Sexual Assault By Uber Driver on Teen in DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent of teens and college age kids. We use Uber on occasion to help with driving. Those of you who judge, what are you expecting working parents to do exactly?? Kids need to get to & from school, jobs and activities. That means walking, metro and getting rides from us and sometimes Uber. We don't have family or any other "village" to help with driving so we do use Uber Teen when needed. With Uber Teen all the rides are tracked by us in real time, and we are typically on the phone with our kids too.
Walk a mile in my shoes.

I’m not criticizing, but I do think that if you are not a frequent Uber rider yourself, you do not appreciate how every so often you get a really bad driver - drives horribly, reeks of pot, acts strangely. You can minimize this by only chosing drivers rated above 4.95. Every driver I’ve ever had below 4.9 has something really wrong with them and/or their car. And for the girls especially, ensure they know how to be assertive and that they do not need to talk or answer questions, and that if they feel at ALL uncomfortable, end the ride.

You don’t think the boy felt uncomfortable and wanted to end the ride? You think that the ride just automatically ends?

Well the boy too of course, but as we know, women/girls are especially socialized to be “nice” and this can be taken advantage of.

To end the ride you tell the driver to let you out and end it on the app. If the child doesn’t know how to end the ride early, they shouldn’t be in the uber.

End the ride on the highway or end the ride in bad neighborhood, end the ride in pitch black middle of the night?? Okay.
You people are not rooted in reality, clearly have lived in an entitled bubble and have absolutely zero street smarts. Wow. And you are adults?! You are parents raising children?!

I’m not sure what you’re so mad about. Ending the ride in a “bad” neighborhood is better than staying in the car with a sketchy driver. So your kid should know how to do this.

Your lack of street smarts and comment sense is truly shocking. I’m not going to argue you with you, and I don’t mean to insult you but I promise you that are so way off with that line of thinking. Please don’t advise any young people of this. It’s absolutely horrific and dangerous advice.

?? What are you going on about? If you’re in an uber with a bad driver, you get out. I mean, not on the highway. But you get out and call another uber. Around here I doubt most teens taking ubers home are going through bad neighborhoods and in any event, you are safer in a “bad” neighborhood than with a crazy uber driver.

LOL. DC is one giant bad neighborhood.
And you cannot just get out of a locked, moving car. That is precisely the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent of teens and college age kids. We use Uber on occasion to help with driving. Those of you who judge, what are you expecting working parents to do exactly?? Kids need to get to & from school, jobs and activities. That means walking, metro and getting rides from us and sometimes Uber. We don't have family or any other "village" to help with driving so we do use Uber Teen when needed. With Uber Teen all the rides are tracked by us in real time, and we are typically on the phone with our kids too.
Walk a mile in my shoes.

I’m not criticizing, but I do think that if you are not a frequent Uber rider yourself, you do not appreciate how every so often you get a really bad driver - drives horribly, reeks of pot, acts strangely. You can minimize this by only chosing drivers rated above 4.95. Every driver I’ve ever had below 4.9 has something really wrong with them and/or their car. And for the girls especially, ensure they know how to be assertive and that they do not need to talk or answer questions, and that if they feel at ALL uncomfortable, end the ride.

You don’t think the boy felt uncomfortable and wanted to end the ride? You think that the ride just automatically ends?

Well the boy too of course, but as we know, women/girls are especially socialized to be “nice” and this can be taken advantage of.

To end the ride you tell the driver to let you out and end it on the app. If the child doesn’t know how to end the ride early, they shouldn’t be in the uber.

End the ride on the highway or end the ride in bad neighborhood, end the ride in pitch black middle of the night?? Okay.
You people are not rooted in reality, clearly have lived in an entitled bubble and have absolutely zero street smarts. Wow. And you are adults?! You are parents raising children?!

I’m not sure what you’re so mad about. Ending the ride in a “bad” neighborhood is better than staying in the car with a sketchy driver. So your kid should know how to do this.

Your lack of street smarts and comment sense is truly shocking. I’m not going to argue you with you, and I don’t mean to insult you but I promise you that are so way off with that line of thinking. Please don’t advise any young people of this. It’s absolutely horrific and dangerous advice.

