the Internet and never get in a stranger's car?
Now they use the Internet to get in a stranger's car.
27
Please be careful out there! Three young women jumped in my husband's car thinking he was their Uber driver. He was not! He was just a random guy pulled over in his car (no ride share decal or anything). He was alarmed. They were very apologetic. I can see how this easily happens! You expect a car to come to where you are and it does.
Lyft and Uber tell you the color, make, and model of the car coming to get you and the license plate number. Often, there is a photo of the driver. Be sure to check these things before getting into one. You should be able to see the driver's phone too since they check in with the app that they picked up the passenger and to get directions to the passenger's destination.
I've had mostly great experiences with ride sharing. I can see how passengers could easily get into the wrong car and how these predators (like in so many situations) are just salivating for you to be unaware for one moment.
14
Why all the love for traditional taxis services? In the USA, they are mostly dirty, unsafe at any speed, way, way over priced, and by design racist. Not to mention that they support a corrupt pay-for-play government regulation kickback scheme. Before Uber/Lyft a NYC taxi medallion cost 1.3 million dollars. That is just a glaring example of a crony capitalism system made possible by corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. Not to mention the fact that outside the city they are non-existent and often serve to cheat their customers as they have opaque pricing and no meter.
6
It pains me to say this but blame is squarely on victims. Uber provides the car make, color AND PLATE. Additionally, the drivers identify me by name. Even if they didn’t, you have the plate....
8
I ALWAYS check the plate.
1
I’ve actually personally experienced a lot of discrepancies between the license plate it says it is supposed to be and the license plate it actually is. Also, the guy who killed her is to blame.
11
The blame is on the predators, surely.
5
Wow so many helpful comments here. Let me sum them up for the casual reader:
Women- you want to drink and have fun? Too bad! You better not let your guard down for a single minute!! Constant vigilance is the price of living in a female body! Better not slip up! If you do, your inevitable assault will result in moralizing scolding over your lack of perfection!
Just add these "helpful" tips about Uber safety to the one thousand rules women already have to follow every time we go out. Maybe it's easier to just stay home where my intimate partner can abuse me instead. Then I can get scolded for how I behave in that situation too! Wins all around.
Thanks comments for your wisdom, before reading these I really had no idea how dangerous it is to be a woman out there.
42
@C.F.
Yes, it’s sad to read so many comments (mostly, I’ve noticed, from men) that say, “too bad, she should have been more careful.” Not one of them expresses pity for the murdered woman and her family or outrage for the times we live in. This is, apparently, acceptable, and the women are to blame. SMH.
10
@C. F.
Yes, it's very sad that the world is dangerous and that women unfairly face danger from both strangers and domestic partners, but the fact is that those things are true. Suggesting procedures to limit people's risk is not victim blaming, it is common sense.
I think it would be pretty much impossible for the drivers to "fake" the name of the person they are picking up.
So make the drivers have a placard displaying whatever username they get when they receive notice to pick up a passenger. Then all you have to do is make sure it's your own name of the placard.
Won't stop predators who sign up for the service, but would at least stop those who fake it.
1
Wouldn't the solution be for the rider to ask the driver "who are you here to pick up?" and "what is your name?" If the driver doesn't know both those pieces of information, don't get in.
5
I had a similar experience with a plain old cab in Boston as a college student circa 2005 that thank God did not end badly. Cabs were an expensive rarity for me; I hailed one after the T had stopped running one Saturday night (rather, early Sunday morning) to head back to my dorm from a friend's house. I chatted with the driver and he soon mentioned it wasn't his cab but he had borrowed it from his brother in law to make a few bucks. With panic rising, I saw that the cab license and all identifying information had been removed. I kept it cheerful, trying to make a connection and seem friendly. He dropped me off safe and sound. I probably should have reported it to the police but I was young and stupid.
9
This is an important story. But New York Times, please do more due diligence on this. Don’t tell us that Lyft and Uber have been criticized “in the past” for not vetting their drivers substantively. Tell us where the vetting process stands right now- today, please.
17
It doesn’t help that many states/provinces don’t require front license plates, making it difficult to find and verify your driver’s car.
15
There should be some technology that requires riders to use their app to scan a code on the driver’s Uber/Lyft sticker before entering the car. Riders would know before they even open the car door that this is or isn’t their ride.
12
@LN
That's a good idea in general, but it probably won't help in the situation described in the article, where the driver is an imposter and the passenger is intoxicated.
Maybe if the scanning step becomes so habitual that even a drunken passenger will mash a finger against their screen to scan the code, and be given pause when nothing happens. But where the driver is a fake and the passenger too drunk to remember the scan, nothing will stop the passenger from getting in the car and the driver from driving away.
1
Perhaps it is time to return to the time when taxi drivers were vetted, clearly identified, considered employees and paid a living wage.
12
The ride share apps I use identify the number plate reggo of the car with you ride. Check it people before getting into the car! Alternatively take a photo of the number plate before you get into the car and send to someone you trust.
4
@Johnson. Why do we need this incredibly complex procedure to save your life. Uber/Lyft are basically tech enabled hitchhiking! We need to shut this company down..they won't be missed the lose TWO dollars for every ONE dollar of revenue and are just a scam for a few investment types to get rich on the IPO
4
As tragic as these events are, I’m also somewhat mystified how this keeps happening. I’ve taken hundreds of rides in multiple countries and never got in the wrong car, no matter how drunk I was. How hard is it to check the license plate?
4
I have never used an Uber or Lyft for this very reason. I like licensed cabs.
In the recent series of articles in the NYT about women traveling alone, many women commented that they use Uber instead of cabs. I found this puzzling - why do they think ride sharing is safer?
1
I am in a yellow cab right now as I write. When I got in, the driver said, why don’t you take an Uber, they are cheaper. I work for Uber, too.
1
@HJK I particularly don't understand it in NY, at least Manhattan, where yellow cabs are plentiful and skills required much higher than they were 25 or 30 years ago. Further, the people most likely to cut me off when I, as a pedestrian, am crossing a street in a crosswalk with a green ight are uber drivers, not yellow cabs. I see many crummy, small, dirty uber sedans, and have wtbessed several foul mouthed exchanges between uber drivers and passengers.
6
@Another NYC woman Yeah, and he's probably getting less money from Uber than the taxi company.
2
Here's a very simple way to virtually fix this problem: alter the Uber and Lyft apps so that when a driver has reached the requesting passenger's location, it sends out an audible alert to the passenger's phone telling them that their ride has arrived. It would be quite simple to do. That way passengers wouldn't be asking "are you my Uber/Lyft?" before their ride was actually there waiting for them.
4
@Al Actually Al you do receive an alert telling you the driver has arrived. What happens sometimes the app will say your driver has arrived and he is still a few minutes out. I was at the airport yesterday and it said my car arrived. It was a grey Toyota. Another lady was standing next to me waiting for the exact same car. Strangely 2 grey Toyota's slowed to a stop. We both asked for the drivers names. The drivers also asked both of us our names too. Neither car was ours. Maybe some good will come out of her death and riders/drivers will take the time to make sure we are in the correct car.
1
i resisted ride-share for a long time until i could no longer tolerate cab drivers who didn't know anything about the town they were driving in; didn't know really how to drive safely; and would often ask me to use gps on my phone to navigate for them. to say nothing of the impossibility of getting a cab in certain cities at peak times. this article was a helpful reminder to have the driver ID me BEFORE i jump in.
1
I travel for a living and one night arriving home late. My Uber driver greeted me with "I don't speak a lot of English". I was like no worries please just drive me home. I was exhausted and closed my eyes. I was half asleep when I realized the road didn't sound right. Anyone who drives the same road over and over again will know what I am saying. I opened my eyes to see the driver turning down a street with a no exit sign. I screamed at him and demanded he turn around The driver was saying I"m sorry. I screamed I'm going to grab that wheel in 2 seconds if you don't turn around. Lucky for me he did and then I pointed to the freeway and pointed to every turn. IF I wasn't exhausted and in my right mind I should have exited the car but instead I let him drive me home. I blamed myself because I was falling asleep and not paying attention. Lucky for me nothing happened. I wish I had handled the whole thing differently. I didn't report the incident because in the morning I convinced myself that it was all a mistake on his part and because nothing happened it didn't seem a big deal. When I read about the young lady who was murdered, I realized that I was wrong. I am sending Uber an email with the driver's name and telling then what happened. Now I always make the driver tell me their name and i check the plates when I travel. Oh and I don't use Uber when flying home late anymore. I now drive myself to the airport.
9
@HARLEY About 25-30 years ago, when NYC yellow cabs were being criticized for many things (including passengers being killed or maimed in crashes on the way in from the airports), someone wrote a letter to the NYtimes that I will never forget, and your comment reminded me of it. The writer said he had recently hailed a cab and the car that stopped had two people in front -- in both driver and passenger seats. As he got in, the man in the passenger seat turned around and said "hello, I am the translator."
4
When taking these rideshare companies I first ALWAYS survey the car and driver from the outside to make sure the license plate and car exactly match the rideshare profile, and that the driver’s profile photo exactly matches the driver in actual appearance. I also make sure to never sit in the front. This might make me “old school” but my life is worth spending a few extra minutes. I think one must be extra-cautious.
2
Why not have some sort of security code which only the driver and the passenger know; an imposter would not be able to give it back. Similar to when you have to change your password or such. Should be a similar simple fix to this dilemma
4
I have started to simply wait inside the restaurant/bar/what-have-you until my driver calls to tell me they are outside waiting. I ask them what color shirt they are wearing, so I can verify that I'm getting into the right car if many are lined up. I don't care that Lyft and Uber insist you be outside on the curb.
I suggest all riders do this until it becomes the norm.
9
This should not happen if you're using the app properly. The app gives you the make and model of the car. Also gives you the license plate number, name of driver, driver photo, and driver reviews. You shouldn't be getting into the car without, at a minimum, validating the license plate number matches what's shown on the app.
5
I'm surprised this kind of tragedy hasn't happened more frequently. It was sadly inevitable. Getting in a car with strangers, both the driver and fellow passengers, with only a decal on the door to tell you it's legitimate? Add that to the fact that Uber surge prices, and is often therefore more expensive than a yellow cab you can hail on the street in NYC and they literally heap insult upon injury. I'm so sorry for this girl's family.
2
It might also be helpful for the ride sharing app to send a picture of the actual car (or a picture of a car of the same model, make, color).
Some passengers don't recognize make and models, and if the license plate is not noticed (due to a momentary lapse of attention, poor eyesight, missing front license plate), most passengers will not walk around to the front or back to check before getting in.
None of this is foolproof, but the more easy ways of verification there are, the less the chance of bad or mistaken ride.
2
They do! I drove one summer for extra money and they show your photo, an image of the make, model and color of your car and license plate. I'm truly sorry for what to this girl, though a point to note: when I was driving I never took the decal out between shifts and I've had people (pretty sure all women) walk right up and try to get in. So much so that I turned off the feature on my car that auto unlocked when in park. People are usually too oblivious too wasted while using these apps and I'm not sure how the company adjusts for that.
1
Many riders do check their drivers identifying info in-app, but it's not easy when the photo itself is a fraction the size of a postal stamp. In addition to dual authentication codes or passwords, perhaps the app could be edited so that when the driver arrives at the pick-up location, their photo, the photo of their car and their identifying info automatically becomes much larger in size-- taking up the whole screen-- so that the rider can more easily identify them? The reverse could happen for drivers-- they see a temporarily enlarged image of the rider. This enlarged info screen could be ringed with a color or include an emoji or other image that should match on both the driver's and rider's phones. It would help everyone, but also those with vision impairment.
10
Seriously?, the iphone uber app includes a picture of the driver, the car make and model, and the license plate number of the driver's vehicle. At some point one has to conclude the service has done enough to ensure proper i.d.
Having said that, I have had 1) a driver offer to me a prostitute, 2) one who was argumentive and combative after getting lost trying to find pick-up location, and 3) one who showed up driving a vehicle other than specified in the app.......and I am not a heavy user of uber.
2
If it is not the vehicle in the app - don't get into the car and report the driver.
4
Sad as it is to have to say this, ultimately we have to take responsibility for our own safety. We can't expect laws to make the world a safe place for us. I don't think it is realistic to expect Uber and Lyft to make up for people being drunk or inatentive and not noticing what car they are getting into. They already have the information to avoid mistakes. It is the false sense of safety that gets people in trouble. We should be safe, we should be able to feel safe, but that is not the reality. I never drink in a situation where impaired judgement might make me unsafe. It sucks, it's not as much fun, but it's life.
Never get in a ride share car without confirming the license plate and ask the driver who they are looking for.
2
Uber bears a big responsibility here. Uber cabs should be labeled with distinguishable, visible sings. There should be a sign with a large replication of the licence number at the front of the car. Otherwise we have to run around to the back, try to see the number in the dark, and then run to the front to the driver--sometimes in heavy traffic. The app should flash a picture of the driver, the person's name, and the COLOR of the car. Many people do not know car brands. Uber is a good service. Make it safe.
9
Just take a licensed cab. There is also the issue of driver’s safety record, how do you know who is driving you and if they are safe, or are not on drugs or tired or hungover?
16
uber lyft and others in this space need to have neon lighted signs on their cars to make sure deadly mistakes are not made...
2
It’s a phone app with built in safeguards. The driver’s picture, color and model of car, and license plate display on your phone, and that’s not easily faked, unlike signs, which are. Agreed in states not requiring a front license plate, display of the license plate number in the front of the car is an excellent idea. It’s also a really good idea to ask the driver to repeat your name. Using Uber is a whole lot safer than drinking and driving, but basic details must be attended to, no matter how much a person has had to drink ( I realize not everyone who has had an incident was drinking).
3
That’s sounds like a good start but it isn’t that difficult to procure a lighted Lyft, Uber or Via emblem.
perhaps a lit sign with the name of the person that was being pick up would be more beneficial.
2
If you're in an area, particularly in Manhattan, NYC, where there are available fully, strictly licensed Yellow Taxis and you use a private car service in a basically unmarked vehicle with a driver who just escaped from incarceration, I have no sympathy for you.
10
@Make The Filthy-Rich Honest I couldn't agree more. I live in midtown Manhattan and all the time I see people fussing with their phones and looking all around for their ubers as scores of empty yellow cabs race by them. Furthermore, in a yellow cab nobody knows who you hare, you have total anonymity, they don't get to "review" you and you don't "review" them (unless of course there's a problem and there are city procedures for dealing with complaints against medallion taxis).
4
One of the best things about yellow taxis is they are hard to fake.
19
Given that Uber tells you right there on the app the make, model, color and license plate of the car coming to pick you up, along with showing their exact location as they come to you, it is very simple to avoid getting into the wrong car.
In addition, the driver always say your name when they arrive to confirm it.
Sounds like people who are against ride-sharing trying to grasp at straws.
6
@Baron95 Drivers are specifically told NOT to say the passenger's name to avoid having the wrong passenger falsely claim to be the client. Instead, the driver's are instructed to ask the passenger to state their name before starting the trip. The passenger has the name of the driver, the driver's photo, the name and model of the car, the car's license plate, and can see the car's approach on their phone. The Uber driver just has the passenger's name and their approximate location.
1
@Baron95
There are other inherent issues- driver safety, or inexperience, driver - hungover, high, tired. Not just about getting into the right car, but a whole host of safety issues.
4
Women going out together should stick together. That's how we did it when I was in my 20s. No one was allowed to peel off and go to another bar or club on their own. Need to go in a direction after the party's over? Fine, but the others checked out who their friend was leaving with. And, no one left high on anything by themselves. That's how we stayed safe.
12
@Rhonda
That's not how you stayed safe, it's how you collected witness information the police could use if one of you wound up dead or missing.
Leaving a bar or club with someone you've just met always carries some risk. You're implicitly blaming any female victim who doesn't "stick together" in a pack of her friends -- and in the next breath you admit that you and your friends didn't even follow your "stick together" rule.
Every interaction between two humans carries some risk. Society is built on trust, the people to blame are those who violate that trust, and we all share in the responsibility for looking out for each other and supporting law enforcement in catching and punishing the violators.
2
@Bill, I don't get why you sound so critical of women sticking together when they go out. At some point, one or more of us would have to go our separate ways if we lived in different areas. In any case, I would think that if you were the parent of a young woman, you would want her and her friends to follow this protocol.
2
Every ride-share vehicle should not only have an illuminated identifier (i.e., Lyft), but also a marked phone number to call - just like taxi cabs. Not only will it make vehicles easier to identify for users, but also for non-users who witness suspicious activity. I've personally narrowly missed being hit on countless occasions by Uber drivers but, as I'm not the customer, there's no way to report a bad driver.
Most importantly, car-share companies need to take responsibility for their drivers. How did the driver in this article get an Uber sticker? Uber claims he's not one of their drivers, but perhaps he once was? Uber must answer these questions.
3
Riders,
The Uber app displays the license plate of the car that is going to pick you up, and some of the drivers have a feature added where you can set the color of the Uber "medallion" to one of your choice so that you can look out for a car displaying a pink Uber medallion with license plate xxx, for example. I use these validation features every single time I call a ride, and ask the driver, "Who are you picking up?" before I get in. My real name is unusual, so it's unlikely a driver could guess it. Also, take the "pool" option which is cheaper and has the benefit of generally not being entirely alone with the driver. Unfortunately in my city I've heard stories of registered/vetted drivers lending their cars to friend who are unknown to Uber, but who drive while logged into their friend's account. This is really a big security gap! I don't know how to solve for this except for introducing some kind of biometric like a fingerprint for login or maybe requiring a sensitive credential like a SSN or bank card number that someone wouldn't want to give their friend. The drivers working under asdumed identities are a scary reality which the company needs to admit to and address.
5
Yikes never thought of that. Need to look at the picture.
@Ginny
Omg, thanks for pointing this out!
1
What I find disturbing about this piece, in addition to the deception of, attacks on and lack of awareness of some riders, is the skepticism displayed by authorities when victims of actual attacks seek help. There is another, maybe more significant article there.
14
LOOK AT THE LICENSE PLATE.
Match the last 3 digits (or whatever) to what you see on your app. You will never get in the wrong car.
Matching by name only is a safety risk for both driver and passenger.
LOOK AT THE LICENSE PLATE.
18
You can almost never get to talk to Uber or Left. This industry is out of control. Their only interest is making money, that the bottom line.
I am appalled at what happened and unfortunately these kind of young women's murder take place primarily in our country. Uber, Lyft., Government have to come up with a fail safe to protect the traveler. Ni ifs and buts, period. An innocent life has been wasted.
5
Though Uber/Lyft can't control criminals, they can do more to ensure their customers' safety. Their thing is that they just provide the platform, well, then why not text every rider/driver a matching verification code?
