In the past week during my stay in Tempe AZ I’ve been traveling around the area on Uber. Uber is a great way to get from point to point. It’s safe, efficient and all the drivers have been very friendly and courteous. For the past two mornings my drivers have said, “We don’t get a lot of people like you.” I said, “You mean guys that are 60+ years old.” Each time they smiled and said, “Yes.” My driver this morning said, most people your age don’t have smart phones. I smiled and confessed to being a geek. I’ve enjoyed my banter with these younger entrepreneurs who are really working as independent contractors out here in the Phoenix area. Uber is great way to get around and is the fraction of the cost of a rental car with the added convenience of not having to invest in a GPS too. When you’re traveling especially around the Phoenix, AZ area I encourage you to try Uber.
Uber in the Valley
Until March of this year I had not tried Uber. On a trip to Tempe AZ in March I decided to give it a try. I was skeptical and reluctant. My first ride in the valley was from my sister’s residence to my Mom’s home which was nearby. I took my iPhone out and touched the Uber app and immediately I was enthralled by the interface. Within five minutes a guy in a late model SUV wheeled up to me and said, “Are you Don?” I got in the car and we were off. I asked him about Uber, where he came from and how long he’d been driving. He told me a lot about Uber and how it worked and he really put my mind at ease about who was driving me and about the system in general. That afternoon was the beginning. I tried Uber several more times on that trip.
Fast forward to last night. I had reserved a rental car prior to our arrival at Sky Harbor in Phoenix and I got all the way to the rental counter, but after hearing about all the extras that I’d need and the extra charges from the rental company, I decided to give Uber a try again. This trip was a bit different and I have my wife along. She’d never experienced Uber before. It was a rainy and windy night and we’d just arrived after a long flight from Buffalo, New York. We were tired and uncertain. After deciding not to rent the car, I used the iOS app again and within minutes our driver appeared. He took our bags and put them in the trunk of a luxury sedan and we were off to our destination in Tempe. Our Uber driver saved us the from the experience of having to find our way in unfamiliar surroundings on a very dark and rainy night. He provided us with a very safe ride and sold both of us on the utility of Uber. Later we used Uber again to take us to an area restaurant where we dined and then a return trip too.
We can’t say enough good about Uber in Phoenix.