How old were your kids when they started using Uber/ Lyft? What has your experience been?
My daughter is kind of a head-turner. She gets lots of unwanted attention from men, and I think it's pretty plausible she'd find herself in the car of one of those men who make sexual gestures and comments to her on the street. But she's babysitting a lot, and the parents often offer to uber her home at night. |
My 16 DD does, but always with friends or BF. We’re not comfortable with her being alone in a stranger’s car. |
My 16-year-old DD uses Uber Teen but only with friends. She is not allowed to use it by herself. |
No, drive your own kid. |
Less conventionally attractive teen girls also get harassed by males. It's not about looks, but the vulnerability of youth. Do not let her ride alone with strangers. |
Son yes, daughter no. She looked 23+ by age 14, and in today's world, it's just not safe/smart. |
No I don’t let my kids use ride apps. It’s public transportation or they drive their car. (My two teens share a car) |
OP here. Thanks everyone. It's helpful to know that I'm not being unreasonable here!
So maybe this is a question for the folks with younger kids, but... what about getting the babysitter home? I was always driven home from babysitting gigs. When we had teen babysitters, we drove or walked them home, and we offered to do so for the 20-somethings. My daughter sits for a half-dozen families, and Uber or parental pickup is the universal expectation. None of them have ever offered to get her home, even though they are very generous otherwise. |
Go pick her up. It’s a job. Not their responsibility. |
I think my girl was 15 or 16 when I started letting her go by herself or with friends. Obviously I felt better about her being with friends, but that wasn't always possible.
I always told her to get in the car and then say out loud into her phone "Ok I'm in the car, the license plate is {whatever] and you can track my ride." That way the driver knows someone is expecting her and someone can track what car she's being driven in. I always wait outside for her to pull up. And she knows not to answer "Are you going home?" or to say "No, a relative's house" but to never say yes or to answer what school she goes to. |
Alone we made them call us during their ride.
If The family wants to Uber her home. They need to let her have a friend with her. |
I didn’t even think they could start an account until they were 18. That’s when my son started using it. |
We have kids who are babysat by teenage girls and DH walks them home. He uses the opportunity to take the dog out one last time before we go to bed. I asked him once what he talks to the girls about on their walks home and he said "Music or food." |
My 16 did starting at 14/15 (freshman year) but always with friends. She’s also a frequent male target (Barbie type looks) so I don’t know how I feel about her riding alone. She drives now though |
My kids only ever babysit in the neighborhood for this reason, I mostly have picked up but sometimes they’d bring home. Or walk, bc we have a lot of kids on our actual block (so easy!). A handful of times it’s been 20m away bc I knew the mom, and they got her home and I dropped off, or vice versa. But late night babysitting is almost always right in our neighborhood |