Always Touch The Window On Your Taxi Or Rideshare Before You Get In

Millions of people use cabs and rideshares every year, and with that many rides happening, there will always be some that go bad. While the vast majority of trips are without incident, on rare occasions, criminal things happen, but there are ways to protect yourself, including by touching the window of the car before you get in it.

It may seem grim and scary, but security expert Shahzad Ali told The Mirror that he recommends pressing your fingers onto the window or leaving hair in the car as a precaution so that if anything were to happen to you, there would be DNA or fingerprint evidence to show you were in that car.

That's not his only tip though. He also advises re-opening the door after you get in to ensure that the child lock isn't engaged, so you aren't trapped in the car. In addition, Ali revealed that the safest place to sit is behind the driver since it makes it harder for them to intimidate or overpower you, or to touch you. It also would make it difficult for anyone outside of the car on the sidewalk to open the door and grab you.

Other safety tips include checking the driver's ID in a cab and ensuring his face matches the photo, and maybe even taking a picture of it and sending it to a friend or family member. If you are in an Uber, make sure you share your trip details with someone through the app since that will also send them the driver's name and their vehicle, along with real-time location updates. Finally, you should also call a friend while in the car, stating aloud where you are heading and an expected arrival time. That way, the driver will know someone is waiting for you. If it is really late or you don't have anyone to call, you can also just pretend to be contacting someone and telling them those details.