At what point will these tech companies take responsibility for any of their unintended consequences?
6
If I was a female passenger, I would carry a sharp pair of scissors.
Legal and effective.
4
Uber and Lyft are great and much-needed services. They send you the make and model of the car, the license plate number and the name of the driver. What else are they supposed to do? It's on the customer to make sure they're not getting into the wrong car. I suppose this perp won't be going to jail, either, since we don't want to contribute any further to "mass incarceration", whatever that is.
Clearly the guys who designed an app, to leverage people with cars and some free time, considered this. They also thought that as the drivers are independent contractors (at least in the US) they could escape any liability.
There's a reason cabs are yellow...regulated...etc. While some places (NYC) failed miserably at regulation, the rest of the world saw cab regulations as needed, enacted over many years of abuses.
Uber and Lyft bear a lot of responsibility for this. Their total "we don't care about the law" attitude resulted in this death.
6
Lots of warnings aimed at women specifically, of the dangers of these random-ride services. So apparently there are limits to the egalitarian ideology that claims there is no essential difference between M and F. It's true in university classrooms but not on the streets or elsewhere in real life.
4
So there have been dozens of reported rapes and murders by men posing as ride-share drivers in the past few years. Last year, CNN reported that 103 Uber drivers and 18 Lyft drivers - not fake drivers - had been accused of sexual assault or abuse. What are the stats on taxi drivers?
Meanwhile, sexual assault is the No.2 complaint against police after excessive force.
And the majority of female murder victims are killed by their husbands, boyfriends or exes, the data shows.
Likewise, the majority of incest and serial murder victims are young girls and women, abused in horrific ways by men; ones they know and total strangers.
I don't know - does anyone else see a trend? Let's face it: women and girls aren't safe, at home, in a car, walking on the street.
11
@monty
You can’t digress to the point of impossibility to have a decent discussion. Just focus.
1
So many people who don't and won't use Lyft or Uber have commented on how much more dangerous they are than cabs, and, sorry, but if you don't use one of these services, you're speaking out of ignorance. I've been using Lyft for three years in South Florida, and aside from the fact that they're at least half as expensive as cabs here, the experience is far better. I haven't taken a cab since I started taking Lyft, but on the rare occasion that I previously needed one, a half hour wait was not unusual and the cars were often shoddy and dirty. With Lyft, as others have said, you're given the name of the driver, the license plate, color and model of the car. But in addition to that, you get a text message when the driver is two minutes away, and another one that says your driver has arrived. I still check the license plate and wait for them to say my name, but the bottom line is there are safeguards in place, and the passenger has to take some responsibility and pay attention. To those who have compared taking Lyft to hitchhiking, it's utter nonsense. And as for cabs, as a native New Yorker, on numerous occasions I'd get into a taxi in Manhattan, tell them I was going to Queens, and they refused to take me. I also had to jump out of a cab years ago because the driver seemed to be taking me somewhere other than where I wanted to go. I'll take Lyft over a cab any day.
6
@Sheryl -- if they weren't "half as expensive" as cabs, would you even think twice about getting into a total stranger's car?
And why are they "half as expensive"? Because the drivers make even less than cabbies, because the vehicles aren't insured and because even the modest amount of background checking cab and car companies do isn't done.
4
Uber need to take some responsibility. They could have their drivers display a sign with a photo, license, and Uber tag number so people can easily detect a real Uber driver.
6
Frankly,
You are given the drivers name, the make and model of the vehicle, the color, and the license plate. As the very FIRST thing, if you are not compulsively checking that the license plate matches your uber or lyft driver's car EVERY time, then you have no business using these services. License plate match first, vehicle color match, make match, model match, and finally "what's your name?" as a checklist every time.
Bad drivers is a completely separate issue just as bad cab drivers, do anything remotely creepy or aggressive should get you reported immediately and with persistent followup.
Goes without saying that drivers should think about their own safety checklist.
6
This deadly matter has an easy solution. When the rideshare is requested on the app, the app should provide the patron with (1) a photo of the vehicle, (2) a photo of the driver, and (3) the driver's name. The app should then alert the patron when the rideshare vehicle has arrived at the pick up location. Simple changes that would save lives.
Also, the presence of vehicle child safety locks should be studied, as they prevent a person in the back seat from fleeing the vehicle if his/her life is in danger during a rideshare. However, I unfortunately do not know enough about how they work to suggest a solution.
5
I am away from home and have used 4 Uber’s today, for the first time. The app shows you the make, model, color and license plate along with a picture of the driver. They inform you when the car has arrived. Service was fast and reasonably priced.
No one is safe who is inattentive or under the influence. Maybe groups going out to party need a designated Uber checker.
The app does ALL of that.
1
@Tyler - no it does not, and I'll be polite and not shout. The app does not provide a photo of the exact vehicle picking up the patron. It does provide the make and model, but not a photo. Big difference with vehicles that may have been modified, and for people, myself included, who are not familiar with the thousands of vehicle makes and models driving around.
2
While traveling in NYC three years ago, I was walking down the sidewalk with my two teen daughters and our luggage at about midnight. Further from our hotel than I expected and tired and exhausted from our arrival, we began arguing on the street. A car with an Uber sticker on it pulled up and asked if we needed a ride. I had only started using Uber and wasn't completely familiar with the system, so I accepted. Our driver, a very large man, was very kind and chatty, but I felt a pit in my stomach the minute I realized my mistake.
Thank God nothing happened, but I look back at that experience with dread at the thought of how easily things could have gone wrong. There absolutely needs to be more user education and safety measures put in place. My heart goes out to the family of this young victim.
8
As a tourism former professional and current traveler for work, I have utilized Uber, Lyft and taxi cabs in cities across the US. Uber and Lyft both provide, driver photos, names & makes of the car, and license plate numbers. This information should be utilized to double check one is getting into the right car. The only time I have been frightened or taken advantage of in a car for hire is in taxi cabs - particularly in locations that do not have high regulations or standards for the industry. I was in a taxi while the driver had a television going and was doing a drug deal, a taxi where I was told by the driver he couldn’t change a large bill - in the hopes I would leave him a big tip, and on more than one occasion, my credit card has been compromised. I feel much safer as a woman alone in an Uber or Lyft but I am diligent in checking license plates.
10
Not only do I not do those rideshare apps alone (I've gone with others when they've set up the ride), but if I call the local car service I check the car door to make sure it has markers from the car service I know I called before getting in.
3
I drive a black Cadillac XTS. I have pulled up to valet stands and have strangers hop into the back seat. I’ve been in bar districts and had women banging on my window (not even at a stop sign!) asking me to take them somewhere.
Ride services have their flaws but at least when you use them there is a way to know who picked you up and where you are.
8
David Berkowitz, the "son-of-sam" killer, was a cab driver in NY. Jessie Matthew Jr. was a cab driver that killed at least 2 and maybe 6 college girls between 2009 and 2014. And there are many more examples. I just don't buy it that cabs are safer than uber/lyft. And this person didn't really take an uber, she just jumped into a random car. I would think that anyone can see that you have to verify that the car is the actual car sent by the app. And it's so easy. Besides the license plate # that you have, there's the picture of the driver on your phone and you know the name of your driver so you could just ask the person what their name is. And they know your name so you could ask them what your name is.
8
A badge or code is not going to fix the actual Uber drivers who prey on women. Rapes and assaults have repeatedly happened in the Boston area. I tell my kids not to go alone but even that is no guarantee.
5
A disgusting state of affairs. I have a very low opinion of both Lyft and Uber who put the lives of millions in danger through their lax rules of procedure and 'recruitment' of drivers.
This is deregulation at its worst. Perhaps Ms Josephson was imprudent like many college students to get herself in such an inebriated state, making her vulnerable to a hellish fiend such as Rowland. A crime which speaks volumes for the total lack of protocol in these companies' hiring and identification of drivers. No uniform, no identifying logos that can be validated…. they are complicit in allowing Mr Everyman including homicidal maniacs the chance to pass for Uber or Lyft drivers. We were all better off without these superfluous and exploitational 'services'.
8
I am saddened by these Events and my heart goes out to the families that have lost loved ones or that they have been hurt. I have lived in NYC for 25 years since my college. Mid 40s female. While I have Uber and Lyft accounts, I rarely use them. I don't understand why people use it unless absolutely necessary. Airport, 2 am, etc. I was taught that if there are issues with my cab driver to call 311. They immediately take the Cab License and the Driver info and that Driver will get into serious trouble. Can loose their License. So those DRIVERS are safer. When I want to complain about my driver with UBER, I text them via APP or give them a bad rating. But it never is officially logged with T&LC and these Drivers continue to drive.
It is not the same for Uber or Lyft. We don't know how many people have officially complained because Uber / Lyft doesn't file them with the T&LC. Then, in a city like NYC, there are random taxis and I can get one in a split second, why would I want to wait for one.
Yes, Yellow Cabs aren't nice, but there are trade-offs and SAFETY is #1.
I think YELLOW CABS are much safer and better overall.
7
New York taxis are highly regulated. In most other parts of the country cabs are not as well regulated and frankly, not available. Before Uber and Lyft came to my town, I had to call a taxi company for a ride. If I was lucky it would show up within 40 minutes. Often times it did not show up at all.
9
Solace to the families. It is not new to a lot of people that Uber App attaches the model, colour and/or license plate number of the forthcoming vehicle of ulcer. Without reading the news, I never paid attention to my habit which was verifying the information of the vehicle which I was going to hire. I regarded the details of vehicles as an addendum or for convenience (in spotting the ride). Presumably, most injuries or casualties occurred at night. Particularly young people who got drunk could have their minds be befuddled. Precaution was disabled. It is wise to get sobered up before getting a ride at night.
We could easily see this coming. I will never use Uber and I tell, beg, my daughters not to. The same goes for Airbn and these unregulated businesses that do nothing to safeguard the consumer, especially female customers. We, the public, must smarten up and realize that getting into unmarked cars and staying at people's homes-where they have a key-is asking for trouble. I only use taxis and stay at real hotels and if we want those options to always be there we have to support them.
13
I would certainly advise any woman to never, ever use one of these services if alone, since driver screening is left up the company, rendering it meaningless.
7
I have no doubt that this has been pointed out ad infinitum already, but there's an amazingly easy solution to this issue - check the license plate number. I truly can't believe that anyone would NOT do this.
4
I refuse to hire a ride from Uber or Lyft, primarily because you simply have no way to vet the driver yourself. I've ridden with both Uber and regular taxis and I will take the latter, thank you.
Questions you should ask are:
Is the driver experienced? Is he/she a good driver and actually familiar with the city they are serving? Is the car owned by them or someone else? Is the car well maintained? Do they have full coverage insurance?
Of course, you have to take it for granted, if they show up at the right time and place with the right sticker or light, that this is "your" ride.
Many years ago, I drove a taxi, and the assumption when you were hired was that you knew how to get anyone from here from there in every case. This was before GPS enabled devices, of course.
Personally, I will pay more for a medallioned taxi, which generally vets the person driving as driver with years of experience and trackable activity.
5
@Not Your Boss
I can tell you that 98% of Uber/Lyft driver haven’t the slight idea how to drive in New York.
I’d rather be behind a city cyclist than a car with those license plates with a “T” on them.
2
There are many easy tech fixes that shoudl have already been put in place to help reduce these disasters.
2
Why don't drinking establishments and other venues attractive to fake drivers assign an "outside bouncer" or "ride concierge" to help customers find and get into the correct vehicle?
This would be both real-time protection and generally make such places less attractive to would-be badies. It would also be a terrific customer service.
Dram shop laws have long attempted to assign some responsibility to purveyors of alcohol for damage inflicted *by* their customers--this is sort of the same philosophy to prevent damage *to* their customers.
10
It is time for a Uber medallion that would be hard to duplicate as NYC taxi's have. A laminated stamped photo ID would be wise.
3
This is happening in Chicago too. It's just too easy to put a Uber or Lyft sticker in your car window. Maybe it's time for lights, numbers and licenses - or taxis?
6
I love Uber. But I always check the license plate, make of car, and driver photo before I get into the car - all this info is on the app. Once the car didn’t match the photo, even though the driver did, and I refused the ride. OF course I had to wrangle the $5 charge back from Uber for a no-show.
6
@Lorraine Anne Davis
Appalling that Uber doesn't provide for a seamless option of rejecting a car or driver. If the passenger doesn't feel comfortable, they can walk away and hit a button on the app -- end of story.
Give the customer 10 minutes after the appointed meetup time to hit the "reject" button, no questions asked. Will some customers abuse the option, using it when they're just blowing off the meetup? Probably. What's more important, customer safety or money?
2
The app should use gps to tell you that yourself and the ordered car is not in the same location, so wrong car
2
If you're a rider, asking generic yes/no questions like "Are you my Uber?" make it far too easy for an impostor to just say yes and drive off with you. Same thing if your app has told you that your driver's name is John and you get into a car asking "Are you John." Ask the driver to tell you his/her name, and the drivers should ideally ask the same of you. That initial questioning needs to be impermeable to a simple "yes."
This dilemma affects both sides. Once, when I was visiting Boston, another person tried to steal an Uber I ordered by walking up to the car and getting in before me! The driver made it all of 30 feet before he got a call from me explaining that he had driven off with the wrong person. He stopped and made the passenger -- who was utterly unapologetic and seemed to know what he did was wrong -- get out. I got into the car and asked how that happened. The driver said he asked "Are you [my name]?" To which the passenger had just said "yes." So it goes both ways.
You listening, Uber and Lyft? Two-way name verification. Have each party ask the other what their name is before the car goes anywhere, or else figure out another way for mutual ID verification.
8
UBER was problematic from the get go. One of my credit cards enticed me with a free offer of an UBER round trip and elected to try it en route to Burbank, rather than taxi for a day long client meeting in SF. Installation of the app and subsequent communication with UBER was problematic. The driver was late, missed my flight and subsequently had to reschedule a time sensitive client meeting. On the return home, phone was flooded with unknown emails far and wide. Being alarmed I researched to determine the congressional investigation underway and queasy practices of the CEO. The app had corrupted my phone and laptop causing me to seek a solution from an Apple senior tech. Although not their practice on third party issues he vowed to resolve everything. Rescheduled trip via taxi to airport and had an enlightening conversation with my client's driver, owner of a limo service in Menlo Park. Instincts appeared correct....UBER was an information trading company operating under the guise of a ride service. Conversations ensued with executives of the cc company regarding how UBER traded on the good reputation of their company and client base, facilitating it as their own. If something seems off or too good to be true, it usually is. Situational awareness is one's only protection as it is a natural instinct....but only if one acts on it immediately. Unreliable companies/people everywhere arrive as bright shiny objects. When in doubt..DON'T!
5
Here is the issue with the 'always take a cab' comments and mentality. Here in New Orleans if I need a ride I always use Lyft, occasionally Uber because OFTEN a cab driver for a legitimate, licensed taxi firm will refuse to take me to where I need to go, within the city limits, because it means crossing the river. This at night, as a lone, deadly sober female getting off work. Leaving me stranded.
Additionally, I have less of an idea who is driving the cab-or who is meant to be- those pictures on their badges are hard to see (and often the name on the outside of the cab does not match the driver inside), or when to expect them to arrive.
I have also been hit on and made to feel extremely uncomfortable by cab drivers, who I have then had drop me off several blocks from my home so they do not know where I live and walked from there- as I felt safer that way! Taxis ain't perfect either- in fact far from it here.
I get the 'well you can report them' mentality, but right there and then, that is of little to no help. Nor has it ever been much help after either.
127
@Elizabeth
There have been a few Uber drivers killed in New Orleans. That would be a job for someone who has suicidal tendencies. I live across the lake and I continually get Uber and Lyft promotion emails asking me to sign up. I drove ambulances in New Orleans so I know the city, but nowadays I wouldn't risk it.
I have a low mileage Camry for sale, only 6,000 miles.
5
@Elizabeth Urge you to speak to your local taxi commission to get increased standards and accountability. They will likely comply because their livelihood depends on it.
2
@Elizabeth
I completely understand your point of view.
What it comes down to me is this:
A person is virtually taking her or his life in their hands whenever they enter an automobile that is being driven by a stranger.
I guess a person has to consider all sides of the situation and decide which one is best for them.
I've personally have never had an issue with a cab driver and many of my friends swear by Uber and Lyft. But then I read this article and the many disturbing comments.
I think the best advise for myself is to plan ahead and have a contingency plan in place just in case the driver - regardless of who he works for - begins to act/drive/behavior in a very uncomfortable manner. What I do know is that I would be on my cell phone, talking to someone the entire time, telling him or her of the streets I am on. The buddy system has never failed me in the past.
The best of luck to anyone who is traveling alone, at night.
14
I always use licensed taxis, especially if I am traveling alone! I have a niece who always uses Ubers of Lyfts because they are cheaper despite the fact that she is worth millions. My safety is worth a lot more than the savings of a dollar or two!
9
Uber, get your act together. The Uber driver needs to have his own security bar code decal on the rear passenger window and the person who gets in the car puts their phone up to it , scans it to see if it’s tgeir ride? Come on uber, bring technology into your service. I realize you are suppose to look at the license plate but if someone is going home late, drunk or exhausted?
12
Allow me to explain this to you, women: take responsibility for your own safety from predators. Always check your driver’s identity.
Well actually, that’s too easy to fake—better just not take ride shares, period.
But taxis can be unsafe too—anyway, why should you feel entitled to go out and have a good time like other adults? Just don’t leave the house and this will never happen to you.
Although I guess it is true that most sexual assaults are committed by friends and family members, so it’s best that you just don’t exist.
There’s your lesson, ladies. Learn to take a word from the wise. Just don’t be born, and you won’t get attacked or murdered. It’s that simple. As an all-knowing man, I just can’t have sympathy for these young, naive “victims” who didn’t have the foresight to not exist.
37
@Emd I am offended and frustrated that so many of these messages to women are don't go out alone, don't go out after dark, don't drink too much or at all, etc. I understand it is a dangerous world for women (in the U.S.!) but it angers me that there isn't more outrage from these men telling women how to live their lives against the men that assault and murder them.
1
this is the new version of imitating a cop. way easier too.
4
Always make sure the license plate matches the app plate.
2
I took a ride that I thought was an Uber from JFK to Southport CT in February. It wasn't until I arrived that the driver pulled out a device for a credit card and charged me twice what I would have paid (through the app). Frank's Limo. Time to crack down on these fraudulent not to mention criminally dangerous drivers. The ride share services (which I have nothing against btw) need to step up and do more education and outreach on these matters.
1
@Elizabeth Treacy JFK has been filled with scam artists for deades. The Port Authority - the airport's operator - has done little and will likely continue to do little to stop this so you have to be pro-active and do it yourself. In your case, you should have taken the car info uber presumably sent you and confirmed it was right car. You could also consider next time just taking a fixed fare yellow cab to Grand Central and a train from there to Southport.
