debthaven
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Uber?
Feb 9, 2016 19:07:21 GMT -5
Post by debthaven on Feb 9, 2016 19:07:21 GMT -5
Being in France we are probably very late to the game, but Uber has changed my life!
My DS3 is 17, a HS senior, doesn't yet drive. He has been in an optional theatre class since last year. It's optional, but it's by auditions only, they only take 10 new kids per year in 11th grade, to replace the 10 who are in 12th grade and graduating. But, it counts for the Baccalaureate, so it's important. Once they sign up, they have to take it very seriously.
They put on a play every year, but they also see about 8 plays a year in or near Paris, and they have to do an extensive project about them. Last year, DH and I went a bit crazy picking DS3 up at midnight, sometimes the night before I had to get up at 6.
In Dec, DS3 had a medical appt on a day that DH couldn't get away, and I was out of town. The appt was 20 min away by car but 1.5h away by public transport. I knew that his best friend had had a Uber account for a while, so I said, maybe we should sign you up for one?
DS3 signed up, on my account. It solved that initial problem, getting him home after that medical appt.
But then, it meant that anytime DH or I didn't feel like picking him up after one of the theatre outings, he could take a Uber home from the station!
Today DH had to pick DS3 up (at 9.15). DH was grumbling. I said, you've got a very short memory, only a few months ago, we had to pick DS3 MUCH more often, and MUCH later than that!
Do you use Uber?
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souldoubt
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Post by souldoubt on Feb 9, 2016 19:12:27 GMT -5
Uber's awesome. Any time we head out and plan on drinking we take an uber and I'll admit some months back even after imbibing a bit too much intoxicated me had no issues calling an uber even though I may not remember it. I live in an area where we have bad public transportation as it's limited to cabs and buses since we don't have much of a train system and definitely don't have subways. To me uber is the evolution of what cabs should have been. We used to call a cab and sometimes it would take 45-60 minutes for terrible service and now it's a matter of minutes.
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milee
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Post by milee on Feb 9, 2016 19:14:55 GMT -5
Love it. When we visited friends in NY and also were up in New England for regattas, we took Uber to/from the airport. Flawless timing, clean and less expensive than a cab.
My town is pretty small and has sparse public transport. A few cab companies, but they're unreliable and usually dirty. We use Uber if we've been drinking. In fact, a few of my girlfriends and I plan to Uber it on Friday after we see "How to Be Single" and go out drinking.
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debthaven
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Uber?
Feb 9, 2016 19:21:13 GMT -5
Post by debthaven on Feb 9, 2016 19:21:13 GMT -5
Haha! Like I said, I'm obviously very late to this party!
Per one of my student's presentations, the guy who founded Uber (I can't remember his name) actually got the idea while waiting for a taxi in Paris.
We are in the suburbs, so the public transport is OK during the day, lousy in the evenings, and non-existent at night. Our local trains stop at 11.30! The RER runs till about 2 am, so that's what DS3 uses when he comes home from the theatre outings, especially since most of his friends are on the RER line (but we're not) and we prefer he stay in a crowd with them.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Feb 9, 2016 19:24:06 GMT -5
I love Uber! They have my background so the drivers feel safe and I have theirs so I feel safe!
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debthaven
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Uber?
Feb 9, 2016 19:28:48 GMT -5
Post by debthaven on Feb 9, 2016 19:28:48 GMT -5
Zib, what do you mean by "they have my background and I have theirs"? Is this something that happens just because you sign up, or do you have to do something special?
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Feb 9, 2016 19:31:53 GMT -5
I have a close friend with a good paying job but no spouse/roommate and no family close by. Her friends (like me) all work too. Right after Thanksgiving she broke her right ankle and was unable to drive her car anywhere - let alone to work. We took her on our off hours to her doctor appointments and the grocery store, but Uber came to her rescue for work. Within the first couple of rides she found a young man who was more than happy to become her "regular" driver to get her back and forth to her job. If I had something like that available to me when I broke my leg 5 years ago, I might have tried to go into work instead of sitting at home for weeks on end going stir crazy.
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plugginaway22
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Post by plugginaway22 on Feb 9, 2016 19:32:28 GMT -5
We have used it many times in Philly and DC, always first rate and amazing... worth every penny!
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debthaven
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Uber?
Feb 9, 2016 19:33:39 GMT -5
Post by debthaven on Feb 9, 2016 19:33:39 GMT -5
Wow, thank you all!
