Uber service for high school kids
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Anonymous
| A lot of parents at my DC's school let their kids use Uber if they are at a party or event and either need to leave early or want to make sure their kids don't try to leave and drive drunk (!). My question is: what are parents experiences letting their 15-17 year old kids use Uber? Do the drivers seem safe? For my child it would be used for more access to weekend games etc to root on friends if we aren't available for rides. |
Anonymous
| Really? I wouldn't. My DH and I use Uber but we know what we are doing. The most recent driver to show was just a guy in a black SUV. I certainly wouldn't want DD in that car alone. |
Anonymous
| I have a DS who just graduated. A lot of his friends used Uber during senior year; I don't think they did before that. |
Anonymous
| I believe the account owners need to be 18, but it might be worth setting up an account that your teenagers have access to. Better to have them home safely! |
Anonymous
| Our DDs used it independently when juniors/seniors. Since they order via our account on line, there is always a record of which car/driver was sent, so that degree of accountability/record was reassuring (compared to randomly hailing a cab). |
Anonymous
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My DD has used it and has access to our account. It has usually been to get her home (or to a friend's house) safely if it is late and we cannot get her. She doesn't use it often, though, because it can be pricey for the town car and/or SUV. The taxis are less expensive, but not often as available. We use it primarily as a last resort if something comes up that she cannot get a ride. It is nice for her to have the option of a ride without having to worry about needing money in her pocket to pay since it is all done through the account. It's worth giving your kid access to it just in case. I would make sure they understand, though, the costs associated. When you order the car it will give you an estimate on what the ride will cost.
Truthfully, I've been a bit weary of the idea of her riding it alone and prefer if she is with friends (particularly at night), but she has never felt unsafe (and she can be very cautious and easily feel uncomfortable/unsafe in those types of situations). I do like that you get the driver information. As the PP said, it adds a layer of accountability. Granted, my DD didn't start using it until last year as a junior and is a senior now. I'm not so sure how I'd feel about her using it at a younger age. |
Anonymous
| How reliable is Uber? Can you count on a car showing up at, say, 2 am ? If so, how long does it take for the car to show up? |
Anonymous
| My DS was at a Halloween party for a Sidwell kid and he said half the kids there (mostly all juniors) had Ubers coming to pick them up. He said lots of parents let kids use their accounts. I would feel better, OP, if you had a son and not a daughter though. |
Anonymous
It is quite reliable. It will tell you through the app how long until the driver is there, the name of the driver (with a photo) and lets you know how far the car is from your location. It's usually quite good during off peak times. It can be a bit of a wait if you're trying during high peak times. It's worth a try if you haven't used it yet. |
Anonymous
| Currently it doesn't go to where we live which is a bummer. I would love to for my HS child to have access to this as an option if she finds herself in a tough situation and wants to get out of it (and we could not get there for her). |
Anonymous
Statistically probably way safer than letting her ride with a teenage driver. |
Anonymous
| My kids go to public schools, but I clicked on the topic because I had no idea what Uber service was. Is this only for kids in private schools, or anyone? |
Anonymous
Uber is a car service available for hire to anyone...Google is your friend: [/url]https://www.uber.com/cities/washington-dc[url] |
Anonymous
Love Uber! Has anyone tried the new UberX? |
Anonymous
Thanks for the link. 
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