People arriving at JFK and going into Manhattan should always just take a fixed fare yellow cab at the line in front of the terminal, and completely ignore any guys who come up to them in the terminal, announce they are "official" cabs and offer to carry your bags.
Regardless of where you're going from JFK, if you DO get ripped off by a scam artist, when you get to your destination just refuse to pay and tell the driver to go to the nearest police station.
3
Forty years ago, thirty years ago, twenty years ago, if you had told me that intoxicated young women would use a small portable device to summon an unknown male driver to her location for a ride home, I would have said you were crazy. I still say it, and reading this article only proves that we have failed each other in not educating young women about these risks. And....I am still disgusted that women worldwide cannot travel freely and at will in the world without constantly worrying about male predators everywhere they go. End of rant.
23
A confirmation passcode of some sort would solve this. The driver would have to provide the code texted to the waiting passenger. The passenger would simply check the code to confirm that the driver was THE driver expected. In addition to avoiding violence, it would avoid anyone hopping into the wrong ride-share vehicle.
7
@Rose That already exists. The code is the car's license plate number.
I'm a young, single woman who takes Lyfrt often. I dislike Uber because of the way it treats its drivers so I stick to Lyft. Lyft has pictures of the drivers and the vehicle and a color coded system to help you identify your driver for this reason. However, despite Lyft's strict background checks, rif raf can slip through. I had a Lyft driver confront me because there were no house numbers on the house where I was renting. He started using abusive language and I told him to let me out of the car. He kept driving, becoming more and more belligerent and abusive as he threatened to "flag me" if I ended the ride. I demanded he stop the ride and he continued to refuse to stop. I finally shouted "FINE! FLAG ME! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" He aborted his attempted kidnapping and I called Lyft crying. They gave me 2 free rides. The driver in question had prison tattoos on his face so I think he may have gotten out of jail and a friend or retaliative created his account for him so he could have a job because he was a lot rougher than any other Lyft driver I've ever had. Be smart. If you feel like you're in danger, call 911 and be confident in confronting your driver. A confident woman is a lot scarier to men than most women think.
9
When I spent time volunteering in Cape Town I was warned to never never get in a cab you didn't call yourself. Everyone carried the number of 1-3 drivers that had been recommended to you or you had used before. Drivers made sure you knew the make of their car and would call when they arrived, they also made sure to share their cards and let you know you could reach them at any time. I spent 2 months there and used the same 2-3 drivers the entire time I was there. With a little planning you call 20 minutes before you wanted to leave; if you were also going to need a ride back you just give them a rough estimate of when you thought you would be calling to go back home. Coming from NYC where you flag cabs on the street it seemed like such a change, but there is a lot of common sense in not trusting a complete stranger.
2
No. I've never had a scary experience with Uber because I wouldn't be so foolish as to trust some ride share app. Anybody can sign up for Uber. You don't know what their motive is, if they drive safely, if they are carriers of some contagious disease, if they have a short fuse temper, etc. etc. Driving a taxi is a profession. There is more to it than just driving your friends around town, which is the model the "ride sharing" business is based on.
12
I've never used Uber ...
Doesn't the Uber app itself have a way the driver can tell the passenger they've arrived? *NOT* voicemail.
@Darth Vader
My Uber app has a map that tells me where the driver is. When his location matches where I am, I know that he has arrived. Particularly if his car matches the description from the app.
Plenty more have been killer by standard taxi drivers.
3
@Simon
Really? I read of quite a few taxi drivers who where murdered or robbed. Not too many incidents where the taxi driver attacked passengers, not that I deny such doesn't ever happen.
6
I was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by someone posing as a Lyft driver who was driving through DC's Chinatown looking for marks. My case died because Lyft, Google, Suntrust, BP, Shell and others failed to help my detective, and ducked subpoenas for as long as possible and by the time we got it right we had wasted so much time on one company she just didn't have time to do that with each company. These companies refuse liability, use corporate lawyers like shields and collect far too much data on us but refuse to share it when we need it most. They are despicable, and they do not want to help, nor do they care. These companies care about profits not kidnappings, and are content to earn money and take no responsibility. Don't trust them to help you when you need it most. I did, and now my case is dead. They have all relevant info and evidence, I have no legal right to it and my detective doesn't have time to deal with all this; she gets new cases every day, and for all she knows a new victim from the same perp has already run across her desk. I spent hours tracking down leads, despite not being a detective, in a vain effort to protect my community and those I love. There is no Detective Stabler, and without laws with teeth there never will be. I wish there was more I can do, but all I can do is hope that the next victim is more cognizant, less traumatized and able to put this man in jail. I just wish we didn't have to have more victims for that to happen. Welcome to America.
26
Even men should be wary - don't ride if it's not the right license plate, don't ride if it's not the same make of car or color that's on the app, and make the driver say the name of the person they're picking up. You're the one who's paying for the ride, so it's okay to check all those things.
5
I am appalled by these attacks. As an Uber driver for four years, I have consistently been an outspoken advocate for driver/rider safety. While things have improved slightly, I don't understand why little has been done to protect RIDERS and DRIVERS. Complaints that I have logged against riders making physical threats, as well as racist, sexist, and other dehumanizing remarks to me, are largely ignored. Drivers take a lot of abuse, too and our personal saftey as well as our vehicles are compormised on a daily basis. UBER and Lyft need to make a "Safety First" effort for everyone involved.
157
@Jean
"UBER and Lyft need to make a "Safety First" effort for everyone involved."
Sound advise and suggestion. To be honest, I apologize for never even thinking about the safety of the drivers.
18
@Jean
I understand perfectly why "little has been done to protect".
For the same reason we didn't have seatbelts until Nader sued, we didn't have car seats until someone sued, we didn't have emergency release inside of car trunks, etc. etc. etc.
The profit motive pretty much guarntees that no safety features will be implemented that cost $$ until the compaines are forced to do so.
It would be simple to send a scan code to the driver's phone, and before the passenger enters, they scan the driver's scan code with their phone and voila, proof that the driver is who they are supposed to be.
But adding features to software costs MONEY, so they won't do it until they are forced to do it.
31
@Jean: An Uber driver shot a passenger to death five minutes from my home. He's claiming self-defense.
I've never used Uber, in part because I think it's unsafe. Ditto Airbnb. Most of the people I know who use these services do so because they think it's trendy and cool. Is there another reason?
7
Mace.
3
I am a public transportation person but when I do take a yellow or green cab I always call home and let my husband know that I caught a cab and give him the taxi ID #. Even if I leave a message on the answering machine, it lets the driver know that someone knows whose car I was in.
6
Was this possibly a hate crime?
1
@David Not a chance. When a man assaults or murders a stranger because he or she is a member of a demographic he hates – blacks, Asians, Muslims, gays, transgender folks, etc. – it’s a hate crime. But when he murders a stranger who happens to be a woman because he hates women, that’s not a hate crime. Makes sense, right?
Most Uber and lift drivers already have stickers in their window. I’m not sure how helpful and lighted sign would be.
I prefer to double check the license plate of the car against what it says on the app. If there’s no match, I don’t take the ride. The technology is there, but people have to use it.
3
The current tech industry use of apps to replace traditional business is not an innovation of business, but an avoidance of regulation and responsibility. It enables a few young entrepreneurs to make millions and billions from the work and services provided by thousands of workers who work for hundreds of dollars. This is without the benefit of health, vacation, retirement or protections for themselves or consumers.
The service providers and consumers; the drivers and riders, take on all the risks, while the CEO’s and stockholders reap all the rewards.
Renting a cab for hire has been around for over a hundred years. It’s not new, horse and buggy were used before cars were even invented.
The innovation of ride hiring in the 20th century was regulating drivers and requiring adequate liability insurance, car maintenance and licenses. Commercial licensing and insurance are more expensive than personal licenses and insurance, and should be. When you drive for a living you take on more risk and the costs of covering that risk is more.
When the number of cars on the street increases wear and tear on the infrastructure, the safety of riders, drivers and pedestrians on the streets, the business making money from the service should pick up the extra costs, not the employees.
Calling the app, “innovative” and drivers, “contractors”, is a way to avoid responsibility and an excuse for making millions while not following the laws and regulations put in place to protect the public.
32
@Jane K There's a lot you say here here that isn't true. Ubers are not unregulated, even though they initially slipped through regulatory cracks, nor do they "replace traditional business" -- they have expanded the market for car service by making it more user-friendly. One thing I do agree with you on is that there are too many for-hire vehicles on the streets, but that's because Uber and Lyft investors are subsidizing drivers to offer rides below cost (the opposite of what you say is happening.. I think regulators should put an end to that as it's the transportation equivalent of foreign steel producers "dumping" our markets.
@Jane K
So eloquently put. Thank you. If we want to live in a civilized society, it can't be tech bro takes all.
3
Uber and Lyft should not be allowed to switch cars without changing it on the app. The driver tells me their normal car is in the shop.
6
The enthusiasm for ride-share is a killer. Beware, commonsense says stick with yellow cars with Taxi printed on them. They are regulated and safe you know?
14
Worst part is, it's not like confirming that someone is your actual Uber driver is a particularly strong safety guarantee. There are many certified drivers who are still creeps.
29
@A You mean like the Uber driver who is accused of raping a woman in Boston this past weekend?
I was brought up not to get in a random car. Served me well for 61 years and I intend to stick to it. Would my life be easier with car services? Undoubtedly. Do I ride them when I'm with a group? Yes. On my own? Never have, never will.
11
Just check the plate number match. model of a car, and the face of the driver. 3 simple things. Isn't that a common sense? You you fail, and something happened to you because of that, don't blame Uber/Lift, blame yourself.
2
Alcohol once again takes another womans life. They need to put warnings on the bottles that any amount of this toxin will get you mentally out of touch or worst assaulted. I am glad I don't drink or smoke and I feel sorry for the poor souls who do.
3
@D.j.j.k. -
So it’s the woman’s fault that she was killed because she was drinking? Seriously?
9
@D.j.j.k.
Nice assumption, based on nothing. How about the child safety locks that were activated, making her an instant captive? Make you feel better deciding that she had to be intoxicated?
5
@Joan P, the fault of this woman’s death belongs entirely to the person who attacked her.
Unfortunately, using alcohol makes people vulnerable to misunderstanding, misinterpretation and sometimes to physical and sexual attack. Judging her for being attacked by someone who took advantage of her naïveté and compromised state is wrong.
Going forward, all people should be aware that if they use alcohol or drugs, they should be cautious and remain with a group, limit amounts of alcohol used and verify ride services. It is a safer way to be out in the world, even if it unfair.
6
Uber always will show you the car make and model, the plate number, a picture of a car of that model, the driver’s name, the location of your driver and arrival time.
If the app says black 2016 Acura driver is Abdul plates xyz from NJ arriving in 3 minutes, and you hop on a Chevy sitting at the curb, do not blame Uber, or ‘ride sharing’ or people posing as drivers from such services.
Even when badly alcohol impaired I always checked to make sure that was my Uber.
People, put Instagram on hold for a moment and become aware of your environment. After all, it’s your life on the line.
More ride sharing rules will not handle people’s stupidity.
9
The victim blaming here is abhorrent. As is the criminalizing of ride-sharing. I regularly use these services and for a variety of reasons, prefer Lyft to Uber. Recently, while on a long Lyft journey, I had to go to the restroom and there was no easy way to exit the roadway. My driver chatted me through a little distress, eventually found an exit, tried a church for me, then eventually landed at a taco place. He was so nice, so accommodative and empathetic that I left my purse, Cash, luggage, phones-- everything in the car while I bolted inside. This awful crime had occurred the night before, was even on my mind and this Lyft driver was the absolute pillar of professionalism and sensitivity. Also, rather than make it incumbent on ride users to Ask or use other human error prone tools to find a car-- why not use the inherent GPS technology already in use between driver and rider? Or, add a mobile console at the back passenger window where a smart phone can tap a sensor or other QR code type technology to confirm the right driver to the right car, sharing no words at all. We use technology for everything-- to book and pay for the ride-- why not the critical moment we have to confirm its the right driver, passenger and car?
10
@Underhiseye
"He was so nice, so accommodative and empathetic that I left my purse."
OMG.
Underhiseye, please go on Amazon and order a copy of Gavin DeBecker's book "The Gift of Fear." Read it twice. It was written just for you!
4
@fast/furious I paid for overnight shipping in hopes he'll deliver it too. I have a number of unanswered questions....
3
I have learned to always check plates before I enter a Lyft since my "mistake" two years ago. I was leaving a club in a desolate part of the city in the small hours of the morning and got into the only car waiting on the block thinking it was my Lyft. The guy had a box of donuts in the back and I told him I would move them and started small talk. Before we got to the end of the block he stopped and said "I am not your driver" so I got out, in shock. I probably would have figured it out myself within the next couple of minutes but WOAH was that a close call? I also have had several instances where male drivers try to hit on me, ask for my number, insist I sit next to them in the front, etc. That in addition to some of the terrible drivers who miss turns, seem tired/high and drive unsafely make me really think twice before I call a Lyft. I am increasingly choosing to drive myself if I can chance the parking situation in the city, which I increasingly do since it is a much better experience than rolling the dice with a Lyft/Uber. On that note, this urban dweller will not be relinquishing her car anytime soon.
60
@Glasses
These 'services' are simply too lax in failing to guarantee the safety of passengers by allowing drivers with mail order licences the right to play cabbie at the expense of innocent strangers' lives.
9
I don't have a car but I have never used Uber or Lyft or any of these ride-sharing services. I walk, or take the bus or a licensed cab. I do not trust any of these unregulated drivers.
Whether they assault you or run you over without having adequate insurance, the risks aren't worth it. I don't drink alcohol either, so I guess I prefer to live cautiously...
10
Taking a taxi in lieu of rideshare is not the solution. What’s left in the taxi industry is now the bottom of the barrel. The gentleman drivers who were prudent and able to save for a car drive Uber.
What’s more important is to take standard precautions: don’t drink to severe intoxication, let people know when you’re on the move and can be expected, carry a weapon to help you escape, and be very aware and alert of your surroundings. You should do this with taxis or rideshare.
2
I always feel vulnerable when traveling by myself in a livery vehicle. Whether it is a taxi, Lyft, Uber, etc. There have been many assaults by the actual drivers, not just predators posing as drivers. The feeling of being prey waiting to be targeted is horrible. The only safe option is to not be alone. The violence against women in our society is truly disturbing.
14
It may be that a tragedy of this magnitude is due to a "few bad actors" as one commenter put it. However, harassment and violence against women is ubiquitous. As women, we are constantly on guard for those "few bad actors" that seem to be around in all types of spaces: waiting outside clubs at two in the morning, in cabs and Ubers taking photos of us when we may have dozed off, in our workplaces making advances at us, or inside our own families as creepy uncles who look at us wrong. But we deserve the treatment because we wore skirts that are too short, we were outside too late at night, we dared to show up for work, or we just happened to be born in the wrong family.
I would like to live in a world where I didn't need to report sexual abuse at 8 years old from the hands of an older cousin, be propositioned from a Navy sailor while walking to the library from high school with my backpack on at lunch time, receive my first mace at 14 (and obviously too late), be told to ignore or even to like sexualized comments from peers and adults about my appearance, and be set up on a date with one of my first bosses outside of college without my consent.
This world we live in needs to change.
20
Isn't it possible that criminals will be able to mimic and duplicate the signs as well? How is that any different than the attacks that took place in cars that had a fake Uber sticker?
I'm worried that people will become complacent when they see the sign and think they're safe. There is simply no substitute for checking the license plate. That's the only way to really know you're getting in the right car.
4
I'm struck by the number of comments blaming the victim for their "lack of common sense." Of the 155 comments posted at the time I write this, 12 reference "responsibility" or "sense" (ie the personal responsibility or common sense that the commentor seems to think that the victims failed to assume; other comments may include similar sentiments but weren't quickly revealed by my search). Nine (75%) of these have names usually associated with men; two could be either. Way to go guys. (Note that two of these do, explicitely, state that these victims should NOT be blamed for a failure of personal responsibilty.)
Every one of us has, at least, a mother; many of us also have wives or girlfriends, sisters, even daughters. Apparently few of the thoughtless, ignorant and privileged men referenced here have female friends. To those of us smugly blaming the victims in this story, knock it off! Of course there are steps that these women could have taken to reduce the likelihood that a man take advantage of their vulnerability, but if you can only see this as the failure of these women to guard themselves against this kind of depravity then, please, ask your Mom for her take on the situation.
And NYT, thanks for the important warning; I'm only sorry that tragedies like these must be used to drive the point home and that some of us still don't get it.
19
I understand the comments accusing people of "blaming the victims" here. Yet I somehow feel that the accusation is misplaced in this context. This is not a situation where a woman is accused of luring an otherwise good and law-abiding man or boy into criminal behavior by her actions or her dress. This is about antisocial predators out trawling for victims. These are bad men. Full stop. Because there will always be such men among us (ask any mental health professional, who will tell you that they exist -- thankfully in small numbers -- and aren't fixable), we'd better watch out for them. Young women, who are just learning to make their way in the world, need to be told about them because it's doubtful they've encountered them in their lives up to now. So, no, I can't see any problems with pointing out the possible negligence of the unfortunate victims in these cases. Doing so may help others.
10
We should always check the license plate and the name of the driver and also make sure the driver is the right person appeared on the photo of Uber app. I think everyone should make sure that you are in the right car with right driver. Having said that... Uber and Lyft need more security features and education and more strict vetting. Make the Uber or Lyft sign lit up at night and make it hard to steal. It seems like the Uber stickers might ave been stolen or faked by the criminals. The license plate could have a feature that is hard to fake. Uber drivers should not start driving unless they check the name of the passengers as well.
2
Simple solution: generate a unique QR code and riders use it to unlock the car doors. If it's not the ride service you booked, or isn't a ride service at all, the doors won't open. Shouldn't be too expensive or hard to implement. The light up signs don't do a thing, but by forcing riders into a new habit should ensure safety.
3
That’s great when a QR code works, but all of us have experienced technological glitches when things don’t work.
More technology is not always the best fix for technology.
2
@Jane K Good point! Technology isn't always the best answer. However, I believe it will facilitate a better process for ensuring it IS your ride and if there's a glitch, you're forced to speak to the driver before physically getting into the car. The current analog system just isn't working. So many of these comments are "I always triple check to make sure it's my driver, etc." but the reality is many/most people skip this step. Implementing a system that forces you to engage before getting into the car is a step in the right direction.
@Ellie, moving in a more positive direction is definitely better, I agree. Thanks!
