I’m not sure what’s worse — that this is an actual business concept, or that I can almost understand why people would consider using this…
In this post:
BlackWolf offers rides with armed drivers
Ridesharing has become a part of so many peoples’ daily routines, with Uber and Lyft being household names. Now there’s a company named BlackWolf, which has the same general idea, but with a twist.
BlackWolf offers ridesharing through an app, and currently it’s available in several cities in Florida (I’m shocked!!), plus in limited places in Arizona and Georgia. A friend just made me aware of this, as the service recently expanded to Miami.
What makes BlackWolf different than a standard rideshare is that the drivers have at least four years of experience in military, law enforcement, or the security sector. Oh, and if you choose the BlackWolf Armed service, then you’ll get a driver carrying a gun.
While the claim is that this is no more expensive than a premium rideshare, I don’t think that’s quite fair. For example, I pulled up pricing for a ride from a hotel in Brickell to Miami International Airport (MIA), and the cost for an armed ride is $97.
In Miami, the pricing for the armed service has a base fare of $30, a minimum fare of $65, and a rate of $2.50 per mile and $1.35 per minute.
BlackWolf’s mission and marketing
So, how do you come up with the idea for a business like this? Here’s how the company describes why it started:
Kerry KingBrown, the founder of BlackWolf, was inspired to create a platform that could protect individuals from exploitation after hearing a friend’s story of being sex trafficked. The inception of BlackWolf App was driven by a desire to ensure public safety from predators. As the app evolves into a ride-hailing service for everyone, BlackWolf App remains committed to fostering a secure environment for all passengers and supporting the worldwide initiative to eradicate exploitation.
Meanwhile here’s the company’s mission statement:
Our mission is to provide safe, reliable, and professional ride share services while actively combating human trafficking. We achieve this mission by redefining ride-hailing by providing unmatched safety and professionalism, leveraging drivers with experience in law enforcement, the military, and security sectors.
BlackWolf seems to be doing really well on social media, and has big followings on Instagram, TikTok, etc. Below are a few of the videos, all featuring the company’s founder.
I don’t know what to think of BlackWolf
Obviously this concept is way out there, and that’s why the company is getting a lot of attention on social media. The company has well over 500K followers on Instagram, and some videos have been viewed nearly 10 million times. I don’t know to what extent that converts to customers, though…
What do I make of this concept? Without getting political, I’ll just say that I’m probably not their target audience. Still, I have a few thoughts.
First of all, it’s interesting how the messaging here is all about external threats. For example, in one of the videos, the founder states that “I’m tired of hearing about abductions, and I’m tired of hearing about how woman are being mistreated, and I’m tired of hearing of children hopping out of vehicles because they feel unsafe.”
It’s possible I’m missing something, but I feel like many of the problematic Uber and Lyft stories I hear are of situations where there’s a dispute between the passenger and the driver, or where one party is being creepy. I’m not sure arming one party in this interaction would really put me at ease that much.
I’m also curious what exactly the target market here is, given the steep pricing. If you have actual, serious security concerns, I feel like a stranger being armed won’t actually help you that much. You’d otherwise maybe have your own gun, your own security detail, bulletproof windows on your car, etc. How often does a passenger in a rideshare casually think “boy, I wish my driver had a gun?”
All that being said, I have to fully acknowledge that I almost don’t think this is a terrible idea. Like, have you driven in Miami? People here are absolutely batsh*t crazy, and the amount of desperate, wannabe alpha-male, hyper-masculine energy on the roads is just more than any reasonable person should have to endure.
Traffic disagreements in Miami are often “resolved” with guns. I had a friend a few weeks ago who honked at someone who cut him off, and the driver’s response was to hold his gun up for him to see. A couple of years ago, Ford accidentally cut someone off on the highway (who was accelerating way too fast), and the guy then tailgated him down the highway for 15 minutes, to the point that Ford had to call the cops, and get them involved.