It's still relatively new here (not with young adults anymore, but with people my age and with older minor kids) so your posts are so reassuring to me!
I know that DS1 used a Uber to get home from DS2's place the night of the terrorist attacks here. But although people their age (27 and 29) and my students (18-21) use Uber a lot, I don't know many people my age or DS3's age (17) who use it, so I'm greatly reassured!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2016 19:38:51 GMT -5
We are in the suburbs, so the public transport is OK during the day, lousy in the evenings, and non-existent at night. Our local trains stop at 11.30! The RER runs till about 2 am, so that's what DS3 uses when he comes home from the theatre outings, especially since most of his friends are on the RER line (but we're not) and we prefer he stay in a crowd with them. I follow news podcasts on france3.fr and the Paris taxi drivers are NOT happy! DH and I rarely use taxis but have encountered the usual apathetic monopolies in various cities, with long wait times and indifferent service. Competition is good. I do think, though, that they should be required to carry appropriate liability insurance.
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debthaven
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Uber?
Feb 9, 2016 19:42:27 GMT -5
Post by debthaven on Feb 9, 2016 19:42:27 GMT -5
Oh Lord, Athena, that's another issue! They completely blocked Porte Maillot and the airports, I was so thankful that none of us had to go near there those days!
I met DS2 for lunch the first day of the strike, we usually go to a small Thai chain with a place near Porte Maillot, but we met in the one in the 8th instead.
And then as soon as that was over, the VTC (Uber types) started striking and blocking the airports too! Ouch!
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milee
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Post by milee on Feb 9, 2016 19:46:34 GMT -5
The taxi drivers here weren't happy, either. For a while it looked like our city might ban Uber or force Uber to register and go through all the hoops like taxi drivers, which would have pretty much shut it down. After listening to public comments, though, the city council did a really smart and progressive thing. They leveled the playing field between the taxi drivers and Uber by removing almost all the regulatory fees and rules for both Uber and the taxi drivers. Very cool IMHO.
I suspect people who want to protect taxi drivers have either never taken a taxi (God, why are they always so filthy?!?) or are so stoutly protectionist they feel we should all deal with expensive, subpar service just for the sake of protectionism.
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debthaven
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Uber?
Feb 9, 2016 19:57:39 GMT -5
milee likes this
Post by debthaven on Feb 9, 2016 19:57:39 GMT -5
I suspect people who want to protect taxi drivers have either never taken a taxi (God, why are they always so filthy?!?) or are so stoutly protectionist they feel we should all deal with expensive, subpar service just for the sake of protectionism.Welcome to France!
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Feb 9, 2016 20:12:53 GMT -5
So, I'm in the minority. There have been several cases of Uber riders being robbed and/or attacked by the drivers around here. ODS has taken Uber into and out of Boston with a group of friends, so I figure "safety in numbers". But, I am really, really leery of him taking one from BWI to his college campus an hour or so away. He doesn't know the area, so wouldn't know if the driver had strayed off course, and, he is frankly a little too naive and trusting. I've asked him to wait for, and take, the college's FREE airport shuttle on his trips home. He knows enough about the college shuttle driver (an older, non-traditional student who drives as his work study job) that I feel like I could identify the driver if anything happened. Not so with an Uber driver and a lone passenger.
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justme
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Post by justme on Feb 9, 2016 20:15:29 GMT -5
I use it, though living downtown we can walk to many bars so don't need it a often.
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teen persuasion
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Post by teen persuasion on Feb 9, 2016 22:44:27 GMT -5
It's not in my area because it is illegal! Gotta love NYS, protecting us.
At my elbow is a survey from our state senator - one of the questions is about this very issue: Ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft have been outlawed in New York State because of a restriction in state insurance law. Do you believe ride sharing services should be allowed in Upstate cities and communities?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2016 23:10:56 GMT -5
Have used it many times in a few different cities and have always had a good experience.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Feb 9, 2016 23:25:33 GMT -5
Zib, what do you mean by "they have my background and I have theirs"? Is this something that happens just because you sign up, or do you have to do something special? They have my name address and cc number. When a driver accepts my request I get their name their picture and what they're driving.
