On September 15th, 2016 , South African Police confirmed two recent attacks on Uber passengers. One particular attack was on a 64 year old woman who was robbed and raped in July of this year. This has been happening more frequently there since Uber drivers started accepting cash, causing an uproar from local taxi drivers. You can find more details about these attacks in the article below.

http://qz.com/782367/police-say-an-uber-driver-and-two-other-suspects-are-linked-to-violent-crimes-in-johannesburg/

Around the world, different incidents with Uber and Lyft Drivers are becoming more common as more people use it; here’s a set of incidents reported from places as close as DC and as far away as London, England.

http://www.whosdrivingyou.org/rideshare-incidents

Is this evidence of some particular danger to using Uber or is it just fuel for the critics who say Uber needs more regulation? I personally use Uber and these incidents don’t turn me off from using the service. I trust my instinct to keep me out of situations like that. People shouldn’t blindly trust a person just because a corporation chose to trust them. People should use their own power of judgement regarding their safety.  Because of the flaws of human nature violence and corruption will still be part of any peaceful society. Although the company should be looking into the history and character of who they hire, I feel they shouldn’t be held responsible for their drivers’ actions. The driver should be held responsible rather than tarnishing the name of a business with an innovative idea.

For more on the history of UBER go to this link: https://www.uber.com/our-story/

There should be a level of trust between rider and driver, with the mutual respect of private property and safety. If someone doesn’t feel right about their driver it is possible to cancel the trip and wait for another driver, or just use a different service. You are not obligated to get in the car. While the cancellation fee of 2$ may be a turn off to finding a different driver, it’s still an option. Another way to avoid confrontation is to avoid touchy subjects like politics and religion with your driver and fellow passengers. These topics today often lead to debates which could possibly get heated. Uber and Lyft services more still loosely regulated by local governments and they have no national or international standards that hold them accountable. Because of this,  they have more freedoms than regular cab companies. Because Uber drivers only need a driver’s license and not a taxi license, cab drivers call them ‘pirate taxis’.

For more advice on personal safety go here: http://http://www.ncpc.org/topics/violent-crime-and-personal-safety