I always check the license plate, but in some states there is no plate on the front of the car which is a pain to deal with. We need a better system to identify Lyft and Uber drivers and we need it now!
Another problem I see frequently when in NYC is that drivers don’t show up. They accept a ride, and the ETA is 3 minutes. Well, after ten minutes of waiting and their not showing up, I will cancel the ride. Uber ends up charging me for not waiting. Meanwhile a driver can do this repeatedly. Trying to get to a human being at Uber is an exercise in futility. More legislation is needed to stop this nonsense.
8
I've said it here many times: Predators go where the prey is.
Churches, schools, boys and girls youth clubs, day care, bars, nightclubs, etc. and use the tools of trade to capture their victims. Predators are practiced in the hunt, their prey is often not even aware they are being hunted.
7
I have always been nervous about Uber. How do you know the driver is safe, even if it is the right driver? I went along with it all but now I am going to think twice about using this type of service.
7
I was lucky! A few years ago I was visiting New York and decided to use the Uber App I had read about to go to the Metropolitan Opera. I stood on the curb outside my hotel looking at my phone as a Lincoln Town Car pulled up. “Are you my Uber?” I naively asked. “Yes. Yes. Get in.” When we arrived at Lincoln Center he asked for $20. “Doesn’t this go on my account?” I handed him the money and stepped out of the car, somewhat puzzled by my first Uber experience. Later, when I checked my voicemail, my REAL Uber Driver said “I am here at the Carlyle Hotel ...”
I have since learned to verify all the Driver details before getting in a car.
63
@Kathryn Boussemart
Ms. Boussemart - you were lucky on so many levels.
Thank goodness you had an uneventful experience.
16
@Kathryn Boussemart
However, The Carlyle Hotel is fabulous, yes?
4
@Kathryn Boussemart Not only did you grossly overpay by giving someone $20 to take you from the Carlyle to the Met, but you probably could have walked those 5 or so blocks in less time than it took you to go on the App, go outside and wait, and then ride in that car. Never overlook the option of just walking in NYC.
12
We always note and check the license plate number of any Uber or Lyft car that is dispatched for us. We would NEVER get in a car that did not match the number provided in the confirmation.
7
I am an old male and I use Uber at any time of day or night. Especially if I am alone, I check everything before I get into the car: license plate number, car make and model, I expect the driver to say my name before I enter without me even asking (otherwise it is a sign of danger or sloppiness),and I verify driver's name when I enter. Young people tend to be more impulsive and naive. I am sorry that after years of reports about crimes committed by Uber and Lyft drivers or impersonators we still have people who just hop into any car.
13
After taking every self-protection measure, if a rider discovers the driver hailing them into a car is an imposter, the rider should call the police and provide all identifying information. The next rider the driver trolls may not be as alert. Save a life. Get those predators off the street.
6
@Ellen Callahan
The most dangerous situations are those in which the rider realizes something's wrong--but it's too late for them to take effective action.
3
When I worked at the front desk at a large apartment building I saw busy (multitasking with phone in hand.) a young woman jump in some poor guys car only to be told ;"I'm not your Uber...I'm not even an Uber!"
She just about scared him to death! I bet he never left his car door unlocked ever again. I hope she realized how lucky she was.
6
Uber and Lyft should NOW develop strategies to protect us from predators! Funny, in SD I was crossing a street and a Lyft car almost run over me and my dog at 5am and it didn't stop! Even the peple at a gas station ion the corner came to me if I was OK Immediately I came home to report to Lyft via email the "incident" but alas! there is NO way to communicate via email or phone with the Lyft business company!
4
As a driver I never mind when my customers take an extra moment to verify my license plate with the plate number on their app. It’s prudent and this is an example of what can happen when one doesn’t do this.
I tell all people who accidentally enter my car to PLEASE CHECK LICENSE PLATES!! I let them know they are very lucky they got me because I’m a decent man but to please be more careful because evil does lurk amongst us.
16
Taxi cabs are not my favorite mode of transportation, but NEVER once did I ever fear for my safety. I never felt comfortable availing myself of Uber or LYFT services.
This article is a sad and scary but an important and necessary reminder that some creeps and worse are behind that wheel.
7
@Marge Keller
I've been threatened and harassed by Middle Eastern cab drivers twice in downtown Washington D.C., one kept driving me around after I told him to pull over and let me out of the cab. Really scary. But at least there was a cab company licensed by the city I could complain to, provide the drivers names & license numbers and know I was heard.
2
@fast/furious
I realize there are NO guarantees of safe passage. But at least having a "cab company licensed by the city" is better than nothing or someone pretending to be a rideshare driver and having no information or recourse available.
I can only imagine your terrifying experience. Glad to know you got out okay, albeit being scared to death in the process.
2
There is no easy fix for this. I am reminded of the shooting spree by Jason Dalton, a ''fully vetted' but completely psychotic Uber driver who shot and killed 6 people on an evening in 2016 in Kalamazoo in between his Uber calls. So even a clean background check does not spare the rider from ridesharing with a wildly dangerous driver. At least a taxi minimizes that risk. For women, a woman-driver, woman passenger ride service might be the ticket. Until then, I will avoid using rideshares.
8
It would make a huge difference in a crowded situation—airports, outside night spots, etc.—if Uber’s notification App would actually indicate the COLOR of the car, rather than only its make and license plate number. That shouldn’t take rocket scientists to achieve...
3
@Sic Semper Tyrannis- It does. At least the 100 times I've used it.
Taxis have been readily identifiable for a reason.
1
I rarely use car services just have used Lyft in the past and thankfully always get female drivers. Is there an option to only ask for a female driver in these apps? I would prefer this 100%.
21
@Lisa
Men dress as women these days and it is no longer considered odd or unusual. Also men are not the only predators out here. Women should not let their guard down just because an Uber/Lyft driver is or appears to be female.
It makes no sense to request a female driver. They are few and far between and, if it could be done in practice, you’ll be left not only be left waiting but you’ll pay a lot more for that service.
@Lisa
Maybe there could be an option to ask for only white drivers. Or only evangelical christian drivers. Or only female, white, evangelical christian drivers. Or how about only female, white, evangelical christian drivers who are your sister!
2
I used to drive a black Grand Marquis, which looks very like its cousin, the Crown Victoria, which was a ubiquitous livery vehicle/taxi. Several times driving around NYC I had people try to get in the back seat, thinking I was their Uber. I had to start locking the doors at all times.
5
I live in NYC and use UBER at times, but mainly use cabs. They are more closely regulated and have a higher level of liability insurance should you be in an accident.
Last year when out of the city in a small, less populated area I took an UBER from the train station to a hotel to meet colleagues. Along the sparsely populated road in twilight, the driver called me "Honey" and while making small talk, asked where I live. It hit me that I was alone with a stranger, riding in his car in an unfamiliar area and vulnerable. That was a major determination in minimizing my use of UBER.
Young women, please be cautious after drinking at night. If in doubt, uncertain on your feet or intoxicated, go to a diner or brightly lit Starbucks, drink coffee and call a friend to come and get you. Be cautious. And be aware. Do not become complacent and think it could never happen to you.
20
In 2016 Dallas TX, a couple walked out of a Columbian restaurant and got into a car they thought was their Lyft. They realized after a mile or so that this was not their ride. They got into an argument with the driver who demanded money, but the couple refused. The driver stabbed the man to death, and the women, who was in the back seat, was able to escape.
The police had a description of the man from the woman who escaped, and they had the car on surveillance footage from a nearby grocery store. They could not definitively tell what kind of car it was; they had two or three possibilities. The type of car they most strongly suspected was not very common in the area, but they drove by my parking lot at work and spotted my car which happened to be what they were looking for. They asked me to go to the grocery store and drive/park exactly like the murderer did. Based on this, they concluded it was the same type of car, and with the description of the man, they were able to identify and arrest him.
6
I drive for both...and they is a plethora of photos..and documentation.
but what is glaringly absent is a photo of the car we drivers are using.
Q. how easy would it to have that photo on the user's app/phone to confirm the vehicle
A. very..
9
The Uber app gives plate numbers. Check that, and then ask the driver, who are you waiting for?
7
@Not 99pct
How about the color of the ‘Nissan Altima’ or whatever car is coming, in addition to the plate number?
2
It states the color of the car on the uber app, in addition to the driver’s picture, name, license plate—it’s easy to verify all of this before getting in
2
NO!! You do not ask the driver who he is waiting for. Once he does that he has given a critical piece of security information to anyone within earshot.
You instead ask the driver his name. Then if it’s to your satisfaction, you give your name.
If you do it the way you described, then any random person standing next to you can say, “I’m Sally” and enter the driver’s car when, in fact, it’s not Sally. Sally now has lost her ride and the driver has Lord knows who in his vehicle. Trust me, it happens.
3
Among all the authentication methods suggested, there is only one that is hack-proof. Ask the driver if he is coming for [insert NOT your name].
9
@Marty -
Better yet, “Who are you here for?”
1
@Joan P With all due respect, asking the driver whom he is there for is not better yet. It is just one among many ideas posed here -- checking license number, having code words, confirming car make & model, etc. -- designed to protect you from a predator posing as your Uber driver.
None of these ideas will protect you from a predator who IS your Uber driver.
My approach is different. An Uber driver who is there to do you harm will answer “yes” to any name you throw out: if it differs from the fare he has scheduled, all the better, as there is less chance of tracking a crime back to him.
An Uber driver who answers “no” is most likely there to drive you to your destination.
My advice: take a taxi.
12
Why? All the smart and capable drivers now mostly drive rideshare. The bottom of the barrel has remained in the Taxi industry.
2
Ridesharing apps work well in crimeless cities, where the expectation - promoted in Uber and Lyft ads - is that they are "safer" than cabs. This does not work in most places, where cabbies are selected carefully and must register with the authorities.
5
Bad Actors?? Really? We are talking about dangerous predators and law enforcement that responds by accusing the victim. This is genuinely horrifying.
32
Typical South Carolina legislators ‘ reaction: jump on this highly publicized tragedy.
Then they return to creating more laws to allow more guns, and vote against sensible gun control,
5
Call a taxi.
10
Past time to stop with the apologist "not all men" tripe and impress upon girls and women that for their own safety and even life - it certainly can be "all men", especially when they are strangers.
8
My daughter made certain to get into the uber car she requested. It WAS HER Uber. The driver brought her to her apartment (late at night) then parked and attempted to enter her building with her and “walk her to her apartment”. She had to be aggressive about keeping him away from her.
The danger is more pervasive than just not getting into the right car.
329
@Patricia Yes I remember when the actual drivers tried to pick up victims. The feedback feature I think allowed the companies to review complaints. I do think that one does not need to be a rider to spot fake drivers. I see men in cars waiting out side busy places. One non Uber/Lyft asked me if I was waiting for a Lyft. I said yeah (I thought he would get out of way) and he said "get in" I looked at him like "are you serious?!?" He kept staring at me looking at me phone and asking me in. There should be a way to report these people.
24
@Patricia
Creepy!! I am glad your daughter is safe and stood up for herself in a stressful situation.
18
@Patricia I drive for Uber. Are you saying i'm doing my job wrong by not doing any of that? Or that my wife is also doing it wrong?
One of the biggest issues with ride sharing Uber in this case is that there is no customer service. You can’t call them to report or complain about a situation. It’s all via email and it’s a daunting process. I had an experience with a driver that took me to wrong address. It was not a dangerous situation at all (female driver - daytime) but I lost money and time on the ride. I had to take the loss because the convoluted customer service process is designed to keep you from talking or contacting anyone in person. I’d say have a way to report issues immediately in person live.
55
Uber does this on purpose. It costs money to staff phones and handle complaints in a personal manner. It doesn’t fit the business model.
11
Hilarious to read all these comments saying do this or that to stay safe. Hindsight is always 20/20! Plus all those suggestions are in the article. Thank you, NYT, for publicizing this issue, which until now was little known.
8
Something similar happened to me in Boston last year. A driver pulled up right to me as I was waiting, phone-out, for my Uber. His intention was unmistakably for me to enter the car. After I realized he was not at Uber, I backed away. He tried to convince me to get in; as I walked away, he followed me for blocks, window open, urging me to get in for an off-Uber, discounted rate. I ended up running into a local business for help -- at which point the driver pulled a quick U and sped away. I called the Boston police and they did nothing. I showed up at the police station the next day and they sent me away. I asked if they would at least notify officers that this incident had happened, and they gave me thin assurance that they'd spread the word.
55
How about a regulation that taxis have to be painted a certain color - maybe yellow. And the car itself would need to have a certain type of badge or plaque on it to designate its true purpose - like maybe a medallion of some sort. And the driver would need to have his I.D. placed on the dashboard at all times. And the driver would need to have a special license issued by the city to show that he or she has been properly checked and trained for this job. And the car would need to have a number painted on it and the name of the operator also painted on the outside of the vehicle. And perhaps the driver should be compelled to maintain a log of trips. Yes, all of these things are required by NYC for its taxis and they are all required to prevent what happened to this young woman from happening here. And yet, none of these things are required for an Uber. Somehow all of the regulations that were put into place over the course of a hundred years in order to protect us, were not required for Uber or Lyft because these regulations are too onerous or inconvenient. Nothing inconvenient about staying alive!
65
But using an app is so much better! Why didn’t Travis Kalanick invent an app to be used by cab companies? He could have plugged it into the existing infrastructure that already had driver background checks, commercial insurance and car safety checks.
Avoiding all those costly things means the savings goes to profits that go to Uber. The rest of us pay for it.
3
It’s a great pity that once these regulated industries had a monopoly, they started treating their customers like trash, paving the way for disruption.
I have never been so glad for Uber and Lyft as when I get into a NYC taxi that doesn’t refuse service to Brooklyn. Used to happen all. the. time.
3
You can require more regulation from the rideshare companies but at the end of the day, everyone taking a rideshare MUST be more aware. Yes, check the driver, car and license plate on your app. But before getting in, ALWAYS ask the driver who he/she is picking up. Never volunteer your name (i.e., "are you picking up Chris?"). If they don't have your name, move on - quickly!
7
About the precaution of making sure the ride-share vehicle’s license plate and model/colour match what the app has listed as your driver — my wife, who always (always!) does this, took a Lyft a few weeks ago where the vehicle that showed up had a different plate and model. When she asked the driver about this — before getting in — he explained that he just got a new car and Lyft had not updated their system yet with the info. Fortunately, he knew her name (asked her if she was X), which is why she finally got in. But: Can this same thing happen routinely, where the ride share company’s vehicle database does not always match their actual vehicles on the road (due to a lag updating, e.g.)? That would be disturbing, leaving riders with the only trustworthy safeguard being making sure the driver knows their name before getting in the car (to be extra safe, both full name and address). One final comment: Our experience with both Lyft and Über, and their drivers, has always been excellent, and I do not think we can recall an instance where *the driver herself did not first check our name* before we got in and she accepted the ride.
10
@Jack- If the plate/car don't match don't get in. There's usually another Uber/Lyft 30 sec away. Too bad for the driver but why on earth would anyone believe a story a total stranger might give? Even if your 99.9% sure it'd true.
1
@Jack Yes. It's happened to me several times that the plates don't match "because the app hasn't been updated" and I don't use ride-sharing more than a few times a month, when I have to, so I assume it's happening a lot.
2
This is not a new problem. Before "ghost" Ubers/Lyfts, there were gypsy cabs. Uber and Lyft are great -- I'm one of the 20-somethings who uses them to get around. Have I tried to hop in the wrong car before? Sure. Did I get in? No (there was no Uber app on the dash).
Shared rides are great for networking & provide fun chats with other members of the local community.
3
@Informer - Full disclosure: I've used Uber myself. I'm not a 20-something anymore - I've got about 10 years on you - but "shared rides are great for networking & provide fun chats with other members of the local community"? Are you serious? Sorry, but this just doesn't sound all that smart or safe, and definitely not a reason to patronize Uber or Lyft. There are many ways to network besides hopping in the backseat of a stranger's car, and if you want to talk to other members of the local community, you can do so at the gym, a cafe/restaurant, a bookstore (hey, Barnes & Noble cafe!), through a non-sketchy Meet Up group verified to be in a safe spot, through volunteer work, etc. Heck, if all else fails you can always talk to your neighbors. You don't need to call Lyft and ride around with a bunch of strangers in order to connect with your fellow man, and anyone who does needs to seriously re-evaluate his or her life.
2
Given the NYT readership, I am shocked and horrified at how many of these comments engage in victim blaming, implying that women have a duty to protect themselves from predators and implying that if something happens to them, it’s their fault for not being more careful.
No folks, it’s the predator that is responsible for an assault. Not their victims.
32
@Laura McGuire- The app says your car is this make/model, this color and for good measure the lic plate number. It's pretty simple and in this case, as cruel as that may sound, it was her fault.
3
@DesertCard Ummm, no it's not her fault. But it could have been prevented.
7
@Laura McGuire
You are correct, of course - but . . .
Let's distinguish between fault, responsibility, and problem.
Whose fault is it? The predator.
Whose responsibility is it? Shared between the predator and the companies and regulators who decided that ridesharing could dispense with all the traditional protections in place for taxis and other common carriers.
Whose problem is it? The rider who might become a victim. She (or he) will want to know what extra steps she (or he) can take to reduce the chances of being a victim - even though she shouldn't have to do that and it isn't, isn't, isn't her fault.
I like to add a 4th question: who has the power to do something about it? That would be the companies and regulators, and maybe the voters who select the regulators. Even the predators don't have the power to do something about it, because they can't control other predators. And the potential victims have only a little power to take a few extra steps - that they shouldn't have to take - to protect themselves before they get into the car.
8
The app gives you the car and license plate. Pretty simple. If the plates don\t match don't get in.
1
And banned in berlin....now that is a restriction.
2
I am appalled by the victim-blaming in many of these comments. I am appalled by how the police treated Ms. Westlund and Ms. Suarez. This attitude toward victims is no doubt how Nicolas Morales succeeded in attacking six women before he was caught. I thank the reporter for including these details of police callousness toward people who report sexual assault.
389
@grocery shopper This hand-wringing over "victim blaming" helps no one. Nobody is saying these women are responsible for what happened to them. That is all on the perpetrators. But we need to address all the issues in play if we are going to solve this problem.
The alternative is that people are going to start railing against Uber and Lyft for better safety procedures when that is not the problem at all. The fact is that both apps give you the color, make, model, license plate of your car and a photo of the driver. I always memorize the first three digits of the license plate from the app and make sure they match the car I get into. To point out that this is a good, simple, and effective practice is not victim-blaming. It is recognition of a salient part of this problem.
11
@Kevin The inability to recognize that "victim blaming" is one of those "issues in play" that you refer to. Sure, it's secondary because it happens after the crime has occured, but it contributes directly to the problem at hand.
