Uber Riders On Edge After Driver Accused Of Sex Assault
BOSTON (CBS) - After an Uber driver is accused of sexually assaulting his passenger, some riders are on edge.
"You know when you have that feeling inside of you that's something off? That happens to me sometimes," said MassArt College student Laura Pichaido, while discussing a recent Uber ride that made her uncomfortable.
A CNN investigation revealed more than 100 Uber drivers have been accused of attacking passengers in recent years. Simmons College student, Hannah Dagg, said "It gets kinda scary knowing that's the only way to get home is through an Uber; and you don't know how safe that's going to be."
Police say a passenger in Mayanja Daudah's Uber wasn't safe early Saturday morning. The 37-year-old Waltham man is being held on $100,000 bail, after his passenger accused him of sexually assaulting her twice - on Storrow Drive.
People are, again, asking how safe is ride-sharing?
Cambridge is offering its riders additional safety. By clicking the 911 safety feature in the Uber app, law enforcement will know your driver, the make and model of the vehicle and more importantly your location, without you ever uttering a word.
Mayor Marty Walsh tells us Boston is also considering ways to improve ride-sharing safety. "I honestly think we need to take a seriously look at finger printing people," he says.
UBER Riding Safety Tips
1. Plan ahead. Review safety features in the app.
2. Get in the right car. Make sure license plate, driver photo, and driver name match.
3. Follow your intuition. If you ever feel unsafe, call 911
Pichaido recalls a close call, where she almost got into the wrong Uber. A move that proved deadly for 21-year-old University of South Carolina senior, Samantha Josephson who found dead 14 hours later in a field.
"After I got home, I was just like, 'Man, I should have not taken that car, because it could have ended very wrong.'"