Reports about a fake Safety Escort Service driver on the Tempe campus have led the Undergraduate Student Government to warn students against taking rides from people claiming to be Escort Service drivers.
USG officials said they started hearing reports on Sept. 25 of a man with a white van posing as a Safety Escort Service driver. It appeared the man was offering rides to female students and asking for their phone numbers, officials said.
USG Vice President and political science junior Chris Fennessey said USG officials have received various descriptions of drivers and vehicles from students. Officials are unsure if there are multiple vehicles and people operating a fake service or if it’s just one vehicle and one person.
Safety Escort Service is a free program run by USG that provides rides between campus buildings, residence halls and parking facilities on the Tempe campus. It operates from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. seven days a week.
“No one from USG has seen the person or the vans, but [officials] heard there are multiple vehicles,” Fennessey said. “We don’t doubt this is happening.”
Unlike real Safety Escort vehicles, the fake vans don’t have strobe lights on top and most of them don’t have the ASU decal on the side, Fennessey said, though officials have heard one van does have a crooked ASU decal on the side.
“I don’t think this is something students should be overly concerned about, but I do think it’s something they should be conscious of,” he said.
All official drivers wear shirts that say USG Safety Escort Service, Fennessey said.
“The people posing as drivers wear ASU polos that can be purchased at any store allowed to sell ASU merchandise,” he said.
Public relations junior and USG Public Relations Press Coordinator Jessica Hickam said Safety Escort Service is taking steps to make sure students don’t get rides from a fake van.
“When students call and ask for a ride, we’re giving them the name of the driver and asking them to confirm it before they get in the vehicle,” she said.
Students need to be aware this is happening, but those who use the service shouldn’t worry too much, she said. From what USG has gathered, the man seems to be trying to get phone numbers from young women, Hickam said.
“This guy is picking up people at random, pulling over and asking if people want rides,” Hickam said. “This is not something a real Safety Escort driver would do. We only pick up people who call us. Students should be suspicious if someone randomly asks if they would like a ride.”
Communications freshman Sondell Cross said she uses the service almost weekly because of the convenience. While she has heard that people are posing as drivers, she said she isn’t extremely concerned.
“I am a little worried because I want to make sure I get in with the right person,” Cross said. “I think it’s weird though that someone is trying to get phone numbers, because people using the Safety Escort Service are looking for a ride, nothing else.”
ASU Police Department spokesman Cmdr. Jim Hardina said students should be suspicious if a Safety Escort driver asks for their phone number.
“Students shouldn’t give out their personal information at random,” Hardina said. “If you feel uncomfortable, you should call 911 as soon as possible.”
Students are encouraged to call while the vehicle is still near them as opposed to the next morning, he said.
“We might not catch them that night, but someone might call Friday with some details and then someone else might call Wednesday with more, and eventually we’ll have enough details to do something,” Hardina said.
Fennessey also said students should get as many details about the driver as possible and call ASU Police if they are approached by someone posing as a Safety Escort employee.
“We don’t want people to panic, but we want them to be aware this is happening,” he said.
