I have a new favorite form of transportation (when I’m not driving, that is), and it has a catchy name: Uber.
I’m gonna cut straight to the chase – why do I like Uber so much? Two words come to mind – safety and convenience. I must admit, I was a little apprehensive about using Uber at first. Did I really need to download yet another iPhone app? Why use Uber when I could just flag or call a cab?
Here are the reasons I’ve become an Uber fan:
- Safety: I felt safer using Uber. When I requested my driver, it assigned me one almost immediately. The app showed me the make and model of the car and the photo of the person picking me up. Sure, it doesn’t guarantee safety, but I thought it was great to know who to expect to see at pick-up. I could also see the car on the map as it approached my location, so I knew exactly where they were and when they were close.
- Convenience: I don’t like downloading new iPhone apps, but this one was simple. I had it downloaded and had set up my account in less than five minutes. On top of that, you store your credit card in the app, so you never need cash or a form of payment on hand to order a ride. Uber already has that. When you’re ready to order, you can see if any cars around near your location, and once you’ve ordered, you get a pretty accurate estimate on how long it will take for your ride to get there. There are methods to contact and cancel your ride from the app – I haven’t tried these out, but they’re there (though, I do think the cancel option will charge you after a certain time period). Finally, I don’t live in NYC. It’s not always the easiest thing to find a cab, depending on where you are, but Uber makes it easy to catch a cab without having to look up cab company numbers.
The only improvement I can see (and maybe it’s there, but I missed it) would be the ability to order a ride for a particular time in the future. It seems like you can only order an Uber ride when you’re ready (or almost ready) to go.
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*** Check out how Uber works at the end of this post. In the meantime, here are photos from the Uber launch party at 5 Church ***
I had the pleasure of attending the Uber launch party a few weeks ago. One of the best parts was getting to try out Uber with a free ride to and from the event. We decided to check out the black car service, which was pretty swanky. It would definitely be nice to splurge on the black cars for special events.
Also part of the event – free cocktails! I tried out the Southern Hospitality, which was light and refreshing.
Since the event was at 5 Church, there were plenty of yummy eats being passed around all night.
The beets were a favorite for me.
This is a cake!
See – totally yummy cake.
Thanks for the fun night, Uber and 5 Church! And welcome to Charlotte!
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How Uber works*:
- Download & Set-Up: First things first, you have to download the free app and create your account, which includes storing your credit card information and agreeing to the terms and conditions. This was super fast for me – about 5 minutes or less via the phone app.
- Order Away: When you’re ready for a ride, pull up the app. The main screen shows you your location with an estimate on how long a ride will take. You can move the pick-up location with your finger or type in a new location if you want. Toggle the bottom button to switch between your car options. In Charlotte, you can currently choose between uberX (more like a regular cab – more affordable fare) and black car (when you feel like riding in style) and when you switch, your time estimate will change. Order your car and wait for a car matching the description you’re provided for car type and driver name/photo. There is a minimum charge.
- Pick Up: Unless you’ve opted out, you should get a text message when your ride is there. Head outside and ride out.
- Closing Out: Currently, you don’t need to tip your driver (I believe it’s included in the fare). Remember to give your driver a good rating if they did a great job. I think Uber uses the rating system to evaluate drivers.
*Check out the Uber web site for your city for full details, terms, pricing, etc. and the latest and great info. This post may not have full details for your city or as policies, etc. change over time. Here’s a link to Uber Charlotte.
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{Katie, Katy, me, Jenn, Kseniya at the launch party}
Thanks for stopping by!
Yay! We’ve had Uber here in SF for a while – it’s seriously the best!!
Oh wow!! This is SO nifty! What a great event.
Did you bother to find out if Uber performs background checks on their drivers? Did you ask if they regularly drug test their drivers? The answers may surprise you. It may be “cool” to see your cab arriving but I don’t think its that cool to have just anyone driving you around. Cab companies are required by law to have their drivers background checked and perform regular drug testing. If you ask me Uber is just cashing in on conveniance on the back of the cab industry with very little care about public safety. Maybe you should consider doing some research before recommending a service such as Uber to your readers.
I am an Uber driver now and we have a background check run seven years back, as for the drug test…no but I have worked with plenty of junkies that took a drug test and passed, so that’s not fool proof unless its hair or mouth swab done directly by the employer anymore. Just saying.
Then Hair or Mouth Swab it should be. Just sayin! 🙂
I didn’t see anything in the write up that suggested the author was “recommending” Uber. Her opinions were expressed, just as you did yours. I would never accept a “recommendation” from someone I didn’t know. But they are free to tell me their thoughts and experiences. I’m an adult. I make up my own mind.