A simple trick to stay safe during Uber or Lyft rides went viral after Tiffany Jackson tweeted her experience.

After entering the car, the Brooklyn-based writer said she opened and closed the door to make sure there were no child locks engaged.

The driver, new to Lyft, asked her about the move, and said he was going to pass along the trick to his sister.

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Last week, Tiffany Jackson, a Brooklyn-based writer, tweeted an interaction she had with a Lyft driver that struck a nerve with thousands of readers.

In short, the fiction author said she opened and closed the door right after she entered the vehicle, in order to check that there were no child locks in place that could prevent her from making a swift exit should anything go wrong.

By Monday morning, the tweet had racked up more than 2,600 retweets and 20,000 likes.

Jackson followed up the viral tweet to commend the driver for asking questions, given he was new to Lyft. She also said her habit of double-checking for child locks was because she encountered the situation once.

"I only once got in an Uber when the child lock was on," she continued, "and definitely hit the homie with the 'Son, I don't know what's going on but whatever you thinking, you got the WRONG one.'"

Passenger safety has come into the spotlight this year, as stories like that of 21-year-old college student Samantha Josephson, who was killed by a man impersonating a legitimate Uber driver, garner significant media attention.

Following the murder, and subsequent arrest of the alleged killer, Uber published a blog post reminding passengers to always check license plate numbers and update their trusted contact information.

Both Uber and Lyft's apps allow passengers to share their trip details with someone else, and both companies have integrated some form of emergency assistance that can share a riders' location with first responders.

Do you work for Uber or Lyft? Have a story to share? Get in touch with this reporter at grapier@businessinsider.com. If your story is sensitive, secure contact methods are available here (do not use a work phone).

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