[NAGDU] Uber and NAGDU

Wed Jun 29 20:20:41 UTC 2016

We deal with people in all comfort levels. Meeting strangers every day is not the same as getting into their cars. Uber has some standard requirements, as do cab companies. Uber drivers we can be rated. I think it all boils down to how much you want to go if there are no friends or family to drive you. We have to take the risk, build a little trust, and before you know it you are living the big, rich life you  want

Cindy Lou Ray
Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 29, 2016, at 2:58 PM, Star Gazer via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
>            All of this! Realize too that you deal with "strangers" everyday. Your mailman knows more about you then you'd probably care to think about, coupled with the fact that he literally knows where you live. 
> The guy or gal filling prescriptions could intentionally do a bad job and you wouldn't know until it was too late. 
> Finally, you don't have to use Uber or anything else. If you can't get past this pain point, and are otherwise healthy, then simply don't use Uber. 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan via NAGDU
> Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2016 10:22 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Buddy Brannan <buddy at brannan.name>
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Uber and NAGDU
> 
> Well...Ube *does* screen, though I don't know what their process is. I've been using Uber for over a year with absolutely no problems. Of course, when you're not used to having to rely on other transportation options, doing so for the first time as a necessity is, I'm sure, a bit daunting. Bear these things in mind.
> 
> First, everything is a risk. Stepping out your door is a risk. Nothing is 100% safe, but that certainly doesn't mean you should not assess the risks and minimize them. 
> 
> Second, bear in mind that your trip is tracked from start to finish. The Uber app gives you a time estimate, both for your driver's arrival and for your trip. You can send your itinerary to someone else if you're concerned. But in any case, there are features that traditional taxis don't have. You could certainly not send your trip to someone else or get a time estimate for the most part with a traditional cab. Also, while not foolproof, your driver rates you, and you rate your driver, and this should encourage everyone to be on their best behavior. Note I said "should", because human beings are imperfect. 
> 
> Anyway, it's a good option if it's an available option. If you're really concerned though, download an app called Patronus. It's another emergency services app. 
> 
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: 814-860-3194 
> Mobile: 814-431-0962
> Email: buddy at brannan.name
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> On Jun 29, 2016, at 9:33 AM, Lisie Foster via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I've been thinking about using Uber, though I haven't yet tried it. I wanted to ask others' opinions on something. How well-screened and how safe are Uber drivers? 
>> 
>> If I was going to be with a group, I wouldn't worry. But, the thought of getting into a stranger's car alone, except for my big Gold dog, makes me nervous.
>> 
>> Have there ever been any problems with Uber under similar circumstances? Would an access challenge be more likely? How do I know the driver is safe?
>> 
>> Thank you!
>> 
>> Lisie and the BIG Gold Dog
>> lisiefoster at yahoo.com
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Jun 28, 2016, at 3:43 PM, Raul A. Gallegos via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi there. My girlfriends dog is 26 inches at the shoulder and weighs 85 pounds. When I get my dog later this year I have a feeling he might be close to the same size although I am hoping he will be at least in the 70s. So with one of these cars that seat for people if you have two people with two guide dogs that's going to make it a very tight right. As I said in the prior message, sometimes you have to be stereotype model thin in order to comfortably fit three or four people in some of the smaller so-called four passenger size cars. I agree with another person's message in this thread that sometimes taking off the harness will make things easier for the dog to curl around. What I am afraid of is that if the driver is already making an issue of the dog being there, I would not want to give the driver any cause or reason that the dog was not "officially their".
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Raul A. Gallegos
>>> Assistive Technology Trainer
>>> “Any teacher that can be replaced with a computer, deserves to be.” – David Thornburg 
>>> 
>>> Voice/Text: 832.554.7285
>>> Office: 832.639.4477
>>> Personal Email: raul at raulgallegos.com
>>> Work Email: training at raulgallegos.com
>>> Twitter: @rau47 and @AT_Trainer
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
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