When you live in Charleston, South Carolina, Uber is very popular.

You can Uber anywhere your mind desires, whether you just don't have transportation, or it seems like a safe way to get home when you have been out and about.

However, you need to be cautious. Despite the picture, reviews, and comments on the Uber driver, you are still getting into a car with a stranger and when you think about it, that can be a little scary. After a recent encounter I have had, I feel it is important to let people know what you should think and consider before you get in a car with a stranger.

1. Look at their picture carefully.

Once you ride is confirmed and a driver is on their way to pick you up, look at their profile picture. Do they look like a normal person or are you getting weird vibes that maybe you should cancel the drive and get another driver.

Most people do not think about this when it is actually important. If I would have thought more about the weird vibes I got from one of my driver's pictures, then maybe I could have saved myself from a scary ride back to my dorm that should have been a quick 5 minutes.

2. Sit in the back seat.

After setting my duffle, backpack, and blanket in the back seat, there wasn't much room, therefore, I sat in the front.

When I previously looked at his picture and got weird vibes I did not think much of it, it was when he made a provocative comment to me that I should have grabbed my stuff and walked away, but I was exhausted and just wanted to get back to my dorm. If you were in New York City grabbing a taxi you always sit in the back, it is just self-explanatory.

3. If he takes one or two wrong turns, it's okay to feel worried.

When my driver missed the fastest and easiest way to get to my dorm, I figured his GPS was taking him a different route. It was not until he missed a second turn option that I started to freak out.

I proceeded to mention how he missed two turns and he began to tell me that he didn't realize that, but as a Uber driver in Charleston he knew where he was and I was not there for a scenic tour around the area.

To all those who take Ubers, if you have a driver who continues to make more than one wrong turn, get out of the situation by asking him/her to pull over and let you out or if needed, call 911.

4. Be cautious about being a young female taking an Uber alone.

As a short 18-year-old freshman at college, it is not easy for me to defend myself to a young middle-aged man. Next time you are by yourself and trying to get home safe on campus call public safety if you do not feel comfortable with an Uber driver, you might be saving yourself from a potentially bad situation. If you are somewhere other than campus and reading it, call someone to come get you.

Once I asked the driver to pull over and let me out and when he did, I thought to myself about how being a young female is a target to a young middle-aged man. Ladies please just think before you act.

Fifteen minutes prior, I had parked my car and was exhausted just trying to get back to my dorm from a long weekend. What I did not know was that as I got in that car to be driven home, I would encounter a dangerous situation.

Thankfully, I made it somewhat back safe and unharmed, but I was shaken up. I can't stress enough to all people out there to be careful when you get a driver to just "take you home." You never know what kind of "drive home" you are getting yourself into.