Sadly, This Ridesharing Service Fills a Need

It’s a jungle out there, and in order to deal with it, it’s best to be prepared.

That seems to be the business model of a new ridesharing app that’s literally fighting back at the surge in violence directed at the law-abiding public, and especially motor vehicle operators. It offers armed drivers.Black Wolf is currently available in the Atlanta metropolita

While the more recognizable Lyft and Uber will fire any of their drivers who dare to defend themselves and their passengers, at Black Wolf the choice is yours: Your driver will pack heat or not, whatever your desire.

n area, but plans to begin service in New York City within the next couple of months. After that, who knows? Maybe a city near you.

Black Wolf was launched by Kerry King Brown, a 32-year-old former private investigator who saw a need and responded.

“Who are mostly on the news getting robbed, getting raped? The average person,” said Brown to Atlanta News First. “What I’m creating is a necessary evil. It’s a necessity.”

And the public responded. The publication reported that in the first week of Black Wolf’s launching, there were 80,000 downloads.

“Every Black Wolf App vehicle comes equipped with GPS Tracking and Live-streaming technology that allows our riders to share with their loved ones,” the company says on its Facebook page.

When Black Wolf and its founder were profiled on Fox News’ “Cross Country” Saturday night, host Lawrence Jones asked a driver what distinguished them from other, more traditional ridesharing services.

“The biggest difference is your driver is actually your bodyguard,” he said.

But they make every effort to avoid shoot-'em-ups at the OK Corral.

“All drivers are trained in de-escalation tactics,” Brown told Jones. “De-escalation is our number-one priority. We don’t escalate anything. We either remove the threat, or we remove our client from that threat.”

Plans are underway to go international, including the U.K., Africa, and Dubai.

Former NYPD officer Bill Stanton observed that liberal politicians, who try to hamstring police officers if not outright eliminate them, adds to the need for a service like this.

“Nature abhors a vacuum, and when you take law enforcement out of the equation, lawlessness will reign,” he told Jones.

Jones reported that in addition to New York, Black Wolf hopes to branch out into Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Nashville, and Las Vegas soon.

So is there a real need for an armed driver?

Last Tuesday at about 4:30 a.m. Teisha Brewley, 31, was fatally shot while riding in an Uber. Police believe she was targeted. This happened in Atlanta, where Black Wolf was founded.

In August of 2021, Bearing Arms reported that at least a dozen rideshare drivers had been murdered so far that year in carjackings.

And if the drivers fight back chances are they’ll get fired.

When Cleveland, Ohio Lyft driver Cynthia Norman drove two men to their destination, one began choking her from behind while the other moved in the front seat and began punching her. That’s when she grabbed her gun and started shooting.

The two men fled on foot. Afterwards Lyft fired her for violating the company’s zero-tolerance policy for drivers carrying weapons.

Uber has a similar policy. Former Austin, Texas driver Deven Garza, who is also a handgun license instructor and former military policeman, brandished his weapon when a couple of passengers got upset with him and grabbed his shirt.

The gun accidentally discharged when one of the riders attempted to reach for the firearm. No one was injured, but Garza reported the incident to the police and to Uber. Uber terminated him.

Government isn’t much better. Last month a Shelby County, Tennessee, homeowner caught a group of men attempting to steal his vehicle late at night. When he went outside to confront them, they opened fire.

The homeowner returned fire and the men fled. The homeowner spent much of the weekend in jail for reckless endangerment. But the only people he was endangering were the would-be thieves firing at him.

As Heritage Senior Legal Fellow Amy Swearer observed, “he's 100% entitled to ‘endanger’ them.”

Government has two major functions: to protect Americans, and to safeguard our constitutional liberties.

When both federal and state governments fail at both functions, services like Black Wolf will fill the need.