At 3AM Tuesday in the safe Chicago suburb of Lincolnwood, a 16-year old girl hacked her Uber driver to death with a machete and knife. Eliza Watson “nonchalantly” shoplifted the weapons from Wal-Mart moments before she got in Grant Nelson’s car in the store lot. She apparently intended to thrill kill whomever was her unlucky Uber driver. This caused a “there but by the grace of god go I” moment because I’ve picked up Uber riders from that very Wal-Mart on Touhy Avenue.
I know death or robbery is a slight risk. There are tens of thousands of people who drive for Uber in the Chicago area and most are safe. That said, any driver is a sitting duck, especially at night and in dangerous neighborhoods. Riders are behind you while you have both hands on the wheel and pay attention to the road. Crime can happen anywhere; Lincolnwood hadn’t had a murder in 11 years. Just days before, an Uber driver was kidnapped and killed by his two riders in Charlotte, NC. In April, an Uber driver was shot in a drive-by in Chinatown, Chicago.
People ask: are you scared driving for Uber? I am wary, but not terrified. I have over 3,000 rides thus far. Yet, I recently dropped delivering for UberEATS to focus on Uber rides. UberEATS often leaves you standing unpaid for ten minutes in a restaurant waiting for the food to be prepared. Then, the delivery means getting out of your car, sometimes in Chicago’s worst parts, entering an apartment building or walking up to a house and ringing a buzzer or doorbell, often waiting minutes before the door opens. One night, I waited twenty minutes in Englewood, one of Chicago’s most murderous neighborhoods, before an UberEATS phone representative authorized me to terminate the delivery and go. No more.
Uber rides can take you anywhere in your metro area. Not everyone realizes that Uber drivers have no clue where the destination is until the ride begins. Uber doesn’t want drivers to discriminate against certain neighborhoods or avoid long trips out into the boonies. Even if your riders don’t hurt you, a driver can get robbed when getting gas in a tough neighborhood; Uber driver shot dead in L.A. An Uber driver was gunned down in Detroit. If a rider pulls a gun- or machete- there isn’t much you can do. I think taxis are at greater risk because taxi drivers demand cash payment; the bad guys presumably know a cabdriver ends a day with hundreds in small bills, while Uber drivers carry no money because the payments are electronic. Riders also have to sign up for an Uber account, whereas there’s no record who jumps in a cab. Still, some crooks are drugged or just dumb and may think an Uber driver has a wallet full of cash- or you can get hit by a stray bullet.
Are you thinking of driving for Uber? I don’t want to exaggerate the risk, but, don’t be unaware. I’ve talked to women who said they tried driving for Uber for a few weeks, but stopped because some male riders made them uncomfortable. I caution women to think twice, especially about night driving. Strangers will get in your car and some rides will take you to your city’s most crime-ridden parts. If that gives you pause, don’t drive for Uber or Lyft.
My thoughts are with Grant Nelson, the murdered Wilmette, Illinois Uber driver who was a fine gentleman only trying to earn a few extra bucks.
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Milwaukee Avenue 