CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte woman is hoping to raise awareness about rideshare safety, after she says her Lyft ride turned dangerous.
She didn’t want to share her name, but said this all happened Sunday morning, after she booked a Lyft to get to work.
She said the ride should have taken about 20 minutes, but it took more than 40 minutes and alleges the driver took her in the wrong direction and wouldn’t let her out.
“I literally was praying. I was like God, please don’t let him kidnap me,” she said. “I asked him well, can you just let me out in out and I’ll walk. It’s fine. He said no and pressed the locks and I couldn't get out the door…. I had mace in my pocketbook. So, I took my mace out and maced… And I was just like, please just let me out the car. I was trying to make calls and the calls kept dropping.”
Eventually, she got her brother on the phone who said police were on the way. After that, she said the driver took her to her destination.
“That was the first and last time I would ever get in that situation again,” she said. “I don’t feel comfortable now.”
According to Lyft’s website, the company requires all drivers pass a yearly background check and continuously monitor for criminal convictions.
They also offer emergency help within the app through security professionals who can alert authorities and share important ride details like location and vehicle plate numbers.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, which is investigating the incident, added that reputable rideshares are generally safe, but encourages those who are worried to call 911.
“Our investigators do work with these reputable companies during investigations and we have been successful in the past in being able to identify people based on the data that we're able to get from those companies,” Lt. Kevin Pietrus, with CMPD, said.
Lyft said it takes reports like this very seriously and, after conducting an internal investigation, believes it was a misunderstanding about the route to the rider’s destination, rather than intent to harm.
The company said it stands ready to work with law enforcement with any investigation.
The woman said she’s just hoping her rideshare scare will encourage others to be vigilant and push safety measures even further.
Kayland Hagwood: Contact Kayland Hagwood at khagwood@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.