?? What are you going on about? If you’re in an uber with a bad driver, you get out. I mean, not on the highway. But you get out and call another uber. Around here I doubt most teens taking ubers home are going through bad neighborhoods and in any event, you are safer in a “bad” neighborhood than with a crazy uber driver.

LOL. DC is one giant bad neighborhood.
And you cannot just get out of a locked, moving car. That is precisely the issue.

It doesn’t seem like you actually have that much useful to contribute.

Anyway - I think it’s reasonable to have a mature teen take Ubers but I’d want to know that they are even-headed enough to get out (or just not get in) if anything feels off. Similar to what they should know to take the Metro. They should be aware of how predators will feel them out by engaging in conversation that starts to feel off. This is really not that different from general street smarts for city kids. (Like I’m still working with my 11 year old to understand that they don’t need to give money to everyone who asks nicely.) And specifically for Uber, I’d want them to know how to end a ride early and get out safely, then call another Uber or 911.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent of teens and college age kids. We use Uber on occasion to help with driving. Those of you who judge, what are you expecting working parents to do exactly?? Kids need to get to & from school, jobs and activities. That means walking, metro and getting rides from us and sometimes Uber. We don't have family or any other "village" to help with driving so we do use Uber Teen when needed. With Uber Teen all the rides are tracked by us in real time, and we are typically on the phone with our kids too.
Walk a mile in my shoes.

I’m not criticizing, but I do think that if you are not a frequent Uber rider yourself, you do not appreciate how every so often you get a really bad driver - drives horribly, reeks of pot, acts strangely. You can minimize this by only chosing drivers rated above 4.95. Every driver I’ve ever had below 4.9 has something really wrong with them and/or their car. And for the girls especially, ensure they know how to be assertive and that they do not need to talk or answer questions, and that if they feel at ALL uncomfortable, end the ride.

You don’t think the boy felt uncomfortable and wanted to end the ride? You think that the ride just automatically ends?

Yeah, so when your 11 year old is held at gunpoint in Uber how does s/he end the ride comfortably?

I'm sorry but there are so many of you that are just bad parents. And yes, I have been robbed and gun point AND assaulted by a cab driver. I would never, ever - not if you paid me - put my child alone in an uber or cab. Some of you have zero risk assessment skills. Your job is to protect your children. They can gain independence in other ways. These "I put my kid in an uber all by herself at 10" stories that make you sound cool at parties is really just sh$t parenting. So selfish

Well the boy too of course, but as we know, women/girls are especially socialized to be “nice” and this can be taken advantage of.

To end the ride you tell the driver to let you out and end it on the app. If the child doesn’t know how to end the ride early, they shouldn’t be in the uber.

End the ride on the highway or end the ride in bad neighborhood, end the ride in pitch black middle of the night?? Okay.
You people are not rooted in reality, clearly have lived in an entitled bubble and have absolutely zero street smarts. Wow. And you are adults?! You are parents raising children?!

I’m not sure what you’re so mad about. Ending the ride in a “bad” neighborhood is better than staying in the car with a sketchy driver. So your kid should know how to do this.

Your lack of street smarts and comment sense is truly shocking. I’m not going to argue you with you, and I don’t mean to insult you but I promise you that are so way off with that line of thinking. Please don’t advise any young people of this. It’s absolutely horrific and dangerous advice.

?? What are you going on about? If you’re in an uber with a bad driver, you get out. I mean, not on the highway. But you get out and call another uber. Around here I doubt most teens taking ubers home are going through bad neighborhoods and in any event, you are safer in a “bad” neighborhood than with a crazy uber driver.

LOL. DC is one giant bad neighborhood.
And you cannot just get out of a locked, moving car. That is precisely the issue.

It doesn’t seem like you actually have that much useful to contribute.

