I broke the number one rule. The rule your parents engrain in your memory since being a kid.
It was a late, cold Friday night and I wanted to leave a party because I wasn’t feeling well. Naturally, I called an Uber to bring me back to school. Who would have thought that the Uber ride would have put me in an even worse situation than the party I was leaving? It’s because I broke the number one rule: I got into a car alone with a stranger past midnight. I’m sharing my horrific experience with Uber in hopes that other girls will speak out and report their experiences because no one should ever feel their safety is at risk when leaving to and from places.
I was not feeling well and all I wanted to do was get out of the cramped, tight attic the party was being thrown in. Therefore, I made the decision to leave the party and go back to campus and get some rest. Calling the Uber was the easy part, one simple touch and I was speaking to a driver who told me he could pick me up at the desired location within five minutes. Shocked he would be there so soon, I said yes. Once I got the alert on my phone that he arrived I met him outside the house the party was taking place at. I got into the car and for the first five minutes, there were no red flags, as the man driving seemed nice and was being personable.
As the car ride progressed he started asking me questions like, “How old are you?”, “What year are you in college?”, “What’s your first name?”, “What’s your last name?” which were a series of normal questions that were a form of what I consider small talk, after all, this guy took time out of his night to pick me up late at night to bring me back to campus. Suddenly, the conversation shifted to Loudonville and how the area had extremely beautiful homes. I agreed because the houses we were driving by around campus were lovely. But what seemed like an innocent conversation spiraled out of control and turned out being a dangerous, scary situation.
As we approached streets and were talking about the houses he would slow down and start to turn the wheel as if he were going to turn down the road and show me more of the houses. This was a red flag and I started to feel uncomfortable. When it was time to stay straight after the red light he put on his blinker to turn. I told him that he had to go straight and drop me off at the main entrance but he said no and told me he wanted to show me more of the nice houses in the area. Immediately I asked him to turn the car around, at first trying to remain calm. He refused to turn the car around and was adamant on continuing to show me around the area. I started to scream and tell him that I felt uncomfortable and attempted to unlock the doors but they were kept locked. This went on for about ten minutes but it felt like hours. The fear I had felt screaming and begging for him to turn the car around is a feeling I will never forget. After repeatedly telling him to turn the car around and him saying no each time, I told him that I was going to call the police. FINALLY, he turned the car around and dropped me off.
Once I got out of the car I immediately reported him to Uber and let the school security guard know what happened. I was extremely upset and felt taken advantage of. No girl should be put in a compromising situation because they are traveling alone. No means no. It’s mind-boggling to me as to why this man thought it would be alright to take me sightseeing at such an indecent hour. I believe he thought I was intoxicated and wanted to hurt me. Thank God the situation did not have that outcome. I feel it is necessary to speak about this experience because Uber has become such a popular form of transportation and part of their brand is safety. I now know to NEVER travel alone in an Uber again. I’ve decided to create a couple of safety tips for the ladies out there using Uber.
1. Do not go alone. Bring a friend with you!!
2. Tell someone that you are taking an Uber to get to them.
3. Share your location with friends and family.
4. Always check to see if the car has an Uber sticker.
5. If you sense any red flags, GET OUT OF THE CAR.
Your safety is the most important thing in the entire world. You need to feel safe and protected at all times. Please, don’t make the stupid decision to travel alone in an Uber late at night. I knew this rule and I broke it for no reason! Never put yourself in a situation where you could be threatened. Please, please be careful and never go anywhere alone.