Question about Uber and Lyft (vs Taxi)

[Vash01]

This may be a stupid question, but I have to ask it. I have never used Uber or Lyft. I do have the Uber App on my iPhone. Within a city I won't have any issue using Uber. I had never heard if Lyft until today.

I have to go from Fresno, CA airport to North Fork, CA. This is roughly a one hour drive on an isolated road, until I enter North Fork, a small town in central California.

I was looking for a ride from someone that would be going there, but no one is. No one other than me is flying into Fresno to go to the sane place, or we could have shared a taxi. One person from LA contacted me but she will be arriving Fresno around 7-8pm, which is too late. I need to reach my destination between 2-4pm.

I considered other alternatives. They are not very good.

1) Public transportation would involve several bus changes and look for a ride at the end, or
2)Amtrak with ride (Uber should be fine for this portion) first from airport, then at the final stop- will need to arrange in advance.
3) Rent a car - too expensive for 11 days
4) Taxi - expensive but less than a rental car.

Then I thought of Uber and I did a price check on line. It is available between those two points, and it will cost $50-$53 one way, which is not bad. My only concern is- is it safe for such a long distance, and on isolated roads? Is it common for people to use it for out of town trips? Add to that I am a single female.

My flight arrives in Fresno at noon, so it will be in broad daylight.

 

[snoopy]

I use Lyft when I travel. I barely rent cars anymore. The longest ride I’ve taken was 45 minutes. Drivers say people use them for 1-2 hour rides frequently. I’ve always felt safe in rideshare cars but there is always a risk for running into a weirdo. Me? I’d take the risk. Definitely before a taxi, which I’ve had horrible experiences with.

 

[Aceon6]

My preferences when I’m away are Lyft, Uber, and taxi in that order. I avoid bus like the plague and only use a train if it’s going all the way to my destination.

Within my town, it reverses as we have 3 local taxi services (all with local drivers), an army of Uber drivers due to the two unis, and very few affiliated with Lyft.

 

[flyingsit]

I use Lyft and not Uber; Uber has had several major issues with privacy violations, and from drivers I've talked to who work for both, Lyft pays the drivers better.

 

[tony]

Uber and Lyft are fine. I've been using them for 4 or 5 years now without any problems, aside from when I had a pool with other customers who didn't want to follow the rules.

General rule with these rideshares is if you sit in the front seat, you are wanting to engage in conversation with your driver, and if you sit in the back, you just want a quiet ride (and/or to be on your phone or do other work). People go long distances all the time in these things, so don't worry about that.

Also, if you are brand new, find a coupon code somewhere on the internet that saves you maybe $50 or even $100 in credits as a first-time rider. You might be able to get the entire trip there (and back if you need) for free.

PS- my experience with taxi drivers in most of the big cities is that they will tell you they accept credit cards at the start but then throw a tantrum when you don't have cash at the end, or they get creative with their scenic routes, or they are just generally unpleasant. Much different with Uber and Lyft. I'm actually surprised taxis are still a thing at this point, at least in the really big cities.

Uber (and Lyft?- not sure about that one) used to charge based on how long the ride was and how far the distance was. This resulted in some outrageous fees because of accidents or road closures, so now as soon as you request a ride, they show you immediately how much you will pay-- regardless of how they choose to get there.

 

[Japanfan]

I'm actually surprised taxis are still a thing at this point, at least in the really big cities.

Uber and Lyft aren't even available in my city. I don't know if that's true for other Canadian cities.

There was a story a while back about a woman who was molested in the back seat of her car by an Uber driver. Thinking of that makes me a little uncomfortable about the thought of using Uber. Though of course it bad things can happen in taxis, too.

 

[maatTheViking]

I have had no problems with Lyft - especially in CA, where there are many.

I have also used the where I live to get from a car shop to work, and from a park and ride to home in the middle of the night.

I usually prefer light rail over rideshares (for pricing and convenience), but outside light rail zones it is easier. I SF for instance, I am happy to take the BART from the airport and then a lyft from there to my final destination if its not walkable.

I have nothing against busses, but sometimes it can be a hassle to figure out schedule and payment options as a non-local. If you do want to go with busses, be sure to plan ahead using the local transportation website (most metro areas has one)

 

[Desperado]

Uber and Lyft aren't even available in my city. I don't know if that's true for other Canadian cities.