Anyway - I think it’s reasonable to have a mature teen take Ubers but I’d want to know that they are even-headed enough to get out (or just not get in) if anything feels off. Similar to what they should know to take the Metro. They should be aware of how predators will feel them out by engaging in conversation that starts to feel off. This is really not that different from general street smarts for city kids. (Like I’m still working with my 11 year old to understand that they don’t need to give money to everyone who asks nicely.) And specifically for Uber, I’d want them to know how to end a ride early and get out safely, then call another Uber or 911.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent of teens and college age kids. We use Uber on occasion to help with driving. Those of you who judge, what are you expecting working parents to do exactly?? Kids need to get to & from school, jobs and activities. That means walking, metro and getting rides from us and sometimes Uber. We don't have family or any other "village" to help with driving so we do use Uber Teen when needed. With Uber Teen all the rides are tracked by us in real time, and we are typically on the phone with our kids too.
Walk a mile in my shoes.

I’m not criticizing, but I do think that if you are not a frequent Uber rider yourself, you do not appreciate how every so often you get a really bad driver - drives horribly, reeks of pot, acts strangely. You can minimize this by only chosing drivers rated above 4.95. Every driver I’ve ever had below 4.9 has something really wrong with them and/or their car. And for the girls especially, ensure they know how to be assertive and that they do not need to talk or answer questions, and that if they feel at ALL uncomfortable, end the ride.

You don’t think the boy felt uncomfortable and wanted to end the ride? You think that the ride just automatically ends?

Well the boy too of course, but as we know, women/girls are especially socialized to be “nice” and this can be taken advantage of.

To end the ride you tell the driver to let you out and end it on the app. If the child doesn’t know how to end the ride early, they shouldn’t be in the uber.

End the ride on the highway or end the ride in bad neighborhood, end the ride in pitch black middle of the night?? Okay.
You people are not rooted in reality, clearly have lived in an entitled bubble and have absolutely zero street smarts. Wow. And you are adults?! You are parents raising children?!

I’m not sure what you’re so mad about. Ending the ride in a “bad” neighborhood is better than staying in the car with a sketchy driver. So your kid should know how to do this.

Your lack of street smarts and comment sense is truly shocking. I’m not going to argue you with you, and I don’t mean to insult you but I promise you that are so way off with that line of thinking. Please don’t advise any young people of this. It’s absolutely horrific and dangerous advice.

?? What are you going on about? If you’re in an uber with a bad driver, you get out. I mean, not on the highway. But you get out and call another uber. Around here I doubt most teens taking ubers home are going through bad neighborhoods and in any event, you are safer in a “bad” neighborhood than with a crazy uber driver.

LOL. DC is one giant bad neighborhood.
And you cannot just get out of a locked, moving car. That is precisely the issue.

It doesn’t seem like you actually have that much useful to contribute.

Anyway - I think it’s reasonable to have a mature teen take Ubers but I’d want to know that they are even-headed enough to get out (or just not get in) if anything feels off. Similar to what they should know to take the Metro. They should be aware of how predators will feel them out by engaging in conversation that starts to feel off. This is really not that different from general street smarts for city kids. (Like I’m still working with my 11 year old to understand that they don’t need to give money to everyone who asks nicely.) And specifically for Uber, I’d want them to know how to end a ride early and get out safely, then call another Uber or 911.

Yeah, so when your 11 year old is held at gunpoint in Uber how does s/he end the ride comfortably?

I'm sorry but there are so many of you that are just bad parents. And yes, I have been robbed and gun point AND assaulted by a cab driver. I would never, ever - not if you paid me - put my child alone in an uber or cab. Some of you have zero risk assessment skills. Your job is to protect your children. They can gain independence in other ways. These "I put my kid in an uber all by herself at 10" stories that make you sound cool at parties is really just sh$t parenting. So selfish

[Anonymous]

What is your teens plan if the Uber driver takes their phone by force, locks the door, and drives them to a secluded place? This is not OP’s scenario, but one that I, a NP, am aware of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As sad as this situation is, the responses are illogical. Teens have also been assaulted at sleepovers, by extended family, at parties, and when running or walking on trails. And they can be shot at malls, movie theaters, and church.

Unless you keep your kid in a bubble, there are risks in life and you should teach them how to assess and manage those risks.

