The short story: Uber ROCKS! The long, real story: For months and months I’ve been seeing people saying “Uber this” and “Uber that” on social media, however, they were often people of influence which kinda put me off. It sounds weird but word of mouth from a trusted friend is still my greatest influence so I wasn’t entirely convinced.
I needed a cab last weekend so I decided to ask the Twitterverse. My bestie Mrs Kitten D said Uber was great! So she went me her referral code which I used to sign up and download the app. Because I used her code I got some free credits and so did she! This meant I could try to service without breaking the bank and not use it again if I didn’t like it.
So Saturday rolled around and I got onto my Uber app where I could see all the Uber taxis in the area! I requested a car (on the app) and was notified that one was one the way. I have to confess that it just brings me the greatest joy seeing those little cars on the app! And now I sometimes log onto Uber to see where the taxis are even if I don’t need one! I’m weird. Seeing the cars on the map and knowing EXACTLY how far away they are (none of this, “they’re 5 minutes away” for 40 minutes) is just awesome!
Things I loved about my Uber ride:
- Driver was sober, polite and friendly
We were offered bottles of water which happens to be my favourite drink- We stopped off in Rondebosch to pick up Mrs Kitten D, no issues.
- Went to town and only cost R110 (from Claremont, plus Rondebosch to town).
- You can get an estimate of the journey before paying.
- You are warned if the rates are higher due to it being a busy time.
- You can see your own journey on the app GPS so you know where you’re going.
- An Audi A4 picked us up – great start to girls’ night!
- They e-mail you a receipt if you need one for tax purposes.
- You can see your trip history online so you know who drove you where, when, etc.
Later that night I called an Uber alone. I left Fiction and Long Street was a TOTAL dog show. Masses of people, cars, hooting, pick pockets, drug offers, MAYHEM! I saw the message saying Uber was downstairs and because they send you the type of car AND the number plate, you know exactly who to look out for. So I didn’t feel great on the street but the driver called to assure me he was around the corner. When I saw the number plate I jumped into the car and immediately felt safer to be out the madness. And I’m not chicken shit when it comes to town!
Overall I think Uber is a fantastic service. Yes it is pricier than the independent taxis but I feel for the service and safety it provides, it’s worth the money. My only qualm was that my taxi driver drove home REALLY slowly (50kms an hour). Considering I drive myself I noticed it and nearly asked him to speed up but he was honestly SO lovely that I just didn’t have the heart – hardly a complaint! But I do think Uber charges for the time a ride takes so if you are in a hurry, rather notify the driver.
I vote Uber ALL the way! Here’s my Uber referral code if you want to help a friend sign up like my friend helped me. It was totally worth it. I’m also going to recommend it to my Mom and Dad for when they come to town as they were FAR less interested in using independent taxis and I know they will be more comfortable in an Uber.
P.S Ok I just logged on to see where the taxis were just for fun and they’ve changed the taxis to blue for International Autism Day. You GOTTA love people who show their support through solidarity! Go UBER!
P.P.S Ok I’ll stop typing after this! BUT – I saw someone complaining about getting a Toyota Corolla on the interwebs the other day. I didn’t mind because it was the middle of the night but if I call one for my folks, it would be great to get the full service. Having said that, Simon’s vehicle was clean inside and out, a newer model and in good working order so there isn’t REALLY much to complain about #firstworldproblems.
