Traveling Alone

[bumbershoot]

What is wrong with lyft i take it all the time honest people making a living %99.9 percent of the time

??

Saying that I’d just rent a car is not saying there’s anything wrong with other options.

Looking at the OP’s plans I see a rental
car as being the easiest option. It's what I would do. It’s what I DO do.

I take Lyft when having my own vehicle is a much more expensive option or adds too much difficulty. Otherwise I rent a car.

You'll have to walk to the rear of the vehicle in Florida because we don't have license tags on the front of the car. So take those few seconds for your safety. I not only "won't mind," I'll actually go out of my way to THANK you for being careful. I WANT you to be comfortable.

YES.

It’s awkward, but when I got a Lyft from
DS to the airport it was right after the tragedy in SC where the woman didn’t check and got into the car of a non-rideshare driver and...

Made the momentary awkwardness worth it. And all the drivers I’ve had start off with “are you Molly” which shows that they have access to my name. A criminal trolling the pickup spots won’t have access to my name.

 

[JimMIA]

And all the drivers I’ve had start off with “are you Molly” which shows that they have access to my name. A criminal trolling the pickup spots won’t have access to my name.

Correct. The driver has access to the "name" of the account holder. Most of the time, that's an actual name, although I've seen some amusing nicknames. My favorites are when some adult has a profoundly stupid nickname and has to say it to the driver to get the ride.

Incidentally, the best practice is for the driver to ask you for your name. If I say "Molly?" most passengers are either not paying attention or can't hear clearly because of background noise and they'll say yes or nod their heads. I've had that happen twice and ended up with the wrong rider in my car.

 

[bumbershoot]

Incidentally, the best practice is for the driver to ask you for your name.

I once said my name first accidentally (we were going to see Hamilton in Portland and I was excited) and the driver chided me for it.

If I’m not doing any of the other checks and some criminal drives up and asks me for my name, I might think he is the driver simply because he knows I’m waiting for a ride

I think the best practice is for the driver to know the rider’s name first.

Ok the best-best practice is for each to know the other’s name. After all, a rider could be a criminal, too.

 

[JimMIA]

I once said my name first accidentally (we were going to see Hamilton in Portland and I was excited) and the driver chided me for it.

If I’m not doing any of the other checks and some criminal drives up and asks me for my name, I might think he is the driver simply because he knows I’m waiting for a ride

I think the best practice is for the driver to know the rider’s name first.

Ok the best-best practice is for each to know the other’s name. After all, a rider could be a criminal, too.

Yep, it's confusing no matter how you do it.

Someone at Uber needed something to report at a weekly meeting, so they will shortly be offering the option of a rider PIN number. That will be transmitted to your driver (perfectly timed as they are trying to concentrate on traffic, finding you, and getting into a safe position to park!) and the two of you will have a contest to decide who gives who the PIN.

The best methods for riders will still be to check the tag number and the driver's photo.

As a driver, in addition to verifying the passenger's NAME, I also verify their DESTINATION once I start the ride.

Out of about 1.5 million females of various ages in Miami, there are approximately 1.36 million named either Maria, Carolina, or Ariana. At my DD's skating rink, they have Ariana 1 through Ariana 7, and that's just among the competitive figure skaters -- probably 50 more in public skating! So even the correct name is not enough.

 

[nkereina]

I am 30-something female and travel for work frequently, and always rely on Uber/Lyft when a train or subway isn't available. I hate driving in strange cities, so this is what I opt to do. Knock on wood, in my many trips with Uber/Lyft, I've not had a scary experience. I've had a bad experience where the driver couldn't find me and it took him forever, but nothing where I was worried or fearful. IMO, its no different than getting in a taxi. But for whatever reason, people seem to find taxis more trustworthy, so that is another option. It would be easiest to catch a taxi or Uber/Lyft by walking to the Contemporary after the party.

Another option is Tony Hinds, who is often recommended here. Him and his drivers must be arranged in advanced and his pricing is on par with a taxi or other private car services. You'd need to designate a pickup time and location for after the party. I would book with Tony before renting a car because it would be cheaper, especially considering parking costs, and much less of a hassle.

 

[supergirl04]

Did it! Had no problems with Uber/Lyft at night. Traveled to Disney from Universal area four nights. Only thing I did not really consider was surge pricing. I waited it out most nights and only paid a ridiculous amount one night.

 

[AngiTN]

I'm female and have traveled to Disney alone. Used Uber without any hesitation whatsoever.