Written By: Brittany Penland

Pulling up the Uber app on a smartphone is seemingly much easier than attempting to hail a cab during rush hour. Even in a town as sparsely populated as Valdosta, the taxis are few and far between.

A commuter student would have to go through the mundane task of sifting through various cab services in search of the best available. Then after that, he or she would have to wait, hoping that his or her ride makes it in time for the class that he or she is already five minutes late for.

Uber is a company that allows customers the opportunity to take private rides from rental drivers throughout their local area. This service reaches an upward total of over 70 cities throughout the country today.

Scheduling rides is as simple as a click of a button. The process is done by contacting the private driver through the free Uber phone app that is available on any mobile device.

The San Francisco based rental company can be described as similar to that of a taxi service. You request a pickup and a car is sent to your location.

However, unlike a big, checkered yellow car that we automatically associate with taxis; an Uber vehicle could vary, dependent upon the driver. They use their own vehicle to transport you.

Another big difference between Uber and taxi services is that Uber’s drivers are not licensed chauffeurs. Although drivers are screened and monitored, they are nothing more than random drivers who come after receiving a chime from their phone indicating customers.

The Uber drivers have to use their own personal auto insurance policy while driving for the company and they are not required to get commercial liability insurance.

Also, with Uber, they strictly require that you make payments with credit cards. Taxi payment type generally depend on the particular service.

Although Uber has their faults, they still appear to be the new “it” thing right now. The company continues to expand its routes. Who knows, maybe it’ll come to Valdosta one day.