Here’s what you do… Go to the local city auction and bid on one of the old police cars they are auctioning off. A lot of time they will leave a lot of stuff in the car because it is just cheaper than taking it out and trying to reuse it in a newer model car. Buy yourself a car with the metal cage that separates the driver and passenger, make sure your drunk male passengers sit in the back and then since the doors only open from the outside, only let them out after you get a 5 star rating. Your safe and you have an excellent rating
First off wear no jewelry, don’t look provocative, don’t put up with any mouthy shit from stupid men, keep a pile on the passenger front seat if they want to sit up front- tell them politely it’s ok to sit in the back and point to diagonal seat in back not behind you.
Do not carry a purse or anything of value and know how to handle yourself - never come on like a vulnerable woman. Try to speak with authority. I’ve put out young men and when I got through with them - they jumped out like I was their mother, however, they all aren’t all going to be like that.
If you do have doorlock knobs, still, push down the right front. If the customer tries to open it, just tell him that it does not open. If you have a voice activated wireless telephone, keep the bluetooth in operation and program 911 into it.
If you use pepper spray in the car, you might as well burn the car down. That stuff is not easy to clean and its gets everywhere. Work morning or day shift only. When the sun goes down you go home. Get a folding knife with max allowed blade length in your state. Have some one teach you how to use it. Practice every day with out losing a finger.
I’m a female uber driver and because of that reason I don’t drive after certain hours. I have a taser on the side of my door just in case. With the pepper spray you could do more damage than good to yourself. Best of luck and be safe
Id have to agree, use a taser! you can always get hit with the spray your self, and in close quarters, I wouldn’t get on pepper spray stopping an attacker.
Personally I carry an ASP.
First of all, you have a right and an expectation of courteous behavior from your paying customers. Threaten to drive them straight to the police station to see who is carrying what in their pockets and let them explain their behavior to the desk sergeant.
If you ever spray pepper spray in your car, you are going to be just as affected as the asshat you spray. I keep a small knife under my seat. No one sits behind me unless there are more than two passengers.
Ditch the pepper spray. You discharge that in your car and everyone aboard will be incapacitated, including you. Females, sadly, are at a profound disadvantage when driving the night shifts because drunk males are bag assholes.
The best advice is not to dress provocatively and don’t behave flirtatiously. But the problem there is a drunk male will down-rate you for not dressing provocatively and not flirting with him. But if you do dress provocatively or behave flirtatiously, then you get down-rated by the drunk male who thinks you should blow him or give him a handjob.
I keep a knife in my driver side door and a mag light next to the seat by the door. I live in suburbia and have had good luck with passengers so far (knock on wood) but, you know, just in case. I’m also a big dude. 6’ and a powerlifter.
You work 8-12am, sometimes 1-2am in the weekends? Damn girl, you got some guts. I’m a guy and I don’t Uber past 9pm. Yea, I’ll drop off the drunks at the bar, but I’m not dealing with them or any nuts from 10pm and on. No thanks. Lol
I typically work 8pm and on. I’ve been out til 3am plenty of times. You just have to manage things like pax rating and which areas you go to. I’m sure you’re gonna get a shitty rider anyway sometimes but if you can afford to be picky about who you drive you can avoid the riff raff.
If you just get a cheap cubic zirconium wedding style ring and get a picture taken of yourself with some great big burly looking guy that you can say is your husband and tape that picture to the dashboard where the PAX can see it that should cut down on the harrassment.
I know we don’t get tipped for the most part but I’ve been told that in an industry where you work for tips you are ALWAYS single as far as your customers are concerned. Which doesn’t mean allow advances but let them give you money based on their little crush or whatever.
You could install a camera with audio recording in your car, and let your passengers know about it when they get in your car. I think this could help.