Alessandra Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Ds (a mature 15 year old) may have to take Uber in Washington DC/nearby suburbs. I have never used it and would love to get as much background as possible -- Hive experience or even anecdotes or links. My IRL friends say Uber s great. Then my friend Google comes up with tales of people being put in dangerous situations by Uber drivers. Uber drivers with expired insurance, iffy driving records, Uber stealing personal data. I am having a very hard time reconciling the stories I am getting online with recommendations of real life friends. Regular taxis are about 2-3x as much as Uber for the destinations he needs. HELP! Another question. I see that Uber does not seem to take VISA gift cards, so I would set up a mini student checking account for him with a VISA debit card. Is it better to use a debit card linked to a tiny account, or use the debit card to set up a PayPal account, which Uber also takes.That sounds safer, but more complicated????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 For a kid without an adult chaperone I'd just stick with a traditional taxi service and pay more. You have a little more liability and oversight with the business license of both driver and parent company than you do with Uber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 My DH has used Uber in many cities and prefers it to a traditional taxi service. The cars are cleaner and the drivers are mostly moonlighting to earn extra money. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 My son has used Uber with no problems. He uses an app on his phone, pays with a credit card, and tells the driver where to meet him. I am not a fan of debit cards and don't feel they are as secure as a credit card and won't use them. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandragood1 Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 My DH has used Uber in Northern Virginia with only good experiences. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 If you google taxi driver crimes, you'll find many stories as well. I think both options have bad actors, but Uber doesn't require cash and allows you to rate the driver. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
go_go_gadget Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 You might also consider Lyft. I prefer both the business model and culture. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 I don't know if DC has Shuddle, but that is like Uber/Lyft but for transporting children/seniors and the drivers have to be Trustline certified. I've considered getting a part-time job for Shuddle as a way to help pay for a new(er) vehicle. ETA: I found an article on Shuddle and the founder's name sounded super-familiar so I asked my DH about it. Turns out it was one of his colleagues at a previous job. He's a great guy and really cares about wanting to keep passengers safe. So while I can't vouch for all the individual Shuddle drivers, I can vouch for the company. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted June 28, 2015 Author Share Posted June 28, 2015 My DH has used Uber in many cities and prefers it to a traditional taxi service. The cars are cleaner and the drivers are mostly moonlighting to earn extra money. Thank you!!! My son has used Uber with no problems. He uses an app on his phone, pays with a credit card, and tells the driver where to meet him. I am not a fan of debit cards and don't feel they are as secure as a credit card and won't use them. Glad to hear your ds has had good experiences. I agree with you 1000% about debit cards, but ds is too young for a credit card. I do not want to put him n mine -- I would rather have the exposure of a tiny checking account than exposure up to my credit limit. My DH has used Uber in Northern Virginia with only good experiences. Good, thanks! If you google taxi driver crimes, you'll find many stories as well. I think both options have bad actors, but Uber doesn't require cash and allows you to rate the driver. Why didn't I think of the? So obvious. Of course. THX! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted June 28, 2015 Author Share Posted June 28, 2015 You might also consider Lyft. I prefer both the business model and culture. I have been seeing references to Lyft. I will check to see what it is like in DC area. Thx! I don't know if DC has Shuddle, but that is like Uber/Lyft but for transporting children/seniors and the drivers have to be Trustline certified. I've considered getting a part-time job for Shuddle as a way to help pay for a new(er) vehicle. ETA: I found an article on Shuddle and the founder's name sounded super-familiar so I asked my DH about it. Turns out it was one of his colleagues at a previous job. He's a great guy and really cares about wanting to keep passengers safe. So while I can't vouch for all the individual Shuddle drivers, I can vouch for the company. Oh, I saw something about Shuddle, maybe in Huffpost. It sounds like a great service. Ds can probably handle himself, but if dd ever had to go somewhere by herself, it would be invaluable. Amazing that you actually know the founder. Thx! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMCassandra Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 I just used Uber for the first time on a trip a week ago, on my husband's recommendation. It was terrific, 1/3rd of the typical taxi fare, and I paid online (no cash involved). Satisfied customer, here, although my data sample is small ; ). My husband has used them several times on travel and recommends them highly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
go_go_gadget Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 I don't know how it works with Uber, but with Lyft, you enter your payment information once into the app, and pay from the app each ride. You don't need to have the card on you (the driver wouldn't be able to do a thing with it, in fact), so your son wouldn't have the temptation of the card anyway. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted June 28, 2015 Author Share Posted June 28, 2015 I just used Uber for the first time on a trip a week ago, on my husband's recommendation. It was terrific, 1/3rd of the typical taxi fare, and I paid online (no cash involved). Satisfied customer, here, although my data sample is small ; ). My husband has used them several times on travel and recommends them highly. Thank you, thank you. Small sample is fine! Was payment on line, or did you have to show a card of any kind to the driver? How did the driver know that you were the one who called? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eight_gregorys Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 We used Uber while traveling recently, with all good experiences. You rate the driver and Uber does background checks on all it's drivers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMCassandra Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Thank you, thank you. Small sample is fine! Was payment on line, or did you have to show a card of any kind to the driver? How did the driver know that you were the one who called? When you download the app and create an account, you enter payment information. So it just charges that every time you book a ride (also through the app). Our driver, after accepting the ride request, phoned me and had us describe ourselves. When you request the ride, and a driver accepts, it tells you what kind of car the driver has and a picture of the driver. So when he pulled up we knew it was the right person. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 When you download the app and create an account, you enter payment information. So it just charges that every time you book a ride (also through the app). Our driver, after accepting the ride request, phoned me and had us describe ourselves. When you request the ride, and a driver accepts, it tells you what kind of car the driver has and a picture of the driver. So when he pulled up we knew it was the right person. Thank you -- that is helpful. I like to know what to expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara in AZ Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 My dad has been driving for Uber and Lyft for about a year and I have several friends that drive for one of those companies. No money ever changes hands between the passenger and the driver. Obviously I can only speak for the four drivers I know, but they're all honest, friendly, and reliable. Plus, DH works for PayPal, so go for the PayPal account. 😊 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 My dad has been driving for Uber and Lyft for about a year and I have several friends that drive for one of those companies. No money ever changes hands between the passenger and the driver. Obviously I can only speak for the four drivers I know, but they're all honest, friendly, and reliable. Plus, DH works for PayPal, so go for the PayPal account. 😊 😋 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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