I am hearing more and more about Uber in the news lately and think it is a great transportation solution. I have always been fearful of taking traditional taxi rides because some of the taxi drivers are just scary...I know this from personal experience. They are also starting to replace rental cars for people who are taking business trips because it is cheaper and you get curbside service. Has anyone taken an Uber ride before? I would like to try it because it seems like a more trustworthy and safe transportation mode.
I've heard a little bit about Uber but I am not sure if I really trust it that much. To me it seems a lot more scary rather than taking a cab from a cab company, which to me seems a lot more sensible and safe.
An early major complaint of Uber was you gave up virtually all private information -- very significant overreach -- upon installation and use of the phone app. It was a firestorm of controversy in the months following Uber's launch. I have no experience with Uber, nor have I followed the story. At the time of Uber's launch, the usual business networks and web sites followed the noise. I have no idea how of if the complaints were addressed. HTH. YMMV.
Exactly! I agree. I'm not really familiar with Uber's screening process. To be honest, I'm not familiar with much about Uber. It sounds to me just like hitch hiking meets the digital age. I would feel much safer taking a taxi.
Uber is amazing. I like to go out with my friends once a month to a few local pubs, we make sure no one is able to drive home =) Normally we either get one of the spouses to pick us idiots up, or we take a taxi (which is always expensive and never on time.) Been taking Uber for about a year and have nothing but great things to say. Drivers are polite and clean and drive newer model vehicles. They all undergo background and license checks, just as detailed as regular taxi's if not even more so. Payment is done via the app and your credit card, no cash ever changes hands. You get to see your drivers profile and ratings and type of vehicle all beforehand. If safety is concerned, why is it that you trust a conventional taxi? I punch in my Uber ride and then I know say Lisa or Tarek is coming to get me in XX mins, and you get to watch real-time GPS data of them on their way. Often they will even call to introduce themselves and get clarification on the pickup and drop off spot. Most taxi's will show up and if your not ready or in an exact spot they will just leave or grab another fare. Now I look back and think that regular cabs were actually less safe! I don't know a thing about the driver beforehand, no reviews and never a receipt. I will never take a conventional taxi again.
Unfortunately Uber is not available where I live. That being said Taxis are VERY high quality here, never issues with safety, clean and new cars etc. But the problem with taxi's is the price, it's ridiculously expensive. The moment Uber becomes available I'll give it a try because from what I've heard the quality is good but I know the price will be significantly lower.
Uber and other schemes have made an impact because they are cheaper than mini-cabs or private hire cars. These days Uber is under pressure to do more background checks on drivers because of the rapes and incidents where drivers have taken a passenger to the airport and then robbed their place knowing they had gone. I think for women it can be harder, as some male drivers can't always be trusted and that's also down to the area and what drivers are available.
I agree with the things you said. I think Uber can be considered safer than regular taxis because even before your taxi arrives, you already know who is picking you up. You know his face and you already have his information with you so this would make the driver hesitant in ever trying to do something bad to you because he knows that information about him is already with the client.
I live in New York and frequent other major cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington DC. The truth is that in many places Uber is more convenient and less expensive than hoping for a taxicab, particularly in downtown SF, where I found it nearly IMPOSSIBLE to get a cab, or Washington DC, where I found that odd zoning makes taking a taxi ridiculously expensive (this may have changed recently...last I was there, late 2014, I relied solely on Ubers and shunned the taxis). That said I keep seeing stories about shady business practices and drivers doing horrible things to passengers every once in awhile. They are definitely an aggressive company, business-wise, but as a consumer it's hard to find fault with them because the service they offer is so utterly useful. What I'm most interested in now is what Uber's competition will do in response to their massive growth.
Unfortunately, here in our country, Uber is being banned already as well as other ride-sharing services. Those who have registered before the ban, they can continue on in being in the business. But other cars and drivers cannot register anymore. So yeah, it's such a shame because we've tried Uber before and it exceeded our expectation. We're used to dirty cabs, reckless drivers and overpriced fares. But with Uber, you get none of that! I don't know why our government is banning it...sigh.
