Testing the Hypothesis, Part I

Opportunity: Safer Ride Share Company, Especially for Women—in response to the thousands of reported cases of sexual assaults in Uber rides last year, there is a need for a safer rideshare option for vulnerable parties. I propose a rideshare company that only has women drivers since they are statistically less likely to sexually assault someone.

• The Who: women who feel unsafe traveling alone in an Uber
• The What: they are unable to choose who they want to ride with, and thus may be randomly matched with a male who is predatory or makes them feel uncomfortable
• The Why: women are much more likely to be subjects of sexual assault, especially when they are in vulnerable positions such as being alone or intoxicated in a taxi driven by a male stranger

Testing…

• Testing the Who: men and ungendered people are also sexually assaulted at times and may have this need
• Testing the What: would hiring only women drivers even be legal, since it may discriminate against applicants based on gender?
• Testing the Why: men are also victims of sexual assault, and women are also capable of being predatory, so this solution may not solve the issue 100%.

Interviews:

1. My Sorority Sister: my sorority sister likes the idea and believes it would make her feel a lot safer coming home from midtown and downtown after she goes out. She brought up the case in South Carolina last year where a predatory man posed as an Uber driver and lured a girl into his car and how it scared her.
2. My Boyfriend: my boyfriend told me it would make him feel a lot better knowing I could have a safer option to get home. He lives in south Florida, and thus worries a lot about me being up in Gainesville and utilizing Uber alone to get around.
3. My Roommate (Female): my roommate likes the idea at face value, but pointed out that it may not solve the problem entirely since women can be predatory as well.
4. My Horse Trainer: my horse trainer brought up that she does not use Uber often and has never been made to feel unsafe in one when she has, and thus does not see it as a high-priority need.
5. My Parents: my parents both like the idea. Like my boyfriend, they say it would make them feel a lot better knowing that the chances of me getting into a taxi with someone predatory are slimmer. My dad also especially likes the idea since my mom spends a lot of time alone in Boston for work and uses Uber a lot there.

Summary: 

Based on my interviews, it seems to be a well liked idea. I don’t believe it would solve the problem entirely, and legally it may be iffy since it would exclude males from getting involved in driving for the company, but overall it seems like a step in the right direction for decreasing sexual assaults in rideshare vehicles.