Uber has plenty of rider safeguards, including an emergency line at the push of a button. Have a fake or real call going with a friend, so it's obvious that someone knows you're in there. Sit diagonally behind the driver. You can see each other, and you can see the road omnidirectionally.
Is Uber ever worth it?
With tips and bonuses factored in, Uber drivers make about $21.14 an hour on average, according to GridWise. At $21.14 an hour, you would gross roughly $3,674 per month, if you drove 40 hours at that rate per week.