I’m fine with Uber Teen for DS and will be for DD when she’s a teen. But they also have self-defense training and pepper spray, and we talk frequently about how to manage situations like this.

You all need to empower your children more so that they are ready for life.

Eh. I agree with not keeping kids in a bubble but I also don’t think they need to be locked in a moving vehicle with strange men until they are a little older.

+1. Some PPs have completely lost the plot. You can gain independence and be ready for life without being sent alone in a car with a strange, unvetted dude to drive you half way across town with no access to help. WTF is wrong with parents? I'd rather my kid walk wherever they were going than Uber.

Not “unvetted”. This isn’t hitchhiking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As sad as this situation is, the responses are illogical. Teens have also been assaulted at sleepovers, by extended family, at parties, and when running or walking on trails. And they can be shot at malls, movie theaters, and church.

Unless you keep your kid in a bubble, there are risks in life and you should teach them how to assess and manage those risks.

I’m fine with Uber Teen for DS and will be for DD when she’s a teen. But they also have self-defense training and pepper spray, and we talk frequently about how to manage situations like this.

You all need to empower your children more so that they are ready for life.

Eh. I agree with not keeping kids in a bubble but I also don’t think they need to be locked in a moving vehicle with strange men until they are a little older.

+1. Some PPs have completely lost the plot. You can gain independence and be ready for life without being sent alone in a car with a strange, unvetted dude to drive you half way across town with no access to help. WTF is wrong with parents? I'd rather my kid walk wherever they were going than Uber.

Not “unvetted”. This isn’t hitchhiking.

You put far too much faith in Uber background checks. As an attorney, I've had some clients work as Uber drivers when they clearly should not have. It is quite eye opening how little work Uber actually does into ensuring passenger (and driver) safety. For that reason, I do not take Uber.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As sad as this situation is, the responses are illogical. Teens have also been assaulted at sleepovers, by extended family, at parties, and when running or walking on trails. And they can be shot at malls, movie theaters, and church.

Unless you keep your kid in a bubble, there are risks in life and you should teach them how to assess and manage those risks.

I’m fine with Uber Teen for DS and will be for DD when she’s a teen. But they also have self-defense training and pepper spray, and we talk frequently about how to manage situations like this.

You all need to empower your children more so that they are ready for life.

Eh. I agree with not keeping kids in a bubble but I also don’t think they need to be locked in a moving vehicle with strange men until they are a little older.

+1. Some PPs have completely lost the plot. You can gain independence and be ready for life without being sent alone in a car with a strange, unvetted dude to drive you half way across town with no access to help. WTF is wrong with parents? I'd rather my kid walk wherever they were going than Uber.

Not “unvetted”. This isn’t hitchhiking.

You put far too much faith in Uber background checks. As an attorney, I've had some clients work as Uber drivers when they clearly should not have. It is quite eye opening how little work Uber actually does into ensuring passenger (and driver) safety. For that reason, I do not take Uber.

yuppp … that’s why I cancel anyone below 4.95.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent of teens and college age kids. We use Uber on occasion to help with driving. Those of you who judge, what are you expecting working parents to do exactly?? Kids need to get to & from school, jobs and activities. That means walking, metro and getting rides from us and sometimes Uber. We don't have family or any other "village" to help with driving so we do use Uber Teen when needed. With Uber Teen all the rides are tracked by us in real time, and we are typically on the phone with our kids too.
Walk a mile in my shoes.

I’m not criticizing, but I do think that if you are not a frequent Uber rider yourself, you do not appreciate how every so often you get a really bad driver - drives horribly, reeks of pot, acts strangely. You can minimize this by only chosing drivers rated above 4.95. Every driver I’ve ever had below 4.9 has something really wrong with them and/or their car. And for the girls especially, ensure they know how to be assertive and that they do not need to talk or answer questions, and that if they feel at ALL uncomfortable, end the ride.

You don’t think the boy felt uncomfortable and wanted to end the ride? You think that the ride just automatically ends?

Well the boy too of course, but as we know, women/girls are especially socialized to be “nice” and this can be taken advantage of.

To end the ride you tell the driver to let you out and end it on the app. If the child doesn’t know how to end the ride early, they shouldn’t be in the uber.

