Riding with Uber and Lyft

[Ginger]

RE: Discussion on Uber and Lyft in a recent list mailing

I have no experience with Uber or Lyft except as a passenger. I have been registered with Uber for over a year and Lyft since early last fall. Both were easy to register on.

The only special requirement for the devise you use is that you have WiFi. For a while I was limited in that I had incredibly cheap phone service through Republic Wireless and no WiFi except when I was signed in on someone's network. No problem leaving home, but getting a ride back was a little problematic because I had to find WiFi to use the app and call the driver. An article I read said Uber realized many seniors using their service, and many who wanted to, had old cell phones without WiFi and they would be coming out with a texting procedure. To my knowledge that never materialized.

I have mostly used Uber and for lots of trips, some long and some short, but have taken a few trips on Lyft instead of Uber in an attempt to use the ride cost reduction incentive given at sign up.

I have had only economical rides, in some cases very cheap rides, given the alternatives, in nice vehicles, courteous service, and accurate billing from both. However, I was never successful in getting my Lyft sign-up incentive credits applied to my charges.

I have no idea what the driver expects when he or she pulls up to pick me up. They just come and I get in and there has never been any adverse behavior on the part of the driver for either service.

In signing up I used my initials so my name is a non-issue. While I have credit cards in both names I registered using my Costco Visa (initially American Express) card to get the points. That does have my full birth name on it.

I have uploaded profile pictures showing myself in both genders, but have no idea what the driver sees if anything. When I ask for a cab I get a confirmation giving a description of the vehicle to look for. It seems to be pretty important to be pretty visible such as standing on the curb or even slightly in the street when the driver is expected. The drivers may not be from the immediate area where you or located or familiar with the area where you are going. My last ride to the MARTA train station in North Fulton County (Atlanta) took me a strange way that may have been shorter than the much faster expressway, but a little scary at 5 am! I asked the driver why he was going that way and he was following an active Google route on his cell phone. He had no idea where he was going except he was following the map. Turned out he lived on the other side of Atlanta and in his series of rides had worked himself northward to totally unfamiliar territory.

It does take some courage to get into a dark car in the early dark hours of the morning or evening, but the cars are well marked and fit the description given on the app so you can have confidence. I have read incidents of drivers assaulting passengers, but think the few of these are promoted by cab companies fighting back against the competition and you are as safe as you can be, probably safer, than with a commercial cab company.

I'd be interested hearing what drivers see and look for on their end if anyone reading this forum has experience as a driver.

I'd also like to know what others do in regard to tipping. They companies advertise, or at least imply, tipping is not expected. I always tip 10-20%, more for short, and airport rides, where there are additional fees for them, and the drivers appreciate it. If nothing else I appreciate they are trying to make a living, and the charges are too low for them to have adequate earnings with the cost of gas, vehicle depreciation, and all. I think the tip may be most of their profit and well deserved. I also think it helps them have an appreciation and better opinion of our kind which is important to our acceptance.

[External Poster]

This posting is from: kumiko yvonne watanabe
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Is using Uber or Lyft better or any different than a taxi?

I've found the cost very close. Also not much difference as far as per
mile cost, convenience, wait time, or cleanness of the back seat, not
much cost savings difference depending on the taxi company and the city
one lives or is at.

I'd like to hear the actual savings one gets with using Uber or Lyft.
Another reasoning, If going as a group of two or more, I can see the
ride cost being divided amongst the riders.

A little more planning, and one can have a group of two or more rent a
car. If say $75 per day to rent a car and have 4 people, its around $20
per day. Plus tax and gas. Is this comparable to taking a taxi. The
problem is finding the people to do this together.

If only a single person to take Uber or Lyft, how many rides or distance
taken to equate to renting a car for a day? I would do that comparison
for one's self too. Also add in the convenience of having a rental and
can go anywhere and whenever one wants to without waiting.

The problem with car rentals are the added 'costs' that one can waive,
or consider like accident insurance. That is where many get stuck with
paying more for the convenience in case of a accident.

If one is drinking, then by all means and take a taxi/Uber/Lyft.

I can see issues with timing, where there is a line for a taxi at the
major casinos. Depending on what is happening at the casino or location,
there can be a waiting line, as in right after a show.

Having a reserved uber/lyft is good to have, but at times its faster to
do a short walk and getting a taxi a short distance away. I've found
downtown and some major casinos constantly have two to three taxis
waiting at the taxi pick up locations.

There can be lines of cars trying to get out of the parking structure,
and also traffic on Las Vegas Blvd.

There are inherent dangers with any taxi ride too, and the same is with
Uber and Lyft. People have been attacked going to their cars too - esp
with signs saying management isn't responsible to damage and injury
sustained on the property.


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(This posting was entered by kumiko yvonne watanabe, an external user of MyDLV.)

[annie]

> I'd like to hear the actual savings one gets with using Uber or Lyft.
> Another reasoning, If going as a group of two or more, I can see the
> ride cost being divided amongst the riders.

I can give one data point here, and Ginger, please help me out if my numbers are a bit off, as this is from memory.

