Actually I don't drive in the Orlando market. I drive in Miami. Joel and probably a couple of other posters here drive in Orlando. Yep, that's a legitimate problem in Orlando, and also in Miami. Both locations have many refugees from Puerto Rico (hurricanes) and Venezuela (political chaos) who have come to Florida to survive, to make a better life, or to work temporarily until things are better at home. Some of them speak English, and some don't.
To be perfectly honest, not speaking English is not that big of a deal if you can follow the GPS -- but it does present some difficulties in certain situations. I face the same issues as a driver here in Miami because I often get riders who don't speak English. Or...they say they don't speak English because they aren't fluent and they're embarrassed by their accents. Many of them can actually communicate just fine, but they have an accent.
You'll also get some drivers who don't know their way around very well. Disney can be confusing at times. That's a legitimate issue with some drivers, no matter what language they speak, and the GPS doesn't always solve those dilemmas perfectly.
With MV drivers, you should have neither of those problems, but you won't have them with a lot of Uber/Lyft drivers either.
No need to qualify your question -- it's a GREAT question. Safety questions are the most legitimate question anyone could ask.
Taxis, shuttles, limos, car services, etc are regulated at the county (and sometimes city) level -- so those standards vary greatly.
In Florida, the rideshare industry is regulated at the state level. Florida's statewide requirements for RIDESHARE background investigations are very stringent, and include the following:
- Criminal history and warrants checks -- local, state, and federal (FBI)
- Florida sexual predator list check
- Federal sexual predator list check
- Terrorist watch list check
- Complete driving history check
- Valid driver's license and vehicle registration verification
In addition to those, Uber (not Lyft) uses a service which continuously monitors drivers' backgrounds. Any ticket, arrest, summons, etc is immediately forwarded to Uber and reviewed to see if that driver should continue on the platform. If there is any question, the driver is temporarily suspended until a complete investigation is finished -- which can take several weeks.
Incidentally, MinnieVan drivers operate on the Lyft app, so each of them would also have to undergo that entire background investigation above.
There are also some important safety features in both the driver app and the
rider app. The most important are the description of the car (including tag number) name and picture of the driver, and the fact that every ride is double-tracked in real time. Rides are tracked on the driver's app and also on your rider app on your phone. You also have the ability to share your ride progress in real time with friends or family. (all of these features also apply to MV because the rides are conducted on the Lyft app.)
Two answers to that -- No, and maybe.
No, there is no way for you to request a specific driver through the Uber or Lyft app. The app algorithm typically assigns your ride request to the closest driver in the particular car category you request in order to provide quicker pickups and better service.
Maybe -- there is a smartphone app called Uzurv which will pair you with a specific driver. You enter the details of your trip in advance (typically the day before) and Uzurv publishes your ride request to all of its participating drivers in the area where you are. Drivers indicate their interest and you are notified. You then have the ability to review the driver's profile (self-reported), see what kind of car they drive, etc. You pick a driver and make arrangements with them. The ride itself is then conducted on-app, with all of the safety features that provides.
