Can I put my high schooler in an Uber?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can she go inside the school 20 minutes early? She won't be standing outside? Then take her. She can learn to use those 20 minutes to check assignments, get some things done, drop off books at the library, get in an extra 20 minutes studying before a test that day, or whatever.

I figure she is balking at having to get up, get ready and go out the door earlier. Is that the case? It's not fun or easy for high schoolers, who really do need their sleep, but I would not spend the money on an Uber or cab.

Re: Uber, do an online search on anything like "Uber driver crime" and you will find many, many cases around the country of Uber drivers committing assault on passengers or having other criminal issues. Uber tries to say they've improved security and background checks etc. but I would not put my teen in one. Somehow Uber-lovers manage to say over and over how "my kid takes it and it's fine" or use the argument that "all the teens at my kid's school do it" but that doesn't wash with me. It's still putting your kid into a car with a total stranger who has had less background checking than most cabbies have to get. Maybe if you're determined not to drive your kid, you can find one driver (maybe a woman driver, as a PP noted) who will do the ride every single day, and be effectively your chauffeur with whom you can form a relationship. But really, I'd tell my own DD in this case that she had a good opportunity to be ready for the school day and have extra study time etc. and nope, I wasn't sinking money into a daily driver other than me.

And most crime is committed by people the victim knows. We’ve completely lost our ability as a society to assess risk. We read a Facebook anecdote about some girl 600 miles away who was assaaulted by uber driver and freak out. Or we hear that someone once assualted a kid in the bathroom, so we can’t let our kids go to the washroom alone. The biggest risks come from people connected to the family or people kids meet online.

Well, if getting to school 20 minutes early is dangerous for a HS kid then there are an awful lot of HS kids living in danger. Many, many kids get to school 15/20 minutes early.

PP here - I think it’s crazy to pay for a ride so the daughter doesn’t get to school 20 minutes early, but it’s about the cost and the daughter’s apparent inflexibility. I am separately pushing back against the idea that riding in an uber is intolerable dangerous. Statistically speaking, a high school girl is much more likely to be the victim of a boyfriend, classmate, teacher, or family friend than an Uber driver. I see our inability to properly assess risk as one of society’s biggest problems.

Eh, she'll have time to go to her locker, time to visit a teacher to clarify a homework problem that she had trouble with, she'll have time to go to the ladies room before school starts. She'll do o.k. The uber driver would likely get her there 10 minutes early anyway.

Reading is a lost art.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why can't she use public transportation?

Haha. God forbid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it's fine. First of all, the driver's don't ask for ID from the rider. You can't really tell the difference between most 15/16 year olds and 18 year olds. Hell, I've sent an Uber for my 13 year old once when there was an accident blocking the parking garage of my work so I couldn't leave in time to pick him up.

Screenshot a picture of the car that's coming and the driver. Monitor the trip on your phone.

And why anyone here feels like cabbies are safer than Uber drivers I'll never understand?! If I put my kid in a cab, I have no way to monitor the trip. No idea of what the driver looks like or even their name.

Plus, for those saying "what about if there's an accident!" regarding the Uber, I was in an accident in a cab and it's not like it was some kind of smooth sailing incident. The cabbie was at fault, but wouldn't admit it, of course. He didn't want the other person to call the police and just wanted to handle it on their own. Never checked on me once during all his yelling at the other driver. He was upset when the ambulance arrived and I decided to get transported to get checked out. I was being loaded up and he came over to get payment for the ride to that point, which I did have to pay according to the police there since I'd used the service offered up until that point. Then it was just months of fighting with the insurance to get the bills paid.

How do you monitor the trip on your phone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I let my son but would not with my daughter.

Why your son but not your daughter?

Do you really have to ask that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can she go inside the school 20 minutes early? She won't be standing outside? Then take her. She can learn to use those 20 minutes to check assignments, get some things done, drop off books at the library, get in an extra 20 minutes studying before a test that day, or whatever.

I figure she is balking at having to get up, get ready and go out the door earlier. Is that the case? It's not fun or easy for high schoolers, who really do need their sleep, but I would not spend the money on an Uber or cab.

