My Uber Experience: Convenience and Confusion

I'm always honest in my reviews, even if my opinion doesn't align with the majority. I was super excited about the Uber app, but some issues came to light that left a lasting impression.

The Uber app is free to download, and I was eager to try it out. I've always been a fan of the 'Better than a Taxi' slogan, and I was curious to see if the service would live up to its promise.

Calling a taxi is surprisingly easy – all you need is an internet connection and a GPS-enabled phone. As soon as you open the app, you'll see your location and how many cars are nearby. This is a huge advantage over traditional taxi services, where you often have to wait on the street or call a dispatcher.

The blue dot represents your location. Simply type in the address you want to go to, and you'll see a list of nearby drivers. I once tried to enter just the street name without the house number, but when I got in the taxi, I mentioned the house number, and the driver ended up taking me to a neighboring yard, yelling at me, and dropping me off in the wrong place. I had to walk around to find the correct house. To make matters worse, he even left me a low rating – my rating went from 5.0 to 3.9. I guess that's just a matter of the driver.

The convenience of seeing your driver's profile, complete with their photo, rating, and number of trips, is a nice touch. You can also see the car approaching as it gets closer to you. This feature gives you a sense of security and helps you feel more comfortable with your ride.

Ratings. In this app, the driver rates you after the trip, and you rate them, of course. I had a pretty smooth experience when it came to ratings – every driver I had, except for one, gave me a 5-star rating, and I gave them all 5 stars as well. You can't see how much a specific driver rated you, but after the trip, it's clear from the overall rating.

Drivers. I'm happy to report that, apart from the one instance I mentioned earlier, I didn't encounter any issues with the drivers. While my car was being painted, I was using this taxi service about twice a week. And, I have to say, it was a breeze with a toddler and a stroller in tow. The drivers were always helpful and courteous. Sometimes, I even got the same drivers multiple times. At first, I couldn't believe that a service like this could exist in our country, given the state of our service industry.

Cars. The cars that showed up were varied, but one time, I even got a brand-new Mercedes. However, the usual fare was a Lada Granta or a Daewoo. All the cars were clean and well-maintained, which was a big plus for me.

The wait time for the cars was usually under 15 minutes, which is impressive considering the demand for the service. I've had my fair share of waiting for taxis in the past, but with Uber, I was always able to get a ride quickly.

I'll never forget the time I was juggling a bunch of bags, a stroller, and a screaming kid, trying to get to the store from the mall entrance in the freezing cold. Finally, after a lot of hassle, I hailed a taxi through Gett – the ride cost me 280 rubles, which was 100 rubles more than Uber, but it arrived in just 3 minutes. Of course, with the treatment I got, I didn't even think twice about the extra cost. The taxi driver explained to me that it was rush hour and nobody wanted to leave the city center. When I asked him why they confirmed the order, he said it was an automatic process for the nearest car. But then, seeing where we were headed (it was a 12-minute drive from the mall, just to the other side of the city center), they refused to take me. I'm not sure if that's really how it works, but it all makes sense now.

That's my story. Honestly, it left a lasting impression on me. I'm not sure if I'll be using Uber again. Their taxi service is just too weird and confusing. If you're in a hurry, don't count on them to get you there on time. But hopefully, you won't have any similar experiences.

Thanks for reading my review! Have a safe and pleasant trip with a good taxi service.