Women recount 'scary' Uber experience following viral post

On Sept. 18, a woman says she got into an Uber, and saw her driver open a package with his teeth.

Valerie Ryan

Oct 4, 2024, 9:24 PM

Updated 2 hr ago

Share:

Two women are detailing what they say was a terrifying Uber experience.
On Sept. 18, a woman says she got into an Uber, and saw her driver open a package with his teeth.
She says she immediately felt dizzy and drowsy.
The victim says she was able to get out of the car and reported the incident to police and Uber.
Two days later, Surrender Baker, says she got into the same Uber.
"I went in a car, opened the door, closed the door, and immediately I started feeling drowsy and dizzy," said Baker.
Baker says she remembers seeing an Instagram post that warned people about a woman's scary encounter with an Uber driver in Brooklyn.
She says that alerted her to get out of the vehicle.
Baker says she hit the emergency button on the Uber app, which alerted police.
"My heart was beating, and I was calling my family, letting them know like, what's going on," said Baker.
The driver was gone by the time the police arrived. Since then, the original post has been taken down. Baker says she doesn't want this to happen to anyone else.
News 12 reached out to Uber for an interview. An Uber spokesperson provided the following statement:
“We strive to make the Uber platform safer for all of our users. Over the years, we’ve heavily invested in innovative features and programs focused on safety. Riders can access in-app safety features with the touch of a button, including an audio recording feature, Emergency Button, and the ability to chat live with a Safety Agent. All trips are GPS tracked, and riders can share their trip and live location information with family and friends. Additionally, through the new safety preferences, riders can customize in-app features to automatically turn on for every trip, or during certain times. We know that our work on safety will never be complete and our commitment to always improving is unwavering.”
According to Uber, the company has many available safety features, including emergency buttons, audio recordings, "live help" from safety agents and the ability to share ride details. Uber also mentions people are screened before becoming drivers.
Here's more information about Women's Safety | Uber.