November 7, 2012
We drove a Car2Go down to the
4th Annual San Diego Brewers Guild Festival, and after 3 hours of beer sampling, driving home to Pacific Beach was not an option. We tallied up $40 in
Uber promotional credits at various events around town, so we thought we'd give this 'high end car service' a try. We concluded that
Uber is way nicer than taking a cab, far more convenient, and it comes out to about the same price, so why not embrace this new trend in transportation?
Uber is a company based in San Francisco that has gained popularity due to its innovative take on summoning a car service - you just tap your Uber App, and a car will be to you within 10 minutes. It took about half that time when we tried it out. While Uber only offers black sedans (think Lincoln Town Car) and SUVs in San Diego, they recently began offering hybrid options in New York and San Fran. Word on the street is that option is coming to San Diego soon. Rates will vary from city to city, but in general hybrids will cost 30 to 40 percent less than Uber’s black town cars.
Our experience with Uber was quick, easy, and painless. When we were good and drunk and ready to head home from the Brewers' Guild Festival at the Broadway Pier, Vanessa hit up the Uber App, requested a car (location is automatically known), and was instantly informed that Igor would be picking us up in 7 minutes. In about 5 minutes we were notified that the car was ready and located right out front of the Port Pavilion. We were picked up by a finely dressed man who opened the car doors for us, immediately asked us where we were headed (we hadn't input our destination's address), and took off. We had lots of room in the back, the car was absolutely immaculate, and we were greeted by two mini bottles of water - a nice touch. We were at our apartment in no time, and being that the tip is included in the cost of transportation, we thanked Igor and stumbled to our door. In total, the trip cost $43, so we ended up paying $3, which is billed right to our on-file credit card. Done and done.
Being that a trip from the San Diego Airport recently cost us $38, plus tip, and considering that the Port Pavilion is a bit farther than the airport, we really don't understand how people can say that Uber costs more than a cab. The fare is all-inclusive with no need to tip, and Uber offers flat rates to direct trips between specified locations. Keep in mind that additional stops may result in a higher fare, and applicable tolls and surcharges may be added to your fare. You may also be interested in noting that not only do you get the opportunity to review your driver after the trip, but he/she also gets the chance to review you! So you best behave!
For more information on Uber including an outline of fare rates, visit the
website for Uber San Diego,
download the App, and get moving!