End the ride on the highway or end the ride in bad neighborhood, end the ride in pitch black middle of the night?? Okay.
You people are not rooted in reality, clearly have lived in an entitled bubble and have absolutely zero street smarts. Wow. And you are adults?! You are parents raising children?!

I’m not sure what you’re so mad about. Ending the ride in a “bad” neighborhood is better than staying in the car with a sketchy driver. So your kid should know how to do this.

Your lack of street smarts and comment sense is truly shocking. I’m not going to argue you with you, and I don’t mean to insult you but I promise you that are so way off with that line of thinking. Please don’t advise any young people of this. It’s absolutely horrific and dangerous advice.

?? What are you going on about? If you’re in an uber with a bad driver, you get out. I mean, not on the highway. But you get out and call another uber. Around here I doubt most teens taking ubers home are going through bad neighborhoods and in any event, you are safer in a “bad” neighborhood than with a crazy uber driver.

LOL. DC is one giant bad neighborhood.
And you cannot just get out of a locked, moving car. That is precisely the issue.

It doesn’t seem like you actually have that much useful to contribute.

Anyway - I think it’s reasonable to have a mature teen take Ubers but I’d want to know that they are even-headed enough to get out (or just not get in) if anything feels off. Similar to what they should know to take the Metro. They should be aware of how predators will feel them out by engaging in conversation that starts to feel off. This is really not that different from general street smarts for city kids. (Like I’m still working with my 11 year old to understand that they don’t need to give money to everyone who asks nicely.) And specifically for Uber, I’d want them to know how to end a ride early and get out safely, then call another Uber or 911.

Yeah, so when your 11 year old is held at gunpoint in Uber how does s/he end the ride comfortably?

I'm sorry but there are so many of you that are just bad parents. And yes, I have been robbed and gun point AND assaulted by a cab driver. I would never, ever - not if you paid me - put my child alone in an uber or cab. Some of you have zero risk assessment skills. Your job is to protect your children. They can gain independence in other ways. These "I put my kid in an uber all by herself at 10" stories that make you sound cool at parties is really just sh$t parenting. So selfish

+1. Loads of bad parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent of teens and college age kids. We use Uber on occasion to help with driving. Those of you who judge, what are you expecting working parents to do exactly?? Kids need to get to & from school, jobs and activities. That means walking, metro and getting rides from us and sometimes Uber. We don't have family or any other "village" to help with driving so we do use Uber Teen when needed. With Uber Teen all the rides are tracked by us in real time, and we are typically on the phone with our kids too.
Walk a mile in my shoes.

I’m not criticizing, but I do think that if you are not a frequent Uber rider yourself, you do not appreciate how every so often you get a really bad driver - drives horribly, reeks of pot, acts strangely. You can minimize this by only chosing drivers rated above 4.95. Every driver I’ve ever had below 4.9 has something really wrong with them and/or their car. And for the girls especially, ensure they know how to be assertive and that they do not need to talk or answer questions, and that if they feel at ALL uncomfortable, end the ride.

You don’t think the boy felt uncomfortable and wanted to end the ride? You think that the ride just automatically ends?

Well the boy too of course, but as we know, women/girls are especially socialized to be “nice” and this can be taken advantage of.

To end the ride you tell the driver to let you out and end it on the app. If the child doesn’t know how to end the ride early, they shouldn’t be in the uber.

End the ride on the highway or end the ride in bad neighborhood, end the ride in pitch black middle of the night?? Okay.
You people are not rooted in reality, clearly have lived in an entitled bubble and have absolutely zero street smarts. Wow. And you are adults?! You are parents raising children?!

I’m not sure what you’re so mad about. Ending the ride in a “bad” neighborhood is better than staying in the car with a sketchy driver. So your kid should know how to do this.

Your lack of street smarts and comment sense is truly shocking. I’m not going to argue you with you, and I don’t mean to insult you but I promise you that are so way off with that line of thinking. Please don’t advise any young people of this. It’s absolutely horrific and dangerous advice.

