‘I hate ride sharing’: Lyft trip turns terrifying when driver lies his way into private chat with his passenger

While many people turn to rideshare services for convenience, some passengers find themselves wishing they had chosen a different mode of transportation because of some disturbing — and in some cases, dangerous — experiences. Take for instance Sammi, who shared her terrifying Lyft experience on TikTok.

In late July, Sammi (@_ssammmi_) ordered a Lyft ride after a night of drinking with her friends. The ride was uneventful. She told the driver she had some drinks and didn’t want to drive home, and that was the extent of her conversation with him. She was dropped off safely at home and shortly after, received a message via the Lyft app from the driver that read, “I think you left something in my car,” and added his phone number.

Sammi could have messaged back using the app, but Lyft charges riders $20 to bring back forgotten items as a consideration for the rider’s time, and she wanted to avoid paying the fee. Instead, she texted the number the driver provided at 4:44am and asked what she left in the vehicle. The driver wrote back saying he was driving and asked if he woke her up. Sammie responded, “That just woke me up but yes. I didn’t leave anything?” The driver’s reply was unsettling. He told Sammi that no, she didn’t leave anything behind, but just “wanted to say I really like talking to you… and if you ever need a ride or just want to talk you can text me.” He then texted another message introducing himself as Edwin.

Sammi, who realized that Edwin lied just to get her number, didn’t reply to the message. The next day, however, she woke up to a message from him that read, “Ok well hope we can be friends,” followed by a selfie. As Sammie said, she barely talked to Edwin during the ride and didn’t do or say anything that would hint she was interested in him. “I literally just wanted a ride home,” she said in her TikTok.

The incident escalated

At the urging of her friends, Sammi reported the incident to Lyft but said she received odd messages, such as “Most welcome Samantha Happy to help Such perfect person Like you.” She was refunded for the ride and was told that her name was not going to be mentioned in whatever action they were going to take. Sammi thought that was the end of it, but she was wrong.

She received a lengthy text rant from an unknown number calling her a “piece of s**t” and a “fake a** b***h.” Sammi blocked Edwin’s number when she reported him, but it was evident the texter was him. “…get in my car acting like you f***ing care then you act like this… f*** you… I hope something bad happens to you one day,” the text, in part, read. Sammi was terrified, and rightfully so. After all, Edwin knew where she lived.

Sammi reported the incident to the authorities and thankfully, she was taken seriously. The officer suggested filing a restraining order and gave her Edwin’s full name and birthday to use in the filing. She was also given the option to file a misdemeanor offense against Edwin, and in the event she receives another message from the driver, the charge may increase to an assault.

Sammi’s TikTok received thousands of comments with some urging her to press charges. One said, “I hate ride sharing,” while another wrote that she stopped using rideshares because “drivers rate me one star because I wouldn’t entertain their advances.” In one of the responses, Sammi said Lyft wouldn’t tell her whether Edwin was still a driver or was fired or flagged. She shared her experience to warn others of the dangers of ridesharing and told them to be extra careful.