Used Uber for first time

[JanetRose]

from John Wayne Airport to Disneyland Hotel...I requested a female driver, but a male drove up and knew my name...ok, so I got into the car, and then the actual female driver called me letting me know she was there and where was I?

Anyway, the male driver drove a little bit and we found her; he informed me that I could go with her, but I would need to cancel his pick-up...I told him that I had requested a female and not him so probably not needed.

Has this ever happened to anyone...I am now glad that I decided to go with my original ride...but how did the male driver know my name and where to pick me up?

 

[FreeTime]

Do you have a common name? Perhaps you got into the wrong car because you both have the same first name. This is what sounds like happened to me without knowing if you did the following.

Did you check the plates? Always do this to confirm a match before you get in.

Ask the driver for their name to confirm a match also.

 

[sam_gordon]

Are you 100% positive he said your name first? That you didn't say "are you here for Janet?" and he said "Yes, Janet."

I haven't used ride share a lot, but yes, double checking license plate, and make/model/color of the vehicle, in addition to names is part of my safety checks.

 

[tx911]

All of the above. I also have the PIN thing activated where you must give the driver a number to unlock the route.

 

[ronandannette]

We’ve had several unsettling experiences with Uber now - we’ve pretty much sworn off them. It’s back to conventional taxis for us. It just feels more secure and with surge pricing and whatever other mystifying fee structures Uber has, they’re not even cheaper most of the time.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

They should be telling you on the app the make and model of the vehicle which is your first line of defense.

Match the license plate that has been shown in the app which is your second line of defense (IMO) as there can be common cars used.

All the uber drivers (or lyft) we've been able to confirm their name of the driver shown on the app and they confirm our name.

I also agree that IMO at least with the given information it seems a bit more likely they were there to pick up another person with the same name. I can't say there is anything nefarious going on with the male driver just by the information used. Because the OP is using it for the first time they may have not known what they should be doing.

For more info https://help.uber.com/en/riders/art...e?nodeId=02746faf-1bc6-4d3f-8ba2-ab35f36d7191

 

[wvjules]

I use Uber a lot but have never gotten in the wrong vehicle. I ALWAYS double check the license plate, photo of driver, and use a PIN.

 

[gottalovepluto]

You need to take all the precautions next time. PIN, license plate check, tracking the car as it pulls up to you on the app. This applies in Lyft as well, they recently rolled out pins.

I once got in the wrong car and the pin caught it. Driver photos can be off and they always screw up my name. The car was the exact same I had coming with the same last few digits on the lic plate. I just thought my tracking was slightly delayed. Getting out of the car and seeing my actual car just kinda left me and both drivers going “woah- what the?…” PINs are important.

 

[The Mayor]

This happened to us once on a trip and ever since then I always double check the car make and model along with the license plate number.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Never had a name mixup with Uber but like others I check the license plate first before getting in the car.
I will say that if you leave anything in your ride you’re in for a dizzying round of non communications. Apparently Uber switched to AI a few years back-achee machee!

 

[anrew]

Uber is reliable, though not available everywhere around the world, but overall, it's a great experience.

 

[disneychrista]

It is very important that you check the license plate number before getting into a car. Had that almost happen on a work trip. A coworker booked the Uber. A short while later an Uber drove up I had assumed it was our car but they checked the license plate on the app and told it wasn't our car.

 

[MillauFr]

Yes Lyft works the same way. You see the drivers' name and license plate number. If it doesn't match don't get in the car.

 

[Imzadi]

They should be telling you on the app the make and model of the vehicle which is your first line of defense.

Match the license plate that has been shown in the app which is your second line of defense (IMO) as there can be common cars used.

All the uber drivers (or lyft) we've been able to confirm their name of the driver shown on the app and they confirm our name.

Yes, the whole reason all these safeguards have been put in place is because of the twenty-one year old woman, standing at a designated Uber spot, who got into a car she thought was an Uber driver. He activated the vehicle's child safety locks, preventing her from escaping. He then stabbed her approximately 120 times with a two-bladed knife. She mercifully bleed to death within 10-20 minutes. He tossed her body in the woods where she was found by turkey hunters, about 65 miles away from where she was last seen.

But these safeguards can't help if people don't use ALL of them. By the time you are inside the wrong car and a killer is able to lock you in, it is too late.

