In March 2019, a student at the University of South Carolina got into a car which she thought was her Uber and went missing. She was found dead later that weekend. Since the incident, cities and universities have created campaigns to educate people on how to safely use these rideshare programs.

Though many students have positive experiences with services like Uber and Lyft, they need to be more aware of the precautions to take before getting into the car with a stranger.

Students rely on Uber and Lyft rides to get around the Syracuse area all year, especially in the winter when walking isn’t always an option. It is important for students to remember the rules of traveling with rideshare programs like Uber and Lyft and make connections with the drivers they know are safe.

Local Uber driver Troy Boyer, known by many students as “the Candyman,” has become a familiar face.

Boyer said he has completed about 7,500 rides with Uber and Lyft and that about 60 percent of those rides are university students heading to parties, classes or the mall. He keeps candy and bottles of water in his car for students he picks up. Boyer said his goal is to make sure he is a known name around campus, not only so students want to have him as their driver, but also to make sure people know he is safe.

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Boyer said investment in the community is important.

“I usually stay in the Syracuse University area because I love the community up there,” Boyer said.

Boyer added, however, that many of the students who get into his car don’t exercise the safety measures put in place to keep riders safe.

“I would say about half know how to get into my Uber safely,” Boyer said. “My car is a little bit different because they can recognize it and everyone knows me, but about half know to check my license plate, ask for their name, but not everyone knows to do that.”

Rideshare transportation is becoming increasingly popular, especially on and around college campuses like Syracuse where a lot of students aren’t from the area or don’t have cars.

These programs are great resources for safe transportation, eliminating the need to walk alone or wait for the bus late at night. But they are only safe alternatives if students actually do their part to make sure their ride is legitimate and reliable.

Popular rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft provide a rating feature that allows riders to anonymously rate their drivers. Students should stick to drivers with high ratings. And once their ride arrives, Boyer says they should look at the car to make sure it is the one they requested.

“Every Uber driver is supposed to have the official Uber sign in their windshield, not the ones anyone can buy on Amazon,” Boyer said. “Make sure to check before getting in the car, especially if they do not have the official Uber sign.”

Uber has implemented driver screenings before letting new drivers onto the Uber team. All drivers must go through background checks, agree to have ongoing screenings and they all must pass an annual driving check. But it’s possible for people to slip through the cracks.

Students need to follow some basic safety procedures before putting trust into their driver. Riders should always check the make, model and license plate number of the ride before they get too close to the car. It’s also a good idea to ask the driver who the ride is for before hopping in.

These are small changes students can implement, but they can dramatically increase their safety. While we’d like to trust that rideshare companies are doing their due diligence to screen their employees and control their apps in ways that prevent misconduct or misrepresentation, that isn’t always the case. It’s up to riders to put safety at the forefront, and that’s something students at Syracuse can and should start doing.

Sophia Becker is a freshman. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at sfbecker@syr.edu. She can be followed on Twitter at @sophiafbecker.

 

 

Published on September 26, 2019 at 3:42 am