When Ride-shares Go Wrong - USA TODAY

LIFE IN AMERICA

When Ride-Shares Go Wrong

BY STEVE KARDIAN

“As the popularity of ride-share companies continues to increase, so do criticisms about the safety of using them as an alternative to taxi and limousine services.”

BETH (not her real name), a 77-year- old grandmother of four, called a ride-share company to take her home after attending Sunday morn ing church services on Oct. 22, 2017. The 41- 41-year-old driver abruptly pulled over minutes away from her Ft. Worth, Texas, home and sexually assaulted her in a wooded area. Af- terwards, he drove her the rest of the way without saying a word.

According to online records, he surrendered to police officers and was charged with aggravated sexual assault. Beth has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $1,000,000 in damages against the ride-share company and the suspect.

As the popularity of ride-share companies continues to increase, so do criticisms about the safety of using them as an alternative to taxi and limousine services. They have garnered the attention of the media and the public, in ad- dition to that of trade and safety organizations. Some celebrities are speaking out as well.

Earlier this year, actress Pamela Anderson partnered with Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment (PAVE)—a nonprofit organization that works to prevent sexual assault and heal survivors through social advocacy, prevention, and education—to create a public service announcement about the dangers of ride-sharing.

Safety advocates point out that using an app to call a driver can put riders in danger due to decreased regulation and minimal background checks on individuals who apply to become drivers. Ride-sharing companies do not use fingerprinting or law enforcement to conduct criminal history or background

checks. Some do not even meet with drivers in person before it allows them to pick up passengers. This lack of security results in improperly vetted drivers, allowing some with criminal records to slip through the system.

According to Mitch Gidder—a certified protection professional, licensed private in- vestigator, and president of Defender Security Services in New York—the ride-share compa- nies are using public databases to conduct background checks. However, state laws con- cerning the storage and availability of arrest records vary from state to state, frequently making the information on these sites incom- plete. When conducting background checks for his clients, Gidder often travels to the ju- risdiction where a prospective employee was arrested to obtain accurate arrest information.

Last year, I appeared in a segment on “The Dr. Oz Show” about ride-sharing with civil rights attorney Lisa Bloom. Part of the segment included an undercover mom, Marceia, posing as prospective ride-share dri- ver. A mother of two busy teenage sons, she was considering ride-sharing as an easy and affordable way to get her kids where they needed to go. Like all parents, she wondered: how safe is it? To find out, she decided to put the registration process to the test, logging in on the company’s site to see how difficult it was to become a driver.

The process was simple and conducted en- tirely online. Marceia had to meet the following requirements: be 21 years or older and provide a front-facing photo of herself, Social Security number, photo of her driver’s license, copy of her registration and car insurance, and banking information. She also was required to

have at least one year of driving experience in the U.S. The car cannot be more than 10 years old, and must be a four-door.

The following afternoon, she received a text from the company: “Congratulations Marceia! Your account is now active. You can start driving now or ask me any questions if you have them. Reply yes to chat.” Within 23 hours, she had been approved to be a driver. There was no interview (in person or by phone).

In her interview with Dr. Oz, Marceia said that she no longer feels the sense of security she felt before applying and that she doubted that she would continue to use ride-share ser- vices.

The taxi industry, which is regulated heavi in some states, is one of the most-promi- nent organizations to be critical of ride-shar services. In New York, for instance, taxi drivers must undergo an FBI fingerprint back- ground check; complete a defensive driving course; get medical clearance by a doctor; and pass a final exam and drug test.

Limousine drivers must also answer to New York’s Taxi & Limousine Commission. Some of the additional licensing requirements

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For them, cars must be registered (which includes a $350 fee) and inspected by the TLC every year, and the driver is required to inspect the vehicle after each trip as well as keep a log of activity. No one other than the TLC licensee can drive the vehicle, and the average insurance cost per car is $6,000.

In a perfect world, you would be able to travel in a ride-share with a group of your friends, or at least another person you trust, but we do not live in a perfect world. Men should not sexually assault or commit crimes against women, but they do.

Here are some precautions you can take when using a ride-share:
• If you can arrange to ride with a friend or a group of friends, do so.

• Once you use your app to request a car, remain inside or wait with someone if possible. • When the vehicle arrives, match the make, model, and license plate to the information on the reservation.

• Go to the passenger side rear door and ask the driver who he is there to pick up. If it is not your name, it is not your car—do not get in.
• Enter the vehicle from the passenger side

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rear door. Never get into the front seat. The front seat is the red zone and places you in direct contact with the driver should he have ill intent.

• Match the photo on your reservation to the driver and ensure he is the same person. Take a covert picture of the driver and text it to a friend. This photo could be used as a bargain- ing tool should things get complicated.

• Do your best to stay awake so you can monitor the route.
• Some companies have a ride-share option in which you can share your ride with a friend, preferably with someone you either just left, or someone who may be where you are going to, but, in any event, share the ride information with someone.

• Make this a business transaction. The conversation should not deviate from you being driven to your destination. If the driver asks questions of a personal nature, this could be a red flag. If this occurs, break the dynamic of the conversation by calling a friend, a boyfriend, or someone you trust.

• If it is late, make a fake phone call and state that you will be arriving at the time listed on

your app. You can also download an app to schedule a fake phone call to your cell.
• Listen to your gut. If you feel that something is wrong, it likely is. If you think the driver is a creep, he probably is.

• If things go bad, dial 911 and let someone know you need help.

If you are not prepared, your ability to re- spond to a stressful situation will be impaired. Mentally prepare a plan of action in case things go wrong. In your mind, visualize the following: you are using a ride-share app; you have been picked up by your driver, and the driver engages in an inappropriate conversation with you. Think of how you would re- spond. For example, call someone you trust— that often is enough to break up the dynamic and send a clear message that the conversation is inappropriate.

The driver then may begin adding troubling factors to the scenario, such as deviating from the intended route or pulling into an empty parking lot. Imagine what you would do under those circumstances. What are you supposed to do?

By creating this blueprint, or plan of action, you will be better able to respond. When you are in a stressful situation or in crisis mode, a lot happens to you, both emotionally and chemically. When your adrenal response— fight or flight—kicks in and your heart revs up to 114 beats per minute, you begin to lose your fine motor skills, which include the ability to dial a phone.

A predator needs two things to commit the unthinkable (sexual assault). He requires isolation and control. He already has control be- cause you are in his car and he likely can ma- nipulate the door locks. The driver can attain isolation by driving you to a secluded place. If you believe you are in danger, you most likely are. Do not hesitate to dial 911 if you have that feeling.

If you choose to fight back, do so with full commitment to cause the predator enough in- jury so that you can escape. Your chances are enhanced if you employ a GPS alert device that includes law enforcement-grade pepper spray and is made of a hard enough material to be utilized as a blunt-force instrument. The latter function is enhanced if you get a model that wraps around your hand.

The device also should alert your chosen emergency contacts you are in danger, give your location and direction of travel, and contain a flashlight with strobe and SOS modes.

Remember, when it comes to ride-sharing, you can never (ever!) be too careful. ★

Steve Kardian, author of The New Super Power for Women: Trust Your Intuition, Predict Dangerous Situations, Defend Yourself from the Unthinkable, is a certified New York State/FBI defensive tactics instructor and founder of Defend University, Westchester County, N.Y.