10
@grocery shopper These comments all blame Uber for FAKE Uber driver tricking people. To those of us who work for Uber it offends us that we're getting blamed for something NON-Uber drivers are doing. And we're also expected to go find these drunks and direct them to our cars? I get $3 a ride on average ad I'm not going to get out and go to bars to try and locate the passenger. They have 100% of the information they need to find me. I have people getting in the wrong car all the time. One guy got mad at me a few weeks ago when he hopped in and I said wrong car. He said "Isn't this a Black Acura MDX?" I said, "No, it's a RED Toyota Rav4". He got out and slammed my door. We have that happen all the time.
7
So many suggestions....
(1) Make Uber/Lyft drivers have lighted sign saying Uber/Lyft which can be bought on Ebay
(2) Use a color-coded beacon
(3) Use a bar-code on the vehicle for the rider to scan before getting in
How would this would make a difference when these people can't even do ANY of the following
* read the license plate
* look at the photo of the driver and then the driver before getting in
* ask the driver's name before getting in
* ask whom the driver is there to pick up
Sometimes you can NOT fix 'stupid' or 'lazy' or 'drunk' or save them from themselves (like walking out in the road without checking traffic)
BTW lot of comments of "we want to be able to ask for only a women driver" or have a 'women-only rideshare service'
Sorry no can do and no can have
It would be unlawful for the companies to dispatch a women rather than a man based solely upon the driver's sex
It would be unlawful for ANY BUSINESS to hire based upon sex or to only serve customers based upon their sex
It is called the EEO Act - sex discrimination is ILLEGAL in employment or the provision of services
Note: (Had some guy try jumping in my car thinking it his Uber - my 115 lb mobility Service Dog - formidable life stock guarding breed - came up out of the back - think the guy wet his pants - he leapt 20 feet backwards and screamed)
8
How about 2-step verification? Uber/Lyft texts a different code to both driver and rider, and they share it with each other to verify? Or driver carries an tablet or keypad that rider has to enter a code? It shouldn't be more secure to access Gmail than enter a strangers car.
9
@abc
Nice suggestions, but all in vain if people hop on a stranger's car at the curb assuming that's their ride.
People who hop on a random car like this would not even look up from Instagram to do any of the things you suggested until they realized they are in a dark highway nowhere near home.
4
I recently shared an Uber ride with another woman who often uses the service. Uber provides the user with details about the driver and the vehicle, including the vehicle's make, model, and license plate info. The woman was careful to match the license plate before we got into the vehicle. Women who fail do avail themselves of this safety valve that Uber provides are putting themselves at risk.
9
Lyft does the same thing.
1
I agree with you! I check everything before I get in.....and you can even let someone else know you're enroute though the app as well!
1
Back in the mid-1980's my husband and I took a taxi at 1:00 AM from the Caracas airport to a Sheraton hotel about 45 minutes away on the beach. We didn't choose the taxi - the driver chose us - grabbing our bags as soon as we appeared on the curb. The driver then proceeded to speed down the deserted dark streets of the city - going through every red light and stop sign. We noticed no other vehicles stopped for any traffic controls either. By that time we figured we were going to die in an accident or just be robbed and killed. We did make it to the hotel.
5
I was reluctant to even take cabs, preferring public transit when available - esp. when there were mostly gypsy cabs in Queens until recently.
As a woman I have only used Uber because my brother hails it and knows the driver. I will not use it anywhere else, preferring, if there are no public transport, a taxi.
5
Unfortunately, I regularly experience men telling me that they are in fact my uber driver when I am waiting for an Uber in Boston. It usually happens when I am waiting alone for an Uber outside of a bar or other highly trafficked spot. I have never gotten into one of these cars and I am fortunate that the first time that it happened I was walking to where I needed to go and hadn't called for a ride share.
14
This story is yet another classic tale, repeated countless times of late, of how a society suffering from deep and massive sleepwalking technomanic stupor soon becomes clueless of the most basic principles of public regulation.
Uber should never have been allowed to even begin its operations (which have gutted traditional taxi services) without such elementary safety requirements being required, vetted and subject to oversight precautions.
These tragedies are the continuing result of the supreme myopia by which internet-based business have been for too long routinely deemed to be automatically entitled to exemption from a wide panoply of what should be simple common sense regulations.
30
Silicon Valley technologies are largely created and run by men. (Surprise!) So when men use the Uber app in downtown San Francisco they never have any fear of not arriving at their destination safely.
Thus the need for some female input and oversight before such product roll out.
7
@Sage
This time I don’t really think it’s Uber’s fault.
with Lyft you see the car model and color, license plate number, drivers photo and name. I assume it’s similar for Uber.
I would suggest training yourself in checking this info every time so it becomes a routine. You will then likely click into your autopilot mode without having to remember to do something entirely different than usual when it’s dark, you are tired, and have had something to drink.
1
@Kathryn Boussemart- Because all men are creeps and started Uber/Lyft to prey on women? I'm quite sure all angles were looked at for safety.
1
Rule #1 to protect yourself:
Never, ever get into a stranger's vehicle. This is the lesson taught to all children. good to heed it as an adult.
I don't care if it is Uber, Lyft or any of the ride hailing services. The risk is not worth it.
10
I'm approaching 50, and I've never used a ride service like Lyft or Uber for the very reasons posed in this story. As a woman who grew up on warnings of "never get in a strange man's car," I just can't envision a time when I would blithely hop into some stranger's backseat.
Even putting the potential physical assault issues aside, how am I to know what kind of driver they are? What if they're horrible and we get into a wreck?? There are just so many frightening unknowns.
My hope is that by the time I'm no longer able (or willing) to drive, we'll have self-driving cars that I can call to ferry me to my destination. I feel much safer with a computer at the wheel than some random human.
18
I want to add that the Uber driver also called the woman I was sharing a ride with by her name, assuring himself that he was picking up the correct passenger.
Regardless of the vetting Uber does of their drivers, if a woman gets into the correct vehicle, it will be easier to determine what happened to her if something nefarious occurs.
4
Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. Taxis ended up as a regulated and inspected industry in part because of incidents like this. That extra regulation, insurance and safety measures don't come free, and so the cost of taxis rose. Along comes a "disruptor" who really just set the clock back to the conditions of the 18th century. Now we must re-learn those lessons all over again and eventually wind up right where we are now. Except we apparently need to kill/rape/rob some people before we realize that the regulations were put there for a reason. Oh, but some tech bros are going to get rich first! So I guess that's OK then.
71
@AB- It's a brilliant idea and safe 99.999999% of the time. Just like driving your own car or pretty much anything else you do in your life.
1
The apps tell you the make and model of the car, your drivers name and include a picture of the driver.
At what point do people take responsibility for their own safety?
7
@Randy I understand what you're saying but when you're out and not in the right state of mind, it's so easy for someone to take advantage of you. Especially if the driver is purposely trying to impersonate a Lyft/Uber driver.
4
@Sweta Sen- Then I guess it's in Gods hands. At some point everyone is responsible for themselves. If you're a bad drunk that's no excuse.
1
@Randy Ms. Josephson should have taken better responsibility for her own safety while she was happily on her way to her first year at law school. Perhaps she could have modified her life by:
1) not being attractive 2) not being tipsy 3) not being alone 3) not being born a woman. Any man waiting for a ride share outside the hotel that night would probably be alive today. Women's lives are subsumed by being on guard from male predators. When are men going to take responsibility for not perpetrating violence upon women might be the better question.
5
Always, always check the car's make, model and license plate against the car info uber/Lyft provides when booking the ride. Doesn't hurt to ask the driver what his/her name is either.
2
Can a "safe word" be part of the booking? The driver, then, would have to say the safe word/phrase prior to a passenger entering the vehicle.
3
Why does Uber make it so hard to read the license plate number of the car on their app. Have you seen that font size? The color and face of the rider is also not easy to read and parse quickly. I find it hard at times to read it at night in dimly lit areas where one often has to get into the ride hailing car.
8
Both Uber and Lyft send various forms of ID once a driver has been assigned to you . License number , picture of driver , type of vehicle and ability to contact the driver either thru a call or text . I never approach a car asking are you picking up(my name) nor do I assume any car that looks like a Uber , etc. is the car I asked for . Sadly these women have been victimized because they were intoxicated , or alone or because they assumed that vehicle was picking them up . They are only guilty of carelessness ; this is not a safe enough world where we can trustingly overlook the safety measures (as a result of assaults committed by drivers not vetted properly) put in place by these companies . My deepest sympathy to Ms. Josephson's family for their tragic loss .
8
When you get into your Uber or Lyft, the first question to ask the driver is, "What is my name?" If he or she does not know (it is easily seen on their app) they are not your driver.
4
@MaryTheresa- Actually BEFORE you get in. If you remember once the girl in SC was in he locked the door and she was trapped.
4
One thing I find helpful in New York City is that the ride share vehicles have to have special license plates—beginning with “T”. Just like yellow or green cabs, or black cars. It’s just one more way to be sure the car you’re getting into is an actual ride share driver’s car and not a random person’s. But people should always match the license plate number on the app with the car in front of them, and you can see a little thumbnail sized photo of the driver. Make sure you have the right person. Don’t get in before you check both of those things. If they don’t ask “are you _____?” when you get in, ask *before* closing the door who they’re picking up. Never offer your name first.
4
Let's take a step back. When you approach an Uber or Lyft for pickup, there are several established criteria, a checklist if you will, to follow to insure your safety. First, is the make and model of the car you requested the same as the make and model of the car picking you up? Second, does the license plate listed in the app match the license plate of the of the car you're about to get into? Third, does the driver match the photo in the app? Fourth, has the driver confirmed your destination?
Both Lyft and Uber have added 'panic' buttons that allow you to contact the local police.
So, let's please not turn this into anything more than it is. I'm sorry someone lost their life but it wasn't because of anything Lyft and Uber did or did not do.
As for women requesting women drivers? What next? Native Americans requesting Native American drivers? Must we stratify everything in our culture because a few don't know how to behave?
2
Uber doesn't even consider their drivers to be company employees, and barely vets them. So sometimes your Uber driver IS your predator.
11
Free idea for Uber.
Lighted object hung in window that displays a color that matches the color sent to the passenger standing at the curb. If you color matches, it's your car. The lighted object device color is controlled by the app, as is the color on your phone. 10 colors ought to do it.
4
That feature already exists - it's called spotlight in the Uber app
1
You have the driver's photo and the license plate for the car. If they don't match, don't get in. Period. Man or woman. Young or old. Take responsibility for your safety.
5
Although unfortunate, we must decide in giving up much of our privacy if it will help save potential victims from predators, even killers, as depicted in your story. Mentally deranged individuals seem to be 'on the alert' so to assault anybody unaware of their malevolence. Video footage in real time must be part of the solution in this society of ours, apparently stressed out, indifferent to solidarity, and where we look the other way, afraid to get involved to preclude abuse. We are social animals, supposed to protect each other. Unless we changed, unaware of the harm inflicted?
1
No LYFT or Uber for me and that's a definite.
5
I’m an infrequent, but enthusiastic rider. The cars that I have been in are almost always cleaner, nicer, and more comfortable than a taxi in the same areas. I have had great Uber drivers that have become my go-to drivers. However, I always check the licence plate, ask the driver to tell me my name, and to tell me his/her name before getting in the car! To do anything less is insane and irresponsible. I also try to check the drivers profile pic against who is driving but it is small and hard to view. In taxis, I always check the drivers pic against the person behind the wheel. All of this takes about 5 seconds.
And... if you are driving your own car, keep the doors locked!!! My sister pulled up in front of a Target to pick up her teenage daughter who was at check out. As she came to a complete stop, a guy opened the door and climbed in. She was stunned into momentary silence, but he noticed her panicked stare and he said, “Are you my UBER?” She replied no and he could not have apologised more or moved faster to get out of her car! Luckily, this was a genuine mistake that ended well.
104
@Eliza I now lock my doors as soon as I get in and until the last second before I get out of my vehicle. I was mugged in my own garage by two men who followed me as I pulled in and yanked the driver's door open, trapping me, before demanding that I hand over my purse.
8
Ride-sharing apps need some kind of two-step authentication. Yes we might check the plates but some cars have plates on in the back, sometimes it's late and night and the plates can't be read. How about every ride having a 4-digit code that only the passenger and driver are issued and the passenger checks that the driver knows the code before getting into the car? Easily implemented.
13
Always check the plates! Always always always. Uber and Lyft both in their app provide a photograph of your driver, the make, model and color of their vehicle, and the plates! If any one of these don’t check out, do NOT get in the car!
In my opinion, Uber is safer than conventional taxis. Travelling in Mexico, we were warned by locals to only use cabs we phoned for or those located at authorized locations, because taxis driving on the streets were known to sometimes rob tourists. We once got into a cab we thought was the one we had phoned for, but we later learned from the B&B owners that the cab we’d phoned showed up a few minutes later and couldn’t find us!
Fortunately, we were lucky, and our ride was safe and comfortable and the taxi driver was pleasant. Still, I’d far preferred to have had Uber then, so I could have confirmed the approaching cab was the one I phoned, and avoided any potentially unsafe situations.
(of course, I don’t think Uber gives their drivers a fair shake, but that’s a separate issue)
5
I'm currently studying abroad from the US in the Dominican Republic. It's actually quite common here for the car to not match what the app says- people borrow their friend's cars, drivers have their original account suspended so they share a profile with a friend. My tactic is to always check that they have my profile up on their phones (most have a dash stands for their phones). There was a ride I took where the driver cancelled the trip on the app as soon as we got in the car (I don't have data service here so I didn't find this out until I got to wifi) and drove us around the city, ignoring our directions. He charged us 3x the average toll, and Uber can't do anything about this since the trip was technically cancelled. If I could do it over again, I'd get out of the car as soon as I suspected he was trying to scam us. It's hard to know when you're doing the right thing when in such an intimidating situation.
8
These companies, Lyft and Uber, need to be heavily regulated. The drivers should be union and have extensive background checks conducted on them.
30
@Eugene Debs--that defeats the whole purpose and business model of these companies.
4
@Eugene Debs Sort of like commercial taxis, you mean? This is exactly why cabbies are vetted and licensed.
9
Not sure how it’s being overlooked that the license plate, make, model, and color of the driver’s car are listed in the app, and there’s no excuse for not verifying these. I’ve never had an issue, because I’ve always confirmed these prior to getting into a car, no matter how intoxicated. A little personal responsibility goes a long way.
16
Personal responsibility for getting into a car with a serial rapist and murderer? Though hindsight is 20/20, it is not always easy at night to see these details — besides up until the publication of these incidents I would never have guessed that such dangerous individuals are purposely posing as Uber drivers. Therese companies could install a verification system — perhaps one that “pings” on both phones when they have the right driver or a quick confirmation code to the riders cell phone.
3
@Jon and sometimes a driver's plate doesn't match because Lyft/Uber isn't efficient in making those updates.
2
@Jon
Good point, but perhaps instead "a little diligence goes a long way". A victim can be the most responsible person on earth. That won't prevent them from being attacked.
3
Common sense says if you must make use of these companies that at least when you are getting in a stranger's car :You ask first for the name of the driver and number of the car you have called or if there is an order number, confirm it. You do not give your own name first, or give the name of the driver first. It is unbelievable to me that one would trust getting in the car of a stranger in this age knowing all dangers and possibilities. Why not arrange a legitimate car service, or wait for a taxi (at least in the cities)Is convenience more important than safety?
7
I am not a ride share driver and have had three people - all women - try to get into my car when parked in a driveway waiting to pick up friends. This has happened within the last six months. The fact that they’re all young women in their twenties speaks to a larger problem of naïveté at best or completely lacking any awareness at worst. Or both. Whatever the case, hopefully more public service announcements cautioning women to exercise common sense would be a good first step. Or, better yet, require all ride share cars be painted yellow and become more regulated...
312
@Paula M definitely agree all ride share cars should have much better indications of who they are...if not paint, at least a large rear facing placard on headrest with photo of driver, id and plate number. Phone App description of car and plate is not so easily identifiable at night.
11
You put a card on file on your Uber account to pay for rides. Why would you think you pay the driver directly?
2
@Paula M--that defeats the whole purpose and business model of these companies.
1
I took my first and last Uber ride in 2016, when I took one from one destination to another in Miami, while visiting the city for the first time. At the end of the ride, in my naivety, I asked the driver "Do I pay you? Or does it go onto the card I have on file?"
"You pay me," he lied.
There was something about the way he was that raised my "scam" antenna, and I walked away. That the driver didn't protest confirmed my suspicions.
To their credit, when I emailed and complained about the driver to Uber, they refunded the price of the ride.
But, yea, first and last Uber.
Unlike the yellow cab or livery business (I drove a livery cab briefly in Manhattan) any deviant, criminal or lowlife can drive for Uber, which is why that was my first and last trip.
108
Too bad — one dishonest driver and your done. What other services do you apply that to? I found the service helpful but sometimes airports and some hotels make it very difficult to locate your ride by forcing these drivers to park further away and where it is not easy to see them.
1
Uber should have roof top lighted signs like yellow cabs or at least like dominos pizza, but more secure, authenticated and distributed by Uber.
22
@restobehumansanity right; anyone can make an Uber or Lyft sign and put it in their front dash window.
1
@restobehumansanity..with an ID number on it.
1
Thank you nytimes for adding coverage to this which will help legislators work on this. This is media being great. I’m crying frankly as I read about this nightmare for women. Thank you again.
15
I have requested Lyft to allow women to request women drivers, but they've ignored my email. Maybe some savvy female tech entrepreneur can create a version of Uber and Lyft for women and by women, all female drivers, all female passengers. Just as many drivers drive for both Uber and Lyft, a female driver could drive for the all female company and the others.
I always feel relieved and happy to get a female driver at random on Lyft and would love to be able to request one. I'm the meantime, I always check the model and color of the car and the driver's face against the information provided by Lyft. I'm going to start checking the license plate also.
I agree that everyone needs to be careful getting into these cars. Maybe young inebriated women could help each other verify their rideshare vehicles....
119
@S.G. checking the license plate should be the first thing you do. There could be a glitch in the system where the wrong color or make of the car come up. Then confirm that the driver knows you're name by asking them who they are waiting for BEFORE you get into the car.
4
@S.G. I believe this exists, I have seen Safr advertised on the subway - but not sure how widespread it is.
1
@S.G.
https://www.gosafr.com/
2
I don’t drive. Tried it, hated it, and for years relied on my husband. He didn’t want me to drive either. Now that he is gone I rely on friends and family. My sons tell me to try Uber, and I have told them repeatedly no way, they’re not like cabs in NYC which I have used for years. They have told me the same advice that other comments have offered; check names on app, ect. My sister and I passed the funeral of the poor girl yesterday, and agreed it was not just her fault. Stick with your friends, never take a Uber by yourself if you have been drinking, and if you have to, go get a cup of coffee to sober up and be super cautious. Text your friends. Use a registered car service. None of this advice will help this family now, but young adults have to be more suspicious, I’d rather that than bury a child.
