A dirt road off Mitchellville Rd. in Hilton Head Island, S.C., similar to the one two women were
likely taken down after mistaking a car for their Uber Friday morning. (Google)
Posted on 06/25/2019 9:23:26 AM PDT by Perseverando
Two women in South Carolina mistakenly got into a car over the weekend they believed was an Uber only to be driven down a dirt road by a man police have yet to locate.
Early Friday morning, two women were waiting outside a Hilton Head Island restaurant in Reilley’s Plaza when a dark-colored SUV pulled up. According to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, the pair had called an Uber to take them back to their vacation rental and believed that the car that approached them was at least a driver for the ride-sharing app.
“Although the women were aware that the driver of the SUV was not the Uber driver they were waiting for, they thought they saw an Uber sign on his windshield, so they got into the SUV—one in the front seat and the other in the back seat—and asked the driver for a ride to their south end vacation rental unit,” police said in a statement.
The passengers, tired and unfamiliar with the area, were not alarmed when police said the driver took them in the wrong direction. They only became worried when the man drove off onto a dirt road.
A dirt road off Mitchellville Rd. in Hilton Head Island, S.C., similar to the one two women were
likely taken down after mistaking a car for their Uber Friday morning. (Google)
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
This could have turned out very badly for these ladies.
The whole time they didn’t video him or get pics of his plates?
Most if not all rideshare services give you a license plate to verify.
I’m glad the news source showed us what a ‘similar’ dirt road looked like even if it was chained off - otherwise we might not know what a dirt road was.
I wonder if there is a way the Uber app can be tweaked to notify a user via their smartphone that their assigned driver/car is in the vicinity.
It used to do that. Does it no longer do that? I haven’t used uber in a while.
omg,, a dirt road?
only bad things happen on a dirt road ..
Indeed. I was just about to google "similar dirt road" when the picture popped up in the article.
“I wonder if there is a way the Uber app can be tweaked to notify a user via their smartphone that their assigned driver/car is in the vicinity.”
That is the way it works, when I have ordered an uber I can track where the car is in the app.
The man was 5’3”
If need be, the women probably could have taken him.
That said, women have to be on better alert than that.
Perhaps the driver was scared that two strange women jumped into his car to abduct him so he drove down a dirt road with the hopes of running into the woods to escape.
1) Always check the license plate of your Uber ride
2) Always keep you phone in your hand while riding Uber
3) Always get in the back seat
And it helps to get your CCW and carry.
When we were in DC a few weeks ago the app allowed us to track our driver as he was in route to us. It also gave us a photo of the driver and his name and a description of his car. I don't understand people accidentally getting into the wrong car when they have all the info to verify.
The Uber mobile app does exactly that.
cabs are looking better and better these days
Rideshare apps connect supposedly known drivers with supposedly known riders. It used to be most of the drivers were apparently US born native english speakers. Now those same 3rd world drivers you know and love from cabs can be found on your local rideshare app.
So, do these perps cruise around and stop when they see a pedestrian looking their car over? How do they know an Uber has been called?
I’ve taken Uber four times and each time I knew the car make and model that would be picking me up, and the license plate number. Verifying the info takes about two seconds.
I’ve never used Uber, so I don’t know how it all works. However, what you want is a feature is just software. There is no reason that Uber can’t tweak it so that you know it is in the area and a general description of the vehicle that will pick you up.
I think Uber, Lyft, and others are just trying to wait out for driverless cars. Then they will fire everybody.
I think Travis McGee's admonition to be polite and professional but have a plan to kill everyone you meet applies to Uber drivers.
It does. But that requires a certain amount of attention to detal.
Who go time for dat?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.