I have to admit, I didn't even know what Uber was until pretty late in the game. Since I live in Jinqiao and am lucky enough to have a driver, it’s pretty rare that I ever even need to get in a city cab - though I do and the kids and I have the “Mommy-is-a-human-seatbelt cuddle” down pat. It was only when my friend told me about Uber that I really clued into it and began to check it out. Turns out Uber has been around longer that I’d shamefacedly like to admit. I usually pride myself on being on the forefront of the latest “thing” but I was definitely late to the Uber game. So I downloaded the app and have used it a grand total of 0.4 times. I say 0.4 because that is how fast I hung up on my first Uber driver to call me once I ordered him to my house (my taxi ended up showing up anyway).
Now, I have no problems with the service - it’s definitely filling a need for more reliable (I guess?) and safe (suuure?) forms of transportation around the city. I kinda kick myself for not knowing about Uber sooner when I ended up having to walk 10 blocks in heels to a dinner party because there were absolutely no cabs showing up after calling 5 times and waiting 40 minutes.
However, I will say that my reluctance to use the service comes from my general wariness of the whole concept. So people just drive around using their cars to pick people up? Back in my grandmother’s day she would call this “men driving around in vans trying to kidnap kids.” Only thing they’re missing is the promise of a puppy or candy. Instead they charge you peak hours pricing that I only want to read about on buzzfeed and not experience firsthand.
I think what bothers me the most about Uber is the potential for family drivers to moonlight with the service. Now before you go all “aww lady with the chauffeur doesn't want anyone in her car” just hear me out. I used to keep a lot of stuff in the car. With two small kids that means toys, games, movies, water bottles (foogo ones, those aren't cheap baby!), and anything else that you just need to shove in your car so you can pull it out at the first inkling of a car tantrum while stuck in traffic. Not to mention that we have two really good car seats in the back that are perfectly adjusted for my kids and what parent wants to readjust those things all the time? NO ONE.
I’m not saying my driver is secretly taxiing for Uber. All I’m saying is there were snacks on the car seat and my hard earned Metro “buy a whole bunch of crap and get stickers to get a subpar paring knife” collection sheet was gone. I bought a bunch of crap for that knife guys and I’ll never get the knife!
The fact that family drivers may be Uber driving gets my back up. It’s like if your uncle took your car out and drove it around with some stranger in it for a while and then you get it back and the seat that you finally adjusted perfectly to the exact position you wanted is all jacked up. Our cars become an extension of our homes, and having people who we don’t know being carted around in it for a little extra cash is the same as a stranger walking into your house, sitting on your couch, and walking back out again with no explanation. And I’m not just speculating about this whole thing. My friends have reported being picked up in vans with car seats in the back and my driver has pointed out Uber drivers who work for companies he knows.
So I suggest if you do Uber and you get picked up by an expat van (we all know the ones…they’re exactly the same color) that you tuck a little note somewhere just to let the family know. I’m sure they’d appreciate it. At least I would! That way I would know not to be so uncaring about the amount of used tissue I stuff into the door. I stuff a lot. Like, A LOT. Maybe I’d actually clean up after myself. Or maybe not, so someone would give my driver a bad rating about the sea of booger wipes they waded through in the back seat and he’d move on to just charging ridiculous amounts of overtime like the good ‘ol days.
Yep I like that idea better.
xoNiki