?? What are you going on about? If you’re in an uber with a bad driver, you get out. I mean, not on the highway. But you get out and call another uber. Around here I doubt most teens taking ubers home are going through bad neighborhoods and in any event, you are safer in a “bad” neighborhood than with a crazy uber driver.

LOL. DC is one giant bad neighborhood.
And you cannot just get out of a locked, moving car. That is precisely the issue.

It doesn’t seem like you actually have that much useful to contribute.

Anyway - I think it’s reasonable to have a mature teen take Ubers but I’d want to know that they are even-headed enough to get out (or just not get in) if anything feels off. Similar to what they should know to take the Metro. They should be aware of how predators will feel them out by engaging in conversation that starts to feel off. This is really not that different from general street smarts for city kids. (Like I’m still working with my 11 year old to understand that they don’t need to give money to everyone who asks nicely.) And specifically for Uber, I’d want them to know how to end a ride early and get out safely, then call another Uber or 911.

Yeah, so when your 11 year old is held at gunpoint in Uber how does s/he end the ride comfortably?

I'm sorry but there are so many of you that are just bad parents. And yes, I have been robbed and gun point AND assaulted by a cab driver. I would never, ever - not if you paid me - put my child alone in an uber or cab. Some of you have zero risk assessment skills. Your job is to protect your children. They can gain independence in other ways. These "I put my kid in an uber all by herself at 10" stories that make you sound cool at parties is really just sh$t parenting. So selfish

I wouldn’t put my 11 year old in an Uber alone. But a mature 16-17 year old? Maybe. And given that they will use it in college especially to avoid drunk driving, it makes sense to help them learn how to use it.

[Anonymous]

I know OP said they would not come back, but I wonder if this child was using "Uber teen" or just using regular Uber.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent of teens and college age kids. We use Uber on occasion to help with driving. Those of you who judge, what are you expecting working parents to do exactly?? Kids need to get to & from school, jobs and activities. That means walking, metro and getting rides from us and sometimes Uber. We don't have family or any other "village" to help with driving so we do use Uber Teen when needed. With Uber Teen all the rides are tracked by us in real time, and we are typically on the phone with our kids too.
Walk a mile in my shoes.

I’m not criticizing, but I do think that if you are not a frequent Uber rider yourself, you do not appreciate how every so often you get a really bad driver - drives horribly, reeks of pot, acts strangely. You can minimize this by only chosing drivers rated above 4.95. Every driver I’ve ever had below 4.9 has something really wrong with them and/or their car. And for the girls especially, ensure they know how to be assertive and that they do not need to talk or answer questions, and that if they feel at ALL uncomfortable, end the ride.

You don’t think the boy felt uncomfortable and wanted to end the ride? You think that the ride just automatically ends?

Well the boy too of course, but as we know, women/girls are especially socialized to be “nice” and this can be taken advantage of.

To end the ride you tell the driver to let you out and end it on the app. If the child doesn’t know how to end the ride early, they shouldn’t be in the uber.

End the ride on the highway or end the ride in bad neighborhood, end the ride in pitch black middle of the night?? Okay.
You people are not rooted in reality, clearly have lived in an entitled bubble and have absolutely zero street smarts. Wow. And you are adults?! You are parents raising children?!

I’m not sure what you’re so mad about. Ending the ride in a “bad” neighborhood is better than staying in the car with a sketchy driver. So your kid should know how to do this.

Your lack of street smarts and comment sense is truly shocking. I’m not going to argue you with you, and I don’t mean to insult you but I promise you that are so way off with that line of thinking. Please don’t advise any young people of this. It’s absolutely horrific and dangerous advice.

?? What are you going on about? If you’re in an uber with a bad driver, you get out. I mean, not on the highway. But you get out and call another uber. Around here I doubt most teens taking ubers home are going through bad neighborhoods and in any event, you are safer in a “bad” neighborhood than with a crazy uber driver.

LOL. DC is one giant bad neighborhood.
And you cannot just get out of a locked, moving car. That is precisely the issue.

It doesn’t seem like you actually have that much useful to contribute.

