sanibella

I have seen many threads about car service, in New York especially, with mixed reviews for Dial 7 and Carmel and others. This weekend we used Uber, a relatively new service that is now available in many cities. A search on Fodors revealed that there is no information on this service and I think it is important for fellow travelers to know about it.

We mostly used regular yellow cabs when available but during the week and especially later at night the demand was very high, especially the night it snowed. We tried to hail a cab with no luck for 30 minutes and we finally remembered about Uber. We also used Uber when we were pushed for time on our last day, and needed to get back to our hotel quickly, and then gather our luggage and go to the airport.

Uber is an app for your phone. When you download the app, you sign up and attach the app to your paypal account. Uber uses no cash, so your rides are prepaid. Therefore no cash exchanges hands (except tips). You choose the size car you need, you agree to the rate ahead of time, you enter your destination before you even arrange the pick up, and the app locates you using gps.

Once you arrange your car, the app texts you every minute or so to let you know when your driver will arrive (you have already been texted with a license number and approximate time of arrival, usually 5-7 minutes). Once he is there, you hop in and go. It is so easy.

This is not an advertisement -- I would not recommend this service to use every time you need a car in a big city. A cab would do just as easy. When we used Uber the price was higher than a cab because we traveled at peak times when demand was high. During the snow it was 2.5 times the standard fare and at the end of our trip it was 1.25 times. Either way, it was totally worth it when we needed a cab and couldn't get one in freezing cold weather, and also when we were too pushed for time. Maybe not for every trip but it is there when you need it!

Dayenu

I read in the local San Francisco paper about Uber and Pink Mustache - not sure if the same, or 2 diff. companies, nobody ever complains, always positive reviews. I see those cars with pink mustaches all over the city. To my surprise, they don't speed up on yellow light

The only downside - they work through iPhone, a huge minus for us who don't have them

sanibella

I was wondering about that-if they worked with other phones?

I bet they will figure it out soon. I think the app service has grown significantly fast. I don't think it was available in very many cities this past summer but seems to be widespread now.

Our drivers were both amazingly conscientious. One apologized twice when he went over big bumps. Like we even cared!

NewbE

Thank you very much for posting this information! I had not heard of the service, but now I will know to add it to our arsenal of travel tools.

NeoPatrick

I learned several years ago that most drivers for car services are independent contractors. One driver with his car may work for half a dozen or more different car services. They are called and scheduled by any of them. So the idea that one agency has better cars or better drivers is really kind of silly. It's all the luck of the draw.
In fact we stood outside our building in NYC a couple years ago while one driver pulled up and went through his various signs. He had different signs for the different services, and then writes the name on the one that has the name of the agency that scheduled that particular job.

On the other hand, how good a job each service does with being able to contract you or you able to contact them and follow through IS important. This app sounds like a good deal, so long as it works.

BigRuss

A search on Fodors revealed that there is no information on this service and I think it is important for fellow travelers to know about it.

Maybe no info on Fodors, but unless you're avoiding the info, there's a TON of information on Uber. A Google News search yielded just under 2.5 million hits and the fights between Uber and various taxi commissions (most notably in DC) have been national news.

HappyTrvlr

Glad to know Uber is an option.

Ackislander

Beware of surge pricing during storms when users in New York and Boston have been quoted rates up to $24 per mile. The company says this is a good thing because it gets more vehicles out on the road:

http://nypost.com/2013/12/16/uber-un...m-price-surge/

newtome

I have used Uber since its beginning here in SF. While I 'm not crazy about their "surge" pricing and have never used it during those times, they CLEARLY mark that it is a surge and you can estimate the fee you'll be charged before you go.

newtome

PS In SF and some other places, it is a flat rate to the airport.

Also - technically the ride is not "prepaid" - you give a CC when you sign up and that card is charged whn you exit the car.
Unlike Lyft (the pink mustacshes - individualls who agree to give rides!) Uber customer service is VERY responsive via email and Twitter if there is a problem - I've had maybe 5-6 problems in the past 3 years and they've all been resolved quickly

starrs

Uber has come up twice in conversation in the last couple of days. A retired friend has started driving for them for extra money and loves it. Another friend used it for the first time to go to the airport.

