Most dating safety advice focuses on the meeting itself, yet the journey home is a separate risk that can be planned in advance. The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a personal safety charity, and police advice both stress that the way home should be decided before the date starts. This article sets out that advice, together with Transport for London’s (TfL) rules on booking minicabs, which show what a properly booked journey looks like. TfL’s rules apply in London only, and licensing elsewhere is handled by local authorities, so the same checks should be made locally.
Decide the route home before the date
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust advises that before going out a person should consider how they will get home, including whether they can travel home with a friend and what time the last bus or train leaves. Its online dating advice adds that anyone meeting a match should take a charged phone with credit, take money for a taxi home or plan a route on public transport, and try to keep the number of a local licensed minicab firm. Police advice in a national “ask the police” FAQ makes the same point: always know how you are going to get home, and travel with friends rather than alone where possible.
For a date arranged through a dating app, that means checking the transport timetable when choosing the venue and the time.
Tell someone the plan
The Trust recommends telling a friend where you are going, who you are meeting (name and the site that arranged it), and checking in with them before, during and after the date. It suggests agreeing that the friend will call the venue or even go there if the check-in does not happen. On transport specifically, it advises sharing information about the journey and the vehicle with someone you trust.
Taxis and minicabs: the checks that matter
The Trust’s transport safety page lists steps for anyone using a taxi or private hire vehicle:
- share information about the journey and the vehicle with someone you trust;
- ask the driver to show a badge before the journey starts;
- find out in advance which licensed taxis and private hire vehicles operate in the area;
- examine the vehicle before getting in, looking for a displayed licence and checking that it looks roadworthy;
- trust instincts, and if worried or threatened ask the driver to stop in a busy area so you can get out;
- report concerns to the police and the local licensing authority.
Police advice adds a point about hailing: book a taxi home before going out, and do not flag down a taxi, because it is not possible to be sure the driver is licensed.
What a booked minicab looks like in London
TfL’s rules give a concrete picture of the paperwork a passenger should expect. In London, only black taxis with the orange “taxi” light can be hailed in the street or taken from a rank without a booking. Minicabs must be booked with a licensed minicab company by app, phone or in person at its office. TfL says this means a licensed driver and vehicle will be sent, a record is kept of the journey, driver and vehicle, and the driver will have passed police background checks.
The passenger must receive a booking confirmation, by text, app, email or paper receipt, containing at minimum:
- the number plate;
- the driver’s first name;
- the driver’s private hire licence number;
- where the passenger can receive it, a photo of the driver.
TfL’s instruction is unambiguous: if the driver or the car is not the same as in the booking confirmation, do not get in, because it is not safe. It also says unbooked minicabs are illegal and uninsured for passengers, and that a licence sticker in the window does not change this if the passenger approached the driver, the driver approached the passenger, or a bouncer took the passenger to the car. Drivers in London are required to pass enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks, and TfL points passengers to a licence checker to confirm whether a private hire driver, vehicle or operator is licensed.
If walking or using public transport
The Trust advises knowing where you are going and which stop you need, checking the times of the last buses or trains, and waiting in a well-lit place near other people. If travelling at night or in an unfamiliar area, it suggests arranging for someone to meet you at the stop or station, and if a bus is empty or it is dark, staying on the lower deck near the driver. Its guidance for walking is to use well-lit, busy streets, plan the route beforehand and, if you think you are being followed, cross the road, keep moving, head to a busy area and call the police if necessary. Police advice says not to walk home alone late at night, and if you must, to choose well-lit main roads.
Reporting problems
TfL asks passengers who experience behaviour of a sexual nature from a taxi or minicab driver, including uncomfortable comments about appearance, to report it, calling 999 in an emergency. The Trust adds that concerns about taxis and private hire vehicles can be reported to the police and to the local licensing authority.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hail a minicab?
In London, TfL says no: minicabs must be booked. Police advice elsewhere is to book rather than flag down a taxi.
What should I do if the car does not match my booking?
TfL says not to get in.
The bottom line
A plan for getting home should be made before the date begins. That means checking the last services, carrying a charged phone and money, telling a friend the details, booking a licensed taxi or minicab in advance and checking the vehicle and driver against the booking. If anything does not match, the safest response, according to TfL, is not to get in.
Sources
- Suzy Lamplugh Trust, “Transport Safety”
- Suzy Lamplugh Trust, “Safety Online”
- Suzy Lamplugh Trust, “Personal safety out and about”
- Transport for London, “Safer travel at night”
- Transport for London, “Guide to taxis and private hire”
- Ask the Police, “Q589: Are there any legal self-defence products that I can buy?” (including related question Q14 on personal safety during a night out)