A Night of Terror in an Uber

I have had some pretty outlandish encounters as an Uber driver, like drunk girls grabbing my crotch, drunk people almost throwing up in my car, and even being asked to come party with people. But there’s one particular incident that stands out. Not only was it strange, but it was undoubtedly the most terrifying experience I’ve had to date.

I remember it as if it happened just yesterday. It was a busy Saturday night in downtown Pittsburgh. I live in the suburbs, but I always went into the city because that’s where the business is to maximize my income.

I received a ride notification from a man named “Brian.” He was in a popular bar, and parking was a nightmare, so I had to stay in the middle of the street, mostly to wait for him.

Shortly after the notification came in, he called my cell phone and asked, “Is this Rob, my Uber driver?” I said yes. He then said, “Rob, I’m calling out a favor. My friends and I wanted to secure an Uber driver before we have maybe one more drink. If you are able to wait outside for just a few more minutes, I’d be happy to pay you cash on top of your fare for the wait.”

I had my concerns because that put me at a standstill where I’d be losing money. I told him this, and he told me that other drivers would not meet this request, but he would appreciate it if I did. I reluctantly agreed and told him I’d wait no more than ten minutes. He was elated and profusely thanked me. Miraculously, I found a parking space nearby and set out to wait for Brian. He called back a few minutes later to ask what kind of car I had so that he’d know what to look for, and said he’d be out in just a few more minutes. Sure, no problem.

No sooner than I hung up the phone, my back passenger door opened, and a man nonchalantly sat down in my backseat. I asked, “Are you Brian?” to which he said yes. I remember the strong smell of booze emanating from him, indicating he was quite inebriated.

“Ok, Brian, where are we headed? You didn’t put a destination into the app.”

He said, “Just go.”

I reiterated that the longer he’s in my car, the more he will be charged, so I recommended him putting in a destination or at least telling me so that I could put it in for him.

Once again, he said, “Just go. Drive. I’ll let you know.” I agreed. I had a sneaking suspicion something wasn’t right, but I went against my better judgment and drove away.

About two minutes into the ride, my phone rang. “Rob, where are you?”

“Who’s this??” I asked.

“Rob, this is Brian. We’re waiting outside for you.”

At this point, my heart sank. I asked, “If you’re there, then who the hell is in my car?!”

He replied, “I don’t know what’s going on, Rob, but it sounds like you picked up the wrong guy. Good luck, I’ll just request another ride.”

Upon hanging up, I looked in my rearview mirror and was met with the coldest stare from a human being I have ever seen. He was smirking at me.

Keep in mind, I had only been an Uber driver for a few months and had never experienced something of this magnitude before. I was literally so terrified that I couldn’t think coherently to call the cops. I usually used my own car for Uber driving, which has OnStar GPS and a panic button for emergencies, but it was snowing that night, and I took my wife’s SUV, which wasn’t equipped with OnStar.

“You’re not Brian, are you?” I finally calmly asked this creepy-ass intruder in my car.

“Of course, I’m Brian. Who else would I be?” He spoke with the smoothness of a serial killer. He stared back at me through the rearview mirror with a cold, soul-penetrating glare.

I knew I had to go along with it to keep myself safe. I made the decision to humor him and get him to where he wanted to go so I could get rid of him all the quicker and wake up from this nightmare.

I said, “Ok Brian, where are we headed?” He requested to go to Mount Washington, a part of Pittsburgh high on a hill that overlooks the city and about a ten-minute drive from where we were.

My heart was pounding. I started wondering if he was carrying a weapon, if he was criminally insane, violent, or just some stupid drunk who saw my Uber sticker and decided to steal a free ride. So many thoughts and feelings were going through my mind at once, all while he stared at me through the rearview mirror with that same serial killer smirk on his face.

I like to think I have impeccable people skills. I decided to start a conversation with him to try to lighten him up a bit in a desperate attempt to find a shred of humanity in him so he wouldn’t kill me.

“So Brian, what do you do for a living?” I asked.

“I’m business,” was all he replied in a monotone voice. That made absolutely no sense to me. He leaned forward in the backseat to where his head was then close to mine, and with the heavy smell of booze emanating through the air, he said it over again a few more times, “I’m business… I’m business.”

We finally got to Mount Washington, and I asked for the exact location. He pointed to a tall apartment building on the main drag that overlooks the city skyline. I pulled up in front and put the car in park.

This guy proceeded to put his head down and laugh in a sinister, bone-chilling fashion. It started low, then rang through the car like thunder. “I’m just kidding,” he told me.

Then he brought his head up in between the seats again, pointed to another building down the street, and said, “I live THERE.”

By this point, I was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack. I know I should’ve called the cops way before this, but I was honestly too terrified to. I simply drove down to the next apartment building, praying he’d finally get out and end this twisted game he was playing with me.

Luckily, he did. He got right out and stumbled down the path to his apartment building. I quickly drove off, thanking my lucky stars that I was still alive to go home to my wife and kids.

I thought about this for a long, hard while. Was he just some drunk who unscrupulously took advantage of me to get a ride home? Was he really a dangerous man who could’ve killed me but decided not to because I stayed calm and went along with his sick game? Was that even where he lived? Did I possibly endanger another random person by dropping him off near that apartment building? I sure hope not, but I’ll never know.

In case anyone is wondering, I emailed Uber and explained the situation. The original Brian was refunded the full amount for the ride, so he did not pay for that stolen ride.

If anyone thinks they would have done something differently, seriously, think about it for a moment. Put yourself in that position. It’s easy for someone to say they wouldn’t tolerate it or that they’d be the badass that would’ve kicked him out and called the cops right in front of him, but I was honestly scared for my life. I stayed calm and did what I thought I had to do, and I don’t regret how I handled him.

From that point on, I changed how I approach every rider that gets in my car by strongly verifying their identity first. I will not let it happen again.