Uber, Lyft, Amtrak, Greyhound, And Other Transportation Modes

Discussion in 'Automotive' started by Lon Tanner, Dec 5, 2016.

  1. Lon Tanner

    Lon Tanner Supreme Member
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    As I have previously posted, I gave up driving and sold my car because of no feeling in my right foot due to Peripheral Neuropathy making going back and forth from brake to accelerator difficult and dangerous.

    This morning I used UBER for the first time to go to my 11AM doctors appointment. I went to the entrance of my apartment and got out my I Phone, hit the app for UBER & put in the address of where I wanted to go. My phone showed that there were eight drivers available that were close to me. The first responder was DWIGHT. The phone showed his face and car including license number of the car and that he could pick me up in four minutes, which he did I found out that Uber drivers and their vehicles are thoroughly vetted before being able to represent UBER. The car and driver were just fine as was the 15 minute ride. Uber does not charge for the length of time like a taxi, but on distance traveled. I saw my doctor for my appointment and using my cell once again got a different driver and car going back to my apartment. I saw his picture and car as well and this guys name was Frank. The cost to go was $7.00 USD and the same on my returning home. TOTAL COST for this UBER experiment was $14.00 USD. Public Transportation for all the different places that I frequent and want to go is not practical or convenient. Not having to fight traffic, find a parking place or feed a parking meter is really nice. I plan to use Uber again tomorrow to take me to a movie that I want to see. Needless to say, the local Yellow Cab operation is not happy about Uber but that's their problem. Hooray for the Free Enterprise System & thank you Uber. The cost was immediately charged to my Visa Credit Card as soon as I arrived at my destination. Ain't Hi Tech wonderful?

    http:www.thoughtsandtravels.blogspot.com

    I've seen the commercials for Uber as well as job opportunities that are available.

    This is a service I would like to try once I'm not driving anymore. Thank you for sharing your experience @Ren Tanner.
     
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    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 23, 2019
  2. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    I am glad you were pleased with UBER @Ren Tanner. An acquaintance I met on a train trip to Texas had a completely different experience. When we arrived at the Houston train station we both got off and she called UBER for her ride while I waited for my daughter. She had a few drivers to pick from too and after she chose one seeing his face and car too....he let her know he would be there in 12 minutes. Then right before the 12 minutes were up, the driver texted her and said he wasn't coming. He did not say why, etc. I don't know how it all ended because my daughter arrived as the acquaintance was calling to find another driver.
     
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  3. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I love Uber. That's the best choice, I think, in Washington, D.C. Although there are cabs everywhere, drivers rarely speak English, I always suspect they are going the long way around, and they are more expensive than Uber. Today, we took Uber from our hotel in Arlington to the American Indian museum, then another Uber from there to a grocery store, and then a third Uber back to the hotel, for a total charge of under twenty bucks, and very short waits. One of our drivers wasn't talkative, but the others were very interesting. One was a college professor who was well familiar with the museum we were going to, as well as the other one we'll be going to in a couple of days. He is from Maryland. He took a fare from there to Washington, D.C. and decided to take a few other fares in D.C. until he came across one going back to Maryland.
     
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  4. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Ren Tanner
    The computer age has brought us definite electronic "miracles", beyond a doubt! At a cost, though. We have no smartphone of any kind, but we each have a purchased TracPhone. Land line, Dish, and ISP internet service costs us $145/mo. My first house mortgage payment years back was $88. Quite a comparison.

    For my part, the best possible practical use for computers is running our cars. Uber is great. The 90+% of unnecessary nonsense being performed via hand-held marvels, such as incessant babbling and gibberish, is to me ridiculous.

    I'm prepared for a deluge of disagreement. Hit me up!
    Frank
     
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  5. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    Except, of course, for the incessant babbling and gibberish that goes on here. ;)
     
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  6. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Ken Anderson
    Aha! You are the sly one, after I invited dissenting opinion, you left the dissent unspoken by only using a careful example exposing my own, er.....
    gibberish as performed here! Good show!
    Frank
     
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  7. Terry Page

    Terry Page Supreme Member
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    I have been using Uber on and off for a couple of years, here in Russia it seems to work well and the drivers are reliable and punctual. In Asian countries they often use the scam of asking you to cancel, then they ring you and come avoiding paying the fee to Uber...... Of course you are asked by Uber why you cancelled, to which I reply I changed my mind, but if it happens too many times the driver is evidently given a warning....I have had a couple of cancellations similar to the one @Babs Hunt mentioned, but generally it works well and I give the driver a tip if it was a good experience.
     
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  8. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Terry Page
    Absolutely amazing to one who grew up before the "Information Age" began. Despite the safeguards and stop-gaps built in to these systems by their designers, the low-life's possessing technical "smarts" continue to find ways to bilk the unwitting, be those employers, customers, or others.
    Frank
     
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  9. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    I am really happy to hear that most of the posters are pleased with Uber. Since I was never able to find out what ended up happening with my acquaintance's experience this has been an unanswered question I have pondered. There may come a day I would need this service and I'd like to know it is reliable and safe.
     
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  10. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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  11. Terry Page

    Terry Page Supreme Member
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    Yes I saw that on the news, it doesn't particularly bother me as we are tracked all the time simply having a mobile/cell phone, you can switch off data/location as soon as you get in the taxi so Uber loses contact with you anyway...
     
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  12. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    Yes, I agree that we are tracked on cell phones, on our computers, etc. And each day I'm sure they are improving on this tracking technology.
     
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  13. Diane Lane

    Diane Lane Veteran Member
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    It sound as if you've had some very positive experiences. I have seen people here in the neighborhood posting about taking Uber or driving for them. I've had similar experiences to what Ken mentioned, with traditional cabs, but I've also had some good experiences with them. Cabs tend to be pretty expensive, though. I've never used Uber, but would consider it. There's only one traditional cab service here, and I've used it in the past when I've gotten my steroid injections. It was around $60 round trip for those ventures, including tips. The trip one way is around 12 miles. I don't have anything to compare that to with regard to Uber, but I have wondered how much it would cost. I have seen mention of Uber gift cards, so if anyone's looking for a gift for someone who does use Uber, maybe that's something to think about.
     
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  14. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    I've used Uber in Chicago and Maui. It's great in my opinion. I was with my son and Dil and 3 grandsons so I wasn't paying but if I had to go somewhere I would use it instead of a taxi. In our case, we would have had to call 2 taxis since there were 6 of us, with Uber we just asked for an SUV or minivan.

    I do have the Uber app on my cellphone. I got it when last year I was spending the night in a San Jose hotel because I had a very early flight the next morning. The hotel had a shuttle but I wanted a plan B if something went wrong. That's when I signed up with Uber.

    Good to know that they're big in Fresno.
     
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  15. Lon Tanner

    Lon Tanner Supreme Member
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    I have been keeping records of my UBER rides since selling my car and cancelling my auto insurance a few months ago and here are the results. With my using Uber to go to Doctor appointments, out to dinner, daughters house, grand daughters house, Costco, movies, ball games etc., I am spending $100 per month on average. My auto insurance alone was more than that.[​IMG]
     
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