Women who use ride-sharing services like Uber have begun leaving hair and their fingerprints inside the car as evidence, in case they’re attacked. Some of them are spreading the advice on TikTok, as a warning to everyone and a reminder of the brutal reality.

User @brennalina went viral on the video-sharing platform after posting a TikTok about how she leaves behind DNA and fingerprint evidence every time she uses Uber. The video started up a very important discussion about women having to constantly worry about their safety. You’ll find the full video, as well as how the internet reacted to it, below.

How do you stay safe when traveling, dear Pandas? Have you ever felt unsafe while using Uber or other similar services? Share your thoughts, advice, and experiences in the comments.

Brenna, who filmed the viral video, was kind enough to answer Bored Panda’s questions. She said that her post on TikTok actually received very polarized reactions. “The majority of women who commented were supportive and positive, while the majority of men were dismissive or rude. This post has millions of views and it really drove home for me how little men understand about how different life can be as a woman and how we have to think and behave differently to feel safe,” she explained.

Some women have begun leaving their hair and fingerprints inside the car whenever they use ride-sharing services like Uber

Image credits: brennalina

Image credits: brennalina  

Brenna, the author of the viral TikTok post, shared her thoughts about what companies like Uber could do to ensure that everyone feels safe.

“I think if Uber offered the option to specifically request a female driver, that could help make some people feel safer. Also ensuring that all of their drivers are background checked and verified for additional security. Requiring all drivers to display a standardized sign on their windshields as well would help riders identify professional Uber drivers,” she told Bored Panda.

We also enquired about the red flags that would give Brenna pause about getting into a vehicle. “If an Uber driver arrives in an unmarked vehicle, I can’t see their license plates, they don’t greet me, and I can’t see their face, or they have child locks engaged on their doors, I immediately cancel the ride,” she said.

Brenna revealed that she’s “not a huge creator on TikTok.” She simply enjoys the app and posts videos “here and there.” She added: “Occasionally they’re popular and go viral!”

You can watch the TikToker’s full video right over here

@brennalina Ladies amirite #lovebeingawoman #fyp ♬ these videos are adorable – 🪶starling

There is a very clear reason why women are leaving their fingerprints and DNA behind in cars: the number of sexual assaults customers have faced is shocking.

According to Uber’s latest safety incident report that covers 2019 and 2020, there have been 3,824 reports of the “five most severe categories of sexual assault” during this time, CNN reports. This number stood at 5,981 in 2017 and 2018.

The report notes that Uber riders were the accused party in sexual assault incident reports 43% of the time in 2019 and 2020. In 2017 and 2018, it was 45%.

“The change in rate of sexual assault reports over time may have been impacted by a number of factors, including how the Covid-19 pandemic altered usage of the platform as well as Uber’s safety and transparency efforts. But each reported incident represents a harrowing lived experience for the survivor. Even one report is one report too many,” Uber wrote.

Though the safety situation is clearly far from resolved, Uber has been making some changes that have improved things, slightly. For example, in 2018, it introduced continuous background checks on drivers. Because of this, over 80k drivers have been removed from the platform due to new criminal offense reports. There’s still a long way to go until everyone using ride-sharing services feels completely safe.

Some safety rules, directly from Uber, include requesting your ride indoors so you spend less time standing outside by yourself. Also, have the driver confirm your name. For instance, you can ask them, ‘Who are you here to pick up?’

Avoid sitting right next to the driver, in the front of the car, so you have more space and can exit the car on either side if need be.

Also, remember to share the details of your trip with your loved ones, like your family members and friends. And above all: follow your intuition. If your gut is telling you something is wrong, it probably is.

As we’ve covered on Bored Panda before, many young women, who are the victims of harassment, tend to blame themselves for what happened. This makes them hesitant to talk about what happened with their loved ones: they’re afraid that their family members, e.g. parents, will blame them.

Something that can help you rebuild a sense of safety in your local area is community. Getting to know the people in your neighborhood, building relationships with them can provide you with a support network when you need help.

Here’s how some women reacted to the video. Some shared their own tips for staying safe when using Uber

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