As a rideshare driver, you can get into some sticky situations, dealing with drunks, with unruly teenagers and even with the occasional drug dealer or addict. No matter what the situation, you have to know how to handle it, to take control of your life by making certain decisions and actions that will end the ride safely.
Here is a scenario that sometimes happens in various parts of the country, we also discuss some alternatives, some of which are a definite no-no.
Scenario
You are driving at night in the strip club area of town, taking the occasional drunk and just cruising for a fare. You get a request and find up that it's in front of a strip club. Two guys are standing outside the cub waiting for you; a third guy is sitting on the floor with no intention of entering the car.
The two guys enter your car, and you start to drift off to the destination. One guy "Pete" turns to the other guy "Dave" and say's "I guess it was all that tweak he took, " and that will set your antenna twitching since tweak is slang for a drug. Dave looks at Pete and answers him by planning to sell him more "tweak." This immediately means you have a drug deal going on in your car and Dave is the dealer. You continue driving, all excited and ready for anything to go down, you continue to listen as you drive toward the drop-off destination.
It seems that Pete has no more ready cash on himself which makes Dave angry, an angry dealer is not a good person to have in your car, in fact, any drug dealer is not good in your car. The conversation dies down since Dave can’t make a deal and when you get to Pete’s house, Dave suggests that they drive to his place. The last thing you want is to continue driving with them. You turn around and tell them that you cannot continue since you have another ride already booked and see Dave sniffing up some powder from his cellphone screen. You realize that he is taking drugs in your car!
Dave and Steve get out of the car, and you drive off.
Options
Let's look at this from the negative possibilities first:
Situations
- A drug deal in your car is a federal offense of which you are a party
- Any drug particles that fall in your car can be detected.
- If a cop pulls you over during a deal or a "sniffing," you are in the shits
- If a cop pulls you over after the passengers have left and decided to check your car for a drug dog, you are the shits
- Dealers, as well as users, have concealed weapons (usually), if something goes bad you can end up in the middle of a shootout
- Blood is hard to clean up, proving your innocence is even harder.
Stopping Situations
- Stopping the ride at any moment before the passengers start the deal, your sixth sense tingling, is the best option.
- Stopping the ride when the deal is going down is a bad situation.
- Stopping at a police station, driving to one, is a bad idea, dealers tend to recognize the way and can become violent.
- Stopping in a secluded place is a bad idea.
- Stopping in a public and well-lit place is a good idea. Gas Stations are the best place, and Hospital Emergency Room entrances are the second best.
Excuses for canceling the ride
- If you don't like the customer before they get in, ride off, don't wait. It's better to not get into a situation like this one in the first place.
- When stopping at a gas station, claim you have some engine problems and need to check it out. Pop the hood, then go to the station and call 911.
- When stopping at a hospital, make up an excuse that you have a terrible stomach cramp and must have eaten something bad. Go inside and inform the hospital security to either call 911 or deal with the situation.
- The last possibility is the drop-off.
911 Suggestions
- Do not call 911 when they are in the car. Obviously.
- Find a public place to stop as soon as possible. Then call 911.
- Drive safely and make sure you are not pulled over, so try to stop as soon as possible. Then call 911.
- Do not panic, while driving ignores the passengers.
- If they talk to you, answer back as you would in any normal situation.
- After you have dropped off the passengers, call 911 or drive to your local sheriff and make a statement giving all the pertinent details.
- If drugs were used in your car, make sure it is cleaned professionally.
- Do not follow the passengers once you have dropped them off, drive off and leave the scene immediately. Only call 911 when you are a fair distance away from them.
Uber Driver Suggestions
- Buy a dash cam if you don't have one.
- Always tell fares that there is a dash cam on for insurance and safety reasons. (This will dissuade them from entering, and if they enter and ask you to turn it off you realize you are in a situation, try to cancel the ride there and then but explain that you can not disconnect the cam for insurance reasons.)
- When driving in strip joint area's, be prepared for any passenger.
- Always call Uber after an incident involving drugs, notify them, it is important to make sure all the relevant services are notified of the ride.
- Just to be sure, when you make a statement at the Sheriff's office, you have a copy of it.