When getting into a car with a stranger and telling him our address and phone number, we rarely consider our safety in a taxi, especially in the age of aggregators, which should guarantee the security of passengers.

However, taxi drivers regularly end up in crime news, so we must remember about vigilance. You should follow several tips when calling a taxi to avoid getting into a dangerous situation.

1. Do not use private services

Always book a taxi only from official taxi companies or through apps. Avoid private owners and small regional fleets where drivers work at the dispatcher’s request. You will not receive any information about the driver or the vehicle – only three digits of the car number. Such small companies are not particularly worried about their image and are often found in small cities where it is not profitable for aggregators to operate. And even more so, you should not vote on the road or at the exit of a restaurant or bar – this is where troubled drivers often look out for potential victims.

2. Evaluate the taxi driver’s appearance

After you have ensured that the suitable taxi has arrived at you and got into the cabin, inspect the driver for safety in a taxi. It is clear that you are unlikely to immediately form a psychological portrait of him just by looking at him, but some traits may be able to alert you. Try to watch his gestures: are there any nervous twitches or any other strange behavior? Pay attention to how he communicates with you: even if you made the taxi driver wait or slammed the car door too hard, rudeness on his part is unacceptable under any circumstances. And if you are a girl and you have even the slightest suspicion that the driver has begun to show signs of attention to you and make obscene hints (even in a joking form), immediately demand that the car be stopped and report the incident to the transport company.

3. Sit back and don’t rattle your keys.

Taxi drivers have their unspoken sign language, which passengers must most often be aware of. So, if a passenger sits in the front seat, he is in the mood for a conversation. Therefore, if you do not want the driver to bother you with unnecessary discussions, try to sit in the car’s back seat. This way, the driver will understand you are not in the mood for communication. Start your trip off on the right foot with a comfortable and reliable Lancaster to Manchester Airport taxi.

In addition, a lot depends on mentality. For example, many people from the southern and mountainous regions evaluate the behavior of UK girls in their way. If a girl is driving alone and chatting animatedly, the driver may think she is flirting with him. Another mistake that many passengers unknowingly make is taking the apartment keys out of their purses in advance and jingling them. Some taxi drivers take this as an invitation and may react accordingly. Other seemingly harmless gestures can also cause a less than adequate reaction: if a girl straightens her hair, fidgets in her seat, strokes her legs, etc. Of course, any woman can do this without any intention, and it is impossible to blame her for this, but if you are not entirely sure of the adequacy of the person you are in the car, then it is better not to risk it.

4. Don’t take anything from the driver’s hands

There are many known cases where taxi drivers mix something into drinks or food to put passengers to sleep and rob them. Clonidine is often used for this; it is the “best friend” of scam drivers. This drug treats heart disease, glaucoma, and Tourette’s syndrome. Its primary function is to reduce blood pressure. If you take too large a dose at once, your blood pressure and pulse will drop significantly, the person will lose consciousness, and cardiac arrest may occur. And if, at this moment, there is also alcohol in the person’s blood, then a fatal outcome is even more likely.

Therefore, never ask the driver for water or drink if he offers you something. The only exception is a business class taxi airport transfers keighley to manchester , where such a service is provided (for example, you can drink champagne in the cabin).

Also Read: Benefits of Choosing an Airport Transfer Taxi Service

5. Inform your loved ones about your trip details.

An excellent way to be safe is to call someone close to you in the presence of the driver and tell them that you are on your way (you can pretend that you are making a call) for safety in a taxi. State the car number and the driver’s full name. Knowing that he can be easily tracked, he will think three times about whether to commit a crime.