Uber. It’s like a taxi, but easier, cheaper and… safer? What most people are concerned about is the safety of taking an Uber as opposed to a taxi. There have been a few instances of people being kidnapped by using the service.

I, on the other hand, use Uber almost weekly. I often use it on Saturday nights getting from my class in Irvine to my house. Costing an average of 15 dollars, Uber offers an easy way to get from one point to another.

I have also encountered nothing but kindness from the drivers. Since passengers rate their drivers at the end of the ride, the drivers are often eager to please the passenger and provide an easy and comfortable experience.

Usually, I can have conversations with the drivers and have actually learned a lot from seeing so many different perspectives on the world. They will often reveal experiences in their lives, and when they see me, a growing teenager, they are often eager to share their wisdom with me.

And yes, maybe there have been some dangerous encounters, but those are to be expected with any business like Uber, and I think that in general the service is very valuable. And yes, maybe it is a good idea for girls to travel in pairs while using Uber, but I really believe that it is unnecessary.

The drivers are often using Uber as a side job to earn a little money and often are really friendly. Just a couple weeks ago, I had a driver that had just moved here from Wisconsin. Not only was he able to inform me a little bit about how things are done in Wisconsin, but I was able to tell him a little bit about the area, such as what beaches are good to go to or what restaurants are the best.

Since it was a long drive, I revealed that I will start driving soon, and he went into depth about his childhood and how he started to drive and, I really think I learned some valuable stuff.

I always make sure to ask the driver about any weird or interesting stories involved with Uber, and they will almost always have a story about someone they drove and something funny that happened.

I think that Uber is a service that has something to offer everyone, and trust me, there is a very small chance that you will be kidnapped. Uber does extensive background checks and is successful in weeding out those who they think might be unfit to drive.

I think it is a relatively safe program, and I will definitely continue using it in the future.