21
@Mary Nagle
Having tended bar for years, I can assure you that coffee will not sober one up. Trainee drinkers are easily preyed upon. Teach your children how to be responsible and cautious in this dangerous world.
8
@Mary Nagle
As @Timothy Mulherin observes, coffee will not sober you up. Go get a cup of coffee anyway - but linger over it and add a Danish. What sobers you up is taking a long, long time to drink your coffee.
4
If you notice, most of these riders are impaired with alcohol, the deadliest and legal drug on the market. It is difficult to reason with a drunk person and tell them what to do and not do. It would be nice if bars and nightclubs would provide extra protection to their clients by getting sure that there is a sober person outside monitoring for trolls. There are plenty of people who would do this for a tip and minimum wage or less. The bar where Samantha got picked up will certainly see a drop in its clients due to bad publicity. Did the business wish that outcome when they could and now can still provide such protection?
13
When traveling internationally, tourists are always cautioned to engage taxis from inside the airport, using a safe taxi company. In Buenos Aires, your hotel will call a "radio taxi" from a company that has been vetted.
Walking outside the building and just getting into a car from someone who is acting like a taxi/uber/lyft driver is very dangerous.
I prefer registered taxi companies and hotels with a concierge desk (3 star is fine) and companies that have invested in their business and do it in an ethical, legal way - oh, and that also pay their workers and their taxes.
22
@AliceP
I've used Uber and Lyft in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Lisbon... Lots of cities where I don't know where things are and there might be a language barrier.
The apps are better than taxis because both you and the driver already know the destination and can follow the route.
1
As a young woman, there are a lot of measures I take to keep myself safe and I'm grateful that the women in my life taught them to me growing up. I do have to say that although I know watching over your shoulder is part of being a woman, it's so tiring. I want to be able to take an Uber and not worry that I'm going to be murdered. I know statistically the likelihood is low, but it's still in the back of my mind. What we really need is a change in how society treats women, but I still have to take my safety into my own hands.
90
History shows that women have been assaulted since the start of it’s recording. Don’t expect society or people to change. Life is real
5
@Susan I know I'm young and naive, but things aren't going to change if we don't expect it to and work toward that change. That's the kind of attitude that keeps society stagnant.
10
@Mackenzie - No, that's called reality. No matter how much we evolve, there will always be those who don't, and in great numbers. It's taken thousands of years to progress even this far, and we're going backwards. There is no Utopia. Keep up the fight, by all means, but be clear-eyed about it. Positive thinking has nothing to do with it.
2
After parking my car recently, a young woman jumped in the back seat thinking I was her Uber ride. She was so careless that she did not even notice I had no Uber decal. After some confusion on both our parts, she spotted her actual Uber ride, apologized, and jumped out. Her Uber ride car was not even the same color as mine. I hope this horrible story will get people to be a lot more careful, but ride share companies need to come up with solutions for people who are not only paying attention, but those who are not. It is very easy to get distracted when you are with a group having fun and in many other scenarios.
33
@MRod Several other commenters in this thread have also reported unexpected people jumping into their cars. My question is: Why aren't your car doors locked? Except the one you exited a moment before.
You're right though, some people are just not being careful and that can turn out very badly.
1
And then there's the other angle. One time I pulled over to the side of the road and parked to make a cell call. All of a sudden a stranger opened the car door and started to get in. I reasonably assumed he was a carjacker or robber. Had I been driving my car with its usual stuff instead of a rental, that guy would have been quickly dispatched to a hospital at the least.
9
@Steve Fankuchen
You don't lock your door...?
2
Long before Uber and Lyft, it was commonplace to flag down any town car that had a "tissue box" in the rear window when you were north of 125th St. (so called "gypsy cabs") This was considered a safe thing to do when travelling with a large group, but by the late 90's, it became something that even women riding alone would commonly do. The change followed the Gulliani crack down on crime, and the increase in police on the streets (and the heavy handed tactics they would use on the mentally ill (how we classify drug addiction today)... who are in fact a major threat. In that environment, people started to feel safe, whether jumping into strangers cars or jogging again in central park at dusk. But those conditions have been undermined in many ways in the past 10 years, but people remain lulled into a blissful "it's safe out there" misconception. People I know who drive for Uber (which is not particularly safe IMHO) seem to think that the cashless nature of their business makes them immune from targeting. In fact, it makes an impersonal stick up ("give me your cash"), into a personal relationship ("your going to get me money from the ATM"). Those situations are the ones where the criminal is most likely to feel the risk justifies violence / killing to cover their tracks.
5
I was simply parking on a residential street in Chicago one day when a woman I had not even noticed suddenly approached my car and tried to open the back door. The fact that my doors were locked did not deter her. I was rather freaked out and shouted "Who are you?" "Oh," she said, "you're not my Uber?" Just an example of how willing people are to jump into a stranger's car. Me? I take taxis.
215
@Jeremy Taxis are also strangers' cars.
8
If only there was a regulated version of Uber, where the drivers are vetted and trained, and the cars are clearly marked with medallions and paint. Oh wait, there is...
There's a reason cities regulated their taxi industries before the gig economy: passenger safety. Uber and Lyft have flaunted those regulations, and predators have taken advantage of the resulting confusion. But consumers should keep in mind that a good old yellow cab is most likely the safest option, even if it's not the cheapest.
142
@Jack That's very easy to say as a New York resident (even if you're in Brooklyn! ;-) ), and I agree with you here - I rarely use Uber in Manhattan. But have you ever tried to take a taxi cab in virtually any other US city (let alone suburban areas)? For all their faults, Uber and Lyft identified a market need and used technology to meet that need efficiently. Could the taxi industry have just developed their own apps? Probably, but what was the incentive? There was no competition! This is a tough situation, and it's hard not to lay some responsibility to use the service wisely at the feed of the riders. I'm sure that's tearing at this young lady's friends and family--this didn't need to happen.
26
I agree. I had a late flight into Albuquerque a few days ago and there were no taxis waiting at their stand. I called the number that was posted at the taxi stand and person told me that taxis are not there that late ( it was 11:30pm) and I should take a Uber. As a female that travels alone often, I am uncomfortable taking Ubers in cities I am not familiar with, but sometimes it’s the only choice.
22
@Jack One of the reasons people use uber/lyft is that cab drivers often try to cheat you with the myriad scams they have developed over the years. I use lyft all over the world regardless of cost vs. cabs because it's safer. For instance, in Italy you need to be a licensed cab driver to drive for uber/lyft so it's a bit more expensive than just hailing a cab, but I and a lot of other people still use it because you avoid the cab shenanigans. And plenty of people have been raped and murdered in cabs.
12
I always just check that the plate matches and of course I'm looking for a specific make and model. It's an obvious potential danger to just assume. I suppose if you ride a lot you could get complacent, but a couple of stories like this should help people remember.
40
Don't drink so much that you can't ensure your safety by checking license plate. Laws can't fix that. That said, getting SO tired of cops disbelieving women.
125
@Kilroy71Better yet, don't drink at all and carry a concealed handgun. Oh, that's right... in NY you can only do that if you know someone in the right circles, otherwise your application gets lost in red-tape.
1
I don't know. Call me Old-fashioned but Back-in-the-Day if the group was mixed then one of the guys would see the young woman safely home.
If the group was all women, then they stuck together or at least in pairs. The reporting says that this young woman got separated from her friends.
The world is a dangerous damn place. The Internet is not necessarily your friend.
Having said that, the beast who committed this horrifying crime should and I trust will get the death penalty.
50
@Lefthalfbach I am a woman in my 30s, so I started going out to bars before ride sharing existed. And you know what? For me and many other women, services like Uber were a wonderful blessing because I could finally be free to come and go when I pleased, without relying on or waiting for some dude who keeps saying, "Yeah I'm leaving soon."
Now I live in Munich, which is so safe that I can walk or take the bus alone at any hour. It is amazing! I never have to worry what time it gets dark! I never want to go back to the "chaperone" system. Sure it kind of worked but it was stifling, and it was like, we are just accepting that women are not safe. Well I dont accept that. And as many cities around the world prove, it doesn't have to be like that. The streets can be safe for women.
64
@C. F.
Well, that is a good point.
Oddly enough, I never saw it as being a a "...chaperone..." system but then I am a guy. To me, it was just being a gentleman. Also, if the young woman wanted to go home, I took her then. So did my pals. Maybe things had changed between when you were in your twenties and I was in mine. I am not a young guy.
However, within the last year, I finished my beer when a woman with whom I was chatting-a friend of mine who chanced to come into the bar while I was there, - wanted to walk home. And I walked her home.
As for safety in cities?
I am happy to hear that Munich is so safe. Charleston, South Carolina is not.
3
@Lefthalfbach
But what if the women don't live together? One of them's going to end up alone.
While these sensational deaths are tragic, we should also keep in mind the thousands who are saved from drunk driving deaths because of the prevalence of Uber/Lyft.
No one is writing newspaper stories about the thousands of people who are likely alive today who would be dead from drunk driving accidents that Uber/Lyft have prevented.
167
@Theo E - You know what else has prevented the types of deaths that you decry? Cabs. Licensed cabs with licensed, insured drivers.
Look, it's not that Uber and Lyft don't have responsible drivers who follow the rules of the law and help people get home safely. But people weren't running amok before ride shares came along. People got home via cabs and friends, and unfortunately drunk driving still happens today even though cabs and Uber/Lyft are zooming all over the place. Just because Uber and Lyft provide quality services when they actually work well doesn't mean journalists shouldn't write articles about what happens when they don't. Ride share industries are not regulated like the yellow cab industry and until they are, tragedies like this may happen and articles like this should be written, so that passengers can be safe and educate themselves accordingly.
46
@Theo E
Wait, cabs didn’t exist before Uber and Lyft? I’d like to see this assertion supported.
21
@BBB Agreed. This very newspaper published a story in 2017 pointing out how the results are mixed from studies looking at the impact of rideshare service proliferation on drunk driving deaths.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/business/uber-drunk-driving-prevention.html
2
All of the suggestions on security practices are moot if someone is drunk and inattentive. Women are so vulnerable when intoxicated. No one has the right to attack us sexually or to rob us, but let's face it, we are much easier targets when drunk. WE are responsible for taking the best care of ourselves as possible. Ladies...don't travel alone at night and stay sober.
34
There should be some sort of "medallion" or visible VETTED ID set up to prevent this sort of thing.
2
@skanda
You can verify the license plate and driver's name and face with the info provided by the ride-sharing app. I always do that.
@skanda
Let's not completely forget women have been raped and assaulted in yellow taxis, either by drivers who borrowed their friends cab to make extra money or by the medallion holders themselves. I myself had a yellow cab driver tear open the back door and demand I get out of the cab at 2 am on Queens Blvd because I demanded to know why his meter wasn't on. I was afraid for my safety both from his aggression and form being on an abandoned street. I was not drunk I was afraid, the number one thought in my head if the driver doesn't put his meter on is he is going to attack me. This is how women must think, we really are not safe anywhere and must follow procedures to try to keep ourselves safer. I urge the entire country to enforce front and back license plates for cars, it makes is much easier to verify if the Uber is yours.
3
@CEI
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, worldwide, 78.7% of homicide victims are male.
Please, when ordering an Uber, check the model and color of the car and the name of the driver when the trip is confirmed. Before getting into the car check for the Uber sign on the windshield, make sure the driver says your name and confirm his/her name before getting in the car.
9
@Richard DeSimone Well, this whole "What's my name" business is sure to backfire when people start using it to "steal" Uber rides from others without paying. Of course you could inadvertently end up in Poughkeepsie, but I suppose you could just tell the driver your phone died and could he change the destination manually.
Passengers should announce their own names, and drivers should announce their own as well in response. (Of course matching the make/model/license plate is the easiest thing...)
Taxi drivers receive training and are unionized professionals—if we gotta get somewhere fast or far, we only take nyc yellow cabs!
21
Common sense is a trait that the 21st century human has less and less of.
17
Uber has license plate and name of driver on the app . Check both first no ?
14
@richard That makes her murder all the more tragic. I have yet to use Uber or Lyft and didn't know that the vehicle plate number appears on the app.
2
@NYC Taxpayer It does! I'm shocked that there has to be a whole article about this, new laws, etc. Every time I take Uber, the license plate is literally how I know my car is there, along with the color and make which help me recognize it. I'm baffled that people don't look at it.
1
My heart goes out to the victims of these crimes, but my head shakes in wonder at the number of people who are so careless about personal security. Didn't your mommy teach you not to get in a car with a stranger?
5
As women we need to be able to chose women drivers!
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@Sue
It is unlawful to demand a service provider or other worker based upon their sex.
It is called "Sex Discrimination"
8
@Sue
Male predators will dress as women in hopes of snaring more victims. It is no longer unusual to see men dressed as women. Women can be predators too. The best way to be safe is for Uber passengers to check the make and plate of the car and blind confirm both people’s names before getting in the car.
RIP Ms Suarez and my condolences to her family.
2
@Sue Given all the lurking male aggression, how do you guarantee the safety of the women drivers? That would mean that women only drive women. Somehow, I am not sure this is the right solution to male violence - isolate men and women. Seems like what patriarchy always prescribes for the "safety" of women.
Let’s hope the prosc does their job and gives Rowland the death penalty. Premeditated kidnapping and homicide indicate psychopathic instincts that need to be removed from our society.
11
I had a dodgy moment recently in Washington DC, and there really is no timely way to contact Uber. I hope somebody from a rideshare company is reading this comment. Here’s what happened.
I was dining v late alone at a restaurant on Prospect Street that has lately become known for “celebrity” clientele that maintains close ties to the President. I hailed an Uber after midnight. The first screen said the driver would arrive in four minutes. The screen refreshed. Then a driver arrived in seconds in an unmarked car.
He spoke my name through the window. Oddly, he did not seem to answer to the name of the drive who had been on my screen moments before. I was wary. When I asked why he didn’t have his Uber light on. When I moved to the rear of the car to check his license, he cursed at me, using an obscenity completely at odds with his religious garb, and sped off east on Prospect street.
It was most unsettling. I got the impression he had hacked Uber. How else would he have been able to speak my name?
Shaken, I went back inside and told the maître d’hôtel to be vigilant. Something made me think that perhaps the “fake Uber driver” was targeting clients of this restaurant specifically. I saw nowhere on the Uber app to report this.
The first driver had been delayed by poor driving directions and soon arrived. The ride proceeded normally.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity, through your comments section, to make Uber aware of this incident.
252
@Suzanne Stroh
Sorry for your experience, which illustrates what a lot of commenters are saying: Tools already exist--license plate numbers, make, model, year of car--for riders to protect themselves, even if drivers hack Uber. You did exactly the right thing. I agree with you that Uber should make it easier for riders to contact the company to voice concerns about this sort of thing, and other sorts of things. I've tried, without success, to contact Uber about other concerns, and it's nigh impossible.
23
@Suzanne Stroh - I've had situations where the uber person driving the vehicle that arrives is not the one on the profile, but that i think has happened for ppl who let friends/relatives drive for them. Also situations where the uber driver demands cash instead of payment by credit card, and they cancel the ride (which is out of the passenger's control, especially when the ride has already started). your situation is creepier tho
5
Thank you and I’m sorry about your own experiences!
3
there is a very simple solution to this - establish a code word with your driver- if a driver shows up and does not know the code word you get the heck out of there.
6
I can't believe so many of these commenters are blaming the victims.
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@SusanH
We're just stating facts. As several women here have pointed out, they've used the tools provided--year, make, model of car as well as license plate numbers--to avoid sketchy situations. Yes, these are tragic situations. But they also were preventable.
12
@August West - No, you are blaming the victim.
You have no idea what precautions this young lady did or didn't take, but at the end of the day the guy driving the car shouldn't have been posing as a ride share driver, he shouldn't have activated the child safety locks to trap the young lady in his car, and he shouldn't have stabbed her to death in the backseat. He is the problem here, along with an unregulated industry that has loopholes that allow people like this predator to access potential victims. Women who are attacked aren't at fault - the attackers are, and I find it astounding and reprehensible that so many people in this comments section - a lot of whom, but not all of whom, are men - are essentially blaming the women for being raped, abused, kidnapped, robbed, and, in the case of this young lady, murdered by psychopaths.
7
@SusanH
You are correct, of course - but . . .
Let's distinguish between fault, responsibility, and problem.
Whose fault is it? The predator.
Whose responsibility is it? Shared between the predator and the companies and regulators who decided that ridesharing could dispense with all the traditional protections in place for taxis and other common carriers.
Whose problem is it? The rider who might become a victim. She (or he) will want to know what extra steps she (or he) can take to reduce the chances of being a victim - even though she shouldn't have to do that and it isn't, isn't, isn't her fault.
I like to add a 4th question: who has the power to do something about it? That would be the companies and regulators, and maybe the voters who select the regulators. Even the predators don't have the power to do something about it, because they can't control other predators. And the potential victims have only a little power to take a few extra steps - that they shouldn't have to take - to protect themselves before they get into the car.
2
Women, this is your elder Auntie. Do NOT get into a " ride share " vehicle alone, especially after Dark. Only do this IF there is a FEMALE Driver.
NOT Victim blaming here, but you must use some common sense, as there are some very real Monsters among us. And your are their Prey.
Be safe, and be aware.
35
@Phyliss Dalmatian what time in sundown in Wichita? We have lives to live, and for a number of reasons can't always drive ourselves. Not that walking to my car alone after dark is any safer. Oh, wait, am I just supposed to have a man with me at all times? You think you aren't victim blaming, but you are happily keeping us caged.
2
Recently, I decided to try a LYFT Ride Share. When the car arrived, there was already one female passenger. I noted the license plate did not match the plate indicated on the app and pointed this out to the driver who said "sometimes I drive a different car." His face did match the app photo. He pulled away and should have driven straight west to my/our destination. However, he left course and drove to a less populated industrial area. I asked him where he was going...he said "to pick someone else up."Four miles later, I told him to "let me out of the car." The female passenger did not speak english and she agreed this felt"wrong in some way." I didn't want to leave her alone. The uncommunicative driver said he "couldn't find his pick-up" and wanted me to calm down. I said "I do not like this."He did not slow but, did turn around and head to the most direct route. What should have been simple turned into something else.Immediately following I contacted LYFT and asked them to respond to my concerns. What I got was a standard email that dismissed my concerns. The email said "OOPS that's on us" "sometimes our drivers are asked to pick-up......" Not what I expected. They are complicit based on this lack of response.
