Rideshare
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Request to be dropped off slightly away from your exact home address to prevent drivers from knowing precisely where you live.
This protects your privacy if the driver is weird or creepy.
- One source suggests the advice to 'always' do this is excessive.
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- Set your rideshare pickup location a block away from your actual home address.1
Use a maps app to monitor the route and confront taxi drivers if they deviate to charge more.
Confronting them ensures you pay the fair amount.
- In third world countries, confronting taxi drivers about this may result in being attacked.
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Check for and retrieve all personal belongings before exiting a taxi or rideshare vehicle.
There is no guarantee that lost items will be returned if a new customer enters the vehicle soon after.
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Offer a taxi driver $5 extra if they slow down.
This usually does the trick.
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Have your rideshare driver meet you a short distance from your home, such as at the nearest intersection or a few houses away.
Meeting directly at your house can reveal your location for potential burglary.
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Carry pepper spray for self-defense.
It is very effective, easy to use, and better than nothing.
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Share the car and plate number with a trusted contact and ensure they know your destination until you have established enough trust in the driver.
There is no independent record of who is in the car if you are not using an app.
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Provide a specific street address instead of a hotel name to avoid appearing as an easy target for overcharging.
It is less obvious that you are not going home.
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Never provide credit card information directly to a rideshare driver who claims to need it for verification.
It is a scam.
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End the trip immediately and exit the vehicle if you feel suspicious or uncomfortable.
You don't owe anyone an explanation.
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Test a suspicious driver by stating a false destination; if they agree it is correct, walk away.
Drivers may automatically answer yes because maps take them to the destination without knowing the specific address.
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Ask restaurant or bar staff to call a taxi for you.
Establishments are often willing to arrange safe transport because their liquor license is at risk if an overserved customer drives.
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Ask airport-bound passengers if they have all necessary travel documents like IDs, passports, and boarding passes.
Passengers may realize too late that they have incorrect documents, such as a spouse's passport.
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Recognize that alcohol consumption can seriously compromise critical thinking skills regarding rideshare safety.
Intelligent people have been observed making poor decisions, such as entering unsafe vehicles or crashing, when intoxicated.
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If a taxi driver asks uncomfortable personal questions or persists after you decline conversation, give minimal, non-committal answers like 'yes' or 'yup' to disengage.
Ignoring them can irritate a perpetrator and cause escalation, whereas minimal responses may silence them.
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Note that traditional taxis are licensed, regulated, and have visible identification, whereas rideshares may lack clear verification.
Rideshare drivers could be random people with minimal identification, unlike regulated cabs.
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