Ali Condon
Women have been leaving strands of their hair and fingerprints in the backseat of their taxis because they don't feel safe when they're alone.
By leaving pieces of DNA behind on their taxi ride, women hope that, if something terrible were to happen to them, police will be able to collect it as evidence.
TikTok users Jessica Pimentel and Payton Davis are just two examples of woman who are sharing the safety tips that they use 'just in case.'
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Rather than being horrified by the fact that Jessica and Payton felt the need to shed their DNA in taxis in the event of a worst-case scenario, other women took to the comments to thank them for sharing.
"Stop, that's so smart," raved one viewer.
"I'm gonna start doing this," commented a second.
"Omg I always think about shedding DNA on purpose so when I die it's easier to solve the crime," admitted a third.
"I do this too omg!" wrote a fourth.
So it's not just a few women who are too terrified to get a taxi without leaving evidence behind for a potential crime scene - this is common practice among women who are travelling alone, which is utterly heartbreaking.
When one woman shared a video of herself pressing her fingerprints into the glass window of her taxi, TikToker Bonnie replied with some further advice, just to be extra cautious.
"Leave them [fingerprints] somewhere that's not obvious. I know that sounds weird, but if someone commits a crime against you or if you disappear, if you put them right in the middle of the glass of the window, they're gonna maybe see it and wipe it down," she explained.
"Also following all the other standard ride-sharing rules is helpful. So, check the licence plate, check to make sure your driver matches, walk around the back of the car, only sit directly behind the driver."
In the comment section of Bonnie's video, other women shared even more, detailed advice.
"Also put your prints on the outside of the car as well where possible," suggested one woman.
"I always try to leave them on the metal clip part of my seat belt," offered a second.
"Take pictures of the license plate too and upload it to the cloud if you can. You can delete it later," added a third.
"Always check the child lock on the back doors too," a fourth chimed in.
That's a whole lot to think about before you get into a taxi, isn't it?
Unfortunately, this is just the reality that women have to deal with on a regular basis.