Uber Car Service

When I'm not driving my school bus, I am an Uber driver. The answers to your questions are;

No, you don't know the total fare before you get in the car. The rate is similar to cab fare. If you go to Uber.com and on the far top left of the page click on menu, there is an option for cites. Click on that, scroll down and find your area. You can get a rough estimate of a fare, and also the base rate plus additional mileage etc...The prices do increase with demand, so you will pay more for a ride say on New Year's Eve than you will for this afternoon, but when you sign in for a ride the app will let you know there is an increased fare due to demand.

No, we do not provide car seats. You need to bring your own. We can cancel rides if a passenger has a child that is required to be in a car seat but they don't have one. We are required to follow the laws of the state/city we are driving in.

Some other things you didn't ask but are good to know:

Drivers are required to show proof of a valid driver's licence, registration and insurance and we are thoroughly background checked before we are approved to drive. Cars must also be less than 10 years old and able to pass inspection.

By law we have to accommodate service animals, but we have the option of whether or not to allow pets that are not service animals.

If an animal, service or otherwise damages a vehicle, or a passenger damages or otherwise fouls the vehicle the passenger can and probably will be charged a cleaning and/or repair fee.

Tipping is unnecessary and not expected.

If you need more info, you can find it at Uber.com

We live in the Dallas area. I have used it several times. My daughter and her friends us it when they go out and just split the fare, safer for everyone.

Maybe it depends on your area and specific requests but I know what I am paying ( not to exact penny) before I accept rides. The price was quoted before I acceoted the ride. On the app you can see the car coming to you which is kindof neat. The full fare is posted, no tipping. Each account has a credit card associated with it so no cash involved either.

You'll hear pros and cons about it but it's pretty big here and we'll used. As far as car seat, no idea how that works since that doesn't pertain to us.

I have friends that use Uber all the time and my husband hopes to drive for them later this year for the flexibility. You do have to take your own carseat and yes you must have one, esp for the little ones. My friends have told me they know how much the irde will be give or take a little bit and know when they get premium or upgrade in pricing is so they can make other plans if needed. High volume means higher pricing so late at night on a Friday or Sat costs more than mid afternoon. And they like not having to have cash for the fare like a cab. Plus, they can track who they are going with and can refuse a car or driver.

Uber Kids has car seats.
Here in Chicago, an Uber X or XL is cheaper than taking a cab. And unlike having to hail a cab - they pick you up at your door (or wherever you are).
I use it religiously. It's so popular here that the the cab companies are trying to sue because they are losing so much money to Uber. (Uber drivers don't need medallions here.)

I would assume you'd have to bring a carseat, but you'd need to ask. I haven't used Uber because I read a report that said a guy got a huge bill that he wasn't expecting. I can't remember what it was, but it was hundreds of dollars. That's a bit too scary for me...

I've never used Uber, but it looks like the cost depends on location, the type of vehicle, and distance/time. There may also be a surchage for 'peak hours'.

This site gives estimate examples for NYC area: http://uberestimate.com/prices/New-York-City/

In some areas, including NYC, there is UberFamily where you can request a child seat for an additional fee ($10?). It looks like you're limited to 1 forward facing 5-point harnessing seat per vehicle. For infants, you'll need to bring your own carseat.

http://thecarseatlady.com/uberfamily-immi-go/