Source: BroBible
Summary
Austin, Texas, woman Dianis (@diana_nluca) posted a TikTok video showing a man who she claims impersonated her Uber driver. The man, who was not an actual driver, was confronted by Dianis and friends. The video, posted over Labor Day weekend, shows the man walking away after being questioned. Dianis said the man was trying to pick up women by pretending to be their Uber driver. Uber advises users to verify driver details before entering a vehicle.
Our Reading
The habit gets a new name.
Men pretend to be drivers to flirt with women.
Women record the encounter and post it online.
Men say it was just a bad joke.
Everyone gets famous for a minute.
Author: Evan Null
‘Welcome To Stardom’
Dianis says, “So you’re just a weirdo trying to pick up girls when they’re drunk, not realizing that not everybody is drunk, right?”
At that point, the man turns around and motions for the women to pass him on the sidewalk. Dianis tells him he’s on video, and he’s “gonna be famous.” At this comment, the man blows the camera a kiss, asking, “How many followers do you have?” before walking away.
Dianis isn’t fazed. “This is gonna go viral,” she predicts. “Austin, Texas. Creepy men trying to pick up women saying they’re Uber drivers, because they’re thinking you’re drunk. Welcome to stardom.”
Did Anyone End Up Seeing The Video? Spoiler Alert: Yes
In the comments section of the video, viewers contradicted the man’s claim that the woman’s video wouldn’t go far and wide.
“ATX here! Thanks for sharing,” wrote one viewer.
“Watching from France,” a second person said. “He’s viral.”
“Shared with my daughter. Thank you,” a third person wrote.
Another person wrote, “Thank you, queen, for being a girl’s girl and saving other girls. We love your or your active duty.”
Is It Illegal To Pose As An Uber Driver?
It can absolutely be a crime to pose as an Uber driver and attempt to pick up a passenger, and some states, like North Carolina, specifically forbid it. Even if there’s not a specific statute mentioning rideshare drivers, this behavior can lead to other criminal charges.
For instance, a Texas man was arrested in 2015 after he posed as an Uber driver and then attempted to hug a Texas Christian University student. Last year, a Lubbock man was charged with kidnapping and evading arrest after pretending to be an Uber driver, picking up two women, and then fleeing police.
Uber offers several safety tips on its site. The company urges customers to always double-check their rides before hopping inside.
To do this, Uber says to match “the license plate, car make and model, and driver photo with what’s provided in your app.”
Uber warns that trips “can only be requested through the app, so never get in a car where the vehicle or driver identity doesn’t match what’s displayed in your app.”