There was a story a while back about a woman who was molested in the back seat of her car by an Uber driver. Thinking of that makes me a little uncomfortable about the thought of using Uber. Though of course it bad things can happen in taxis, too.

For sure, Uber is in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Lyft is in Toronto and Ottawa. I still have never used them although I really should. For every super nice and efficient taxi driver I’ve encountered, I now have just as many not so fun rides.

 

[Erin]

There was a story a while back about a woman who was molested in the back seat of her car by an Uber driver. Thinking of that makes me a little uncomfortable about the thought of using Uber. Though of course it bad things can happen in taxis, too.

Correct, bad things can happen in taxis too. I'm not sure why people think that taxis are safer than lyfts/ubers. If anything, I feel a lot safer in a lyft or uber because it's been tracked in my phone which driver I've been paired with, which (a) should be a deterrent for them to try to do anything because of the tracking and (b) makes it easier to find them if something does happen. While a taxi driver does have a license number, if I just flag down a taxi and hop in, I'm not going to remember to look for the license number if something goes wrong.

 

[Japanfan]

Correct, bad things can happen in taxis too. I'm not sure why people think that taxis are safer than lyfts/ubers. If anything, I feel a lot safer in a lyft or uber because it's been tracked in my phone which driver I've been paired with, which (a) should be a deterrent for them to try to do anything because of the tracking and (b) makes it easier to find them if something does happen. While a taxi driver does have a license number, if I just flag down a taxi and hop in, I'm not going to remember to look for the license number if something goes wrong.

Taxi drivers have ID, and a passenger can always request it and write it down.

SFAIK, anyone can be a Lyft/Uber driver, and drive as much or as little as they like? I think I would feel safer in a taxi because drivers have to go through an accreditation process.

And 90% taxi drivers here come from one part of the world. They generally work 12 hour shifts to get the income they need to survive and support their families or contribute to the family income.

So, they are a known quantity to me, whereas Lyft/Uber drivers are not.

 

[tony]

Taxi drivers have ID, and a passenger can always request it and write it down.

SFAIK, anyone can be a Lyft/Uber driver, and drive as much or as little as they like? I think I would feel safer in a taxi because drivers have to go through an accreditation process.

And 90% taxi drivers here come from one part of the world. They generally work 12 hour shifts to get the income they need to survive and support their families or contribute to the family income.

So, they are a known quantity to me, whereas Lyft/Uber drivers are not.

I wouldn't keep the mindset of a taxi being any safer than an Uber or Lyft. You have all of the information about your driver the entire time on the screen as you are being taken to your destination, and many of them record the rides to protect themselves. @Erin already alluded to most of this. One (or a few) instances shouldn't tarnish the entire concept, because I'm sure some research into taxis would find worse cases. I think you are just lucky with where you live, because taxis are not generally well-liked anymore in many places.

I'm just going to throw out there that if I was in my younger years and completely drunk from a college night out with friends, I'd prefer to have the Uber or Lyft that tracks exactly where I am going rather than getting into a taxi and telling them where I need to go-- hoping that I actually get there.

 

[MacMadame]

I use Lyft and not Uber; Uber has had several major issues with privacy violations, and from drivers I've talked to who work for both, Lyft pays the drivers better.

This is why I use Lyft and not Uber.

I only use it when being a tourist and almost always with other people though. Otherwise I use public transportation. For travel from an airport, I might use SuperShuttle as I don't want to wrestle with suitcases on public transportation.

 

[Vash01]

This is why I use Lyft and not Uber.

I only use it when being a tourist and almost always with other people though. Otherwise I use public transportation. For travel from an airport, I might use SuperShuttle as I don't want to wrestle with suitcases on public transportation.

I don't think there is a Supershuttle from Fresno airport, or I would have received that information.
Public transport to that place is extremely complex and I don't want to put myself through that, because eventually I will have to depend on a ride (not available) or a taxi.

 

[A.H.Black]

Since you are using the service in the middle of the day, I think you will be fine with Lyft or Uber. Make sure you match the picture of the driver with the person that shows up and that it's the right car.