“That way the passenger never notices.”
Just when you think you’ve got a handle on everyday risks, there’s a new curveball. Or maybe this is simply the way the world has always been: a place where you keep your eyes open, your mirrors checked, and your head on a metaphorical swivel.
Police officer N. Smith (@police_g0tur6) sees it as his duty to flag emerging scams and dangers. From parking lot problems to protecting yourself in an Uber, Smith’s advice can be unnerving, but it is timely.
In one of his pinned TikToks, he issues a warning that’s been seen almost 12 million times about accepting even sealed drinks in a taxi or Uber.
“All the women and teens out there that take Ubers and taxis everywhere I just was made aware of a new dangers that’s going on. You might want to listen up,” says Smith.
He continues, “Now, one of the new things they’re doing is: as soon as you get in the vehicle, they will try to offer you a water.”
For years, sealed drinks have been considered the “safe” option when out and about since any tampering is usually visible. However, Smith issues this chilling warning: “[Some]times what they have done is they have taken a needle and they have injected the bottle with just a little bit of fentanyl. Or whatever it is they decide to use to try to make you lethargic or knock you out.”
There have been isolated reports of drivers drugging water bottles.
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Smith insists riders should avoid taking any food or drink from strangers. But, if you’re desperate for hydration, there is a way to check the safety of a sealed bottle: prior to unscrewing the cap, squeeze the bottle. “If water starts leaking out of it, that’s a sure sign that they’ve already laced it,” he explains.
Of course, there’s a workaround for almost everything—including that. And an inventive horror filmmaker has already demonstrated how to disguise a needle hole. In Eugene Kotlyarenko’s horror satire SPREE, a rideshare driver laces a bottle of water with “something.” In a manner that mimics online “how to” videos, he smilingly advises injecting right into the label, vowing, “That way the passenger never notices.”
The movie killer then shares these instructions: “Take your glue gun, that’s been heating up for a second, and then all you gotta do is just a little tap,” he says as he presses a dot of the glue to the puncture hole.
What Drivers Are Saying
“Airtight,” he says, holding the bottle in the air and showing that there are no leaks, “Well, watertight.”
That it’s based on real events makes it so much more nightmare fuel.
In the comments of Smith’s post, users shared their own safety strategies. And some shared the mental toll of always being on “high alert.”
“I have all the safety features for my Uber activated,” said Nancy Plant. “It records conversations and if we go further than my address or stop for more than 5 minutes they call me. If I don’t respond they call 911 as my ride is being tracked.”
Another user notes that Uber allows you to “set your Uber preferences to FEMALE ONLY drivers.”
Then a female Uber driver weighed in from the other side of the wheel, writing, “As a female Uber driver, I am glad they pair me with mostly women. I feel safer and my passengers always tell me they feel safer and are happy I’m their driver.”
The dominant theme was not to accept consumables from strangers. As Ashley said, “I watch too many shows, I don’t accept anything from any stranger.”
According to an article in the New York Times, “Uber received a report of sexual assault or sexual misconduct in the United States almost every eight minutes on average between 2017 and 2022.” That same article reported that Uber says that 99.9% of its trips occur without any kind of incident. But because it operates at such a huge scale, a fraction of a percent is still many attacks.
Typically the attacks occur late at night, often with pickups originating near a bar. The offenders are almost always men (drivers or passengers). Internal Uber documents reportedly show they often have records of sexual misconduct complaints and low ratings. Intoxicated passengers are especially vulnerable.
Uber says there are several ways to protect yourself when waiting for a ride, and then when getting into one. Tips include making sure you get into the correct vehicle; sitting in the back seat; and sharing your trip details with someone you trust. But also and perhaps most importantly, Uber suggests that riders “follow their intuition and trust their instincts.”
Motor1 contacted Officer Smith via TikTok direct message, and Uber via their press email. We’ll update this if they get back to us.
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