One night at Pinkfest I flagged down a taxi to take me from my hotel to the restaurant du jour for HH and dinner. Unknown to me, two others were at another hotel about 1 1/2 blocks away, one staying there and another visiting, and they ordered a Uber car at about the same time to the same destination.

We arrived about the same time and compared notes. IIRC my taxi fare, with tip and rounded up, was $18 and the Uber fare was in the $12-ish range. (Ginger, am I correct on that?) Savings using Uber in this case would be in the 30% range for the ride itself. Since two shared the Uber, it would be $6-ish per person.

> A little more planning, and one can have a group of two or more rent a
> car. If say $75 per day to rent a car and have 4 people, its around $20
> per day. Plus tax and gas. Is this comparable to taking a taxi. The
> problem is finding the people to do this together.

As some of you probably remember, during the very early years of DLV I used to rent what became known as the "Annie Van" and took voluntary donations for gas and such. I quit doing it for a number of reasons, mainly the expense, I wanted to be able to more freely consume adult beverages, and one specific incident which could have been serious that happened one evening at the Sahara.

I was circling the valet parking area waiting for a few more to come out for a ride. I was creeping up very slowly to the loading area when a man carrying a child walked up and slammed (BANG!) into the left front fender. I WAS moving at the time so if the guy wanted to be a dork about it, he could have easily filed an "In a wreck, need a check?" claim against my insurance.

The guy was obviously very much under the influence. "Trashed" is more like it! The doorman at the Sahara screamed at him to get out of the pick-up lane and I got out, asked if he was OK, and then also screamed at him.

> The problem with car rentals are the added 'costs' that one can waive,
> or consider like accident insurance. That is where many get stuck with
> paying more for the convenience in case of a accident.

Fortunately, since I was following my attorney's advice, that van was insured to the max! He had very strongly recommended that if I chose to play chauffeuse, I should take out the supplemental liability insurance as well as coverage for medical payment claims, as "A van-load of injuries could easily exhaust the usual personal auto insurance liability limits."

> If one is drinking, then by all means and take a taxi/Uber/Lyft.

I can state from experience that DUI checkpoints do occur in the LV Strip area. I have been stopped twice over the years, never cited or detained however.

> There are inherent dangers with any taxi ride too, and the same is with
> Uber and Lyft. People have been attacked going to their cars too - esp

Everyone needs to stay streetwise and watch it in Las Vegas, as in any other large city.

In most of the major hotels, a security officer will escort you to your car if you ask. I've done that a couple of times, as in when I've left following cashing out a large TITO.

[External Poster]

This posting is from: kumiko yvonne watanabe
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Thank you Annie for your experience. $18 or $12, and the difference of
$6 may be affected also by the traffic/time traveling and distance, and
how many stop-lights or stop signs. My experience was between $3 and $8
difference for the same distance and same amount of time. Straight cost,
and TIP not included in the difference.

Yes, renting and allowing passengers will always present other liability
issues if one willingly picks up others. One can add damage from valet
drivers, or anyone/anything that bangs into the car (esp while its
parked correctly in a marked stall), like someone that parks next to you
and forcefully opens their door and give your car a nice dent and deep
scratch, or backs into your parked car.

Its a trade off of costs versus time, exposure/comfort, safety, and how
clean the vehicle is. I've been and had to bear a few that smelled quite
bad. Then again, thinking bout it more, even a few rentals reeked -
sometimes sweat, sex, mostly cigarette/cigar smoke, and even had one
that smelled like toe-jam.


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(This posting was entered by kumiko yvonne watanabe, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Gina
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Uber is so much better than a standard taxi. It is forcing taxis to
clean up their act get competitive. If there is Uber available, I will
not do a taxi. It's safer, no cash no tips. Price quoted at time of
scheduling the ride..... and security wise, you know who and what Uber
is coming to get you.

Gina


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(This posting was entered by Gina, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: kumiko yvonne watanabe
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Thank you Gina.

Any method of transportation has its issues. Hopefully everyone that
uses Uber or Lyft or even a taxi, that its a good ride and no issues.

I've haven't had any issues with Uber or Lyft or taxis, but some of my
friends using both Uber and Lyft companies, have had some bad issues
with both companies.

The worse was ID theft as in erroneous and false rides charged on their
credit card issues, where the only recent credit card use were with the
Uber or Lyft. Its just the hassle of proving to the credit card company,
that one wasn't in the city when the charges occurred, or proof one
wasn't in the vehicle when the charges were created.

Lyft having a $25 charge as a security hold - per Lyft driver, and the
time it takes to clear this out.

Issues with drivers for both companies that call back and cannot do the
pickup and the client has to set up another pickup.

Some other comments were difficulties dealing with customer support when
having and resolving billing problems.

Last I took a taxi in LV, I was also able to pay cash -- was drinking,
but still aware of what I was doing and paying, and no credit card used,
that is old-fashioned but for me prefered.


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(This posting was entered by kumiko yvonne watanabe, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Gina
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I've used Uber maybe 100 times in five different cities and never had an
issue. I put paypal on my account, so that my info is isolated one level
further. I love that the taxi unions hate the app based ride share
services. I'd use it for that reason alone!

Competition is the best way to make things efficient, funny how that
works.


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(This posting was entered by Gina, an external user of MyDLV.)