Talking to your driver without giving out your number

Sometimes a driver needs to speak to you. They are at the gate you did not mean, or there is a road closed, or they cannot see you among fifty people outside a stadium.

The traditional way to solve this is for each of you to have the other's phone number. That works, and it also means a stranger now has your personal number permanently, for a five-minute journey.

In-app calling

Topsy carries voice calling inside the trip. You can speak to your driver while the trip is live without either side handing over a personal number.

It is available during the trip and tied to it, which is the correct scope: the reason to speak is the trip, and when the trip is over the reason is gone.

Messaging as well

For anything that does not need a conversation, in-app messaging during a live trip is often better. "I am at the side entrance" is easier read than shouted over traffic noise, and it leaves a record attached to the trip.

Why the scope matters

Handing out a phone number is a small decision that is impossible to undo. Most of the time nothing comes of it. Occasionally something does, and the person affected is usually the one who had the least choice about it.

Keeping contact inside the trip is not about assuming bad intent. It is about not requiring anybody to take that risk for a routine journey.

What to do if you need to speak after a trip

Contact support with the trip reference rather than calling the driver directly. Something left in a vehicle, a fare query, a complaint: all of these are better handled with the trip record attached than as a private conversation with no record at all.

For drivers

The same protection applies in reverse. Your personal number is not handed to every passenger, and a difficult passenger does not leave with a way to contact you afterwards.