Ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft have become a ubiquitous part of everyday life for many people.
They've become so common, in fact, that many people no longer think about the vulnerable position people put themselves in when they enter the car of a stranger.
Twitter user @kellybarnhill took to Twitter to tell a harrowing story of a Lyft ride which quickly turned into a real-life nightmare.
Though it began as any other Lyft ride would, the experience would leave Barnhill shaken to her core.
The driver said there was a lot of traffic and began driving away from the city.
The driver began telling Barnhill again and again how pretty her eyes were.
Before Barnhill knew it, they were outside of cellphone range.
Without cell service, there was no one Barnhill could reach to help her.
She began telling her own story like her life depended on it.
Crucially, she made sure to mention her fancy, whereabout-tracking phone and powerful co-workers.
Suddenly, the driver decided the traffic wasn't so bad.
At that moment, Barnhill's one and only priority was getting out of the car to safety.
After she was back on her own, Barnhill was charged for three times more than she had expected.
No matter what the truth of the matter was, Barnhill's driver should not be behind the wheel of a ride-share.
Even after the ordeal she'd been through, getting ahold of Lyft was a struggle in itself.
People assume ride-shares are safe.
Most of the time, they are.
But, occasionally, they're not.
Gigantic companies that put their own profits ahead of everything create bad environments for everyone involved.
Many other Twitter users shared similar stories of their ride-shares gone wrong.
Barnhill returned to the thread later with some good news:
Be safe in your ride-shares, everyone! Better to be prepared than to be caught unawares by a malevolent individual.
@ElvisKnevil/X
@cspan/X
DEI Watchdog
DEI Watchdog
DEI Watchdog