Anyway - I think it’s reasonable to have a mature teen take Ubers but I’d want to know that they are even-headed enough to get out (or just not get in) if anything feels off. Similar to what they should know to take the Metro. They should be aware of how predators will feel them out by engaging in conversation that starts to feel off. This is really not that different from general street smarts for city kids. (Like I’m still working with my 11 year old to understand that they don’t need to give money to everyone who asks nicely.) And specifically for Uber, I’d want them to know how to end a ride early and get out safely, then call another Uber or 911.

Yeah, so when your 11 year old is held at gunpoint in Uber how does s/he end the ride comfortably?

I'm sorry but there are so many of you that are just bad parents. And yes, I have been robbed and gun point AND assaulted by a cab driver. I would never, ever - not if you paid me - put my child alone in an uber or cab. Some of you have zero risk assessment skills. Your job is to protect your children. They can gain independence in other ways. These "I put my kid in an uber all by herself at 10" stories that make you sound cool at parties is really just sh$t parenting. So selfish

I wouldn’t put my 11 year old in an Uber alone. But a mature 16-17 year old? Maybe. And given that they will use it in college especially to avoid drunk driving, it makes sense to help them learn how to use it.

They can learn how to use it while not riding alone. You can go with them if the goal is to learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As sad as this situation is, the responses are illogical. Teens have also been assaulted at sleepovers, by extended family, at parties, and when running or walking on trails. And they can be shot at malls, movie theaters, and church.

Unless you keep your kid in a bubble, there are risks in life and you should teach them how to assess and manage those risks.

I’m fine with Uber Teen for DS and will be for DD when she’s a teen. But they also have self-defense training and pepper spray, and we talk frequently about how to manage situations like this.

You all need to empower your children more so that they are ready for life.

I agree with this. It’s usually the boyfriend! My daughter and her friends have taken hundreds of Ubers. They are professional performers or students in NYC. She has never had an uncomfortable or dangerous situation. Neither have her friends. They are all late teens and early 20’s. More recently they have more female drivers and they pair them with females. My daughter said she’s been getting 50/50 male female drivers. Her boyfriend has never had a female driver.

Walking, teen driver, mom driver, Uber driver, bus, subway are all equal in their risks which are very small except the teen driver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As sad as this situation is, the responses are illogical. Teens have also been assaulted at sleepovers, by extended family, at parties, and when running or walking on trails. And they can be shot at malls, movie theaters, and church.

Unless you keep your kid in a bubble, there are risks in life and you should teach them how to assess and manage those risks.

I’m fine with Uber Teen for DS and will be for DD when she’s a teen. But they also have self-defense training and pepper spray, and we talk frequently about how to manage situations like this.

You all need to empower your children more so that they are ready for life.

Eh. I agree with not keeping kids in a bubble but I also don’t think they need to be locked in a moving vehicle with strange men until they are a little older.

+1. Some PPs have completely lost the plot. You can gain independence and be ready for life without being sent alone in a car with a strange, unvetted dude to drive you half way across town with no access to help. WTF is wrong with parents? I'd rather my kid walk wherever they were going than Uber.

Not “unvetted”. This isn’t hitchhiking.

You put far too much faith in Uber background checks. As an attorney, I've had some clients work as Uber drivers when they clearly should not have. It is quite eye opening how little work Uber actually does into ensuring passenger (and driver) safety. For that reason, I do not take Uber.

Criminal defense attorneys see a disproportionate amount of deviant behavior. You should know that. Uber is a business just like their competitor Lyft. It would be terrible for business not to do detailed background checks that would result in negative publicity. As an attorney you probably understand that they need to follow the states rules and regulations. To claim they don’t check and check as far back as different states allow is ridiculous. Why would they risk losing their business by doing so “little work” as you claim?

[Anonymous]

I found this article helpful in looking at the differences in liability between Taxi drivers and Uber / Lyft drivers:
https://www.torhoermanlaw.com/taxi-cabs-vs-uber-lyft-which-is-safer/

There was also an article exploring the issue in the Atlantic but it's behind a paywall so I couldn't read it.

Basically, it said that you're safer in a cab, overall, because the cab company directly employs a cab driver.