Lyft/Uber safety first time experience

[nelsonkg]

Hi I am looking for opinions I will be traveling alone with my son 11 arriving at MCO at 9pm I was going to try Lyft to Poly . I usually rent a car but I was going to try without it this trip. Would you feel safe ? or would you book a car service which would be about $40 more. I know it probably sounds silly but I am just not experienced with with taxi or ride services. Thank you

 

[rigs32]

When you're matched with a Lyft driver, you have their photo, car make and model, license plate number, and their cell phone number. If you're truly concerned about safety, you can screen shot that information and send it to a friend so they know how to find you and the car if you don't check in with them later.

 

[gillep]

As a woman in my early-mid thirties I have taken Uber/Lyft solo many times and have always felt safe. I use ride share when I am traveling alone, even when I am leaving the airport to go to my hotel after midnight, I also use ride share if meeting up with my friends, so that I don't have to worry about having a few drinks. That said, if you don't feel comfortable then I would spend the extra money for piece of mind. Uber has a good website that describes a lot of their safety features, so familiarize yourself with those and the different options for sharing the details of your trip with a 3rd party so that you know that someone knows the details of your trip. Whenever I take ride share I always send the details of the ride/driver to either my husband or my friends that I am meeting, and Uber at least (I don't think I have ever taken Lyft solo due to some technical issues my phone has with the Lyft app) makes it really easy to share this information with someone. You can also still take DME at that hour if you want to save money and not worry about the ride share thing.

 

[SteveH]

I'd say something but really it's all been said, and as @gillep said DME is an option for you.

 

[JimMIA]

I'm sure you'll be safe with either company. Here are some safety features that both companies provide:

• The ability to watch the driver's vehicle approaching you on the map. Although there is a small lag in time, this is helpful in picking out your car.
• A picture of the driver's car
• A picture of the driver
• The tag number of the car (note that Florida has tags only on the rear of the vehicle)
• Every ride double-tracked -- on the driver's app, and also on your app.
  • In Uber's case, they also track you for 2-3 minutes after the ride ends, and they track the driver continuously everywhere they go

Uber is somewhat more technologically advanced than Lyft, and they recently introduced a new suite of safety features on their rider app. Here's a cut and paste of a post I did on another thread outlining those improvements. Note that you can now share the tracking of your Uber ride in real time with trusted friends/family.

I could be wrong, but I don't believe Lyft has any of the features listed below -- but you'll be safe with either company.

NEWISH UBER IN-RIDE SAFETY FEATURES:

I've mentioned this in other threads, but just want to update here. Over the last few months, Uber has rolled out a number of new safety features for both drivers and riders. These are new, and are in addition to the longtime safety feature of double-tracking each ride on both the driver's app and the rider's.

• Sharing ride progress -- Uber now provides the ability to share your actual ride progress in real time with trusted friends and family. Once your driver is en route to pick you up, just swipe up on your screen and tap "Share Status." You can have multiple people simultaneously tracking your ride in real time.
  • This feature also would be helpful if you are making a stop to pick up friends. Just share your ride with them and they can see you approaching them for pickup. That makes for a quick, easy pickup -- and you don't get charged extra because your friends are not ready.
• 9-1-1 calling in-app. You can now call 9-1-1 from the rider app -- and if you ever need to call 9-1-1 while on a ride, YOU SHOULD USE THIS FEATURE.
  • Here's why. If you place a normal 9-1-1 call from a cell phone, the address shown to 911 is the location of the nearest cell tower -- which could be several miles away. If you place that same call IN-APP, 911 is automatically linked to the Uber GPS system, showing your precise location...including if you are still moving. That means faster and more accurate emergency response.
• Automatic crash detection. You're very unlikely to be involved in a crash. But if you are, the Uber driver app is exceptionally sensitive to sudden deceleration and will alert Uber to a potential crash. To give you an idea how sensitive, the Uber driver's app can detect whether we are using a phone mount, or are hand-holding our phone!
  • In the event of a possible crash, Uber very quickly calls the driver to see if everything is OK.
  • Again, any 911 response is automatically linked to the Uber GPS location, ensuring a faster and more accurate response.

"Spotlight"

This is not a safety feature, but it's especially helpful at crowded venues like airports, sporting events and concerts, and Disney theme parks -- any crowded pickup point.

Once your Uber driver accepts your ride, you see them approaching on your app screen. Just below that map, you will see the driver's picture and a picture of their car. If you want to see that larger, simply tap or swipe it.

To the right of the driver info, you will see a little lightbulb-like icon. As the driver approaches, that icon will display a color. Tap the icon and it will turn the entire face of your phone that color and give you a message to display your phone face to the approaching driver. This makes it easy for the driver to spot you, and differentiate you from other waiting riders. I was in NYC and Boston last week and used the spotlight on every pickup.

*****
You might also check the generic Uber/Lyft thread: https://www.disboards.com/threads/everthing-you-wanted-to-know-about-uber-lyft-at-wdw.3443634/

 

[AngiTN]

Yes, I would feel safe using ride share at that hour, with your child.
I used it several times this past week, night included, it was just me and a girl friend.
The safety mechanisms built in make me very comfortable

 

[Allison]

Yes, I would feel safe.

 

[JimMIA]

Yes, I would feel safe.

Me too -- I'd feel safer as a rider than as a driver!

 

[nelsonkg]

Thank you all so much for the great information!

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

I use it all the time indapendaly (sp) and it's super easy and where I live for the most part the drivers are super nice

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

I used Uber/ Lyft many times during our last trip, both solo and with a child and with DH. No complaints. Through the app, I am able to give a 3rd party the ability to "follow along" for my ride. So, if I was solo I'd text DH and let him know we were picked up, the app would send him a link and if he didn't get a text that we arrived he would have been able to follow our location. It's a great feature, along with the picture of the car, driver, and plate (which I took a screen shot of and sent to DH just in case but that was probably overkill).

 

[Malyficent]

I've used Uber/Lyft for years - alone and with my children. I've only been nervous once. The driver simply missed a turn but it sent us on a very long trip. I texted the people I was meeting and was able to send them a link so they could track my journey. It was all fine but I really like that feature.

I lived in NYC for years and took loads of cabs and black cars (car service). Other than my one regular black car driver, I feel much safer using a ride sharing service simply due to the tracking feature (which I rarely use).