The advent of Uber has been extremely positive for those needing a lift at practically anytime, whether during a holiday, the middle of the night—and whether riders requesting help are drunk, sober, going to work, or just taking a short jaunt to the neighborhood grocery store. These types of services, also including Lyft, are notoriously appealing to younger generations like the millennials who may have no intention of ever buying a car—and many of them may not even be planning to get a driver’s license anytime soon. In many cases, rides can be affordable (and sometimes not at all!), drivers are not getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol, and thousands of individuals can enjoy setting their own schedules and pretty much employing themselves as drivers. There are many rewards to this trendsetting new industry, but as a wide range of different drivers appear in the car service workforce now, maintaining your personal safety is more important than ever before.
Every Uber driver has a different personality, as you may have discovered upon experiencing multiple trips. Some of them like to talk to you a lot, some are more introverted—and in some cases, you may have become concerned about where they were taking you. If you are extremely familiar with the city in which you are usually traveling, there could be times when you are confused about why a driver would take a certain route, resulting in taking the long way home— or, you may worry that you are in the clutches of a serial killer who is up to no good! While chances are that is not the case, you should always take extra precautions to make sure you are getting into the right car, that you do have a basic outline of the route you should be traveling, and you should never be afraid to reach out for help if you are uncomfortable.
No matter what type of atmosphere you are waiting in, always do so indoors, advises Uber. Call from indoors and stay there until your ride arrives to pick you up. Because Uber does provide you with the car make and model and even a photo of the driver, use this information to your benefit and make sure you are entering the correct vehicle. The driver should know your name, as they will see it in their app. It is always best to ride in the back seat, with your seatbelt on. There are also several safety apps that can be very effective to use while getting ready to use an Uber or while you are in transit, such as the SafeTrek: Hold Until Safe app, bSafe, and others for those without smartphones, like Kitestring.
If you have been injured due to the negligence of others, please call the law offices of Andrew ‘Pike’ Piekalkiewicz, PLLC as soon as possible at (713) 748-7453 or visit AttorneySgtPike for a no obligation case review.
