This woman’s car door trick could be what keeps you safe in an Uber ride gone bad.
TikToker Elisabeth Bradley (@elisabethbradleyy) shared what she does every single time she gets in a ride share.
It may cause some strange looks from the driver, but that’s a small price to pay for safety. (Plus, you’ll likely never see this person again.)
The TikTok struck a nerve with people online, gaining more than 3.8 million views and hundreds of comments.
In it, Bradley says every time she gets in a ride share, she checks to see if the child lock is on. She does this by immediately opening and closing the door twice.
“if youre alone, check before you get in & if youre w a friend, make sure they dont close their door yet,” Bradley said in the caption.
@elisabethbradleyy if youre alone, check before you get in & if youre w a friend, make sure they dont close their door yet
♬ Sound effect glitter magic – Quetzal BGM
And Bradley isn’t the first one to adopt this particular precaution. There are several news articles, forum discussions, at least one viral tweet, and even a petition on the matter.
Writer Tiffany Jackson followed up her viral tweet by explaining that she’d been in an Uber before that had the child lock on “and definitely hit homie with the ‘Son, I don’t know what’s going on but whatever you thinking, you got the WRONG one.’”
Other tips
Here are a few more steps you can take in addition to Bradley’s tip to protect yourself:
- Share your trip details with a friend
- Double-check the make, model, and license plate on the car
- Ask the driver to confirm the name of who they’re picking up
- Check that the driver’s face matches their profile picture
- Check to see if the child lock is on
- Use the emergency assistance feature
- Uber has a feature that has you give the driver a pin code before starting the ride
Ride share incidents
People, especially women, have a reason to be concerned. Just a few years ago a man impersonating an Uber driver reportedly killed 21-year-old college student Samantha Josephson. He had the child locks on, 9News reported.
There have also been dozens of sexual assault cases—that span alleged groping, kidnapping, and rape—launched against the app, NPR reported.
These victims say Uber has a responsibility to make rides safer. They have also claimed that Uber’s background checks aren’t up to par. They’ve called on the company to do fingerprint background checks, have dashcams recording each ride, and remove drivers after sexual assault allegations are filed.
Competitor Lyft is facing similar lawsuits, Consumer Notice reported.
“When growth is the ultimate goal and top line revenue is the ultimate goal, I think that, despite what they know, they’re picking profits over people. There are tried and true methods to making this truly a safer alternative, as opposed to a magnet for predators,” said Kevin Conway, managing partner at Peiffer Wolf, which is representing dozens of sexual assault cases against Uber.
In response, Uber spokesperson Gabriela Condarco-Quesada said the following to NPR: “Sexual assault is a horrific crime, and we take every report of this nature very seriously. While we cannot comment on pending litigation, we are deeply committed to the safety of all users on the Uber platform.”
People in the comments section of Bradley’s video had mixed reactions. Some pointed out that this might not be all that effective in newer vehicles.
“Noted! will be doing this in the future,” a person said.
“My parents can turn it on/off with a button on the drivers side door,” another shared.
“Some cars can child lock the doors with the window lock,” a commenter pointed out.
The Daily Dot reached out to Bradley, Uber, and Lyft for comment via email.
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