Woman’s routine Uber ride takes alarming turn after her driver misses the exit

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A late-night ride experience is raising questions about what passengers should do when a routine trip begins to feel uncomfortable.

In a recent TikTok video, a woman said she wasriding in an Uberat around 3 a.m.when her driver asked to stop at a parking garage for 15 to 20 minutes to charge his electric vehicle.

The woman, according to her video, said the vehicle was at 43% charge — and that she was about 25 minutes from home at the time.

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Her concern grew after the driver reportedly missed an exit, prompting her to question exactly where they were headed.

“I don’t want to get into a random parking lot with you,” the woman can beheard telling the driver.“You also just missed the exit.”

Phone-based GPS display glows on a smartphone mounted in a car at night.

A woman recently said she was riding in an Uber at around 3 a.m.when her driver asked to stop at a parking garage for 15 to 20 minutes to charge his electric vehicle.(iStock)

The woman ultimately ended the trip and contacted police, according to the video.

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“Everyone deserves to feel safe and comfortable when using the Uber platform,” an Uber spokesperson said.

“We have investigated this report and taken appropriate action.”

Businesswoman standing beside a rideshare vehicle at night in a city.

A recent viral video has raised broader questions about what passengers can do if they begin feeling uneasy during a ride-hailing trip.(iStock)

The company pointed to safety features availablethrough its app, including an emergency button, GPS tracking and the ability to share trip details with others.

The incident has raised broader questions about what passengers can do if they feel uneasy during a rideshare trip.

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“Your heart just drops,” he said.

Abend said he’s heard from hundreds ofcollege studentsabout situations that left them feeling uncomfortable during various rideshare trips.

Passenger uses smartphone app to request rideshare beside car with driver on urban street.

Technology can provide passengers with additional ways to stay connected or seek help during a hailed ride if they have questions or concerns.(iStock)

For passengers who begin feeling uncomfortable,seeking helpcan be challenging.

“Almost everyone’s reasoning in this situation is, ‘I didn’t want the driver three feet away to hear me call the police and have them act,'” Abend said.

Technology can provide passengers with additional ways to stay connected or seek help during a ride-hailing trip, according to Abend.

“Ideally, you want to share your location with people,” he said.“Let a core group of three to five people know where you’re going and the details of it.”

Before getting into a vehicle,check the license plateand confirm that the driver and vehicle match the information displayed in the rideshare app, he advised.

A male taxi driver operates a modern taxi with scenic green mountains visible through the windshield.

Experts recommend that people share their location and destination with trusted friends or family members at the very start of the ride.(iStock)

New Jersey-based Seymour Josephson, co-president of the What’s My Name Foundation, has been working with Uber and Lyft since July 2020 topromote rideshare safetyon college campuses.

He and his wife, Marci Josephson, established the foundation after their 21-year-old daughter, Samantha, was killed on March 29, 2019, when she mistakenly entered a vehicle she thought was the Uber she had hailed.

The What’s My Name Foundation encourages passengers to follow four steps before entering a ride-hailed vehicle: stop, ask, match and inform — known as the “SAMI” steps.

People should stop before they enter the vehicle, ask the driver, “What’s my name?” and match the vehicle’s license plate with the information provided in the app.