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❤ mollymouser ❤
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Post by ❤ mollymouser ❤ on Feb 10, 2016 2:32:56 GMT -5
I don't have a Smart Phone ~ so I've never used it. (Then again, I haven't needed it, either)
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Feb 10, 2016 8:20:48 GMT -5
Zib, what do you mean by "they have my background and I have theirs"? Is this something that happens just because you sign up, or do you have to do something special? They have my name address and cc number. When a driver accepts my request I get their name their picture and what they're driving. Uber drivers also rate their passengers. So if you can't get a ride, there might be a reason for that. ;-) So be nice and don't vomit in their car!
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Feb 10, 2016 8:30:37 GMT -5
Eek!!
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skubikky
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Post by skubikky on Feb 10, 2016 9:04:23 GMT -5
Uber is great depending on your situation. My elderly Dad uses it in Atlanta to get to the Senior center each day for lunch. He usually gets a ride home from one of his "lady friends". It seems to work well for him.
We've used it in NYC and NJ(Hoboken). My DD uses it often for work going from BK to Manhattan and back.
In London we used a mini-cab from Heathrow to our flat. The rest of the time we used the tube but in the later part of the evenings we used Uber. It was just as it is at home, very convenient, reliable and reasonable.
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sarcasticgirl
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Post by sarcasticgirl on Feb 10, 2016 10:44:34 GMT -5
I use it all the time. I was very skeptical at first... but it is SO MUCH BETTER than cabs! I have yet to have an uber driver that spends the entire ride on the phone, like just about every damn taxi driver does. I have met some really awesome people!
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Feb 10, 2016 11:01:33 GMT -5
I use it all the time. I was very skeptical at first... but it is SO MUCH BETTER than cabs! I have yet to have an uber driver that spends the entire ride on the phone, like just about every damn taxi driver does. I have met some really awesome people! Speaking a language you don't understand while glaring at you in the rear view mirror.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Feb 10, 2016 11:24:12 GMT -5
My Son and his friend use UBER when they are going out. It is less than $10 per ride from what he says. I asked if that was per person, and he said that was what it cost for all of them to go together.
My DN lives in Madison, WI and he uses UBER a lot when he goes out drinking with his friends. He says that if they encounter surge pricing they usually just hang around awhile longer and check the price again, that it often goes back down.
I think UBER drivers here do have to carry liability insurance similar to what a taxi carries. The Taxi Drivers here were "protected" but they changed the rules for taxi drivers and made more licenses available for taxi's too. There is something going on right now where they are negotiating what access UBER drivers will have at the airport.
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Baby Fawkes
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Post by Baby Fawkes on Feb 10, 2016 11:46:58 GMT -5
They have my name address and cc number. When a driver accepts my request I get their name their picture and what they're driving. Uber drivers also rate their passengers. So if you can't get a ride, there might be a reason for that. ;-) So be nice and don't vomit in their car! Yeah and the nice thing with Uber is that you can see your score. Lyft does the same but you can't request to see your score. They'll send it to you at times with updates, but it's not readily available.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Feb 10, 2016 13:11:38 GMT -5
I have used Uber a handful of times. All good experiences. Much easier and nicer than a cab.
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greeniis10
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Post by greeniis10 on Feb 10, 2016 13:17:19 GMT -5
LOVE Uber! I was in San Fran for 4 days this past weekend for the Super Bowl and Uber was a godsend considering there were over a million people in the city and 526,000 BART riders on Friday alone. Never had to wait more than 5 min. for an Uber ride and the GPS on the phone shows you exactly where they are, their ETA and even what side of the street they will be on.
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Anne_in_VA
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Post by Anne_in_VA on Feb 10, 2016 14:01:07 GMT -5
I love Uber and use it all the time! I have limited vision and can no lnger drive so Uber has been a godsend when I don't have anyone to drive me. I used to use taxis but the wait was typically 45 minutes at a minimum and sometimes they didn't even show up! We do have some bus service in our city, but it only runs once per hour on many routes and usually stops at 6 pm. It can be nonexistent on weekends.
I also use Lyft at times. Their rates are comparable to Uber or a little less.
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cronewitch
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Uber?
Feb 11, 2016 5:14:17 GMT -5
Post by cronewitch on Feb 11, 2016 5:14:17 GMT -5
I haven't but haven't taken a cab in almost 50 years either. My niece's husband drives for them but I don't know much about them. Do you need a smart phone? I don't have a smart phone, I do have a tablet and dumb phone. Might be a good idea for when I am too old to drive and don't want to take the bus. Could I take a bus grocery shopping then have uber bring me home?
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