How to check your rideshare is the right car
Before you get into a rideshare, match three things against the app: the license plate, the car's make and color, and the driver's photo. Then ask who the driver is picking up and let them say your name first, rather than asking if they are here for you. Sit in the back, share your trip from the app, and if anything does not match, do not get in.
Why it matters: Getting into the wrong car is the most avoidable rideshare risk.
Steps
- Wait for the car indoors or in a lit spot, with the app open.
- Check the license plate against the app before you reach for the door.
- Check the make, model and color, then the driver's face against the photo.
- Ask: who are you here to pick up? Let the driver say your name.
- Sit in the back seat on the passenger side, with your bag on your lap.
- Share the trip with a friend using the app's share feature.
- Follow along on your own map and speak up if the route changes without reason.
- If anything feels wrong during the ride, ask to stop somewhere busy and get out.
Stop and call a professional if
- a driver refuses to let you out, or you feel in danger during a ride: call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, and use the app's emergency button
- the car or driver does not match: do not get in, cancel, and report it in the app
Common mistakes
- Asking are you here for Jane? which hands a stranger your name.
- Getting in because the car color is right but the plate is not checked.
- Sitting in the front seat by default.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to check your rideshare is the right car
What to say
Before you get into a rideshare, match three things against the app: the license plate, the car's make and color, and the driver's photo. Then ask who the driver is picking up and let them say your name first, rather than asking if they are here for you. Sit in the back, share your trip from the app, and if anything does not match, do not get in.
What to show
- Wait for the car indoors or in a lit spot, with the app open.
- Check the license plate against the app before you reach for the door.
- Check the make, model and color, then the driver's face against the photo.
- Ask: who are you here to pick up? Let the driver say your name.
- Sit in the back seat on the passenger side, with your bag on your lap.
- Share the trip with a friend using the app's share feature.
- Follow along on your own map and speak up if the route changes without reason.
- If anything feels wrong during the ride, ask to stop somewhere busy and get out.
Where it stops
Stop and call a professional if a driver refuses to let you out, or you feel in danger during a ride: call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, and use the app's emergency button.
Check question
What is the safest way to confirm a driver is yours?
Answer: Ask them to say who they are picking up. Letting the driver say your name confirms they have your booking without giving your name away.
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Related skills
Sources
This skill is general practice and draws on no single published source.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .