With my 6th anniversary coming up on the 25th of November, I wanted to take the month of November to celebrate. I will be unveiling some of my favorite travel services and products. In this post, I want to rave about my experience with Uber, a global ridesharing service connecting drivers with riders.
Have you heard of Uber?
Ok, if you haven’t heard of Uber, you are not alone. I hate to admit it, but I had not even heard of Uber and its ridesharing product until I took a trip back to South Florida this summer and fall. I had spent the majority of late 2013 and 2014 on Kauai, which still does not have Uber services. However, I knew neighboring Oahu and its traffic ridden, parking limited Honolulu have certainly embraced Uber. I have many friends and peers that use it on Waikiki. Both my aloha friends and others around the world have been raving, choosing it over cabs or using personal cars.
So, why I chose to use Uber?
I had a Girls Night Out in Fort Lauderdale planned as part of my extended stay in Fort Lauderdale. I knew I would not want to deal with driving in the downtown area nor skip out on having an extra glass of wine and dancing until the wee hours. I downloaded the app fifteen minutes before I wanted to go. I then ordered a cab and set up payment with my PayPal account. I saw the picture of my driver and make/model of vehicle. It was amazing. My iPhone screen turned into a video game seeing the icon of my Uber driver coming closer and closer, even taking a wrong turn in my cumbersome community. Upon his arrival, I received an alert and stepped outside.
Unlike any other cab-like ride before, I happened to get a truck. It was clean. The driver was polite, prompt, and very knowledgeable about Uber. As a blogger and general curious cat, I had a lot of questions as far as insurance safety, and payment. To much disbelief, the vehicles used by Uber are fully insured by the owners (drivers) and then there is a rider that Uber has for any major accidents. Also, Uber has a driver as well as rider rating so that you can see the experience that others had had with a particular driver and vice versa. The safety concern was quickly addressed by the lengthy background check as well as driving record. Quite honestly, I sometimes have wondered in South Florida if my taxi drivers in the past had even passed a driving or vision test. Yikes!
I arrived downtown on time, safely, and more economically than a cab. Plus, I was able to have a pleasant conversation with my driver who was very worldly. He just so happened to be from London. Who would have thought?
Do you want to try Uber?
If you’re new to Uber. Your first ride’s free, up to $30! Sign up and claim your free ride here
Here’s to more good times and good stories in a 7th year and beyond!