Takoma Park Police Report Highlights Importance of Rideshare Safety

Takoma Park Police remind residents to prioritize safety when using rideshare services.

The department’s public information manager, Cathy Plevy, shared in a community advisory email a concerning experience with an Uber driver while attending a conference out of town.

When her Uber arrived, she asked the driver, “Who are you here to pick up?” Instead of answering, he demanded her name. She repeated the question, but the driver refused to respond and became irritated, asking why it mattered.

As she explained the importance of safety precautions when using rideshare services, the driver abruptly canceled the ride and sped off.

“Although the vehicle and tag matched, something still felt off,” Plevy said.

Plevy shared the SAMI Method for using rideshare services: Stop (have a plan), Ask (What is my name?), Match (the make, model, and license plate), and Inform (share details with friends or family).

The SAMI Method was created by the #WHATSMYNAME Foundation, founded by the parents of Samantha Josephson, a 21-year-old University of South Carolina senior who was kidnapped and murdered in March 2019 after mistakenly getting into a car she thought was her Uber.

Josephson called for an Uber around 2 a.m. following a night out with friends in Five Points, a popular nightlife district in Columbia, S.C. Authorities initiated a search after Josephson’s friends reported her missing when they realized she hadn’t returned home the following day.

Officials discovered Josephson had entered Nathaniel Rowland’s car, mistakenly thinking it was her Uber. He activated the childproof locks, preventing her from escaping. After days of searching, turkey hunters found Josephson’s body in a remote, wooded part of Clarendon County. She had been stabbed more than one hundred times, according to WIS 10.

Rowland was convicted of the kidnapping and murder of Josephson in 2021, and the South Carolina Court of Appeals upheld his life sentence in August of this year.

Though Sami’s Law, which criminalizes misrepresenting oneself as a rideshare driver, was signed into law in 2023, reports of imposter drivers continue to emerge. This week, an incident involving a suspected imposter Uber driver on 14th Street NW in D.C. was posted on Reddit.

“Always trust your instincts and stay safe,” Plevy said.

Photo: © AntonioDiaz – stock.adobe.com

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