Utah woman orders food delivery during a Lyft ride—unaware her driver was plotting something chilling
God bless America.
We all love the convenience of Lyft ride-shares and door-dash food delivery. But you never know when these two worlds could collide to become a chilling safety threat. Sadly, one Utah woman had to find that out the hard way.
TikTok creator Lexie Byers’ (@lexie_byers) account of a terrifying real-life incident has shocked over 5.1 million viewers. She shared a two-part PSA detailing a high-stakes ordeal that began with a simple Lyft ride home from the airport and ended with a police detective searching her perimeter.
The story serves as a haunting reminder that our homes are not an immediate safe haven. And the convenient online services aren’t fool-proof.
The Lyft ride home ended with a suspicious delivery attempt
After returning from a trip, Lexie took a Lyft from the airport to her house. While in the car, she ordered Chipotle through their app, timed to arrive shortly after she got home. Ten minutes after arriving, she received a notification that her delivery driver had reached her location.
However, instead of the typical “drop and leave” service, the driver began knocking on Lexie’s door repeatedly. He knocked four times over ten minutes, waiting for her to answer.
The ‘delivery man’ sat on Lexie’s porch for nearly an hour
Lexie, knowing she was home alone, refused to open the door even after the repeated knocking. To her horror, the man did not leave. Instead, he sat down on her porch and stayed there for 45 minutes. When she called a neighbor to pull into the driveway as a deterrent, the man finally moved. But he did not yet leave.
The man moved only as far as his car, where he sat for another 30 minutes before driving away. Lexie’s neighbor then left to catch an appointment, hoping the suspicious man had left. But Lexie soon received a text that made the situation seem worse. Even more unsettling, she realized her food was nowhere to be found on the porch.
The man moved down the street to watch her house.
Five minutes after her neighbor had left, Lexie received a text from him. Apparently, the suspicious man hadn’t gone far. He was parked three houses down, talking to someone in a blue van. After 20 more minutes of waiting for him to leave, Lexie eventually got into her car and drove to confirm the man was still there.
Confused about her next step, she called and met a family friend around her neighborhood. The two then drove back to Lexie’s house and called the police. The authorities soon brought in a detective to search her house and run the suspicious vehicle’s plates.
Police found that the driver was not the intended delivery person and the Lyft driver may be involved
The shocking reveal in part two of Lexie’s story is where the situation turns truly predatory. Police informed her that the car was not registered in her state. The car’s license plate also did not match the delivery driver assigned by Chipotle. So, the man knocking on her door was an entirely different person than the one who was supposed to be there.
While there is no definitive proof, the police also presented a chilling theory to Lexie. According to them, her Lyft driver may have tipped off an accomplice after dropping her off. Even though Lexie insisted that “there was no way he would have known that I was home alone.”
The police believed that when the actual delivery driver arrived, the stalker could have intercepted the food at the curb. He then probably claimed to live there and thus take the food. This would explain why the “delivered” notification triggered even when the man at the door Was not the actual deliveryman. He was simply using the order as a bait to get her to open the door.
Safety measures you should take when ordering food alone
Lexie’s story is a reminder that “blind” trust in delivery apps can be dangerous. To stay safe while ordering food home alone, consider using the ‘Leave at Door’ option. Never select “Hand it to me” if you are alone. Also make sure your porch is well-lit so you can clearly see the person through a peephole or camera. Ensure the person and vehicle at your door match the details in the app before approaching.
As a direct takeaway from Lexie’s experience, avoid letting one stranger (the driver) know you are about to have another stranger (delivery) come to your exact location. And in any case, trust your gut. If a driver lingers, call the police or a neighbor immediately. Do not “wait it out” like Lexie initially did.
Vigilance is your best defense against the unknown
Lexie’s viral PSA exposes the unexpected dangers of things that feel habitual to most of us at this point. In the follow-up video, Lexie also revealed that the man actually drove by her house again the following night. This proves that his previous actions were far from accidental. So, if you ever feel icky about a stranger’s behavior, immediately reach out to the police. And remember to keep your doors locked and your eyes on the surroundings.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
