You may have heard, if not experienced, cases of individuals posing as Uber or cab drivers taking advantage of or harming passengers. Especially in New York, with its heavy traffic and diverse population, staying alert when taking cabs will help you avoid potential safety hazards or uncomfortable situations during your trip, like robbery and theft. In this post, as part of our travel blog section, we’ll discuss some key safety tips for traveling by Uber or cab in New York area.
These tips here may just be the best help you can get to protect yourself when taking Uber and other cabs in the City that Never Sleeps.
NYC Uber or Cab Safety Tips
1. Verify the Vehicle
After booking and the vehicle arrives, it’s best to verify the details provided in the app, like the make, model, and license plate number. These are just some of the basics to make sure that the Uber or cab you book with is legitimate, especially in busy cities like New York.
It’s these precautions that can help you reduce or avoid the risk of potential impersonation or unauthorized rides. As exemplified in a case from an Uber lawsuit, where a student was allegedly raped by a driver with a criminal history, make these precautions more applicable, especially in keeping you safe on the road.
Though it may not be a 100% crime-proof tool, and it’s actually the cab company’s task to screen their drivers, it can help you to at least minimize your risks and help you have a safe trip while on your travels.
2. Confirm the Driver
A simple trick of confirming the driver’s identity by asking for your name from them first instead of offering it can be an effective way to protect yourself when using Uber or cabs in NYC. It’s an approach that helps you make sure you’re getting into the right vehicle with the assigned driver.
It will also minimize your risk of getting into a vehicle with an unauthorized or impostor driver. By taking this easy and simple step, you can verify the driver’s legitimacy and enhance your safety during your ride. It can help you avoid the likelihood of encountering potential risks or dangerous situations like getting abused or robbed.
3. Share Your Trip
Whether you’re going to chase money in Metropolitan New York or escape off the grid Upstate, it’s safer to let someone know where you are, especially if you’re journeying alone. You can share your trip with Uber or the cab company app’s share trip features and allow friends or family to also keep track of your journey in real-time.
It’s like they’re with you all along, creating an additional layer of security and peace of mind for yourself and on their part. Especially in cases where there are unforeseen circumstances or emergencies during your ride, your loved ones can quickly access your location and monitor your progress.
It’s also a safety feature that will enable your trusted contacts to extend help should the need arise.
4. Sit in the Back
It might just be a little trick in the book, but sitting in the back seat of the vehicle enhances your safety by providing both personal space and better visibility. Especially in cases of a sudden stop or collision, you will likely be less injured compared to those sitting in front.
Also, being seated in the back allows you a clearer view of the driver and your surroundings, making it easier to avoid unwanted attention or interaction with the one driving. It will also make it easier for you to assess potential risks or discomfort during the ride, and you can also easily call for help if needed.
Sit in the back. Photo by Ono Kosuki on Pexels.com5. Buckle Up
States may have included this safety reminder to drivers and passengers alike, but it is still best to remember this as a personal alarm for you. Wearing your seatbelt is crucial for your protection in any vehicle, not just while you’re in a cab.
It will protect you from many unavoidable instances. Like when the driver suddenly breaks to avoid a pedestrian, your seatbelt prevents you from being thrown forward. It will also keep you securely in place in the event of a collision or car crash, reducing the chance of being ejected or hitting hard surfaces inside.
Your seatbelt might just be your savior that can keep you away from harm’s way in unexpected situations, so buckle up.
6. Stay Alert
In this age of Social Media, staying alert to what’s happening outside your phone can help you be safer wherever you are, especially if you’re cruising the streets in a cab. For safety’s sake, you need to stay alert all throughout your ride.
It’s handy, especially when you notice the driver is kind of deviating from the intended route or displaying concerning behavior, like erratic driving or excessive speed. You’ll be safer to trust your instincts and address these situations promptly before it gets out of hand.
You could get the driver to pull over in a safe location and discontinue the trip, saying you’ve got an emergency. It will be of no use getting the driver’s attention in a negative way since it might worsen the situation and endanger you all the more.
7. Keep Valuables Secure
It’s best to keep your valuables, like bags, gadgets, and devices, secure and out of unwanted display, especially in densely populated areas. In New York City, where crowded streets and bustling public transportation hubs pose increased risks of theft, keeping valuables secure is paramount.
You can’t also be sure about cab rides where incidents like a thief running off someone’s bag from a parked cab or a lady’s phone getting snatched from her hand while about to pay the driver. These instances are just a few to remind you to avoid displaying your valuables and tempting opportunistic thieves along the way.
8. Plan Your Route
Before booking your ride, it’s much better if you have planned your route to make sure you’re going to have a safer and more efficient journey. It’s more advantageous if you familiarize yourself with the course you’re to take so you know whether the driver is taking the most direct and secure roadway to your destination.
Some unscrupulous drivers would take unnecessary detours or the road to unsafe areas to waylay their passengers, especially those with criminal intentions. So, it’s best that you have planned out and are aware of your route to stay alert and proactive during the ride for added safety and peace of mind.
Lastly, watch this video for some more tips:
Endnote
It’s not about distrusting Uber or cabs that matter, actually. What’s most important is your safety while on them. The tips and tricks here might just be too ordinary, but sometimes it’s these precautions that will help you transport to safety.
You can also make a call or update a call mate of your whereabouts while on these rides to let the driver know someone is on the lookout for you. Your path to safety is also about being vigilant and clever to discourage opportunists on the road.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram