Safety Tips When Using Ride Sharing Apps Abroad
Ride sharing apps have made it a lot easier to travel anywhere. Even if it is your first time to travel in a country, you can use the app and you can quickly go to your destination. The drivers are also under the strict rules by the company that employed them. Therefore, you are most likely going to be safe during your entire ride.
The problem is that there have been several news stories of harassment and other crimes committed against passengers by the drivers, and vice versa. If you still want to use the app since it is convenient, these are some tips to observe safety.
Confirm the license plate matches with the app
Always double check before you hop inside the vehicle. In some countries, the license plate is composed of numbers and letters in their alphabet. You need to scrutinize the details even if you are unfamiliar of the alphabet before taking the ride. You might take the wrong vehicle and something wrong will happen to you. Apart from the license plate, you also need to check if the driver matches with the image on the photo shown in the app. If not, even if the license plate matches, you cannot hop in.
Take a photo of the license plate before getting in.
If you feel worried about the ride or you think something wrong could happen, you can send that photo to a person you know. It would be easy to trace the driver if he committed a crime. The app will also show the phone number of the driver. You can also save it since it is useful in tracking the driver.
Check the reviews and ratings
Once a drive picked up your request for a ride, you still have a few minutes to check the reviews and ratings. If they are terrible, you have time to cancel the trip. Rest assured, there are other available trips in the area with more reliable drivers.
Use the pool option
If you are worried that you will be unsafe traveling alone and only the driver is inside, you can take the carpooling option. It allows the driver to pick up other passengers going in the same direction as you. For women, it is quite a good option. However, the risk is that the passengers might also be terrible, and they are not liable to anyone, unlike the driver.
Protect yourself
Always bring protective devices with you to help defend yourself if something goes wrong. A whistle can be used to call for help. You can use your keys, pens or key chains for self-defense. Find anything in your bag that you can grab if someone attempts to harass you.
Follow the journey on your phone
Make sure you have internet access before hopping on the vehicle so that you can follow the journey. Sometimes, there are different routes heading to your place. It is okay if the driver followed a different route since it will also be reflected on the map that you are checking. If the route is totally different and you are moving away, it is a sign that you need to confront the driver or ask for help.
You will never be sure even when you are with a reliable ride sharing app. They are trying their best to screen the drivers, but it helps to still be cautious.
Photo Attribution:
1st and featured image from https://www.brsoftech.com/blog/create-ride-sharing-apps-like-uber-ola-lyft/
2nd image from https://safer-america.com/4-ways-to-spot-a-fake-uber-lyft-driver/
