On campus, young women go through unique and distinct challenges regarding safety. Doing simple tasks such as going for a walk, getting an Uber or exploring a new area all pose risks for women, especially young women. Far too often the news is inundated with stories of women being put in dangerous situations by their rideshare drivers. This apprehension can make it difficult for women to go out, have a social life and even do basic, everyday tasks such as running to the store. A GroupMe called “Safe Rides” has become popular among female students on campus, especially freshman, and is looking to change this struggle.
The Safe Rides initiative works to create a safer environment for the campus’s female population. Cailyn Scharneck, a current senior at the University of South Carolina and the administrator and owner of the original Safe Rides group chat on GroupMe, breaks down the initiative:
“Safe Rides is an all girls group chat on GroupMe for USC students. Essentially, there’s people that need a ride and they send where they are and where they need to go in the group chat, and then girls at USC will go and pick them up and drop them off where they have to go,” Scharneck said. “I think Safe Rides is a great resource for students and I think that it is awesome it was founded. I’m happy to have the privilege to own the group chat.”
Although the service is comparable to an Uber or Lyft ride, Safe Rides is committed to providing options for women that center around their safety and building a community of trust and works to benefit both the drivers and participants. Scharneck says that Safe Rides is committed to providing services that are generally cheaper than Uber or Lyft, making it a convenient option for girls in college.
Occasionally, some drivers attempt to charge higher prices, which is swiftly remedied by the administrators in the group chat:
“We do get a lot of DMs or like private messages on GroupMe saying, ‘This person charged too much,’ or, ‘This person said they’d be there and they didn’t show up,’ so then if that happens we just automatically remove them,” Scharneck said. “We have 5,000 girls in the GroupMe and more people want to get in daily, so if you do something that should not be done, you get removed from the group chat.”
Scharneck believes that Safe Rides is a valuable resource for girls on campus, especially for freshmen students who are still getting their bearings, and offers other safety tips for women when they are going out.
“Always go in a group, never be walking alone. If something feels uncomfortable or unsafe then trust your gut instincts and don’t be there. If you are getting into any ride, but especially an Uber or something, make them say who they’re picking up. Don’t just be like, ‘Is this so and so?’ They should be the one saying that to you,” Scharneck said.
A current freshman and driver for the Safe Rides GroupMe, Tara Howard, says that there are many benefits to using the Safe Rides GroupMe initiative over a traditional service such as Uber.
“Safe Rides is a cheaper and comfortable alternative to Uber, essentially. Its primary-marketed group is girls, due to the stigmas around Ubering involving feeling uncomfortable or sketchy drivers. There are multiple different GroupMes that girls can ask for rides in and the response time is relatively quick,” Howard said. “There are also GroupMes that include guys as well to give and get rides—they just ask that you let your driver or passengers know that you are a guy. It is way cheaper and the overall travel time is much shorter than waiting to connect with a driver, waiting for a driver, etc.”
Howard has been driving for Safe Rides since the beginning of the Fall semester and enjoys the process, as well as having the opportunity to make money on her own time. She has heard of similar initiatives being implemented around the United States and recommends the program to students. Howard suggests several ways in order to stay safe on campus:
“Always be in groups or have a buddy or two with you. I have heard so many stories just in the last couple of weeks of people getting harassed in the more populated areas of campus late at night walking back to their dorm. Anything can happen anywhere and it can be from the people you least expect as well,” Howard said.
Finally, as a driver, Howard feels like it is her job to make her passengers feel comfortable and safe. She puts several practices in place in order to ensure that everyone she picks up has an enjoyable experience.
“I always start a conversation with the people I pick up and ask questions like what their dorm is, major, etc and those always lead to good conversations. I also offer phone chargers for them because I know I always find myself running low when I’m about to go out,” Howard says.
Ultimately, the introduction of the Safe Rides initiative on USC's campus is working to create a more secure and positive environment for everyone involved—for both the student drivers and the people requesting the rides. Howard is just one example of a student driver on campus who looks to make these experiences as safe and stress-free as possible.
“I also do it with a friend most times—she always helps with sending the messages and helps with all the technical stuff of reaching out to girls and keeps conversation going. Also having a good playlist is so good, the vibes are always on high!”
