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Sherlene Stevens: Uber Travel Service for Celebrities

Recently I traveled by Uber in the Atlanta area. With over 30,000 entertainers in Atlanta, Georgia, I wondered how on earth could an Uber driver be discreet of celebrity-passenger pickup. The following are a few tips of why I believe celebrities should avoid the Uber and Lyft service whenever possible:

Discretion isn't available!

  • ALL DRIVERS IN THE AREA WILL HAVE YOUR LOCATION AND FIRST NAME. In turn, the quickest driver can choose to pick you up; first-come-first-serve basis.
  • Uber requests first-name identity for paying. Then, the driver can address you by your name during pickup and travel time. They will also have your phone/text info to contact you, if necessary (before pickup)
  • Uber can't guarantee that you will always have the same driver, within the area.
  • The good thing is that you will have the driver's name and contact info before and a few minutes after an Uber ride.
  • You must choose the UBER X to ride alone without pickup of additional passengers (the general public). In other words if you choose the wrong UBER ride experience, just like a public-bus ride, your driver will be picking up other passengers along the traveling route, too.

Other Advice
  • A pickup trip can be processed within a "next" 15 - 30 minute cycle before the actual pickup to a destination. There is no immediate pickup choice. Uber will inform you of a destination time for your driver to pick you up. With all the new drivers, pickup time has gotten much faster. A driver can be at your door in less than 5 minutes! So always try to be ready "before" scheduling a driver pickup.
  • Your Uber driver will contact you upon arrival, if necessary (directions to your door if lost, etc.).
  • While in an Uber, and you decide to change the destination address, pricing may increase an additional  $5 - $15.
  • You will have the option of contacting your Uber driver before and after via phone call or text.
  • You will be given a digital receipt via text, etc.
  • Lastly after the completion of your Uber trip, immediately, you will be prompted to complete a short survey of customer experience. It is always nice to give your opinion of a driver's service. If you are too busy after the Uber ride, you will be given adequate time to take the time to complete the feedback survey.