‘She is wanting a free ride’: Uber driver picks up woman. Then she starts ‘acting weird’—so he starts filming for his safety
An Uber driver picked up a woman for a routine trip. Then, she started acting incredibly strangely, leading him to pull out his phone and record for his own safety.
TikToker DRyteDaProducer (@drytemusicproduction) noticed from the beginning that his passenger was “acting weird.” But, he drove her to her destination regardless. During the drive, he was on the phone with a friend using a wireless headphone case. That led the woman to call Uber support with him in the car and tell them that she felt “unsafe” because he was distracted driving.
The TikTok that DRyteDaProducer posted has since garnered 4.7 million views, with thousands of commenters agreeing that what the Uber driver faced in the car was unjustified.
Uber driver’s experience
When DRyteDaProducer picked up his passenger for a ride, he immediately felt as though something was off. He ignored the strange feeling at the time and didn’t think much of it. “Because I get weird [people] sometimes,” he said.
The first weird thing happened when the woman shifted around in the back of the seat. She moved from behind the passenger’s side to the driver’s, which led DRyteDaProducer to ask her to stay still. She refused.
At the time, DRyteDaProducer was using a wireless headset to have a phone call with a friend. Using a wireless headset while driving is legal under Florida law, as long as it’s only plugged into one ear. That’s something he mentioned to the rider when she asked about it. The woman proceeded to say that she felt unsafe because he was distracted while driving. She used New York as an example, saying it was an uncommon practice.
So, DRyteDaProducer pulled over and asked her to exit the vehicle. He canceled the ride for her to simplify things, but she refused to step out of the vehicle.
“I don’t understand how you don’t feel safe, but insist on staying in the vehicle with the person that you supposedly don’t feel safe with,” DRyteDaProducer said. “I called the cops, and started recording for my safety. She was talking to Uber safety and basically lying about everything.”
How did the situation end?
Eventually, she suggested to Uber safety that she could not exit the vehicle because her box was in the back trunk. DRyteDaProducer immediately went to the back of his vehicle, leaving her in the backseat. He took her package and placed it on the ground outside the vehicle, and she went to get it. That allowed him to leave without her in the vehicle.
“Y’all be safe out there, and cover yourselves, because no matter how much we don’t like to acknowledge it, these people exist. I’m still going to be kind and treat everyone with respect, but when you start saying you don’t feel safe, and I have done nothing wrong, you gotta go.”
Commenters react to the situation
Commenters pointed out how terrifying it can be to be in DRyteDaProducer’s position, especially considering the fact that she felt “unsafe” but chose to stay in his car, escalating the situation and continuing the interaction.
“Anytime someone says they don’t feel safe and they don’t leave, they don’t feel unsafe, they feel entitled,” one viewer said.
Another added, “No one is talking about how traumatic this is for the driver. Being falsely accused as a black man is so scary.”
Racial bias on rideshare apps
It’s an unfortunate reality that many rideshare apps intensify pre-existing racial and social biases. Cancellations and driver-rider mismatches can escalate on gig-based apps, which creates algorithmic disadvantages for people of color (POC) on these platforms.
That doesn’t take into account the situation that DRyteDaProducer faced—a person who makes claims regarding their personal safety, which can negatively affect their bottom line. If he hadn’t de-escalated the situation and continued the ride, the situation could have escalated after the fact. If the rider reported him afterward, it would essentially be a “he said, she said” situation.
That’s one reason why many gig drivers choose to put cameras inside and outside their vehicles. Or, they simply record the moment something happens, like what DRyteDaProducer did.
@drytemusicproduction Uber chronicles: Picked this lady up like normal. She was acting weird from the beginning. I didn’t think much of it because I get weird ppl sometimes. I was on the phone talking to my buddy. She asked if I was on the phone. I told her I was. She proceeded to say she didn’t feel safe because I was distracted driving. I have a hands free headset that I use when I drive so that I’m not distracted(which is legal). I never touch my phone while driving. I pulled over and asked her multiple times to exit my vehicle because she didn’t “fell safe”, she refused. I don’t understand how you don’t feel safe, but insist on staying in the vehicle with the person that you supposedly don’t feel safe with. I called the cops, and started recording for my safety, as she was talking to uber safety and basically lying about everything. Y’all be safe out there, and cover yourselves, because no matter how much we don’t like to acknowledge it, these people exist. I’m still going to be kind and treat everyone with respect, but when you start saying you don’t feel safe, and I have done nothing wrong, you gotta go.
♬ original sound – DRyteDaProducer
The Mary Sue reached out to DRyteDaProducer via TikTok direct message and Uber via email for comment.
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