If your area is dangerous enough that you feel the need to hire an armed Uber to take you around, it might be worth reconsidering whether living in a municipality of Baghdad than any American town from not that long ago is worth it. But, if, for whatever reason, it is, then you’re in luck if you live in the state of Georgia.
There, a newly created company called Black Wolf aims to protect passengers by allowing them to hire armed drivers to take them to and fro. The service has only been around for a month but, according to WSBTV, it’s already been downloaded 90,000 times.
Watch the local news report here:
A new rideshare company in Georgia will let you hire an armed driver to get you to your destination
“Our drivers are military, law enforcement, those who have been in the private security world for over five years. That’s the minimum we require”pic.twitter.com/bJUfuYyFfF
— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) June 8, 2023
As you can hear in the above video, Kerry Kingbrown, Black Wolf’s founder, noted that all sorts of people hire the company’s armed drivers because they feel more comfortable in an armed car than an unarmed one, saying, “We have clients from the political realm to the everyday blue-collar worker.” The cost of the service is somewhat affordable, costing about the same as Uber Black, so about 50 percent more than a basic rideshare ride.
And, attempting to belie the probable first impression that those who use the service will just be getting in a car with some random person with a gun and a potentially itchy trigger finger, he said that the drivers are trained to de-escalate situations rather than rely on weapons first, and that they’re trained professionals. “Our drivers are military, law enforcement, those who have been in the private security world for over five years. That’s the minimum we require. They can see a situation brewing before it happens,” Kingsbrown said.
Kingsbrown added that the company has already seen remarkable success and plans on expanding soon. “We’ve probably done over 180 rides and this is our first complete month,” he said. “Now that we’re here now, we’re expanding. My next stop is LA.,” he said.
It remains to be seen if the company will be able to expand beyond being a novelty. Many people who want to carry firearms already do so, either on their person or in their vehicle. That’s particularly true in Georgia now that it’s a constitutional carry state. So, those who would have cause to hire the service might feel uncomfortable around guns and not carry for that reason, making it unlikely they’d get in a vehicle with an armed stranger.
The target demographic, unless stricter training protocols were developed and highlighted to alleviate those concerns, would be people comfortable around guns and armed people who cannot carry because they plan on drinking or going to a gun-free zone, such as an airport or government building.
But, perhaps in less gun-friendly LA, there will be a larger target demographic of people that want safety but, because of California’s strict gun laws, are not allowed to carry a firearm.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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