In large and mid-sized cities around the United States — and increasingly, abroad — there’s been a noticeable proliferation of so-called app-based car services that function as alternatives to taxi cabs.
The two major players are Lyft and Uber, both of which allow users to request a car via smartphone app. The app uses GPS technology to identify your location and that of your driver, and give you an approximate time of arrival. Payment and tips are also standardized through the app, which speeds your travel time by eliminating this job for the driver. Drivers are regular people with safe driving records.
Other, similar services include Sidecar, Wingz, Summon and Hailo. For Europe’s part, there’s also LeCar, SnapCar, BlaBlaCar, Djump, Heetch, and Carpooling.
It’s all incredibly streamlined, simple and welcoming, especially when compared to the often impersonal at best — to downright rude and threatening at worst — experiences with taxis. And better yet, you can rate your driver to help keep the system functioning at its best.
There have been a fair amount of squabbles between taxis and these alternative-cab services, but the proliferation of such services seem to indicate they’re here to stay. For the most part, these services do offer safe, reliable, friendly — and often cheaper — alternatives to hailing a cab.
Read This Next
Hitch a Ride with Uber
Entertainment
Dec 2, 2014#TrazeeTravel
Insta FeedFood & Drink
Apr 23, 2024Myrtle Beach is Launching an Official Destination Beer
Looking for the perfect beach beer? Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has you covered. Last month, the destination partnered with Grand Strand Brewing Company to release the official beer of Myrtle Beach, dubbed Beach Easy.
Sponsored Content
Your Home Away from Home in Dallas
Open spaces, open thinking and open expression thrive at Aloft Dallas Downtown.
Slideshow
Apr 23, 20247 Must-See Sites in Curaçao
It’s time to start dreaming of your next trip. Here are seven must-see sites in Curaçao.
Surveys
Apr 23, 2024Going the Distance: Which Airports Have the Longest Walks?
You’re in between flights and ready to find a coffee and your next gate and settle in. But then you find the signs to your gate and look down the impossibly long corridor and wonder how you managed to have the gate at the opposite end of the airport.
Sponsored Content
Experience Ireland’s
Wild Atlantic Way
From the windy tip of Malin Head in County Donegal to the colorful harbor town of Kinsale in County Cork, Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way amazes at every turn. Feel the blast of fresh sea air with a lighthouse walk. Get up close to history, grab a fireside seat at a traditional music session, experience the world-famous Irish hospitality and explore some of Ireland's most exhilarating coastal scenery. It is a place that inspired dreamers and travelers, poets and painters with a landscape filled with stone walls, thatched cottages, deserted beaches and breathtaking views. Charming towns and villages, 1,500 miles of soaring cliffs, incredible landscapes and unique experiences await.
Keep Your Road Trip Smelling Good with Purggo
The last thing you want during a road trip? A stinky car. Luckily, Purggo is here to help —without filling your car with a bunch of nasty chemicals that really only just make you cough and cover up the stench for a short time.
ShareThis