Re: Uber, do an online search on anything like "Uber driver crime" and you will find many, many cases around the country of Uber drivers committing assault on passengers or having other criminal issues. Uber tries to say they've improved security and background checks etc. but I would not put my teen in one. Somehow Uber-lovers manage to say over and over how "my kid takes it and it's fine" or use the argument that "all the teens at my kid's school do it" but that doesn't wash with me. It's still putting your kid into a car with a total stranger who has had less background checking than most cabbies have to get. Maybe if you're determined not to drive your kid, you can find one driver (maybe a woman driver, as a PP noted) who will do the ride every single day, and be effectively your chauffeur with whom you can form a relationship. But really, I'd tell my own DD in this case that she had a good opportunity to be ready for the school day and have extra study time etc. and nope, I wasn't sinking money into a daily driver other than me.

And most crime is committed by people the victim knows. We’ve completely lost our ability as a society to assess risk. We read a Facebook anecdote about some girl 600 miles away who was assaaulted by uber driver and freak out. Or we hear that someone once assualted a kid in the bathroom, so we can’t let our kids go to the washroom alone. The biggest risks come from people connected to the family or people kids meet online.

Well, if getting to school 20 minutes early is dangerous for a HS kid then there are an awful lot of HS kids living in danger. Many, many kids get to school 15/20 minutes early.

PP here - I think it’s crazy to pay for a ride so the daughter doesn’t get to school 20 minutes early, but it’s about the cost and the daughter’s apparent inflexibility. I am separately pushing back against the idea that riding in an uber is intolerable dangerous. Statistically speaking, a high school girl is much more likely to be the victim of a boyfriend, classmate, teacher, or family friend than an Uber driver. I see our inability to properly assess risk as one of society’s biggest problems.

Eh, she'll have time to go to her locker, time to visit a teacher to clarify a homework problem that she had trouble with, she'll have time to go to the ladies room before school starts. She'll do o.k. The uber driver would likely get her there 10 minutes early anyway.

Reading is a lost art.

+1

No. The idea that she would be somehow safer in an Uber than getting to school early is silly. She actually knows the people at the school, the Uber driver could be anyone. It has been pointed out in other threads that Uber driver's don't have the same sort of background checks as taxi cab drivers do and even their vehicles aren't checked for safety like taxi cabs are. Even if you think that the driver is awesome, their vehicle may not be properly maintained. Maybe their driving record is less than stellar (would Uber know?).

You definitely, in my mind, are assuming an amount of risk getting into an Uber. And it would be an unnecessary risk if the point of the Uber is to avoid getting getting to school a handful of minutes earlier than you want to get there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it's fine. First of all, the driver's don't ask for ID from the rider. You can't really tell the difference between most 15/16 year olds and 18 year olds. Hell, I've sent an Uber for my 13 year old once when there was an accident blocking the parking garage of my work so I couldn't leave in time to pick him up.

Screenshot a picture of the car that's coming and the driver. Monitor the trip on your phone.

And why anyone here feels like cabbies are safer than Uber drivers I'll never understand?! If I put my kid in a cab, I have no way to monitor the trip. No idea of what the driver looks like or even their name.

Plus, for those saying "what about if there's an accident!" regarding the Uber, I was in an accident in a cab and it's not like it was some kind of smooth sailing incident. The cabbie was at fault, but wouldn't admit it, of course. He didn't want the other person to call the police and just wanted to handle it on their own. Never checked on me once during all his yelling at the other driver. He was upset when the ambulance arrived and I decided to get transported to get checked out. I was being loaded up and he came over to get payment for the ride to that point, which I did have to pay according to the police there since I'd used the service offered up until that point. Then it was just months of fighting with the insurance to get the bills paid.

How do you monitor the trip on your phone?

In the app, you see when the pickup is made and watch the car as it progresses to the destination. If the car goes off route (something I’ve never had happen), you’ll know right away and can contact the driver to find out whether there’s a reason for the detour. If you don’t get an answer or a satisfactory answer, you can take action from there. When the car reaches the destination, you see that the trip has ended, and you can rate the driver and add a tip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can she go inside the school 20 minutes early? She won't be standing outside? Then take her. She can learn to use those 20 minutes to check assignments, get some things done, drop off books at the library, get in an extra 20 minutes studying before a test that day, or whatever.

I figure she is balking at having to get up, get ready and go out the door earlier. Is that the case? It's not fun or easy for high schoolers, who really do need their sleep, but I would not spend the money on an Uber or cab.

