It's plain to see that our society is changing in major ways, and one way it's changed is the advent of Uber, an alternative to taxis. I had heard of it numerous times, but had never actually looked into it or seen exactly how it worked.
Last week, I was on vacation in Los Angeles, California, and my boyfriend and I wanted to go see Hollywood. We were staying with my boyfriend's aunt and uncle, and they were both busy, so we decided to look into taking an Uber.
Here's how it works (via the Uber app): you choose which type of Uber you want. There's the Uber pool, which means you share the car with other people being picked up near you and dropped off near where you are. That wasn't an option for us, as there aren't many other people needing a ride from suburban LA to Hollywood, so we went with the regular Uber, which can hold up to three people. There's also options for Uber rides that can hold more people or are in more luxurious cars. The hour long ride cost us only about $35.
About four minutes after I requested the ride and was told who our driver would be, she picked us up in her Sequoia and we chatted all the way to Hollywood. She even recommended a restaurant and we ended up eating dinner there, and it was awesome!
The app told me exactly how much it would cost before we even got in the car, and I used my fingerprint to authorize the payment before we got picked up too. It charges you $0.01 when you request the ride, and charges you the full amount when your driver ends the ride. Also, the next time you get on the app after your driver ends the ride, you have to rate them on a scale of 1-5 stars, and tell the app what went good/bad/could be better, before you can request another ride.
We ended up needing an extra ride ($6) from Hollywood Boulevard to the Sunset Strip for dinner. A guy in a Prius picked us up and barely spoke to us. He was also texting, but only when stuck in traffic. I was starting to wonder if he even spoke English when we pulled up to our restaurant and he said "Have a great night guys!"
Finally, we needed a ride home. I felt kind of bad because I knew someone was going to have to drive us all the way back to suburbia where they would be hard-pressed t find a ride back to the city, where they get the most business. Our first driver had told us she was really lucky to have been around when we needed a ride. We ended up getting picked up by an elderly man in a Highlander (funny that we rode in Toyota's all day) who was very kind and asked us if we liked the music (classical) and the temperature. We didn't speak much after that, but it was a nice ride home.
All in all, my first experience with Uber went pretty smoothly, even in bustling Hollywood. It actually even made my boyfriend and I consider being Uber drivers ourselves! We decided it wasn't worth the miles that would be put on our cars. So, the next time you need a ride, remember that someone just like you took an Uber and lived to tell the tale.
