The Mesquite Online News - Texas A&M University-San Antonio

More students use ridesharing

By Brian Harrin and Michael Hernandez

Business junior Christian Harmon was having car trouble recently so took Uber to get to the A&M-San Antonio campus.

Harmon said that whenever his car is at the mechanic, he uses Uber to get to and from the shop. The student, who also serves as a Jaguar Ambassador for the university, says he finds Uber more convenient than taking a taxi.  All he had to do was open the app on his phone and request an Uber to get back home.

“Uber often wins in convenience as well, by letting users quickly hail a car through an application without having to wait around on a street corners,” he explained.

Uber and Lyft’s ridesharing is an alternative to a taxi, providing users an different way to find a ride home. Uber and Lyft offer many of the same features, such as splitting fares, where students can take advantage of this option to share the fee with other fellow students. It helps students get to school and work safely.

Passengers can appreciate the safety, convenience and affordability of ridesharing. Drivers want to feel safe with their clients. They enjoy the convenience of choosing their work hours.

Harmon said that his Uber driver found campus easily and did not have any issues. He said the app interface was easy to use. In the past, he’s had some issues with the app, which didn’t pick up his location.

As far as affordability, Harmon said that “Uber could be affordable for some college students that get assistance with tuition, and others struck for cash, not so much.

Ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft received some heat in the past, with some occurrences of unsafe rides. In 2015, an Uber driver located in New Delhi, India, was arrested and convicted of raping and kidnapping a 26-year-old woman.

Since then, Uber and Lyft stepped up efforts with safety concerns, requiring drivers to undergo background checks at the state and federal levels.

Crystal Moya, bilingual education major and Jaguar Ambassador, used Uber when she left the airport in another city. She found the service and price of Uber was far better then a regular taxi service. Photo by James Velten
Crystal Moya, bilingual education major and Jaguar Ambassador, used Uber when she left the airport in another city. She found the service and price of Uber was far better then a regular taxi service. Photo by James Velten

Crystal Moya, bilingual education major and Jaguar Ambassador, said she used Uber when she was out of town and did not know her way around.

“We didn’t have our vehicle since we flew in and they were really helpful,” Moya said.

Regarding safety, Moya said she felt “100 percent safe.”

As someone who had taken taxis in the past, she compared Uber to Lyft and ranked them both superior.

“The Uber driver was just more personable, easier to talk to, wanted to get to know you as a visitor to town and the fares were more affordable than a traditional taxi,” she said. Currently, Uber and Lyft base fares in San Antonio range from a minimum of $3.50 a ride on Lyft to $4.70 on Uber.

Most of the students interviewed had never used ridesharing at all. Some did not even know what Uber and Lyft were and needed a quick explanation.

Uber founded in 2009, is now worldwide with operations in over 60 countries. Lyft, founded in 2012, is the new ridesharing kid on the block, operating in more than 200 cities in the United States.

San Antonio was introduced to both companies in 2014 and both ridesharing companies were met with some heavy criticisms right off the bat. Having push back from the traditional taxi-cab companies and city officials, the City Council voted 7-2 to approve new safety regulations on both Uber and Lyft.

Ten fingerprint background checks, and third-party vehicle inspections, were among the items to be required for any ride share driver in San Antonio. More restrictions were also planned to be voted on the following year.

In a surprising move, Uber and Lyft announced in early 2015 that they would be effectively shutting down their operations in the Alamo City due to the new restrictions that would still require drivers to pass a city-reviewed background check, including fingerprinting, put in place by City Council citing “The revised ordinance remains one of the most burdensome in the nation”.  Uber and Lyft felt that their proprietary background checks for drivers should be enough to operate in town.

In October 2015, after months of going back and forth, Mayor Ivy Taylor of San Antonio announced that Uber signed an operating agreement with the city and is compliant with the latest ordinance by having optional city conducted background checks done on drivers. Lyft returned starting operations shortly after Uber.

We reached out to a local San Antonio Uber driver through a Facebook group, then corresponded with a driver.

Javier Aguilar is a 45-year-old AT&T audit and inventory worker by day, and a Uber driver by night. He has been driving for the company for more than a year. Although he appreciates the flexibility of the job, he also has hesitations on the rating system for drivers, along with low base rates in the city.

Aguilar’s least favorite experience was when, “a couple of passengers, totally drunk, put the wrong pick up location and destinations.” Not all rideshare passengers fall into this realm, as Aguilar said he has had “many polite and nice passengers.”

So what does it take to be an Uber driver? Aguilar says it takes someone with good “ethics, patience, politeness, and a safe driving mentality.”

Ready to give Uber a swing? Here is a step by step guide for newbies.

Instructions:

Step 1. Download the Uber, or  Lyft App from the Apple Store or Google Play Store.

Step 2. Register and create an account. Note: A credit/debit card is needed to sign up.

Step 3. Choose your vehicle type. On Uber and Lyft, the base vehicles are Uber X and Lyft which seat a maximum of four people and are the most cost-effective option. Uber XL and Lyft Plus can seat six people total and costs more. If you really want to make an impression, try the UberSelect, which entails higher class vehicles like Mercedes Benz or Tesla and the driver shows up in a suit and tie.

Step 4. Mark your location. Once you’ve chosen your vehicle type, mark your position on the map with a pin. This pin represents where the driver will be expecting to pick you up. You can also manually type in the pickup location too. Once your location is set, tap the request button. At this point, it would be wise to get a fare estimate, by entering your destination in the app. It is also helpful for your driver, as they will know your destination as soon as they start the ride.

Step 5.  Your request will then alert the nearest driver to your location and you can see if one accepts your request. If so, a driver’s picture, rating, and vehicle information will be visible. Wait at the exact location you pinned for your ride.You will be given an estimated time arrival and can track the driver in real time.

Step 6. You will be notified that your driver has arrived. Confirm that they are your driver and they will do the same on their end. Confirm the destination with the driver, and off you go.

Step 7: After you get to your destination, the driver will end the trip, and your credit/debit card will be charged automatically for the fare. No cash needed or tip required but optional. You will also have the opportunity to rate your driver and leave a comment for the next rider and vice versa on the driver’s end.

Tips: Look for promo codes for free rides. First-time users to Uber and Lyft can get free rides, so that they can try the service out.

Uber- FEELING22 (Up to $22 toward first ride) Exp: 1/1/17

Lyft – RYDER (Up to $50 toward first ride) Exp: N/A

At peak times, rates might be higher than normal due to a shortage of drivers. Usually if you can wait it out, the rates will go back down to their base fares.
Remember that while you are using this service like a traditional taxi, ridesharing takes place in the personal vehicles of the drivers, and each has their own set of rules such as no food or drinks, etc. Just be mindful and respectful of the drivers and their vehicles.

About the Author

Michael Hernandez
Michael Hernandez is a senior at the Texas A&M San Antonio where he is majoring in Communication with a concentration in Latino TV media. His Interest in Communications development began since senior year in high school when he had the opportunity to visit a news station in the enchanted island of Puerto Rico where Michael is from. Michael previously worked Univision 41 San Antonio as a news intern, as an intern learned valuable skill and reassure him that Communications is his life.

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