Rideshare Drivers Share Experiences, Techniques To Deal With Dangerous Passengers
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Rideshare drivers are reacting to the scary video of a wild ride. A drunk passenger in an Uber tried to grab the wheel of a moving car and crash it. It's all caught on dash cam video.
"I'm not shocked and I'm not surprised," said Deanna Kline who has worked in the rideshare business for almost two years now.
Kline says the video of a drunk passenger grabbing the wheel of an Uber's driver's car reminds her of her own run-in with a drunk passenger.
"He took off his seat belt and started leaning between the two seats," she said, adding that the job can be even more dangerous for a woman.
"There's a lot of things that get done to you that will never get done to a male driver," she said.
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She takes the advice of veteran female drivers to heart.
"Once the sun goes down you work out of the airport only. You don't work around town," she said.
There's something else she does.
"Before you let them in, keep the doors locked and try to see from your best judgment if they are intoxicated or not and if you can handle the situation," she said.
Uber driver Dave Kingston has his own trick for avoiding drunk passengers. He doesn't pick up riders at night "because that's when you're going to get the crazy people. The people who aren't really straight."
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CBS13 spoke with a self-defense instructor about how drivers can protect themselves during an incident.
"My mind was, 'drag in that leaning arm that he grabbed the wheel with. Take it and then slide right up that forearm,'" said Charles Garrett.
He says it all begins with thinking of what could happen once a passenger gets in the car.
As for Kline, she says while there isn't a lot of training on how to handle a dangerous passenger, she doesn't blame Uber. Instead, she says sometimes he rideshare driver had to make a quick decision on if a passenger can be trusted.
"There's not much they can do. They have installed a safety button for us on the app. Sends law enforcement to us right away," she said.
CBS13 reached out to Uber again. A spokesperson declined to comment further but said the company always encourages their drivers to ask passengers to sit in the back seat.