An Arlington woman said she jumped out of moving Lyft vehicle Saturday afternoon after the driver put a different destination into his GPS and ignored her frantic screams when she realized she was not headed to her DC destination.
“This is about women’s safety as a whole, and something more needs to be done,” the woman, identified as Katlyn, told NBC4.
Her tweets about the harrowing experience and about how Lyft responded have gone viral.
On Saturday, June 17, I was on a Lyft ride in Washington, D.C. that made me fear for my safety.
— Katlyn Skye (@katlynskye24) June 19, 2023
My driver missed numerous turns, prolonging my ride. In the midst of D.C. traffic, he almost hits a car and slams on his breaks, stopping about a foot from the car in front of him-
She said her Lyft experience started with the driver almost hitting a person in DC, putting her on edge.
Then the driver put a different destination into his GPS and ignored her as she questioned him and as she then screamed at him.
A message from Lyft that she shared with the TV station even questioned whether she was safe.
When the white Prius slowed down, she jumped out, telling NBC4 she told the driver, “I’m not about to find out where you plan on taking me.”
The next day, she said, Lyft deactivated her account because she had jumped out of the vehicle. She had to protest several times to get it reinstated.
“What! I am the victim here. It was so backwards,” she said.
Lyft would later say that the driver’s “behavior is completely unacceptable.”
But it’s not known whether the driver is still with the company. In addition to the type of vehicle, she identified the the driver as “First name starts with M and last starts with S.”
Lyft’s CEO David Risher responded on her Twitter feed, saying he was sorry about what she had gone through and would look into it.
I’m so sorry you’ve gone through this, Katlyn. Let me have a look. We can do better.
— David Risher (@davidrisher) June 20, 2023
And for those who say “protect women,” I’m proud of our record but there’s more to do. Stay tuned. @AskLyft
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