Uber. You’re totally used to it, right? You call up the app, match the car to the driver, and hop on in.
Celebs like Lili Reinhart use Uber frequently, especially when they’re travelling. And recently, she had a terrifying experience while waiting for her Uber.
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Yes, there’s registered Uber drivers who have taken advantage of their passengers. We hear about those stories quite frequently, sadly.
But some of the lesser-known stories are people who merely pretend to be Uber drivers.
Some cases have become incredibly high profile.
Samantha Josephson, who was 21 at the time, got into a car she thought was her Uber.
She was stabbed to death by the driver.
Unfortunately, she is not the only victim. Far from it, in fact.
Another woman was robbed.
In 2019, Elizabeth Suarez got into a car she was told was her Uber.
The driver kidnapped and robbed her, all while her real Uber driver was trying to call her to ask where she was.
They are just two stories in a sizeable pile.
According to The New York Times , over two dozen cases of mistaken Uber rides have been reported, with multiple charges laid against attacks against women.
Needless to say, this trend is growing, and it’s deadly.
Now, a high-profile actress is bringing awareness to the dangers of fake Ubers.
Actress Lili Reinhart, who currently stars in the CW’s Riverdale as the teen detective Betty Cooper, posted a tweet detailing her experience with a fake Uber driver.
Her story is terrifying.
A man attempted to persuade her to get into his car.
Thankfully, Reinhart knew the signs to look for—quite literally.
If there is no license displayed, sign for Uber or Lyft, or any other identifiers, odds are you should not get into a driver’s car.
Don’t worry about manners.
It’s okay to be rude, or downright hostile if someone is persuading you to get into their car.
If you have to make a scene, do it. Especially for women out there who may be afraid to be loud: be loud! Because the alternative is unacceptable.
Fans quickly replied.
This fan understands the complexity of social conditioning to be polite, especially as women.
Thankfully, with a platform like Lili’s, more awareness can be brought to some of the unknown dangers of ride-sharing.
Other fans began sharing their own stories.
Heartbreakingly, her fans had their own stories with fake ride-sharing drivers.
Sarah ( @totespaz ) had an experience with a driver who actually grew angry when they were called out for being fake.
And some Uber drivers provided their own safety measures.
Jesse, who is clearly one of the good drivers, said that name verification on both ends is one of the safety measures they take.
That’s a good tip for any future rides you may take!
Some people were just appalled.
Even though stories like these crop up every day, it’s important to remember that this sort of thing should not be normal!
Lili’s fans now have a frame of reference for what to look for if they feel like they’re in danger.
If you can, look out for each other.
As this person said, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for other people—if you can!
Until the world changes, we’re going to all have to look out for each other.
Can we clap it out for Liv’s mom?
Hell yeah, Liv’s mom, you go , Liv’s mom.
This is great life advice for absolutely everyone. Momentary embarrassment is worth being able to walk away from a potentially dangerous situation any day of the week.
Seriously, it looks like this happens more than we think.
This fan shared a scary story about their own encounter with an airport taxi driver.
Thankfully, airport security was looking out for them, and stopped them from getting in the car. Trust your gut!
Here’s a list of tips on how to stay safe.
It’s ridiculous that this list is necessary at all, but the reality we live in demands it.
The New York times compiled a list of ways to stay safe when getting in an Uber, Lyft, or any other kind of ride-sharing service.
Stay safe, guys.