This city, it’s just too much for me…
Bottom line
BlackWolf is a ridesharing app with a twist. It’s available in select markets, with a particular focus on Florida. What makes it different than other ridesharing platforms is that drivers have a background in law enforcement and security, and are armed.
Are the end of times near, or do I just need to get with the times? I dunno…
So, ummm, should I take a BlackWolf ride this evening, and report back?
Given the fact that a certain demographic which makes up about 13% of the population is going out of their way to make life miserable for everyone else...it's a great idea.
The only demographic group that has made things so awfully miserable for everyone else are the racist male misogynists who are identified as “white supremacists” but really are such insecure snowflakes and mental midgets with fragile egos that they seek shelter in racism and peddling racism.
Look at crime statistics first. Talk later.
As someone who lives the majority of my life in the rural bliss of the ‘real’ Hampshire, as opposed to the new one, I find this concept …. well, intriguing.
I visit family in CO regularly, travel the US extensively, by motor vehicle, train and by air.
My awareness of the dangers of being in close proximity to numpties with guns is profound, however, I remain undeterred.
Was I aware that such...
As someone who lives the majority of my life in the rural bliss of the ‘real’ Hampshire, as opposed to the new one, I find this concept …. well, intriguing.
I visit family in CO regularly, travel the US extensively, by motor vehicle, train and by air.
My awareness of the dangers of being in close proximity to numpties with guns is profound, however, I remain undeterred.
Was I aware that such a service existed, no.
Could I be tempted to use such a service, doubtful.
My bottom line is; that this is simply a marketing ploy cashing in on the fears of the neurotic traveler.
Gee whiz. The crazies are out in droves with this blog post.
Ben, a thought. For a while these comments will be fascinating, and then they become a bore... at which time rationale comments end, and a bulk of readers will disappear.
That's the cycle that happens when comments aren't moderated. Your blog is on the verge...
Any Uber passenger in Oakland,California will qualify as a Driver for Wolf. they all carry Guns in Oakland.
This doesn't make much sense to me unless the driver also acts as security in the event something happens. I always carry anyways so if the point is just have someone with a weapon, it doesn't add anything.
Why stop at just a gun? I want a driver who has a black belt, driving an armored vehicle with an RPG in the trunk, and a motorcade.
I would guess there are probably a multitude of scenarios where this might make sense. If I made an expensive purchase in any large city I would use this. I've also had multiple friends victims of car jackings. Perhaps also family members where there is a custody dispute or some other type of domestic issue or threat.
Where do your friends live and go that you have so many who have been car jacked? I have a pretty large social circle in major cities across the country who have rather nice cars and live in the downtown areas, and it seems very rare for an individual to be carjacked. It seems way more likely that Americans get shot by a family gun of their own at their own home or in the possession of someone they know or knowingly let into their life.
I'm not surprised this seems to be focused on Miami. That has to be the worst city for Uber and Lyft, it feels like every time I try to get one there, the driver cancels or calls me with some weird story... and then half the time, the driver seems super sketchy. I don't really want a driver with a gun, but I would pay a premium in Miami to get a car where the driver has been more fully vetted and just acts like a normal human being without weirding me out.
I’ve taken them once. Had a huge win at a casino and didn’t feel safe leaving the casino….let alone jumping in a Uber. Got me home safe and would highly recommend them.
Did someone try to carjack you? Have you been carjacking before?
Why are you helping to promote these fascist goons?
Bobo, what that is reported in the article do you consider to promoting the subject service?
What in the article leads you to believe that the drivers are fascists?
Your use of the words “Fascist goons” rather sounds racist to me, could it be so?
The cars need to be armored. If not, you are not getting the protection you need. Also the drivers need to be certified in tactical driving.
Great….. that’s all this country needs…. More paranoid people with more ridiculous reasons to carry a gun. Next, they’ll justify bulletproof windows and hidden pop-out sub-machine guns in their vehicles front grill to protect their passengers from illegals (supposedly mostly cartel members) entering across the Mexican border who’s aim is to come the the good old USA to become professional car-jackers.