Re: Uber, do an online search on anything like "Uber driver crime" and you will find many, many cases around the country of Uber drivers committing assault on passengers or having other criminal issues. Uber tries to say they've improved security and background checks etc. but I would not put my teen in one. Somehow Uber-lovers manage to say over and over how "my kid takes it and it's fine" or use the argument that "all the teens at my kid's school do it" but that doesn't wash with me. It's still putting your kid into a car with a total stranger who has had less background checking than most cabbies have to get. Maybe if you're determined not to drive your kid, you can find one driver (maybe a woman driver, as a PP noted) who will do the ride every single day, and be effectively your chauffeur with whom you can form a relationship. But really, I'd tell my own DD in this case that she had a good opportunity to be ready for the school day and have extra study time etc. and nope, I wasn't sinking money into a daily driver other than me.

And most crime is committed by people the victim knows. We’ve completely lost our ability as a society to assess risk. We read a Facebook anecdote about some girl 600 miles away who was assaaulted by uber driver and freak out. Or we hear that someone once assualted a kid in the bathroom, so we can’t let our kids go to the washroom alone. The biggest risks come from people connected to the family or people kids meet online.

Well, if getting to school 20 minutes early is dangerous for a HS kid then there are an awful lot of HS kids living in danger. Many, many kids get to school 15/20 minutes early.

PP here - I think it’s crazy to pay for a ride so the daughter doesn’t get to school 20 minutes early, but it’s about the cost and the daughter’s apparent inflexibility. I am separately pushing back against the idea that riding in an uber is intolerable dangerous. Statistically speaking, a high school girl is much more likely to be the victim of a boyfriend, classmate, teacher, or family friend than an Uber driver. I see our inability to properly assess risk as one of society’s biggest problems.

Eh, she'll have time to go to her locker, time to visit a teacher to clarify a homework problem that she had trouble with, she'll have time to go to the ladies room before school starts. She'll do o.k. The uber driver would likely get her there 10 minutes early anyway.

Reading is a lost art.

+1

No. The idea that she would be somehow safer in an Uber than getting to school early is silly. She actually knows the people at the school, the Uber driver could be anyone. It has been pointed out in other threads that Uber driver's don't have the same sort of background checks as taxi cab drivers do and even their vehicles aren't checked for safety like taxi cabs are. Even if you think that the driver is awesome, their vehicle may not be properly maintained. Maybe their driving record is less than stellar (would Uber know?).

You definitely, in my mind, are assuming an amount of risk getting into an Uber. And it would be an unnecessary risk if the point of the Uber is to avoid getting getting to school a handful of minutes earlier than you want to get there.

You might try reading it again.

[Anonymous]

If I had told my mom that her drop off time, that was set around her work schedule, just didn't work for me she would have laughed so loud and for so long some one would have called the police. And then she would have died laughing explaining to them why she was laughing.

And then she would have said "if you don't like my drop off time, you can walk or take the public bus. Go finish your homework".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was telling a friend that I've had several Uber drivers who made me feel uncomfortable, and she said there are services that have female drivers and will only pick up females. I forget what she said the name was, but definitely look into those.

Surprised Uber hasn't added a feature where you can express preference for a female driver. Maybe because there aren't that many female drivers...I have yet to have one.

think this would be illegal job discrimination if Uber instituted it.

[Anonymous]

illegal Uber drivers mean drivers that drive UBER but don't actually have a license nor are they authorized to work.

Many in the DC area fall into this category. they overstayed a tourist visa or are ESL students or supposed J1 visa students studying at crappy fake Universities they used for a visa to get here.

They use a fake name and or SSN to get paid.

Is that who you want driving your child around? Taxi cabs have more standards (certain companies anyway), but not all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:illegal Uber drivers mean drivers that drive UBER but don't actually have a license nor are they authorized to work.

Many in the DC area fall into this category. they overstayed a tourist visa or are ESL students or supposed J1 visa students studying at crappy fake Universities they used for a visa to get here.

They use a fake name and or SSN to get paid.

Is that who you want driving your child around? Taxi cabs have more standards (certain companies anyway), but not all.

Do you have a study or article that backs this up? Last I knew, uber required proof of driver’s license and car insurance and performed a basic criminal background. Whether uber has to submit a form I-9 I’m not sure since the drivers are considered independent contractors, not employees. I’ll have to research that.