 

[Imzadi]

I once got in the wrong car and the pin caught it. Driver photos can be off and they always screw up my name. The car was the exact same I had coming with the same last few digits on the lic plate. I just thought my tracking was slightly delayed. Getting out of the car and seeing my actual car just kinda left me and both drivers going “woah- what the?…” PINs are important.

Thanks. I use the PINs feature. For Uber, one has to activate it in Settings, it's not automatically on. Yet it never made sense to me. The driver has to ask what the PIN is. I always thought they should be telling me the PIN so I can verify I have the same PIN number. If I'm telling them the PIN, a killer could simply pretend to punch in number and then drive away with me.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Thanks. I use the PINs feature. For Uber, one has to activate it in Settings, it's not automatically on. Yet it never made sense to me. The driver has to ask what the PIN is. I always thought they should be telling me the PIN so I can verify I have the same PIN number. If I'm telling them the PIN, a killer could simply pretend to punch in number and then drive away with me.

The ride doesn’t start until they type in the pin. I’ve never seen a setup where I couldn’t see them put the pin in, it takes like their whole screen.

 

[jujubiee4]

We’ve had several unsettling experiences with Uber now - we’ve pretty much sworn off them. It’s back to conventional taxis for us. It just feels more secure and with surge pricing and whatever other mystifying fee structures Uber has, they’re not even cheaper most of the time.

Have read or heard more problems with Uber from online or friends/relatives. All happening really the last 6 months. Last trip I was in my friend got one for us. Only a 12 minute ride but the WHOLE 12 minutes the driver complained he wasn't being paid enough by Uber and needing bigger tips.

I don't remember the rating she gave but the ride was uncomfortable.

 

[RedHead0186]

Always check the make, model, and license plate. Also, I always make them say my name (I don't say "ride for Elizabeth?" I ask them who the ride is for so they have to say my name first). You also should be able to see your name and picture on their app on their phone (if it's displayed in a way that you can see it and they don't have the map up).

Once I had a Lyft where the license plate didn't match-it was an airport pickup and it actually made it really hard to find the driver (it was a common make/model and it was super busy). When I finally found him, I pointed out the license plate didn't match-he told me he had just changed it that day (he didn't speak great English so it took a bit to get this point across). I wasn't a fan of that, but it might have been the truth. I ended up taking the ride and everything was fine, but I was on hyper alert the whole time (and I did send a note to Lyft after the ride).

 

[ronandannette]

Have read or heard more problems with Uber from online or friends/relatives. All happening really the last 6 months. Last trip I was in my friend got one for us. Only a 12 minute ride but the WHOLE 12 minutes the driver complained he wasn't being paid enough by Uber and needing bigger tips.

I don't remember the rating she gave but the ride was uncomfortable.

It was terrible in NYC in September - I’m at a loss to figure out what was going on. We tried Uber twice and both times multiple vehicles were there with drivers trying to heard us into their cars and arguing with each other. We walked away from both situations and took a yellow cab instead. For our airport transport we booked Carmel Shuttle in advance and felt very secure with them.

Our first sour taste actually came in OKC two years ago when every Uber driver (we took 3 rides) made sure we knew/saw that they were carrying guns. Nope.

 

[KPeterso]

Always check the make, model, and license plate. Also, I always make them say my name (I don't say "ride for Elizabeth?" I ask them who the ride is for so they have to say my name first). You also should be able to see your name and picture on their app on their phone (if it's displayed in a way that you can see it and they don't have the map up).

Once I had a Lyft where the license plate didn't match-it was an airport pickup and it actually made it really hard to find the driver (it was a common make/model and it was super busy). When I finally found him, I pointed out the license plate didn't match-he told me he had just changed it that day (he didn't speak great English so it took a bit to get this point across). I wasn't a fan of that, but it might have been the truth. I ended up taking the ride and everything was fine, but I was on hyper alert the whole time (and I did send a note to Lyft after the ride).

I had a similar situation. Uber driver calling and saying he was there and what area he was in at the airport. I am in the same one and not seeing car or license plate. We talked on the phone until we found each other. He had taken his other car today (apparently he had 2 that he would use to drive uber). Face matched, name matched, and my pin code unlocked the ride. Oh and this was in FL, and he had a CA phone number and a Dodgers hat in the window too so seemed like that matched a bit too. I did pause before getting in, but it was fine and he got me to my resort no problem.