I wonder if passengers will receive complementary cup of Black Rifle Coffee during their rides?
This seems like a level above Alto, which is similar to Uber in that it's an app, but the drivers are employees not freelancers, and they all drive company vehicles (Buick Enclaves in my experience). You get a higher level of service than random drivers and cars with Uber.
But.. Alto pulled out of DC earlier this year, so they are only in Dallas, Houston, LA, and Miami (with rumors of pulling out of Miami too).
Ben, people will make all issues political, especially discussing topics of guns and religions. If you fear for your life to an extent that necessitates such service, you live in the wrong country. Before I left Kuwait three decades ago, white westerners asked me if I truly wanted to move to CA because US was, and still reigns supreme today, the most violent and litigious country in the world. When I read readers ask if...
Ben, people will make all issues political, especially discussing topics of guns and religions. If you fear for your life to an extent that necessitates such service, you live in the wrong country. Before I left Kuwait three decades ago, white westerners asked me if I truly wanted to move to CA because US was, and still reigns supreme today, the most violent and litigious country in the world. When I read readers ask if it is safe to visit this country and that city, or name other unsafe foreign countries, I know they are not well seasoned travelers as they strongly believe they are. I often hear die hard gun owners support Second Amendment right to protect themselves from the tyrannical government. My question is how do they protect themselves with guns against the world's second biggest nuclear arsenal government. In reality, more than 90% of mass shootings are perpetrated by native born white males. When Reagan was CA governor, the Black Panthers , at one time, protested outside the legislature with guns. Reagan supported the right to bear arms to military and law enforcement as the Second Amendment clearly stipulates. Within thirty days, Reagan and the legislature passed the law, not introduced, forbidding gun protests near the legislature. We can compare the same incident that happened to Governor Whitmer during Covid. The gun rights are upheld as long as they are applied to white males only.
"If you need a bodyguard and a driver this is a good deal. I would trust a military or law enforcement background." proves the majority of the population did not learn the lesson of Jan 6th or attempted to rewrite its history. And we also know the makeup of such representation of the population. As the Founding Fathers clearly indicated, the US government would only fall from within.
Yawn. Mass shootings account for ~1% of all gun deaths. Multiply that by 20x for gang related homicides. You should really look into some statistics over your own feelings and curated historical events that dictate your racial hatred.
Globetrotter. If you want to quote me try that reply feature. Believe or not, I'm am a moderate person. There are people in the US that have kidnapping insurance required for their employment, that are in court often and receive death threats daily. They wish to live more comfortably with their circumstances.
I think we need an OMAAT review of this "premium" product.
I came here to say this!
This is a great idea....if you've always wanted to do inner city drug transactions from the comfort of a back of a SUV w/ an armed ex-military driver! The $97 will pay for itself! ...but for everyone else - use Uber X!
High ranking officials and CEO's travel with armed drivers. I don't see the issue here if that's offered to everyday people.
Also, most people in these cities carry weapons in their cars. Don't ride around thinking the person next to you isn't packing.
These are cab drivers, not body guards. Once you get to your destination, the armed driver stays in car and you’re on your own.
How dare you call a BlackWolf driver a cab driver.
@Alonzo: The lady doth protest too much, methinks
Alonso, please educate the readership as to your definition of a BlackWolf driver?
Thank You ! truly a gimmick. I am a no-body. I have no use for this service, and I am genuinely sorrowful that some feel that they do. What a sad state of affairs
Excellent idea. They can't expand quick enough. Philly, Baltimore, NYC, Atlanta, LA, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis Oakland and Memphis would be fantastic places to start.
You're afraid of black people, we get it.
In case you missed it, this is a black-owned business.....
Santos - The cities Kevin named all have very high crime rates. You are the one who inferred race from that. You sound like a bigot.