This is Atlanta.

Two very positive experiences on each side of the experience.

Ackislander

Starrs, this is a serious question, not a snark. Who covers the passenger if your friend has an accident?

My car insurance does not cover me or my car for any commercial use, I.e., driving people or goods for money. If I got in an accident and my passenger was hurt, the passenger would sue me and could come after all my assets including my house.

I know that Über is going to require drivers to have some insurance, but the amounts described in the news reports are trivial. über is a Dutch company, so you would have to sue them in the Netherlands ( it says so on their website) if you wanted to make them a party to a suit.

I love the idea of Uber but I am really concerned about the liability issue and hope to hear from someone who is actually doing it.

china_cat

i used an Uber car when I was in Washington DC last weekend. It was a bit more expensive than a metered cab, but it was a nicer car in this case. We were able to bargain the driver down from his initial inflated price to something a bit more reasonable.

But I'm particularly curious about using them in New York. I find it impossible to get a cab at about 4:30PM, during the shift change....and this is generally when I want one the most, with tired feet from a long day of sightseeing I just want to get back to my hotel and rest. So can you really get an uber car at this hour? Any idea how much they would charge you to go from say the Metropolitan Museum to Times Sq area (so say about 40 blocks) at rush hour?

starrs

Ackislander, I don't know. I wondered the same.

china_cat, you can submit the info for a quote but I don't know about the time frame. I imagine so. The request is put out to the drivers and the first one to accept it gets it. Since it's a private driver there is no shift change so I imagine so.

doug_stallings

My guess is about $20. It ends up being about twice as expensive (or more) as a regular taxi and about 1.5 times as expensive as a regular car service during busy times. But if you look, you'll see black cars roaming the streets around shift-change time (particularly in proximity to banks and major offices ... I see them a LOT on Park Avenue), and you can do a curbside negotiation. This is illegal, unlike the Uber service, which is not since car services must be called rather than hailed.

But Uber generally charges more during rush hour (often double what it normally charges). And if it's a busy night or if the weather is bad, Uber has been known to quadruple their charges.

I have nothing against these services, but the admonition that many Uber drivers are uninsured. The idea behind the service is that people can join the so-called "sharing economy" and make money off their unused private cars when they need to. To me, this further deprofessionalizes the taxi business even more than it already has been in NYC. I think my main problem is that the CEO is a big jerk and lauds his ability to charge whatever he can when demand is high. All this is great for the 1% but not so good for regular folks who need to get places and don't have time for the subway. But NYC has always been like that, so what can you do?

starrs

"...ther deprofessionalizes the taxi business even more than it already has been in NYC"

I think the taxi drivers are more of a problem than Uber.

thursdaysd

Before you get too excited by the "sharing economy", you might read these articles:

http://www.salon.com/2014/03/14/shar...st_businesses/

"The most high-profile sharing economy apps are designed to generate significant profits for a relatively small number of people."

http://www.salon.com/2014/01/28/the_...onomy_partner/

The “sharing economy” has seen a rapid slide away from collaborative sharing towards further deregulated and precarious employment — the direct consequence of venture capital funding and the growth imperatives that come with that money. Such a project won’t bring us any closer to the more equitable society we want to see any time soon.

Also, do a search on "assault" and "Uber".

Unfortunately, "sharing economy" may turn out to be an unhappy oxymoron. Aside, perhaps, for couchsurfing.

NeoPatrick

Huh? Am I the only one scratching my head at that last post?

Is it a result of simply searching the word "Uber" and rattling on without even reading the thread?

bardo1

Lyft is better. Also cheaper. On top of the drivers personal insurance, Lyft provides $1,000,000 additional coverage. Look for the pink mustache...I've used it in DC, LA, SF,...super friendly drivers, prompt and great snacks...

Ackislander

"On top of the drivers personal insurance". That's my issue.

Does the driver's personal insurance cover him/her if they are using their car for commercial purposes? Mine doesn't. Does the driver have an excess personal liability policy, commonly sold in $1,000,000 tranches? How do I know that? Do I have to go after his house or savings if I have hospital bills from an accident?

I will look into the insurance coverage with Lyft. Thanks.