Common sense isn’t a thing, and in light of recent events, I made a list of best practices to stay safe for using Uber or Lyft. Most of it will seem obvious, but if we(as a community) can save at least one person from a similar fate, I’ll take any idiotic responses. I’m not victim shaming either. That girl should still be alive.
1) Have the driver confirm your name. They should say it upon entering the vehicle anyway. If they confirm your name, ask them to say it “and I am?” Odds of guessing the name you have in the app are low.
2) Confirm the drivers name and car. Uber and Lyft also have the car make/model/year as well as license plate number for each driver you use.
3) Look for the stickers in front and back of the car. (Not sure what the SC/Columbia regs are on that.)
4) Ask the driver to confirm you destination address.
The odds a random person will know your name and destination are astronomically minuscule.
5) Track your progress in the app. Drivers make wrongs turns. It happens. But if they begin to dramatically deviate from the planned route, ask them why immediately. A good driver will tell you why they are changing routes before you ask.
6) Travel in pairs.
7) Sit behind the driver.
8) Remember your phone has photo and video capabilities. Use them. If you feel unsafe, begin to video/broadcast your experience on FB, IG, YouTube, etc.
Again, I’m not shaming the girl. It’s a #### tragedy. I just don’t want this to happen to anyone else.