There’s been a lot of buzz, criticism and everything else about Uber. However, it’s not a service I’ve tried myself.
The reason? I don’t live near enough to take advantage of a Uber service (and my trips to London are becoming rarer and rarer).
So whilst in Chicago yesterday, I was walking around in a daze (trust me… I was not functioning on nearly any level at all), and was contemplating taking the L back to the hotel, or catching a Uber.
So I downloaded the app, fired it up, and signed up too, and went about playing with things, before selecting a UberX for the ride back.
And the one reason I decided to take the L back as opposed to a Uber? This.
Surge pricing. It didn’t help I wanted to travel at peak time, which I accept as a standpoint to the arguent. Sadly, this wasn’t the highest that I was being quoted for – it was 2.75x at one point.
And that to me was an instant turn-off. I like semi reliable costs on rides, and a 2.5% extra to ride a UberX didn’t seem a good deal to me.
I gave it 30 minutes to drop – to no avail. So I went back to the Rosemont hotel district on a train.
Whilst I can see why surge pricing exists, it didn’t make me want to select Uber as a choice of transit for my journey.
Maybe I’ll try them again sometime… but right now, I’m not sold on Uber.
And before anyone asks, no – I’m not going to turn Economy Class and Beyond into an Uber referral machine. I have other things to worry about in life…
Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond – The new name for GhettoIFE (and a lot more pronounceable). Expect in-depth coverage, analysis, route news as well as humour and madness as I only know how.
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Uber isn’t about guaranteed price, cabs meet that need. Uber is about guaranteed availability. If you want a ride and want to know exactly when it will arrive (and that it will arrive, an issue in many cities when you call for a cab), Uber is the best solution I’ve yet found.
I still haven’t tried Uber — it’s very rare that I take a cab/car service of any type considering that public transportation is usually a fraction of the cost.
I’m normally a heavy public transport user even when travelling. I was tired out yesterday (36 hours gone, with 4 hours sleep I think), so I wanted an easy way back to the hotel.
Unsurprisngly, Uber didn’t get my business when I saw the cost (although I was close at one point…)
Are you headed for the Chicago Seminars? Any chance for a reader “meet up” session if you are ?
Hi BothofUs2 – I am in the O’Hare area, but I’m not at the Chicago Seminars as I’m engaged in another event. As such, I don’t finish till late on Sunday!
Enjoy the seminars!