Ah yes, the "very high crime rate" cities of NYC and LA--ranking only a dozen or so spots below notorious crime-ridden hellholes Anchorage, Alaska and Wichita, Kansas.
The crime rate in the country has fallen lower under the Biden Administration than it was when the country was administered by a conman-in-chief who is now running to be elected again as the criminal-in-chief of the country.
The bulk of gun-related casualties in the US have nothing to do with gangs or mass shootings. They have to do with too many of the wrong people possessing guns when they shouldn’t be possessing them.
1. If a driver needs to have both hands on the steering wheel, how can they handle a gun?
2. If someone needs armed drivers, they either bought or sold bad drugs. Time to look at life!
If you were in the jewelry/watch business and needed to transport say 20 Rolexes, you wouldn't consider this service? Especially in areas with high crime rates?
Any business working with transporting things worth that much wouldn't have use Uber????
Sometimes security by obscurity is a better choice.
No. I'd contract with an actual security service. You know, someone licensed, insured, and contractually responsible to ensure the safe transportation of $100k+ in merchandise.
"Must have a minimum of 4+ years of experience in the military, law enforcement, or security sector. Meet the minimum age to drive in your
city."
Minimum driving age in many places is 16 years old. Four years as a private security guard so you could get someone in their early twenties who'd never had a lick of training in firearms packing heat. What could possibly go wrong?
If you need a bodyguard and a driver this is a good deal. I would trust a military or law enforcement background. We live in a strange time.
If you're the type of person who really needs a bodyguard, you almost certainly have one (or more likely, a team of them) already.
Pete that is not necessarily true. Most will never need security. Those that do stay protected in place, and gosh darn sometimes you need to get out!
One would have to live a life completely paralyzed by fear in order to see the value proposition of this. I feel sorry for such people.
"One would have to live a life completely paralyzed by fear in order to see the value proposition of this."
You've just described the entire Republic party.
Bingo
@TravelinWilly -- "You've just described the entire Republic party".
Believing that an entire group of people think, believe, and act the same based on a label is stereotyping. Stereotyping is the same way racist, sexist, and homo phobic's think.
@Don: judging people for the beliefs they chose themselves is in no way the same as racism, sexism, or homophobia
@Watson: I agree. Judging someone based on their beliefs is not the same as judging them based on their race, sex, or sexual preference.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts without being rude, nasty, or insulting.
People of every race, sex, sexual preference, religion, or political party, are human beings. Each having their own life experiences. Experiences that are a part of who they are as an individual. And that is why it...
@Watson: I agree. Judging someone based on their beliefs is not the same as judging them based on their race, sex, or sexual preference.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts without being rude, nasty, or insulting.
People of every race, sex, sexual preference, religion, or political party, are human beings. Each having their own life experiences. Experiences that are a part of who they are as an individual. And that is why it is possible that you will find people with similar beliefs to be of a different race, religion, sex, sexual preference, or political party.
If only, as a child, the emphasis on teaching us to talk was as important as teaching us to listen.
As opposed to the entire Democratic party who are paralysed with fear by the thought of being misgendered, or being triggered about "white supremacy" every time they see an American flag?
Pete, you've successfully described literally no one. I'm guessing you're one of the people who bought into the litter boxes in schools hoax a few years back?
"Rate me 5 stars or else"
I agree with you, it seems like overkill and invites more problems than it solves, especially in Miami.
For a place like Rio, Caracas, or Johannesburg, however, I can see this being a useful service.
Tell us you've never been to Johannesburg without telling us you've never been to Johannesburg.
@Peter
Caracas has changed from 8 years ago . Yes there is still widespread poverty but there is no longer a food shortage and the crime level has declined. Locals claim that gangs have migrated to other countries.
This is ridiculous and reflective of media-fueled paranoia. Maybe this would make sense in Venezuela or Brazil, but there's not a single place in the U.S. that warrants this, unless you're a drug dealer or celebrity or politician or something.
What makes you think this is necessary in Brazil? I've been dozens of times no issues.