ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Gone are the days of standing on the curb calling a cab with your finger in the air. Catching a ride is now as easy as putting your finger on your phone. Ridesharing has become a multi-billion dollar business and is taking away much of the business for taxi cab companies.
Uber and Lyft dominate the ridesharing scene. Open their apps and you’ll see a map of your location along with any nearby cars ready to give you a ride. Type in your destination and when a driver accepts your request you’ll see their profile which includes their name, headshot, photo of their car and their estimated time of arrival. Payment is also handled through the app so no need to have cash or credit card on hand, and the cost is often cheaper than a taxi.
Another thing that sets this kind of ridesharing apart from taxis is the ability to rate the driver’s performance and see how others rated them. With Lyft, if you rate a driver three stars or lower, they won’t be allowed to pick you up again.
On the flipside, drivers can also rate the passenger. So if you were rude or trashed the car… that could mean fewer drivers will accept your ride requests.
Uber and Lyft both say they screen their drivers and promote safety but, just like taking a taxi, you’re still riding with a stranger. Safety experts recommend never taking the ride directly to your home. Instead, get dropped off at a nearby business or intersection.
Both Uber and Lyft offer car-pooling options, called Uberpool and Lyft Line where riders going in the same direction are matched together, resulting in an even cheaper fare.
Contributors to this news report include: Jessica Sanchez, Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer and Editor; Gabriella Battistiol, News Assistant
