True — which is why I said "works less well" and not "doesn't work". And you're absolutely right that safety is relative ;)

Author was also implying that they were visiting Russia. It's much harder to assess safety when you're not a resident, especially when you don't speak the language. And the fact that because many people in a culture engage in some behavior says little about its safety — e.g. riding scooters in Saigon, or smoking!

Yes, you'd be surprised. I had many friends, all vulnerable-looking 23 year old girls in towering heels and they used this "ride from a stranger" concept every single day for years. Believe me, I was shocked and apprehensive and my Mom was convinced I'd be murdered but it was shockingly safe and accepted. I do speak halfway decent Russian, and would certainly have been harder without it. Which is why I like the idea of this app, as it solves one of the problems. (Edit: I guess it doesn't really solve the language barrier, as it appears to be a Telegram app that likely involves some chatting to negotiate.)

That said, on my last visit, I used Uber many times, as it's incredibly cheap and requires no negotiation. But don't be in a hurry. The horrible traffic and very wide, divided streets of Moscow make it particularly challenging to navigate to a passenger's precise location, so it can be an extremely long wait even when free a vehicle is very close geographically. Perhaps LibreTaxi would help solve that by lowering the barrier to entry and drastically improving the number of cars available.

> Author was also implying that they were visiting Russia.

Yes, Russia especially is one of those places where every car on the road is a potential taxi and a lot of people use them.

I haven't visited personally but friends of mine who have did tell about their experiences on hailing rides from strangers without knowing the language. Don't take my anecdote as a safety recommendation or evidence of it.

It's a matter of cultural differences.

Uber/Lyft provides you with a sense of safety, but if you end up being a victim of a crime in an Uber in Russia, I'm not sure how much they can or will help you afterwards.

Once a taxi service gets enough drivers in the city here in Russia, it becomes highly preferable than random on-the-road vehicle. It automatically means that you get more precise (or even fixed) billing, pretty clean and decent cars, and drivers are motivated to not bother you in any way, because taxis usually have quality feedback that makes driver 'priority'. Going directly to the road is a last resort, even if you're already outside. It is not much for a physical safety, but service.