Hey Everyone,
I know some people rely on ride-sharing services for regular transportation, and I was wondering what your experiences have been.
I know every business has its pro's and con's, but as a single woman, I've been especially concerned about this. I don't mean to sound paranoid but I've heard lots of stories of kidnapping and other crimes happening -- whether it's the driver doing something to the rider, or the rider trying to commit a crime against the driver (I've heard numerous stories of things pulling a gun on them, handcuffing them to the steering wheel, etc.)
Yesterday I was listening to stories of single women who noticed their drivers were going in the opposite direction of where they needed to be. When one woman started asking questions and protesting, the driver told her to shut up, then increased the speed of the vehicle. The rider was able to open the door and jump out, suffering several injuries in the process, but thank God she got away. And the driver was a woman -- the gender of anyone involved doesn't matter or make anyone safer.
In the cases I listened to, the drivers were on phone calls while these women were in their cars, speaking to someone in another language while describing their riders ("red sweater, dark hair") while driving them to their own destinations -- not the places the women want to go.
One ruse to watch out for is if the driver says their GPS isn't working and asks to borrow your phone -- for any reason -- leaving you without a way to call for help.
Now I'm certainly NOT trying to say that anyone who speaks a different language is dangerous, or that anyone familiar is any less dangerous -- but in these stories, the female riders were obviously being seen as merchandise for human trafficking. And of course, it doesn't matter if the potential victim or perpetrator is male or female -- this video just happened to feature women who were fortunate enough to escape.
Because of stories like this, I've never used ride shares unless I was with someone else or it was something like the car dealership arranging a ride home for me. Otherwise I prefer something like a shuttle service with a well-known company that uses vehicles carrying several other passengers, and not just me.
I might sound old-fashioned, but I also don't like the idea of driverless taxi's as well. In my personal opinion, the car could be easily programmed to lock me in and take me somewhere I don't want to go.
As a side note, one thing I noticed the last time I traveled -- the airports I went through were covered in signs, especially the restrooms, of posters with 1-800 emergency numbers to call if you see signs of human trafficking -- or if you yourself are being taken somewhere by force or coercion.
And this isn't just for singles, as marrieds sometimes have to travel alone as well, or have loved ones/children who also use ride sharing.
How do we keep ourselves and our loved ones safe?
No matter your single/married status, I would like to know:
* Do you or those close to you use ride shares? What do you think of their general reliability/safety?
* Have you or someone you know worked for ride share companies? Is it something you feel safe doing, or are comfortable having a loved one do?
* What precautions do you/your loved ones take when using these services? For example, if I had kids I would be EXTREMELY anxious over my teenager getting into a stranger's car, and would never choose to do that. But that's just me -- and I realize some families might not have another choice.
* If you don't use ride sharing, what other methods do you use for transportation/carpooling when you don't own/can't or don't want to rent a vehicle?
With ride sharing being so common these days, I'm really curious to know what people think.
I know some people rely on ride-sharing services for regular transportation, and I was wondering what your experiences have been.
I know every business has its pro's and con's, but as a single woman, I've been especially concerned about this. I don't mean to sound paranoid but I've heard lots of stories of kidnapping and other crimes happening -- whether it's the driver doing something to the rider, or the rider trying to commit a crime against the driver (I've heard numerous stories of things pulling a gun on them, handcuffing them to the steering wheel, etc.)
Yesterday I was listening to stories of single women who noticed their drivers were going in the opposite direction of where they needed to be. When one woman started asking questions and protesting, the driver told her to shut up, then increased the speed of the vehicle. The rider was able to open the door and jump out, suffering several injuries in the process, but thank God she got away. And the driver was a woman -- the gender of anyone involved doesn't matter or make anyone safer.
In the cases I listened to, the drivers were on phone calls while these women were in their cars, speaking to someone in another language while describing their riders ("red sweater, dark hair") while driving them to their own destinations -- not the places the women want to go.
One ruse to watch out for is if the driver says their GPS isn't working and asks to borrow your phone -- for any reason -- leaving you without a way to call for help.
Now I'm certainly NOT trying to say that anyone who speaks a different language is dangerous, or that anyone familiar is any less dangerous -- but in these stories, the female riders were obviously being seen as merchandise for human trafficking. And of course, it doesn't matter if the potential victim or perpetrator is male or female -- this video just happened to feature women who were fortunate enough to escape.
Because of stories like this, I've never used ride shares unless I was with someone else or it was something like the car dealership arranging a ride home for me. Otherwise I prefer something like a shuttle service with a well-known company that uses vehicles carrying several other passengers, and not just me.
I might sound old-fashioned, but I also don't like the idea of driverless taxi's as well. In my personal opinion, the car could be easily programmed to lock me in and take me somewhere I don't want to go.
As a side note, one thing I noticed the last time I traveled -- the airports I went through were covered in signs, especially the restrooms, of posters with 1-800 emergency numbers to call if you see signs of human trafficking -- or if you yourself are being taken somewhere by force or coercion.
And this isn't just for singles, as marrieds sometimes have to travel alone as well, or have loved ones/children who also use ride sharing.
How do we keep ourselves and our loved ones safe?
No matter your single/married status, I would like to know:
* Do you or those close to you use ride shares? What do you think of their general reliability/safety?
* Have you or someone you know worked for ride share companies? Is it something you feel safe doing, or are comfortable having a loved one do?
* What precautions do you/your loved ones take when using these services? For example, if I had kids I would be EXTREMELY anxious over my teenager getting into a stranger's car, and would never choose to do that. But that's just me -- and I realize some families might not have another choice.
* If you don't use ride sharing, what other methods do you use for transportation/carpooling when you don't own/can't or don't want to rent a vehicle?
With ride sharing being so common these days, I'm really curious to know what people think.
