The Blogubertaxisairports

Uber Is My New Favorite Thing

Uber Is My New Favorite Thing
Open Image Modal
By 

Journalist

Journalist
|
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

I was going to the airport the other day and decided to finally try Uber. I summoned them on my cell phone and the app said a guy named Jerry (not his real name) would be at my doorstep in 5 minuts. And he was! Right on time.

I was expecting to see a car drive up with a big pink mustache, but Jerry reminded me that that is Lyft, their competitor. Just as well. Jerry didn't want to stand out anyway, I'll tell you why in a minute. The whole procecess was amazing, especially the car. A big black Chrysler 300 town car arrived with dark tinted windows, to pick me up. This was special. I had assumed that Uber cars were just your run of the mill Hondas and Volkswagons since people use their own cars, but this is not the case.

But after checking, I see they have two services. I chose Uber Black which is the premium option, UberX is the option where anyone can drive you in their car. I didn't know the difference but I'm glad I chose wisely by accident. Uber Black follows all state laws and the drivers are specially licensed. Cars are inspected once a year and the drivers have a $1 million accident insurance policy.


He asked me to sit in the front seat because the airport personelle is still giving them a hard time and if it appears as if he his chaufering people around, he'll get fined. So I rode right next to him. That's a good reason for not having a huge pink moustache on the front grill. The ride was fast and pleasant and Jerry was excited about Uber. He says on a good week he pockets $1000. Not bad for a college student, he told me he goes to class during the week and chauffeurs people nights and weekends. 


The good part about Uber is that the charge is all taken care via the phone app, so no money changes hands except for a tip, which I gave him. He just punches in the amount at the end of the ride and the system bills your credit card on file. One problem with the whole thing is that Uber is not allowed to pick you up at the airport, so coming home from my trip, I would have to use a yellow taxi, which is night and day compared to that big black town car. Oh yea, the total for the one way trip to the airport was $21.00, which is about half of the yellow cab cost, but the good part was I didn't pay a thing because your first ride ($30 and under) is free. So all I paid was the tip. And if this was the premium option, I wonder what the cost is for the UberX (free for all) option.

I really see the yellow cab companies as dinosaurs now. You really can't beat the Uber cars with the half price charge and the cleanliness, the speed and the professionalism of the drivers. The whole app is an amazing thing in itself. The person who created the whole system really has something special there.

Get your first ride FREE when sign up for Uber here.

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip