Rumors of an Uber driver with a large knife resting on her center console and a tarp covering her backseat began swirling around campus this fall. The IU Police Department debunked them Sunday.
Capt. Craig Munroe said the department received a report from a 19-year-old student Sunday afternoon who was worried she almost got in a car the night before with an Uber driver she’d heard was dangerous.
The story floating around involved a woman named Sarah driving a White Kia Sportage. According to the story, she had a large knife lying on her center console and a tarp in the backseat. Suddenly, students were canceling rides when they were paired with her through the app.
Screenshots of her Uber profile were sent around group chats, students warning one another not to ride with her.
It’s unclear how the rumor began.
The woman who made the report told police she saw a tarp in the woman’s back seat but didn’t see a knife. She still didn’t get in the car.
Hers was the only report IUPD received regarding the story.
When police contacted the Uber driver in question, she told them she has a waterproof cover on her backseat to protect the car’s upholstery, and she doesn’t carry a knife. Officers did not locate a knife on her person or in the car.
