Safety tips for women travelling alone in private taxis

The sad reality for women traveling on their own is they are always going to be perceived as an easy target. 

This is why so many safety and security companies provide tips when traveling in private hire taxis such as Bolt, Uber and inDrive. 

The truth is that not all people have good your best interests at heart. And being able to tell the difference between the bad guys and good guys is becoming increasingly difficult to do. 

Read more: Calls for calm after Mpumalanga 'family murder'

Which is why we wanted to share this insightful safety tips video posted to TikTok. The video was posted by a woman who sells safety keychains in South Africa. 

And she shares a video by a fellow TikToker who lives in South Africa and shows what she does when entering an Uber. 

In the video we see the woman remove strands of her hair and leave it on the floor of the car, she touches the windows with her fingers to leave fingerprints. 

In short, she is leaving traces of DNA in case she goes missing. 

Read more: Anacondas in an Uber – Will SA drivers take a chance?

WATCH the video below, courtesy of TikTok. 

Some of the tips she offers on the video in short are:

- Check the driver's credentials before entering the car. Make sure that his name and registration match the booking information on your app as the vehicle number plates (at the front and back of the vehicle).

- When you open the back seat door, before getting in make sure the child lock is not on. If the child lock is on you will not be able to open the door once you are inside. 

- Once you get inside the car, put your live location on so that you can be tracked by friends and family. Also send a voice note to your family or friends informing them that you are in a Uber/Bolt or whichever service and you are on your way to them. 

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