Schedule a Safety Call: What to Do When a Cab Driver Is Creepy or Someone Is Following You

You are in the back of a cab and something feels off. The driver took a wrong turn. The doors locked automatically. The conversation is getting too personal. Or you are walking home at night and the footsteps behind you have been matching yours for three blocks.

These situations are terrifying. And in the moment, your brain goes into survival mode. You need to signal to someone — or at least appear to be in contact with someone — immediately.

Why a Phone Call Is the Best Deterrent

Research on personal safety consistently shows that being visibly connected to someone else is one of the strongest deterrents against harassment and assault. A person on a phone call is a person who can immediately relay their location, describe their situation, and summon help.

Even if you are not actually talking to anyone, the act of being on a call changes the dynamic completely. A creepy driver becomes aware that someone knows where you are. A person following you hears you say a street name out loud. The power balance shifts.

The Pre-Scheduled Safety Call

With SneakyCall, you can schedule a safety call before you get into any situation that feels uncertain. Here is how to use it:

1. Before getting in a rideshare or cab — Schedule a callback for 5 to 10 minutes into the ride
2. Before walking alone at night — Schedule a callback for 2 minutes from now, so your phone rings while you are walking
3. Before meeting a stranger — Whether it is a Craigslist transaction, a first date, or a new client, schedule a callback as a check-in
4. When something feels wrong — Schedule a callback for 1 minute and wait for it to ring

What to Say When the Call Comes In

When your phone rings, answer it and use these key phrases loudly enough to be heard:

• "Hey, I am on my way. I am on [street name] right now." — Establishes that someone knows your location
• "I will be there in [X] minutes, I am in a [car color/type]." — Signals that someone is expecting you with specific details
• "Can you stay on the line with me until I get there?" — Creates the impression of a continuous witness
• "Yeah, I shared my live location with you." — Makes a potential threat believe they are being tracked

For Rideshares Specifically

Uber, Lyft, Grab, and other rideshare services have built-in safety features, but they require you to open the app, navigate menus, and tap buttons. In a high-stress moment, that is too many steps. A phone ringing is immediate and automatic.

Schedule the callback before you even get in the car. If the ride is normal and the driver is fine, you just decline the call. If something feels wrong, you answer and suddenly you are on a call with "someone" who knows exactly where you are.

Walking Alone at Night

The classic advice is "call someone while you walk." But what if it is late and nobody picks up? What if you do not want to bother anyone? A scheduled callback solves this. Your phone rings, you answer, and you walk with purpose while appearing to be in an active conversation.

Even a one-sided conversation — where you are the only one talking — is enough. Anyone watching does not know the other end is silent. They just see a person on the phone, alert and connected.

It Is Not Paranoia, It Is Preparation

Scheduling a safety call is not about living in fear. It is about having a tool ready for the moments when your instincts tell you something is off. Most of the time, you will never need it. The ride will be fine. The walk will be uneventful. The meeting will go smoothly.

But on the one night it is not fine, a ringing phone could be the thing that changes the outcome. It costs nothing to set up and takes two seconds. There is no reason not to have it ready.

Trust your instincts. Schedule the call. Stay safe.