Reacting to Fear: My Rideshare Scare

Every day, people use rideshare services. There are so many lawsuits and that’s why people are so nervous riding with Uber and Lyft. I never had to worry about being a victim, until…I became one. The devil never truly reveals himself.

One night around 11:30 pm, I ordered an Uber. I was leaving Asheville North Carolina. The driver was an older gentleman. He appeared to be nice and courteous. He put my bags in the back of the car. I put my other belongings in the back seat and got in.

As I left my destination, I noticed that he turned the wrong way. I didn't think anything of it because everyone drives a different route. But, when I started feeling uneasy, I made him pull over at a gas station. The cashier and a customer assured me that we were going the right way. I thought everything was fine. But I was as wrong as 2 left shoes.

So, we continued down the road. I asked the driver to show me his GPS screen. When he did, I saw my address. I asked him to click on it but he ignored me and kept driving.

I was coming from Asheville North Carolina. I was headed to Shelby North Carolina. The driving distance was only an hour and 25 minutes.

So when his vehicle beeps and says: welcome to South Carolina, I panicked. I was already on the phone with 911 at this point and she asked me a few questions. We spoke in code so the driver would assume that I was having a regular conversation.

I was in a deep part of South Carolina called Landrum. There are no landmarks. A distant location with nowhere to run or hide.

When law enforcement arrived, I felt relieved and embarrassed at the same time. Relieved for getting help but embarrassed because I couldn’t believe that I had to call 911 on an Uber driver, especially given his age. He had informed me earlier that he was drawing SSI benefits and he was retired.

2 officers showed up. The officer asked me to explain what happened. I told him I left Asheville and was headed to Shelby. The officer knocks on the window and the driver pretends he is asleep. The officer knocks on the the window and asks him: sir, why are your pants unzipped? He never answered the question.

The officer starts asking me questions. Does he appear to be drunk? Is he under the influence of drugs? What types of medical conditions does he have? I'm the passenger. How would I know that? These are questions you ask the potential suspect.

The officers kept asking me if someone could meet them halfway to pick me up or if someone could take me home. Meet me halfway? You can't be serious. Since when do officers "meet someone halfway"?

Proper protocol was not followed. A police report was not filed. Neither of us were asked to provide ID. He wasn't checked for weapons. They didn't search the car. They asked me if I had anything to say to him. What was I supposed to say? Something like: Excuse me sir, you tried to kidnap me. You owe me an apology. How about we use some common sense here and...arrest this man? What happened to protect and serve?

The officers didnt feel comfortable leaving me by myself. They actually asked the driver to call me another Uber. He claimed he couldn't get another one. Go figure. I asked them if the gas station was 24 hours. This is when they finally decided to protect me. "We dont feel comfortable leaving you here." I told them I would be fine so they left.

I waited in a 24-hour gas station for the Uber that I called. The cashier said that she had a rough day and nothing could top what she had been through. When I told her my story, her reaction was, what the f***? Sorry for the profane language, but that's what she said. She couldn't believe what happened or the way it was handled. Once the Uber arrived, I went back to Asheville.

To end this story I say this: Trust your intuition and your instincts because everybody in this world doesn't care. This is the true definition of a rideshare scare.