The Manual
Vol. I · No. 1 · September 2026
The Gentleman's Guide
Part V · Car & TransportationNo. 183 · Page 7 of 20

Ride-share safety

Confirm the driver's name, car, and license plate against the app before getting in — never get in a car that doesn't match. Share your trip status with a friend for late-night or unfamiliar rides.

Ride-share safety

Before the car arrives

Request the ride from indoors and stay there until the app shows the car pulling up. A person standing at the curb staring at a phone is announcing to every passing driver that a stranger's car is expected. When the car arrives, check the plate first, since it is the one detail that cannot be faked easily, then the make, the color and the driver's photo. Do not offer your name through the window. Ask the driver to tell you who the ride is for, because a legitimate driver already has your name on the screen and an impostor does not. Many services also offer a PIN that you read to the driver before the trip can start, and it is worth switching on.

During the ride

  1. Sit in the back seat on the passenger side, which gives you distance from the driver and an exit on the curb side.
  2. Fasten your seat belt, because a rear-seat passenger without one is badly exposed in a crash.
  3. Follow the route on your own map, and ask about any unexplained detour right away.
  4. Keep the conversation friendly and general, and do not mention that you live alone, how long you will be away or whether the address is your home.
  5. Use the trip-sharing feature so a friend can watch your progress, and know where the emergency button sits in the app.

If something feels wrong

Trust the feeling early. Ask to be let out at a busy, well-lit place such as a gas station or a hotel entrance, not on an empty block. If the driver will not stop, call 911 and say aloud where you are and that you are in a ride-share car, reading the plate from the app. Afterward, report the trip through the app, which keeps a record of the driver, the vehicle and the route. Reports are the only way bad drivers get removed.

When you have been drinking

This is the right reason to order a car, and also the time you are least careful. Have a friend confirm the plate and see you into the car. Set a drop-off at your actual door, and ask the friend to expect a message when you are inside. If you are the sober one, do not leave until the match is confirmed.

Tip For a home pickup, set the pin a few doors down or at the corner if you would rather a stranger not know your exact address. Drivers are entirely used to it.