A multitude of women-identifying individuals feel nervous walking home late at night and prefer to order an Uber or Lyft to arrive home safely. Pink Cab, a student-run Ohio University organization, launched in 2024 to provide a more personal alternative. The organization has a GroupMe available for any women-identifying OU student to join.
In a 2021-22 U.S. Safety Report, Uber said it received 2,717 reported sexual assault and misconduct incidents. As of 2025, about 20% of Uber drivers are women, according to Forbes. These statistics can make taking a trip in an Uber or Lyft terrifying for some women and nonbinary people, especially when a person is alone and possibly intoxicated. To combat the issues women-identifying individuals face when looking for a ride, Kaycie Tillis, a then junior, created the Pink Cab GroupMe, according to a previous report by The Post.
The group is currently run by President Riley Barton, a senior studying sociology pre-law, and Vice President Cameryn Williams, a senior studying middle childhood education. Barton said once accepted into the GroupMe, a women-identifying student can message the chat at any time to get picked up by one of the 50 drivers, however, there are around five drivers continuously active. The cost for a ride is $5 within a 5 mile radius of College Green. On busy weekends like OU’s Mom’s weekend, rides cost $8 within a 5 miles radius. Barton said beyond the five mile radius, the cost of the ride is up to the driver's discretion.
“We’ve had a pretty positive response,” Barton said. “We went to the involvement fair, and there were a lot of freshmen … they were pretty pleased to learn about Pink Cab and excited to have that option available.”
Barton said the service is reliable for any women-identifying individual. Users can message their drivers directly and certain rules are in place to maintain the safety of everyone in the car. Some of the rules for drivers and riders include not allowing men in the vehicle and having a photo identification on hand.
“We don't allow male-identifying individuals in the car, whether it's someone's dad or boyfriend,” Barton said. “We don't really allow that because we also want our drivers to feel safe. Obviously this is a female-identifying organization, so it's all female-identifying”
Barton said as a pre-law student, she strives to ensure women’s safety on campus and provide affordable transportation for women-identifying students. Barton said she heard a story about a younger student’s experience with an Uber driver.
“I actually do know of a girl who was pretty drunk and she ordered an Uber back to her dorm, which would have been like a five minute ride,” Barton said. “Her friends checked her location, and she was actually out of the state within two hours with an Uber driver. They actually had to call the police and give the police her location, and they had to go rescue her essentially because she was so drunk, and the driver just took her.”
Williams said she heard many stories about women having “dangerous” experiences with men-identifying Uber and Lyft drivers in Athens.
“I thought it was really important to be a part of something like this because we are a women-built organization, made for women (and) ran by women,” Williams said. “I thought it was just a great opportunity to be involved and to bring other people in to make them aware that there are other options for women and female-identifying students on campus.”
Pink Cab receives about 10-15 ride requests each week, with about five to seven completed rides. Barton said the Pink Cab is busiest during weekends.
Williams said many of Pink Cab’s drivers were seniors last year, and they are currently looking for more active drivers.
“We don't have as many drivers as we would hope to have, especially during some hours people do need rides,” Williams said. “(When) people are in class it makes it a bit harder, especially since this isn’t their primary job.”
Jorja Kresinski, a sophomore studying media arts production, said she took the CATCAB, OU’s free para-transit service for faculty, staff and students with mobility limitations, around a few times.
Kresinski said she understands how it might feel “sketchy” or “uncomfortable” to be alone in an Uber or Lyft.
“I know I'm always asking for them to confirm my name, to confirm the license plate (and to) really make sure it's safe,” Kresinski said. “So I feel I would feel a lot more comfortable with (Pink Cab).”
The CATCAB services OU buildings and residence halls up to a “one mile driving distance from Baker University Center.” Kresinski said because of this, she thinks Pink Cab would be helpful for visiting her friends who live in off-campus housing or a store on State Street.
Women-identifying individuals who are interested in driving for The Pink Cab or could use a lift at the end of a long night can visit their GroupMe.
