‘I look out the window..’: Man reports bad Uber ride in the app. Days later, he gets unprompted notification that his driver is near

An Uber customer reported a strange occurrence in which he got into a car he believed he ordered, got strange vibes about it, and then had subsequent strange encounters with the driver.

The three-part video series relaying the story comes from TikTok creator Voyce (@voycebutler2), who started the saga on Sunday with a video that's gotten more than 127,000 views as of this writing.

In that first video, he claims he was leaving a party at 1am, after having had just one drink, ordering an Uber as is his custom. He confirmed the license plate number matched the driver's, the driver knew his name, and he got in, initially thinking nothing of it.

Then the red flags begin

"I get in, but something feels off—no greeting, no app on the dash," Voyce said. "He doesn't start the trip, just pulls off quiet. I glanced at his phone. It's not the Uber app, just Google Maps. I say, 'Hey, is this trip started?' He says, 'Don't worry about it. I know where we're going.' Red flag."

Then, Voyce looked at his Uber app, and it said "still searching for driver," an indication that the driver canceled the ride but then picked him up.

Voyce claimed he left his wallet at the party and needed to go back, but the driver didn't respond and kept driving. At the next red light, Voyce exited the car without even closing the door.

He then requested a new Uber, and according to him, "A second, black Honda Accord pulls up, same license plate ending, but this one had the Uber sticker, same make, same model, same last three digits, different car. Still don't know who was that first guy or how he even knew my name."

Things get stranger

Then, in the second video, put up on Monday and attracting nearly 328,000 views, his story gets even weirder.

He said he reported that ride to Uber, and "they told me something that stuck with me. There's no record of that driver in our system. They said the plate didn't match any of their partners, no logs, no trip history, just nothing."

Then, Voyce relays, "So that should have been the end of it. But a few nights later, I think around 10:41pm, I got a push notification: 'Your driver is approaching.' Problem is, I never ordered a ride. So I checked the app—nothing, no requests, no active trip."

The car arrives, and according to Voyce, it's the same car that initially picked him up. It sat at the corner near his residence for three minutes before slowly pulling off, "like he knew I was watching," Voyce reports.

In a third video put up on Wednesday, the story gets even stranger. Voyce claims he deleted the Uber app, created a new account, used a different email, different phone number, different name and picture, and ordered a ride.

A gray Honda Accord arrived to pick him up, and after he got in, the driver said, "You don't remember me, do you?" Voyce claimed it was the driver from the initial encounter. He said he exited the car, taking a photo of the license plate as it drove off.

"When I checked the app, the trip didn't show up," he said. "No history, not even a Uber receipt, no trace."

Uber safety tips

Uber, acknowledging the possibility that something could go wrong when entering a stranger's car, has a series of tips on its site for its customers to be mindful of when using its app.

Those include requesting your ride inside, to "minimize the time that you’re standing outside by yourself with your phone in your hand. Instead, wait inside until the app shows that your driver has arrived."

Also, "Every time you take a trip with Uber, please make sure you’re getting into the right car with the right driver by matching the license plate, car make and model, and driver photo with what’s provided in your app. Uber 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." (It's possible, based on Voyce's story, that the driver cancelled the ride right before confirming pickup, though Voyce should have gotten an app notification.)

Finally, the site offers, "Trust your instincts and use your best judgment when requesting a ride with Uber. If you ever feel that you’re in an urgent situation, you can call 911 by using the Emergency Button located in your app. Anytime you call emergency services from the Uber app, the app provides you with your real-time location and trip details that you can share with the dispatcher. And remember, if you feel unsafe you can end the ride at any time."

Commenters offer sympathy

While this story might invite skepticism, visitors to the Part 2 video largely believed him.

"That’s so scary," one said. "I’m glad your safe smh."

"Wow!! no more ubers for you ..." another said, to which Voyce replied, "Nope," despite what was to come in the Part 3 video.

"Sounds like The Twilight Zone," someone else remarked, referring to the classic TV show chronicling weird but fictional scenarios defying rational explanation.

@voycebutler2 | should've trusted my gut. This ride almost ended different. #storytime #realstory #uberhorror #fyp #truestory #suspense #viralvideo #mysterytok #creepycarride ♬ original sound - Voyce

The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via TikTok and Facebook direct message and to Uber via email.

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The post ‘I look out the window..’: Man reports bad Uber ride in the app. Days later, he gets unprompted notification that his driver is near appeared first on The Daily Dot.