I was born into a taxi cab family. My dad was a cab driver. His father was a cab driver. His father’s father drove a horse and buggy. His father’s father was a rickshaw driver. I’ve got taxis in my blood. My favorite colors are yellow and black. My first car was an old taxi cab. My favorite movie is the legendary D.C. Cab starring Mr. T and Gary Busey. Basically, I dig taxis.
That’s why I was so resistant to this relatively new car service in Atlanta called Uber. If you’ve never heard of it, Uber has a fleet of drivers, driving their own cars, that patrol major metropolitan areas. As a customer, you download the uber app to your smartphone. After entering some basic info, including a credit card number, you can then order transportation at the tap of a finger.
When I first heard of the business model, I scoffed. Who are the drivers, I asked? Do they know where they are going? How expensive is this? I was a non-believer. After all, I’m a taxi man. Cabs have always worked fine for me. If something isn’t broke, why fix it?
I downloaded the Uber app about a month ago, mostly out of curiosity. I was having lunch in Buckhead and was stranded without a car. I knew I needed a ride back to the radio station, so while dining I downloaded Uber to my iPhone. I figured, as a “transportation expert” I should probably experience the system first hand.
It was simple enough to download the app and set my account up. As I was finishing my lunch I decided to order my ride. The app knew my current location, so I just had to enter in WSB as my destination. After pushing the request car button, a map popped up showing how far away my driver was, who she was (including a picture of her), what car she was driving and when she’d be there. It also estimated what my fare would be.
Sure enough, three minutes later, I walked out of the restaurant and there was my ride waiting for me. Her car was clean, she was polite, and the ride was relatively inexpensive. Overall, a very positive experience.
I didn’t use the app again until last weekend when I was in San Francisco for a wedding. Since I didn’t have a car I used it a lot. It proved to be invaluable. Short trips, long trips, the drivers were prompt and courteous. I never had to explain to them where I was going (they get my destination sent to their phone), I never had to give them money, there was no tipping, but most importantly I was always able to get a ride just minutes after I ordered it. It truly was stress-free traveling. And, it proved to be cheaper than a cab. My trip from the airport to my hotel in a taxi cost $45. The return trip in an Uber car, was only $33.
Back in Atlanta now, I don’t have much need for it, but if a situation arises when I need a ride, I would not hesitate to use Uber again.
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