Taking Uber is second nature. I avoid taxis unless it is raining in NYC, and I need to get out of a downpour. Leaving my new home, Puerto Rico, I requested an Uber at 12:30AM. Right away, I received a call from the driver. He called to let me know that his wife would be accompanying him on the trip and inquired if this was fine with me. Without thinking, I said, “No problem.”
As I was waiting, I started to question if this was a good idea. A similar request happened when I was in a taxi in La Paz. The request made me uneasy so I exited the taxi. In Chengdu, the unlicensed cab driver from the airport stopped to pick up her boyfriend. He ended up driving. Paranoid, I was on my phone texting my friend live updates. I arrived promptly and at the agreed upon price. Another time, I took a taxi from Varna to Sunny Beach, Bulgaria. The driver said it was a long drive and asked if I was fine if his wife accompanied him for the trip. I obliged and again there was no issue.
None of those examples made me less uneasy for this trip. The anxiety increased when the driver asked if he could take his route to the airport instead of the Uber prescribed route. I said sure, all the while being mindful of the street signs. It didn’t end there. The driver followed up by asking if he could smoke and if he could play music. I didn’t care and said yes.
Since I’m writing this post, it is safe to deduce that I arrived at the airport with no troubles. Having said that, a wise traveler would’ve cancelled and ordered a new Uber. Even if the probability of something nefarious occuring is low, given Uber’s tracking, it was not worth the stress.
TPOL’s TIP: Whether it’s an Uber, metered taxi, or an unlicensed taxi, travelers should be on guard because trouble is always on the horizon.
I don’t know how difficult it is normally to get an Uber in San Juan in the middle of the night, but if it were me in any other major American city, I’d have taken a hard pass and notified Uber.
Of course, when drivers are more scarce and I’ve got to be somewhere, the decision/safety triage is more complicated.
It isn’t difficult but shortly after he called, he arrived. The car and license place matched. And out of caution, I sent my sister a screenshot of the trip.
FYI, the Uber route isn’t necessarily the best one.
Their GPS directs the driver the shortest distance, to maximize their profit from your fare. Drivers are paid by the mile and not based on what you paid.
Sometimes Ubers routes are much slower.
That I know but within the context of the circumstances is why I mentioned it.
Did you know that the word Gypsy is just as offensive a n****r?
No I did not. I actually looked it up on line because I didn’t know if it was. I saw it referenced in wiki and assumed it was just slang. Upon checking the citation, I see that it is a negative term. Changing my post. Thank you for the comment.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_taxicab_operation
When are you moving back to Mongolia?
When you promise to visit!
Done. Getting packing…
Do you know that I’m the 24th foreign lawyer to be admitted to the Mongolian bar? I have clout there.
I thought you were a doctor!
No that’s my sister lol. Bachuwalaw.com
ew girls yuck
Good to know if I ever get arrested in Mongolia.