Thank you, Dave. I'd like to do a post on the PPUSA facebook page about Uber & Lyft, as so many folks in the past have complained about how slow Atlanta Checker Cab can be, so if anyone else can "dumb it down" even more for me to ensure I fully understand, I'd really appreciate it.
~Jen
I've used Uber a bunch of times and Lyft only a few times. The service is comparable and both are great. I just generally choose Uber out of habit.
Service times will vary based on where you are and time of day, but for midtown, I doubt there will be any problems at any time of day/night. It took literally two minutes for a driver to pick me up from my place in Midtown, and the ride to the Tabernacle cost a little under $7. The wait for the ride back was a little longer, but still under 10 minutes, and this was while Lady Gaga was playing a private Microsoft event just feet away in Centennial Park. So, traffic was kinda bad.
Both services require extensive background checks and provide you with the driver's name, a picture of him/her, car type and licence plate in advance. Both also require driver's to keep a really high rating. I don't remember the cutoff for Uber, but I think if it dips below 4.7/5, you get suspended or terminated. Lyft has the big pink mustaches, and I believe Uber cars have a sticker on the dash.
The one downside to Uber, and I don't know if Lyft does the same thing, is that during really busy times, they charge more. For example, I got a ride back from a music festival in Atlantic Station back in May, and there was a 2.5x fare multiplier on the ride. However, they let you know in advance about this, and ask you to confirm that you'd still like to request the car. It was still cheaper than a traditional taxi.
