Uber Is Cheaper By Far Than Owning A Car

L

Lon

Well-known Member
Location
Central California
I had Uber take me to the movies and then back home yesterday. Cost?? $5.00 going and $5.00 back home plus $5.00 Senior Rate for the movie I waited 5 minutes for my ride going and coming. I live in a town of 500,000 and there are a huge number of people that have signed up to drive for Uber. I sold my paid for car last week and now no longer pay for auto insurance, gas, oil, parking, etc.
I will be using Uber for all my driving needs. I used my I Phone to order up Uber with just a touch. GPS lets Uber know my location and I get to see on my phone screen the location of the vehicle picking me up and the wait time, picture of the driver and his name, picture of the vehicle and license number.
 

It must feel good to let the headaches and hassles of owning a car go! I can't even put air in the tires of my newfangled vehicle without a trip to the dealership!

It's nice to hear that you have found a safe, cost effective way to maintain your independence.
 
Great to know you had a good experience. We do not yet have Uber or Lyft here in my area yet, but "they" are working on it. There was a great piece on local news the other day featuring a young man with Autism and a seizure disorder who wrote to our state senator to advocate for it, so he can be more independent and n ot depend on others for rides. He explained that while he is on the high functioning end oc the spectrum, he is leary of using the bus because they can be crowded, and would love the door to door service of Uber.
 

People think I am crazy when I say this but I think the days of owning a car for most of us are coming to an end. It will take a few years but once self driving cars are shown to be reliable I can see a company like Uber dominating that market by owning a huge fleet of driverless cars. It would take some logistics to anticipate the size of a fleet in each city but I don't think it would be as large as most people think. Question is, if Uber were the one to dominate that market what manufacturer will jump on first and start mass producing the cars ? They would have to be cheap but safe and reliable. Like I said, call me crazy....that fine :)
 
There is the senior van in my area which is associated with the city bus. I'm not sure but I think it's $2.50 door to door one way. I believe there is probably a wait especially during the first part of the month and handicapped have preference over seniors. It's a good option. The other car services are a good secondary choice and sound cheaper than a cab.

All of interest to me as I don't plan on having a car, by choice, some day.
 
The senior van services are great for many things, however, they're available as an after thought, on most holidays in many areas or late nights, Uber and other services, are good to fill the void and are a great alternative to cab type services. I use uber for same day services or evenings out that may run late plus I always end up having to ask those van drivers to park the big bus a little farther away from the club if I'm being dropped off at night just to not spoil my coolness factor. :playful:

For me, I do use the van services most of the time for day to day use when it's a plan ahead thing, most areas I've lived it's only $2.50, where I am now, it's only $0.50, so you bet I use it more than Uber. :D but it's something you can't just call up out of the blue, you have to call ahead and arrange the times going and coming. Uber, you call from where or whenever you're ready any given moment. Also, not everyone qualifies in some areas to use these van services senior or not.
 
I may start relying on Uber more often. I'd prefer that to taking a cab around here. But I'm also in a transportation hub where I can get buses and trains that will take me to or connect me with transportation to just about anywhere I want to go.
 
Bluebreezes: the nice thing about Uber is that they'll give you an estimate for your trip, then once you book, they send you the make, model and license plate number of the car and a picture of driver who will be picking you up. They ask that you not get in the car until you have verified that it has the license plate number they sent you. They also have discount ride offers, some which can be posted or sent to family/friends by Uber riders. My first ride was supposed to be $30 off courtesy of Chase but due to an error in billing and a route they determined wasn't the best, triggering additional fees, after three emails back and forth, they credited me for the entire ride from N.J. to N.Y.
 
Depends on where you live and how active you are. Uber not even available in my area. Using a taxi would be expensive if you are getting out everyday. Plus I travel out of state once a month so a car is a must. But if I lived in a large city and was not that active anymore, Uber would be the way to go.
 
I will use Uber this coming week to go to the VA for a Audiology appointment at 9 AM on the 3rd & again the same day for a appointment with a Rheumatologist at 2:15 PM & then home. A different driver for each trip. I will use Uber again on Tuesday to take me to the barber shop and then back home. Wednesday I will use Uber to take me to my daughters for dinner. My son in law insists on taking me home. Thursday night to meet some friends for dinner. For me and my needs, Uber fits the bill. Ten years ago it would not. Times change and so do bodies.
 
I can't imagine needing Uber. My transportation needs involved the weight of groceries more than anything else, and now I have a small cart to carry the groceries. It's small enough that I could put it on the bus with me, but I haven't tried that yet.
 
Using Uber, cabs, vans, or buses, would restrict my way of life immensely and Uber isn't even available in my area. I use our car daily for various trips about town and to stop by at our kids and grandkids homes for a cup of coffee during the day. Take our grand-daughter to school and pick her up most days. Sometimes, in good weather, grab the camera and head down to the shore and or waterfront and snap a few pictures. My wife and I recently made a day trip out onto Cape Cod. Hadn't been out there in a few years.


Every month or two, we travel to a daughter's home in Rhode Island and/ or our son in Connecticut. trips of 52 and 98 miles respectively. Then there's our twice a year trips to the cottage in Maine where we stay for a month or two.Maybe the day will come when this is no longer possible, due to frailties but until that day comes I want the independence of my set of wheels. At my age, I may pass on while still being able to drive. At present, I do limit nighttime driving as my eyes are bothered by glare.


As Patrick Henry famously stated - - - "Give me wheels or give me death". - - - -at least I think I quoted that correctly.;)
 
With your encouragement, I did some research. They DO have Uber in the Portland Maine area and I could see the advantage of paring down to one car and using Uber as an second option. If we wanted to go downtown for dinner and wine, Uber would be perfect, then we could both enjoy ourselves. Or, if one of us had an appointment in one direction and the other going the opposite way - could also be useful.

The website says we do NOT have to have a smartie phone but can use the online website. We can pay with PayPal or a credit card so is all very convenient!

Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top