443
@Rebecca Krueger I'm relieved to hear that you are okay - find it incredulous that LYFT wasn't responsive. I've missed some important parts of your story. Did you arrive at your destination? Did the other female exit with you? I don't understand why, despite the red flags, you got into the car. I hope you've read the TIPS FOR STAYING SAFE that accompanies this article and will follow them in the future.
15
@Rebecca Krueger I would have called 911 immediately after he refused to let me out.
18
@Rebecca Krueger
This happened to a teenager in CO in an Uber Pool. Another passenger was in the car and the driver drove all over the place, claiming he had to let the other passenger out first even though the teenager's house was closer to the pick up and he drove right by her neighborhood. Thankfully, the teenager managed to get out of the car. I think a ride share situation is especially dangerous, since it gives the driver legitimate reasons for not going directly to your destination (and who knows who the other person might be!)
23
From the outset, I decided I would never take Uber or Lyft. I want my taxi driver vetted by a well-established company like Yellow Cab. I also would never rent on Airbnb; familiar hotels and motels are safer and more dependable.
32
I am horrified that the women reporting these crimes are still being made to feel somehow responsible. Perhaps police departments need to recruit more female detectives to help with these cases. No crime victim should be made to feel responsible for being victimized.
As for Uber and Lyft, they underpay their drivers, have deliberately skirted the law, and are easy to impersonate. If we believe in the progressive values promoted by this paper, we should be taking a licensed cab to our destinations. We should all put our money where our hearts are.
46
You may want to check that. Uber drivers in some cities like New York are required to undergo background checks but not in every city
1
I always check the car license plate, before i get into an Uber or Lyft. But I am also not out late at night and drunk, looking for my ride - you are vulnerable if you are doing that, whether you are a man or a woman. One idea might be to have a buddy program -have someone with you, that makes sure you get into the right car. These predators are looking for the easy preys.
4
Years ago - early 2000s timeframe - long before Uber and Lyft came onto the scene, there were livery services in NYC that shuttled people around in addition to the regular cabs that were everywhere. I was out one evening with my roommate, a Manhattan native, her boyfriend (who was from Brooklyn), and two other friends when a large car pulled over as we were trying to hail a cab. The driver rolled down the window and asked us if we needed a ride. He was very insistent that he could drive us, and the car was similar to others used by livery services at the time. My roommate approached the car with some trepidation, but when her boyfriend asked loudly, "Are you a licensed cab?", the driver burst out laughing and drove off. It was sketchy and weird, and it definitely taught me that unless you know the driver is with a licensed cab company/car service, don't go anywhere with that person. I don't know what that guy was up to all those years ago but it was probably nothing good and now, with the plethora of ride-sharing, it's easier than ever for predators to cause harm.
I've only had two experiences with Uber. My Uber experience in Westchester was fine, but the Uber a friend and I called in Manhattan never showed up. We ended up taking a cab. When in doubt, take the cab, especially in NYC. Their licenses are clearly displayed in the vehicle and you basically know what you're getting. You don't always know what you're getting with Uber, as this tragic article demonstrates.
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@Lindsay K I occasionally use a local livery service in my neighborhood. Their newer cars have their logo in the rear window, the older cars put a carboard sign in the front window.
Most likely it was one of the gypsy cabs that used to roam the streets. They were dangerous, but mainly for the drivers . . .
1
Drivers Licenses are supposed to be clearly displayed in rideshare cars as well. Report to TLC if they are not by calling 311 in NYC.
I only ride in these cars when my friend orders them but why can’t they just have the driver text a confirmation to the passenger before the passenger gets in the car and the passenger too texts back confirmation
I know that takes time but probably less time than trying to read a license plate
@Dani Weber
It only takes a second to check the license plate, far less time than the double texting sequence.
The fact Uber has added the ability to contact 911 directly from the app is as reassuring as dining at a restaurant with the Poison Control Network phone number printed on the menu.
43
Did these companies forget that we have technology these days? Uber and Lyft drivers *ought* each have a unique QR code sticker on the front dash-passenger side-of each car. And your ride can't start until you scan the bar code with your app, and the app gives you a thumbs up that this is the correct driver for your particular ride. (And the back of the sticker should be a solid color so you can never scan the bar code from inside the car, you have to scan before you get in). The onus needs to be on the company to ensure the process is failsafe.
My condolences and sympathies to the Josephson family. May her memory be a blessing.
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@Dmitri they already have a "QR code," it's called the license plate. What the companies should do is force an OCR verification of the license plate before the ride starts.
1
More than once my ride-share driver has shown up with a different license plate than the one shown on the app. They always have a plausible reason - "Lyft just hasn't updated the app" or something like that. I don't think I'll be getting in a car again unless the license plate matches, even if it costs me. Lyft and Uber, this is on you to fix.
122
This would be easy to fix by giving the driver and rider a matching pickup code number for each ride.
15
Not if the app has been hacked.
I am a driver, I cant tell you how many times people try to hop in my car without looking and think I am their driver. There are bad actors out there, and you are the first person responsible for your safety. I can go on with hundreds of stories, but I am going to leave the ladies here some advice.
If you are in a situation, where you actually have a driver on App, or someone who you may think may not be a driver. Fake it that you are receiving a phone call, act extremely upset that your loved one was just rushed to a local hospital. Tell the driver to bring you straight to the local emergency room. Use excuse, family, friend, etc has been rushed to that hospital.
Now why do you ask about the emergency room. Simple, they are open 365 days a year, 24 hours/7 days a week. There are always people there, and there is almost always a cop stationed there. Go inside, and wait for the driver to leave, and than order a new car.
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@M. Andras. Huh? If its a bad actor, why would they comply?
41
@M. Andras Uh, how about some controls from the companies who earn money from this and approve drivers? I use cabs. I know the driver is licensed, who they are and while not perfect, safer.
13
Who gets into a Uber/Lyft car without first checking to see if it matches the one you ordered and if the driver knows your name?
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@JM
People under the influence. Was that hard?
10
Did you read the article, JM? Apparently, a lot of people enter ride share cars without checking. They’re outside a busy venue, see the decal, and hop in. They don’t deserve to be murdered or assaulted for it.
26
@KAJones. Yes, I read the article. I wasn't implying that anyone deserves to be murdered - that's an unfair statement.
1
Get a taxi.
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@JP Believe me, I wish I could. But in my city, we have a cab shortage, and they're all downtown. The last time I used the Flywheel app to call a cab, I waited 40 minutes, they never showed up, and I missed my appointment. I imagine it's even worse for people in the suburbs, where taxis aren't so common.
9
@JP
Yeah, call a taxi--and wait a few months for it to arrive. It taxi companies had their acts together, we wouldn't have Uber or Lyft.
6
"Before you get in the car, check that license plate, driver photo, and driver name all match what's listed in the app. Uber rides can only be requested through the app, so never get in a car with a driver who claims to be with Uber and offers a ride."
https://www.uber.com/info/rider-safety-tips/
Is that so hard? Please, people, take some responsibility for your own safety. Government won't always be there to hold your hand.
8
@Ed--Have you ever been a young person? Have you ever made a mistake because you were distracted, in a rush, or under the influence? Have you ever neglected to follow every recommended safety practice in every aspect of your life? If you are perfect, good for you, but most people make mistakes. That doesn't mean that they are irresponsible, and it certainly doesn't mean that they deserve to be robbed, raped, or murdered. Your last sentence is ridiculous and reflects the typical regulation-hating, blame-the-victim MAGA attitudes.
1
In Seattle, a rapist posing as a ride-share driver turned himself in yesterday. Just add this to the list.
In this situation, the police were able to leverage video. I hope the victim finds some relief knowing he's now behind bars.
https://kuow.org/stories/suspect-in-ride-share-assault-turns-himself-in
3
Pay attention. Look at the make of the car, plates and photo of the driver. Stupid mistakes.
12
@Bill: Stupid mistakes? I hope you're not blaming the women.
7
@Anne It's not their fault they got killed or robbed, but it's definitely their fault they got in the wrong car. I don't even understand how this is a problem. I always look at the license plate when I'm getting in an Uber and I'm shocked apparently so many people don't. Not even because I'm afraid of being killed, but because I want to patronize the right person.
4
@Bill
Of course most people who would make these stupid mistakes are drunk, coming out of bars in the wee hours of the morning.
1
My gosh. What a nothing story.
"What's my name?" That's the common-sense question every Uber rider should ask before getting into the car. Do that, and there's zero chance of anything untoward happening. Instead, we get this hang-wringing story about what should be done about something that already is completely preventable.
I highly doubt that this comment will be published anytime soon. Instead, NYT is actively trolling for folks to write comments if they've had scary experiences with Uber.
What a disgraceful way to practice journalism.
6
@August West
People make mistakes. Blaming the victim does nothing to change the situation.
If Uber cars were, as taxis are, unique in appearance there would be less opportunity for criminals to find victims.
11
@August West This is obviously a story as somebody died unnecessarily. I think it great that they publish it so that people will remember and be more careful. It's easy to get careless if in your own experience there's never been any trouble and that leaves an opening for predators. Stories like this close that opening.
13
@EFM
I don't mean to blame the victim. But this story was overkill. As for decorating cars, well, I see Uber and Lyft signs on cars with a fair amount of frequency now. There's nothing to prevent a rapist from displaying such a sign, so that won't help.
At the end of the day, the bottom line remains the same: Uber provides unique identifiers--license plate numbers, year, make and model of cars, driver name--for riders. Riders as we speak have all the tools to protect themselves. More regulations aren't going to prevent more tragedies. A bit more common sense and caution will. And I'd like to see NYT spend finite resources on better stories than this.
I along with countless other family and friends spent the day yesterday at Samantha's funeral. Since we first got the notice that she was missing we have been in shock and as the days have gone on it has only gotten worse. Marcie and Seymour have buried a child and Sydney has lost a beloved sister. We have all lost a beloved young woman- friend, niece, cousin, girlfriend- I could go on and on. My ongoing fear is that even though hopefully there will be some changes to make these services safer, it will always be easy for predators to fake the badges, put up phony lights and continue to make it easy for people to make what they think is an informed decision that turns out to be fatal.
At this point I only hope that no other family will have to go through this- but I'm scared that it will happen again to some other wonderful person.
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Condolences to you and your community, Ekamhi.
Just make it the community's lifelong tribute to Samantha to ensure that every step is taken by government and Uber/Lyft/etc. to positively identify themselves going forward so that this never happens so easily again.
Samantha's Law.
19
@Ekamhi So sorry for your loss.
13
@Ekamhi
All of my condolences.
Honour the memory of your friend by starting an online petition to call for the ban of these predatory companies.
6
There are real reasons why yellow cabs are licensed and post their medallion number on the top and sides of their cars. These reasons are all the more important when you consider that Uber and Lyft are often used by people who have been drinking too much and (intelligently) call a taxi to take them home instead of driving home under the influence. But it is much harder to make an intelligent decision about whether the car you were getting into is safe when you are inebriated. The driver should post a sign in the window this is the name of the passenger they are picking up. But without a licensed medallion number, at a 2am pickup- a woman on the street alone with a criminal is not safe, even if she checks whether the driver has her name.
So yes, I prefer licensed yellow taxis that publicly post their medallion number. But if people use other car services, they should, at minimum, always wait for their car service with a buddy.
80
@common sense advocate A taxi with a medallion tells you absolutely nothing about who is driving it! In NYC, most yellow cabs are leased, not owned, so the driver is rarely the owner of the medallion. The only way to know if the driver is legit is to see their license, if they have made it visible in the back seat. Good luck knowing if that is the person driving.
9
@common sense advocate
Oh, please, we're talking about tens of thousands of drinkers coming out of bars in the middle of the night, outside of NY, there will be no called cabs coming for hours, if at all. And outside of major cities, the cabs I've had to get into were death traps (no seat belts, bad breaks, no shocks, etc.) whose doped up drivers couldn't find my way home or take credit cards.
The risks of getting into fake Uber/Lyft cars are small compared to the other multitudinous dangers a drunk faces (driving, going home with strangers, even walking home.
5
@Glenn - read to the end of the comment: if people use other car services, they should, at minimum, always wait for their car service with a buddy
3
The system needs two-factor authorization, like texting and matching a code with some kind of ride interlock before the driver can proceed.
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@Mark
YES YES YES! You've just hit the nail on the head! (Because it's sometimes hard to catch the license plate - esp in a crowded location at night, i.e., airport!) Hope the right people are listening!!!!
4
@Mark
You mean like, um, the license tag number, make, model and color of the car, all of which is clearly provided on the app?
4
One way to avoid the problem of knowing whether or not a car is your Uber: agree on a password; driver speaks first. No code? No ride. No excuses.
9
This is why I always verify the car description m, driver description, and license plate number before I get into an Uber/Lyft.
8
It might not have been a bad idea to recommend that people match the license plate of the car with the one on the phone. Might sound obvious but still worth mentioning. And have the driver show you THEIR phone.
9
ALWAYS look for a license plate number that matches the one displayed on the app. This doesn't mean that a legit Uber or Lyft driver won't assault you (that has happened), but you'll be getting into the right vehicle.
Also, consider using Uber Pool or Via. It's not as direct as a private Uber, but you'll be riding with other people. Even if there are no others in the car when you get in, the possibility that the car may be requested to stop for another person makes it safer.
And, finally, consider setting your Home location a block away from your real address (assuming you live in a city) to shield your true address, both from the driver and from other riders in a shared vehicle.
6
@Elizabeth A drivers have the option of who they pick up. They can decline a rider, even on a pool. So if they want to have a single passenger on a pool, they can choose to keep it that way. Always check the license, and ask the driver who they are waiting for. Once you have that, confirm with the driver that you know their name, THEN get in the car.
2
Buried in this story is something obvious to anyone who's used Uber: when a car is on the way, your phone shows you the license plate number of the car (along with lots of other ID info about the car and driver.)
To stay safe, you check the license number of the car before you get in. It's that simple.
There's no need for a law for cars to have Uber signs. Most of the cars already have them, but they're for marketing, not safety. Anyone can fake them.
I realize the impulse to call for laws in the hope of increasing safety, but in this case it's misguided. Uber already has the best solution for the problem. It's the consumers who need to be more careful.
17
@Peter Blau
There are times when I have approached and even opened the door of another car that looks like my standard Japanese mid-size sedan. So asking tired, slightly drunk people to match the plate number on a small phone with a plate that in some states is only on the back of the car is a challenge.
Rideshare is valuable but risky because of the difficulty to enforce training and rules. A friend was severely injured in an Uber accident because the driver did not know the local highway entrances. I was advised to use a rideshare app on a business trip. I had mixed results but no disasters. But the last ride had a livery license, which local law required. Nobody else followed that law.
5
@Peter Blau
Easier said than done in crowded night time situations - with out stepping into oncoming traffic - two factor id is the way to go
1
@gammagirl @LOST IN THOUGHT
"Rideshare is risky" - my response is riskier than what? Taxis present the same problem of imperfectly screened drivers, but without Uber's technology to describe car and driver in advance.
As for two factor ID, Uber already has multiple factors: make and color of car, driver's name and photo...even the driver's cellphone#.
What's inherently risky is leaving a bar after drinking. Nothing is going to make that trip home perfectly safe, but an Uber definitely beats walking -- and, even more so, driving -- home on your own.
1
The Uber app could not make it safer for a rider to verify the correct vehicle: you have the make and model of the car, and the license plate number, AND the driver's name.
Rather than asking the driver, "Are you waiting for (insert your name)? the question should be: "Who are you here to pick up?" If it is the Uber driver s/he will have your name. If they cannot produce it, it is not your driver.
It's a crazy world, and sometimes technology can help us or it can hurt us. We should not assume anything. Use the safeguards technology gives us; have a plan if something goes horribly wrong; stop looking at your i-phone and pay attention to what's going on around you.
This is not rocket science.
44
@Len Blaming the victim does nothing to help prevent this sort of crime.
5
@AliceP
I am not blaming the victim in the least. But we all have to take some responsibility for our own safety, and common sense usually prevails.
In police work there is a maxim: if it's predictable, it's preventable. We all need to be more aware of our surroundings and listen to our instincts.
7
In my case above, in the same neighborhood as the story of another commenter here, it appears the app was hacked by my driver, who knew my name. The issue is how to report this immediately to the ride share company. At present, there is no method available.
Hackers will be able to victimize a greater number of drunk clients. I was lucky that I was sober at the time of my incident, but I can see the worse- and worst-case scenarios happening and to come.
In the dark after midnight, makes and models of vehicles can easily be mistaken. Only the license plates will tell the truth. If you are sober enough to read! It can be hard to match a photo with a face in the dead of night. Impaired clients (the people we actually want in ride shares, because they are not posing a greater danger to society by driving under the influence!) will fall prey in greater numbers.
Ride share companies should address the hacking problem and should invite riders to give them instant feedback on the location of the incident.
Don’t even have a conversation. Uber gives you the driver’s license plate when the ride is confirmed. Check that before approaching the car.
5
@Andrew Manitsky
Hmm - easier said than done I've noticed, in crowded night time situations (with out stepping into oncoming traffic that is).
3
Uber provide detailed information about the car model, with a driver's picture showing up on the app.
Basic street smart in a big city, not to mention the Sin City, people.
2
Asking the rideshare driver to confirm the name of the person they are waiting for sounds like a pretty ineffective safety tip.
There are a million ways to learn someone's name, from stalking inside the bar, to hearing a friend yell "Good night, outside.
...and just like spam email, when your Dad says, but how would they know I have an account with there are always easy random guesses.
6
why does it have to be scary to be a woman? what is wrong with men? sometimes, I just wish there was a state of just women, that would suit me just fine. I could shop at night, walk and run in the early morning alone, how much more carefree. anyone interested?
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@RC Most men are socialized to respect women and behave properly. This is called being a gentleman, rather than a boor. Fortunately, there are more gentlemen than boors. But you should live in the real world in which hetero males are designed by Nature to seek access to a female. If you wish to take your chances of encountering a boor when you go out at night and run alone in the early morning, learn self-defense. It works.
9
People are animals and behave in a normal curve with standard deviation. There will always be 1% or .1% that will be violent even in the most evolved society.
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@RC
Sorry to say, but horrible people come in all kinds.
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The Lyft or Uber App on the passenger's phone should display a random 4 digit code, which should also be displayed as a lighted or LED display on the front and back windows of the car, alongside the Lyft or Uber signage. That is a positive two factor identification, in addition to the car model that is displayed.
This should be so easy to do for the companies, not sure why it is not done.
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@Pillai
I agree that that code system or other verification procedure would be helpful and not to difficult to implement, but just seems more and more impossible to be able to accomodate people who are just completely unable to function in the modern world.
