After the recent death of a University of South Carolina student who mistakenly got into a car she thought was her Uber, MUPD wants to remind the Marquette community to take precaution when using ride share apps such as Uber or Lyft.
Here are a few specific safety tips to remember:
- Match the license plate number of the car with the app — Always double check the license plate number, make and model of the car to ensure it matches the information the app provides.
- Ask the driver, “Who are you waiting for?” — This way the driver must give you a name. If the information isn’t correct, DON’T get in the car.
- Look at the photo of the driver on the app — Match the photo of the driver on the app with the person driving. If the photo doesn’t match, DON’T get in the car.
- Wait for your ride indoors — Wait until the app shows that the driver has arrived.
- Ride in the back seat — This gives you and the driver personal space.
- Don’t reveal personal details — Do not share your phone number or other contact information with a driver. If a rider and driver need to contact each other for some reason, the app automatically makes both phone numbers anonymous to protect everyone’s privacy.
- Share trip details with a friend — Riders can share their trip details by tapping “Share status” in the app. This shares a driver’s name, photo, license plate and location.
- Rate your driver — This allows the service to remove potentially dangerous drivers.
For more safety resources, download the MUPD EagleEye app and visit MUPD’s website.
MUPD emergency phone number: (414) 288-1911
MUPD non-Emergency: (414) 288-6800