I had to write a blog post about this experience because I know it’s an important topic to cover. I posted this on my Instagram story yesterday and got a ton of messages which is why I’m addressing it here.

Yesterday I was in LA at my apartment heading to the airport. I called an Uber at around 9:45 AM, and a white BMW UberX was outside of my apartment. I had a suitcase and two bags that I couldn’t carry at once, so I put my suitcase in the back of the car. I was in a rush to make my flight, and my gut said not to get into the car but I was in a rush and have a TV segment in NY today. I put my suitcase in the car, went back in my apartment to get the other two bags. I put those in the car, closed the door to walk to the other side and the driver sped off with all of my stuff within 1 second. I was in total shock and had no clue what to do. That was all of my luggage but also my laptop and camera, etc. I kept my purse on me so there was no purse in the car.

I instantly sprinted up my block screaming and looking for anyone to help me. This guy walked out of his store and I told him what happened- we called 911 together, and at this point the driver was driving up into the valley. He ended the trip about 10 minutes from where I live and sent me a message saying he “thought I was in the car” which is a complete lie. There was no easy way for me to contact Uber support or a major help line which is why my first instinct was to call 911.

After about 30 – 40 minutes, the driver left all of the stuff on the curb and was waiting in his car. The guy who helped me walked over to him and came back to me saying that he was seriously glad I didn’t get in the car because the driver was very unfit to drive. Who knows what would’ve happened if I got in that car?

I’m putting this story out there as a PSA to parents & young people who follow me. Trust your gut. I knew not to get in the car, but I was in a rush. This goes further than simply checking a license plate to make sure you’re getting in an actual Uber- this shows that Uber does not car about their riders. They sent me a $3 credit after the ride and over 2 hours of me on the phone with them trying to tell them to get this driver off of the app. I’ve since deleted Uber and will never use it again.

If you are a parent, I would love to see you all with some type of phone that can track where your child is. Find My iPhone is a great addition to an iPhone, but Androids also have options for this. Teens- your parents are not tracking your day to day movement, but don’t be afraid of letting them know where you are. Safety is COOL!