I used Uber for the first time a few years ago when I needed a ride to the airport. My driver was incredibly kind and professional, and he had a gorgeous, big black Suburban, much like the ones the United States government uses. He had a five-star rating and had driven thousands of people. He opened my door, put my overpacked bags in the car, complimented my home, and to be quite honest, I felt like a rock star.
As we set out for the interstate, he played some soft rock and asked me some basic questions — how long had I lived in town, did I have a husband or children, what did I do for a living, and where was I flying off to? I answered and asked him about his life. I'd been a little hesitant to just hop in the car with a stranger, but this was going so well... Until it wasn't.
About halfway through the trip, we were driving down I-20 in Atlanta when the guy suddenly said to me that he wouldn't be driving for much longer. "Oh yeah?" I asked. "Did you find another job?"
"Nah, I'm about to become a millionaire," he said. "I'm going to buy a place up in the mountains and retire."
"Really? That sounds nice."
"Yep, I'm involved in this project with Elon Musk and Bill Gates, and the money is supposed to hit my bank account in the next few days," he said with the straightest of straight faces and the confidence of a honey badger.
I peered out of that Suburban's window over into the woods along the interstate on that dark August morning and wondered if I would even make it to the airport. It was my first time traveling solo outside of the U.S., and I didn't think I was even going to make it out of Atlanta. But I did. When we arrived at the airport, I practically jumped out of the car, and when I went around back to retrieve my suitcase, the guy thanked me for such a pleasant conversation, commented on my appearance, and asked me if I'd like to see him again when I got back into the country.
"I'm going to be gone a while," I said, "But we'll see."
Somehow, that didn't deter me, and Uber became my main source of transportation when I needed a ride back and forth to the airport, which became fairly often as I started traveling more in the years to come. I've never really had a bad experience, though I have had some rather interesting ones. Our editor, Chris Queen, also has a great story about taking an Uber when he attended CPAC — the Conservative Political Action Conference — in Orlando a few years ago. The driver thought it was a convention for the frozen seafood company SeaPak.
Even so, I have found that about 50% of the time, male drivers hit on me. I'm not sure if that's the norm for all women or if I've just gotten lucky. And I'm not some sort of angry man-hating pink-haired women's rights leftist with pronouns who thinks that's always inappropriate and men should be flogged for doing so. But it's annoying to have to end so many of my rides with thanks, but no thanks.
Unfortunately, some male drivers don't stop there. While the overwhelming majority of Uber rides do end safely, there have been thousands of reports of various types of sexual assault on women over the years, including nonconsensual touching, kissing, or penetration.
I've only had two female drivers during my entire four or five years as an Uber customer. Both of them kept quiet during our rides. The only downside is that they don't fall over themselves to make sure I don't have to lift my heavy suitcase filled with everything I think I need for the trip. But I'd happily carry my own bags if I could choose a female driver, and now, as it turns out, I can. Sort of.
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Uber announced this week that it's testing a new program that allows women to choose their preferences when it comes to the sex of their driver. While a female driver is not guaranteed, choosing the preference increases the likelihood. You can also book ahead with a woman. Female drivers can also choose female passengers.
(I know. You're all gonna have jokes. Let's leave that to the professionals:)
Uber says it first launched a similar initiative for female drivers in Saudi Arabia in 2019, following the passage of a law that allowed women to drive, and has been rolling out the practice in other countries ever since. It also began testing riders' preferences in countries like Germany and France.
I like the idea myself. While 99% of the drivers I've had have been extremely nice, even if they did act a bit unprofessionally, it will be nice to know I have the option to choose a woman if I want to. I'd probably only use it when booking in advance, which I do when I go to the airport. It's not clear when these options will be available. Right now, the company says that it's "coming soon" and will be expanding "across the U.S."
The only downside to this is that Uber is allowing "non-binary" people to use these preference settings, too. What's to stop some dude from choosing a female driver, claiming he's non-binary, for nefarious purposes? Hopefully, that doesn't ruin it for the rest of us. Again, I'm not some sort of man-hater and would gladly continue riding with men. It's just nice to know that there's the option not to on days when I don't feel like dealing with what could happen based on my previous experiences.
Either way, I'm going to take this as a win for the ladies. It's sort of like the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee finally deciding that "trans women" can't compete in women's sports anymore. It's not wholehearted, but it's better than nothing. We women — the ones of us who were born this way — are slowly but surely reclaiming our place. I think. I hope.
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