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@Pillai
Corporate profits and stock valuations first; safety last.
Nice people.
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@Pillai Or riders could verify license plate numbers and the driver's photo on the apps before they get in.
3
To be safe taking a rideshare, one must always check the license plate number against that presented in the app.
I do this every time and I’m over six two circa 185 lbs.
The truth of US society is that it is in all sectors partially compsosed of predators (of many types). One has to take time and exert caution against financial, psychological - and here - physical predators.
4
This is horrifying. But while the article casts this as a problem about ride-sharing apps and bad individuals, this story is more fundamentally about violent men preying on women - which, as the NYT article on female solo travelers a few days ago showed, is a threat to women everywhere. We URGENTLY need to recognize male violence as one of our most pressing problems, a better understanding of its causes, and programs aimed at curbing it.
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@Laura: I strongly disagree with your comment that the article should be about "violent men preying on women".
You blindly generalized all men to be violent. I hope you don't believe that your grandfathers, father, sons, brothers, and male friends are all dangers to women.
You also spun the article's intent. The author did not pursue your spin about "violent men", because presumably he knows men better than you do. The article IS RIGHTLY only about "ride-sharing apps and bad individuals" who assault customers.
The article started with Ms. Josephson's case, and didn't reveal cases of men assaulted when they also naively enter a stranger's car. Such cases occur. Yet shame & social stigma make men rarely report such crimes. Under-reporting makes the problem APPEAR to be mostly with women, and it hides cases of men from media. The REAL problem is of BOTH women AND men attacked.
Before entering a stranger's car, please review safety info already sent to your Uber app.
Never naively enter a stranger's car!
Take responsibility for our safety!
We all must - men and women!
You harmfully create hysteria, and victimize/debase ALL MEN as violent. The truth is, out of all men, a tiny fraction commit such crimes. And also, a tiny fraction of women commit crimes (even violent crimes).
Please don't prejudicially accuse men of being bad. Don't assume men are bad. The majority of men are INHERENTLY GOOD people. You have victimized and debased every one of the good men, who help women.
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Always check the license plate. Unfortunately the drivers themselves don't want to ask if you're the right person first because they've heard stories of people trying to scam a free ride by pretending to be the passenger. Uber needs to address this... the driver should give some signal (name or destination) so you know who it is before you get in the car.
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@Haiku R
I have only taken one solo Uber ride. I don’t have the app, and at the last minute my friend could not pick me up at the airport as planned. Instead he ordered Uber for me (that city had no taxis). He forwarded me the ID info, and texted both me and the driver each a safe word.
When the driver arrived he pulled up in the 2nd lane from the curb about 25 feet ahead of me (so license plate easily visible), got out of his car, and said “Are you Not-Bradley?” (friend’s name). I said “Why do you ask?” As I was checking the license plate, he gave me his safe word, I responded with mine, and we both were comfortable. Only then did he come within reach and offer to lift my luggage into the trunk. It turned out my friend had also texted the driver what I was wearing (luckily not generic black!) so the driver had a good idea whom to pull up near.
This is difficult as while not all of the prospective passengers have been out drinking or are intoxicated,many are, especially if the fake drivers are out looking for their prey in front of popular nightspots, on weekend nights etc. So you combine the vulnerability of someone, often a lone woman, who has been drinking, with a predator and the results aren't pretty.
I don't think light-up signs, decals etc will work as these will just get purchased on the internet etc. Obviously a NYC "yellow cab" is highly visible as to identity but small easily obtained insignia will be easily faked or sold.
I think the only thing that will work will be for the ride share company to have to send the passenger who hailed the ride a code that the driver will have to display to the passenger. If it matches, this is your ride. Otherwise, don't get in the car. This does require situational awareness however, on the part of the prospective passenger which means they have to be awake, aware and alert enough to be functional.
As for the passengers's friends, maybe we need some sort of ditty along the lines of "friend's don't let friend's drive drunk" that will remind them they need to help their impaired friends stay safe.
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Here is another horror story: A friend got into an Uber with her daughter. Then, before the car started moving, a homeless woman got into the car. My friend was familiar with this woman, who had, moments before, asked my friend for money and food. My friend gave her some food but no money. After the woman got in, the driver pulled away from the curb, assuming the three riders were together. My friend immediately tried to explain to the driver that the woman was not a part of her group. The woman also soon began to speak, and it became increasingly clear that she had some serious mental issues, and did not know where she wanted to go. My friend and her daughter made it home safely, but were a bit traumatized by the experience. Meanwhile, my friend does not know where the driver ultimately deposited the homeless woman.
In my town, the only taxi company went out of business a year or so ago. The buses run on limited routes and sometimes break down.
I have no car and no smart phone and have never used Lyft or Uber. I would rather bicycle.
Welcome to the wonderful world of transportation in the 21st century.
5
I have not had a scary incident but I did have a young woman get into my car once when I was waiting to pick up my daughter. My generation was taught never to get in a car with a stranger and I was shocked at how easily she mistook my car for an Uber - and unfazed she was when she realized her mistake.
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Why would I ever get into a car driven by an independent operator? Because the taxi system provided a system of control that doesn't exist with private car shares.
This was bound to happen and tomorrow it will happen again. I pity the poor woman, and it will be a woman, to whom this happens.
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“On busy streets outside bars or clubs, people often hop into a car without a second thought.”
I think I see a problem here.
10
The Uber app always displays the license plate number and make/model/color of the vehicle assigned to you. I always confirm these identifying characteristics before getting into an Uber car.
8
Always check to see that the license plate of the car matches the plate in the app on your phone. If it does not, do not get in the car. This event is 100% avoidable with mere seconds of user effort. Take care of yourselves.
6
Why not as soon as your ride stops to pick you up have the driver text the rider that he is here. It sounds silly but in a busy place or when distracted, you would at least be clear its your car. Something like hop in I'm right here, or some automated message. Yes the map is there but folks ignore that and text privately, so a new text is a gentle reminder. I am guessing if intoxicated, reading a licence plate might be tough. Also could Uber and Lyft encourage or even increase incentives for women drivers who pick up women in the night? The latter would be a much safer scenario.
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@Meena VIA (a shared ride service in NYC and other cities) does just this. In addition to getting the driver's name, plate number and photo on the app, you get several texts -- one as a 2 minute head's up that the driver is on the way, the other when the driver arrives. The text notes the color make and model of the vehicle, license plate number and driver's name. This secondary check seems like it would be easy for Lyft/Uber to implement. The 2 minute warning is triggered by GPS (and is rarely that accurate), the arrival text is triggered when the driver swipes the app after reaching the destination.
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@Meena
On the apps, you can watch your car arrive on the map they provide, and you are notified that the ride is there. Already solved.
1
Uber and Lyft, you deserve "public safety credit" for keeping intoxicated individuals away from steering wheels. Now it's time to protect the compromised riders themselves by building a driver-knows-my-name confirmation into the pre-ride sequence.
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I’m a woman. I’ve survived 74 years without Uber.
It seems logical that one of the ways I can survive longer is - without Uber.
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Instead of a changing color sign (I'm color blind), how about displaying a 3 digit numerical code to match one provided to the riders cell phone app?
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@Guinness How about the license plate number, which is an existing code directly attached to the car that appears in the rider's app already?
2
Never give the driver your name first. Ask for his/her name instead.
Always check the license plate and make of the car against the Uber info before getting into the vehicle.
How sad it is to have to live in a constant state of vigilance.
7
Uber and Lyft give you the license plate number of the car picking you up
It should be noted that in NYC Ubers and Lyfts fall under the Taxi & Limousine Commission
So you know the car must have TLC plates. This already adds a level of safety
In Florida there are only license plates on the back of the car, making it harder to check the plate than in states like NY that are front and back.
Riders should always check the plates to see they match what the app says.
3
Why don't females insist on a female driver responding? End of problem. I remember hitch hiking a lot in Southern
California when I was a teen but it was always daylight and even then I had the sense to know there were dangers and to read the driver very carefully as he pulled over. I actually remember backing out of an offer one time. The guy seemed really creepy. John Poole.
1
@Erin at this time the companies don’t let you do that
2
The companies don’t let you back out of a ride? Just walk away and dispute the $5 fee for a cancelled ride.
@Jean Sims
You have to wonder why not...the female drivers will make a fortune and the male drivers will lose income! Maybe some smart woman will create an all-female car service.
1
If you called for a yellow cab and a blue sedan pulls up claiming they are your taxi ride, would you jump in?
I'm no defender or Uber, but the bottom line is that I can see a photo of the driver, a license plate on the car in addition to the uber sign in the window (which does little for me because that could be easily stolen) before I get in the car. Why do I check these things? Because when I take Uber or Lyft at airports/cities there are lots of cars arriving and I need to figure out which one is mine. But it is very easy.
This is a tragedy. But the lesson to be learned is to use the built in safety and security elements when using Uber.
I may not know who is driving a yellow cab or if the license and paperwork is valid - you can photo copy them. But I generally feel I know more about the Uber driver than the yellow cab.
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@T Mo actually, the opposite is true. You are much safer with an identifiable taxi drive than a random moonlighting ride share driver.
5
This happens to young women far more often than is reported. I had a similar situation in 2016 in Washington, D.C. waiting for an Uber on Wisconsin Ave. (in a well-lit, wealthy area). As my Uber X was supposed to arrive, a civilian black car pulled up like clockwork, rolled down the window and said he was my ride. As I was about to open the door and get in, something didn't feel right. I hesitated and checked my app to make sure it was my car. He became increasingly insistent that he was my ride and he can give me a ride to wherever I want to go. Thankfully I realized he wasn't an Uber driver and politely declined his ride. Unfortunately, at the time, I didn't know this was a growing problem and didn't know how to report it. Predatory drivers ARE scanning the sidewalks seeking women waiting for Ubers, even in areas you wouldn't expect.
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The demise of the yellow cab with the medallion have resulted in this. Anyone with a car can become an Uber or Lyft driver. Not nearly enough regulation in place. Save the $50, I'll pull the switch on that animal that killed this beautiful young woman.
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Hey I have an idea - we could paint the cars bright yellow so they look really distinctive and can't be mistaken for just anybody's car. We could put the companies name on the door and then we could put a permanently installed, brightly lit sign on the top - it could say something unmistakable like "RIDE" or "CARRIER" or something like that...
Anybody think that might work?
14
The other side of this, and apparently it doesn't happen much, is that the real Uber and Lyft drivers are letting strangers into their cars. It seems like female drivers could be particularly vulnerable.
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Passenger and driver get a passcode from Uber/Lyft when reservation is made. Driver has to tell passenger the passcode before passenger gets in the car. Why isn't this simple security safegaurd already in place?
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@T H If the passenger can't be bothered to look at the copious amount of information already provided about the car and driver for verification, are they going to wait for a passcode? I find it mind-boggling that people are just randomly jumping into cars without even checking the color or anything else when they have that info.
1
I ask all my women friends and colleagues: "do you hitch hike?"
"Of course not, its really dangerous"
Well, every time you get into an Uber, Lyft or anything driven by a stranger -- you are hitch hiking.
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I’m sure all your women friends and colleagues are very grateful to you for explaining this to them.
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The risks of Uber and other ride-share companies were foreseeable and foreseen. The cowboy culture that denies the role of the State in protecting consumers makes possible the pillage, the rape and the murder.
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This is a terrifying thought. Maybe ask who are you waiting for? Don’t give out any information, as you would not do on a phone call... let them state their business.
I had the opposite experience. I was to drive a friend on a dinner date. Just as soon as I pulled up in front of her apartment building a large young man opened my car door and got in. I thought I was being car jacked. I started shouting No! No! No! He got without a word and stood on the curb. I doubt the description of his ride matched my late model luxury car. Apparently he thought he was entitled to the first car that came along when he was ready to go.
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@Alma P My Dad gave me some advice that may help in some situations. He told me to always drive with my doors locked, which I do, until I leave my car. He had a guy jump in his car in the late 70's, when stopped for a red light. The guy was big and scary looking and fortunately only demanded a ride from my Dad.
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When you order an Uber, the license plate of the car shows up on your phone. Right? So, please, never get into a car unless the license plate matches the license plate on the Uber order. And then, ask the driver for your name BEFORE you get into the car.
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There are precautions that can be taken. When I order an Uber I follow its course on my phone app and know exactly when it is supposed to appear. Also the drivers themselves often call out "Are you ------?" A phony driver wouldn't know my name.
@Charlesbalpha
I once had an Uber driver ask to see my phone to verify that I was the correct passenger. Evidently, some people try to steal a ride but just saying, "That's me!" to whatever name the driver calls out!
1
Despite Uber and Lyft spending several millions to tell us otherwise in an ad campaign, Austin voters decided a couple of years ago to regulate Uber and Lyft drivers by requiring them to be fingerprinted and their names searched in the police database. These two companies left our city for almost a year. Uber and Lyft than buttered up the Texas GOP, who then decided that Austin's desire to regulate these drivers was illegal.
Rape and murder are going to continue to happen with these ride sharing companies (or people pretending to be drivers) until this entire industry is regulated to protect users from harm.
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Uber and Lyft should allow women to request female drivers. That would be the best way to ensure safety.
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There was a crew pulling the same robberies here in one of the nightlife areas. Pull up in front of a bar, let someone who'd been drinking convince themself without verifying that Of Course this is the car for me. Then they're robbed. Because they made a stupid assumption instead of verifying before they got in the car.
Remember the pre-Uber advice from police and other public safety experts?
If being robbed on the street, don't fight, just hand over the valuables. If robber tries getting you into a vehicle, THEN fight.
Now we have people delivering themselves into the vehicle without the criminals even having to put the car in park.
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Why not just include a photo of your driver? Personally it's a lot easier for me to recognize a face than the make or model of a car.
@Heather They do. But I find that's the hardest thing to verify because people have different hair styles, take bad photos, etc. The best thing to verify is the license plate. It's not hard to recognize the make of a car, either, if you know what the symbols look like.
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Yes, check always the license number. When in a cab, I always make a real or simulated phone call saying: I am now in cab number or with driver number blah, blah, blah (it is posted in the taxi) so driver knows that someone is aware that I am in his ( always a “his”) vehicle.
2
The OLA Ride sharing service in India requires an OTP to be entered by the driver for the ride to begin. This OTP is delivered on the app to the requester.
I know that this is my ride when the driver enters the pin and is accepted.
Why cant Uber and Lyft and others follow the same?
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This is why there used to be marked, numbered, badged taxi cabs.
Face it, the smart phone is killing us.
13
time to make uber and lyft identifiable as medallion taxis
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I rarely use these services and never when alone...and always check car/plates. However, a way to mitigate this problem, would be to allow women to have an option to choose a female driver. You might have to wait a little longer for your car, but the decrease in anxiety and increase in safety should make up for that.
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As a parent of 2 college students, I am horrified by this. Many states do not require front license plates which then requires the rider to go around back to verify their ride. One more step that a rider might be too lazy to do. The stickers and light up signs seem to be easy to obtain by anyone who wants one. I have stressed to my kids about asking the driver his/her name and asking who they are there to pick up instead of offering out their name. The only other helpful idea that I have seen lately is a requiring a QR code sticker on the car that could be scanned by the app to ensure the car you are getting into is indeed the correct one. Seems like an easy and inexpensive way to help ensure rider safety.
9
Waiting for my Uber in Prague to take me to the airport for a very early morning flight, I was offered a ride by a vehicle that did not match the one I was expecting. My expected ride was late at that point, so I requested proof from the driver that he was in fact an official ride share driver. He provided evidence and my son and I got in the car and were taken to the airport safely. There are some measures in place to minimize risk, but youth and intoxication are a dangerous combination when it comes to reason. I'm so sorry for her family.
15
Besides asking the driver if they know your name, always look for the license plate number. Lyft always shares it in the app. But most of my friends and I know better to not use Uber. And I do try to support cabs when in NYC, but it’s often hard to find one at night, even using the app Curb.
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@fouxdafafa Uber also shares the license plate number, as well as the driver’s name, and even a photo of the driver.
I think you should have the facts in order before you post something like that. Both Uber and Lyft are in the exact same league.
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@Austin I was only posting my experience and offering a suggestion. However, Uber has had more assaults than Lyft (it's in the article), and no one in my circle trusts it.
While it might cost more, I still try to respect the taxi and hotel workers and prefer to call a real cab with proper identification and meter, and to check in to a hotel licensed by the local government with a front desk.
Not just the situations here with imposter ride share drivers, but what happens if that ride share vehicle is involved in a no fault crash? What if the airbnb has bedbugs or other health dept. issues?
There are just too many things that we come to expect with rides or overnight stays that are not covered by these business models even though they work so neatly with phone apps.
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@Sara My loyalty to cab drivers extends back over 40 years when I was an owner/operator. In my current town I stayed loyal to the local cab company regarded to be the best, or perhaps more accurately, the least worst. Increasingly I experienced dirty cars, long waits, obnoxious and dangerous drivers, and completely unresponsive management.
I now regularly take Lyft. They are a little more expensive, but they rarely take more than a few minutes to arrive, the cars are clean and often stocked with water and snacks, the drivers are friendly, polite, respectful, and reliable. And they help me with my groceries. And I can tell you for a fact that Lyft drivers and vehicles are better screened and maintained than cabs. I never have to pull out my wallet. Bottom line, I'm a convert. As a qualifier, I have had much different experience in other cities, particularly with Uber. In Houston an Uber driver took me $40 out of the way and the only way I got a refund was to challenge the charge with my bank. Uber also has a policy allowing them to put a bank hold on the estimated charge for three days beyond receipt of payment. I would also not be likely to use Uber in LA, NYC, NOLA, or Austin for various reasons, although I might give Lyft a chance.
Regarding hotels, in my experience they also run the gamut, licensed or not. Research advised.
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@Bill Things are different for female riders (apologize if I'm wrong on your name).
I've had some scary taxi rides from bad drivers, but the intense regulations that exist for cabs in many cities guarantees better safety in my book.
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@Rose Anne I'm not sure which females you're referring to, but given the fact that most of the females I know can defend themselves better than I can your statement strikes me as a rather demeaning generalization, especially coming from a woman.
And I don't know which "many cities" you're referring to, but I know for a fact that in "many cities" just about anyone can get a hack license, especially if they own their own cab, and the vehicle regulation standards are rather lax. The exceptions, also in my experience, are very large cities where most of the drivers tend to be immigrants, who are fairly closely scrutinized before they are even allowed to work and live in this country, and whom I prefer to many Americans because they tend to be well-educated and the conversation is likely to be culturally enlightening. Also, many of them are owner/operators who take pride in their vehicles and support their families with the income. The last time I was in LA, for example, a driver I rode with put two children through college on the income, which I imagine would be difficult with poor customer service.
3