PickupPal Community Forums

We understand that being concerned for your own personal safety is an important part of feeling confident using PickupPal.

Here are some things PickupPal has done and things YOU can do to enhance your safety:
NOTE: As more tips come in from the community I add them here. Also I am not trying to scare people with these safety tips, what I am trying to do is put together a list of things to think about prior to riding together.

1. You can choose who you ride with. If you are a driver and you don’t feel comfortable offering a ride for any reason then do not bid. If you are a passenger and you do not feel comfortable with any of the rides being offered then don’t accept them.

2. When reviewing the bids – look at how many rides the driver has done. That is a good indication of whether they are someone you can start to trust.

3. Look carefully at their PickupPal Rating, which is a barometer of a person's past driving or passenger experience.

4. Do they provide a picture with their profile? So far very few people, (under 8%), have accepted rides with drivers that do not post their picture and vice versa.

5. Send them a message via our messaging system and get a sense of who they are – a simple message will give you a good idea if they are someone you can start to trust.

6. If you are a woman and you feel safer driving with other women then specify that in your profile and we will only match you with other women drivers.

7. Before you go on a ride with PickupPal tell someone that you are doing so. Forward your ticket to ride to a friend or a family member and call them before you go and when you arrive.

8. When driver and passenger meet we strongly recommend that the driver show their drivers licence and the passenger show some form of photo identification.

9. Once you meet up with your Driver or your Passenger you can decide prior to the drive that you do not feel comfortable and can call it off.

10. Call and have a conversation or have a casual meeting with your driver or passenger prior to accepting their offer - use common sense.

11. Note the vehicle licence plate, and its make, model, and color before you take ride. If you have a cellphone, text this information to a friend and have them confirm they got your text. For example (AYDL 098, VW GOLF, Black) - do not be shy to tell the driver you are texting this information - if the driver has any problem with you doing so then walk away. All drivers must understand that passengers have the right to be concerned for their safety and it is not a reflection on you as a person.

12. If possible try and organize a ride with a friend.

13. Before going on the ride ask if it will just be the driver and yourself or if anyone else will be joining you. If plans change mid way and someone else is picked up you need to speak up if you feel uncomfortable about the situation.

14. Sit in the front passenger seat, if you can. Rear doors often have child locks on them, meaning they cannot be opened from the inside. If you must sit in the back, check the child lock is off before you close the door.

15. We suggest that you ask to see a copy of your driver's current insurance slip/coverage, (pink slip in Ontario). For drivers please contact your insurance company to ensure that you are legally allowed to accept carpooling passengers.

16. You should take careful note of the vehicle in which you are riding in. Should it appear to be unsafe then you should not accept a ride with the driver.

We want the PickupPal experience to be safe and enjoyable for everyone and that can only happen when both drivers and riders feel safe. PickupPal is about community and trying to build a safe and strong one – we take safety seriously and any report of any related safety issue immediately. Send me e-mail eric@pickuppal.com and cc safety@pickuppal.com and we will look into it. Our goal is that you are safe and ways in which we can make that a reality we will look into and attempt to implement.

NOTE: We have absolutely no reluctance in working with any law enforcement agency. We have a strict policy on providing details to authorized law enforcement officials and will comply according to our internal policy guidelines. Having said that prior to handing over any information our Chief Security Officer must first ensure that the inquiries are valid and from legitimate law enforcement agencies. If you are from a law enforcement agency and require prompt response please send e-mail to security@pickuppal.com and within your message provide us with your name, email address, and phone number and you will be contacted as soon as possible. This is our community and we take it seriously and will try and protect everyone to the best of our abilities.