[Anonymous]

The problem is people pretending to be other people. People are sharing their licenses etc. or buying them.

I personally know of several foreign "students" that do this and I will never ever use uber again.

btw Uber advertises on several foreign student websites with folks desperately looking for visas and jobs. they make it seem like Uber has tons of IT type jobs, but in reality it knows they end up driving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can she go inside the school 20 minutes early? She won't be standing outside? Then take her. She can learn to use those 20 minutes to check assignments, get some things done, drop off books at the library, get in an extra 20 minutes studying before a test that day, or whatever.

I figure she is balking at having to get up, get ready and go out the door earlier. Is that the case? It's not fun or easy for high schoolers, who really do need their sleep, but I would not spend the money on an Uber or cab.

Re: Uber, do an online search on anything like "Uber driver crime" and you will find many, many cases around the country of Uber drivers committing assault on passengers or having other criminal issues. Uber tries to say they've improved security and background checks etc. but I would not put my teen in one. Somehow Uber-lovers manage to say over and over how "my kid takes it and it's fine" or use the argument that "all the teens at my kid's school do it" but that doesn't wash with me. It's still putting your kid into a car with a total stranger who has had less background checking than most cabbies have to get. Maybe if you're determined not to drive your kid, you can find one driver (maybe a woman driver, as a PP noted) who will do the ride every single day, and be effectively your chauffeur with whom you can form a relationship. But really, I'd tell my own DD in this case that she had a good opportunity to be ready for the school day and have extra study time etc. and nope, I wasn't sinking money into a daily driver other than me.

And most crime is committed by people the victim knows. We’ve completely lost our ability as a society to assess risk. We read a Facebook anecdote about some girl 600 miles away who was assaaulted by uber driver and freak out. Or we hear that someone once assualted a kid in the bathroom, so we can’t let our kids go to the washroom alone. The biggest risks come from people connected to the family or people kids meet online.

Well, if getting to school 20 minutes early is dangerous for a HS kid then there are an awful lot of HS kids living in danger. Many, many kids get to school 15/20 minutes early.

PP here - I think it’s crazy to pay for a ride so the daughter doesn’t get to school 20 minutes early, but it’s about the cost and the daughter’s apparent inflexibility. I am separately pushing back against the idea that riding in an uber is intolerable dangerous. Statistically speaking, a high school girl is much more likely to be the victim of a boyfriend, classmate, teacher, or family friend than an Uber driver. I see our inability to properly assess risk as one of society’s biggest problems.

Eh, she'll have time to go to her locker, time to visit a teacher to clarify a homework problem that she had trouble with, she'll have time to go to the ladies room before school starts. She'll do o.k. The uber driver would likely get her there 10 minutes early anyway.

Reading is a lost art.

+1

No. The idea that she would be somehow safer in an Uber than getting to school early is silly. She actually knows the people at the school, the Uber driver could be anyone. It has been pointed out in other threads that Uber driver's don't have the same sort of background checks as taxi cab drivers do and even their vehicles aren't checked for safety like taxi cabs are. Even if you think that the driver is awesome, their vehicle may not be properly maintained. Maybe their driving record is less than stellar (would Uber know?).

You definitely, in my mind, are assuming an amount of risk getting into an Uber. And it would be an unnecessary risk if the point of the Uber is to avoid getting getting to school a handful of minutes earlier than you want to get there.

You might try reading it again.

Obviously, I'm not getting whatever point you are trying to make so either make it more clear to me or let it go.

[Anonymous]

did anyone see the article about the man arrested in California for raping 4 women as an UBER driver? these were college age women.
the answer to the original question, yes, you CAN, but why in the world would you take the risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:did anyone see the article about the man arrested in California for raping 4 women as an UBER driver? these were college age women.
the answer to the original question, yes, you CAN, but why in the world would you take the risk.

Yes, and it made me think of this thread and come back here. I hope OP is still following the thread. I posted far above about how there are many cases of Uber drivers being charged with assaults etc. if you look. And these are only the ones that we hear about because the driver got caught. There was a DCUM thread in maybe the past six months that had posts about drivers who didn't assault posters' young adult daughters or posters themselves, but who did and said things that were clearly creepy and sexualized. OP, find that thread too.