Why We Shouldn't Use Uber
How many of you guys like fresh air? Less stress? Healthy living? Saving money? Saving the Earth? At this moment you may be wondering what these things have in common. These are all things we love and things that involve using public transportation more and using Uber less.
First let’s talk about why Uber isn’t that great. One thing’s for sure, It’s dangerous. Hoping into a stranger’s car is always dangerous. Although the company claims they have a very strict background check when it comes to hiring drivers, their main concern is making money and not the safety of their customers. It’s been reported that felons have been behind the wheel of Uber’s. Multiple DUI’s, kidnappings, sexual assaults, harassment, imposters, and even deaths have been caused by Uber drivers.
If all this chaos is happening due to Uber drivers, how strict is this background check really? Of course natural accidents can happen rather you’re in an Uber’s Prius or your own car. Although, you are seven times more safe when riding on a bus. Uber has its downfalls, but there are reasons why it’s preferred. Even if you have come into problems with Uber, you can admit that it is convenient, fast, easy and cheap. Those four things, naturally, is what we appeal to and this is why Uber is so popular.
On the other hand, public transportation has many more benefits. As I was mentioning earlier, using trains and busses is good for the earth. Global warming is taking effect and the main cause is the release of carbon dioxide. Because there are so many vehicles on the road, there’s no slowing down the release of carbon dioxide besides using public transportation. Trains and busses limit the amount of vehicles on the road. In fact, according to the American Public Transportation Association, public transportation “reduces our nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually”. I’m not sure what that means, but it sounds pretty good to me. *Introduce photo* As shown here, it would probably take 60 cars to transport 60 people. Assuming that everyone takes their own vehicle because they are going different places. While using only one bus, it could transport those same 60 people because the bus makes multiple stops.
Saving money is another great bonus when taking a bus or train. A one-way pass, to as far as the vehicle goes, is $1.75. The lowest fare for an Uber is $4.00. *Introducing chart* Here I have a screenshot of all my Uber fairs. As you can see I haven’t used Uber often. When I found out how much money I could have been saving, I quickly cut it off. In total, I’ve spent $84.48 on Uber rides, besides the one ride I really needed. Busses and train only go so far between stops. In those cases, a car is useful. That much money spent using the services only eight times. If I had taken the metro link instead of using Uber, I would have spent only $12.25. I could have saved $72.23 just by using my legs a tad bit more. I encourage you guys to tally up your Uber rides and see just how much you’ve been spending. I guarantee you will be surprised and probably regret a lot of decisions you’ve made.
Lastly, I would like to introduce the fact that public transportation is always improving. Just yesterday, the new Metro Expo opened. This train ride will take passengers all the way from Downtown Los Angeles to Downtown Santa Monica passing through USC, La Brea, and Culver City just to name a few stops. Recently the only thing Uber has improved on is Uber Eats. That’s great too, but how far can they really go with upgrades. *Introduce photo* This photo shows all the lines and stops available and some that are coming in our near future. The light blue line is the brand new Expo stops, and the orange line is what’s coming soon. Keep in mind this is solely for train operations. There are many more stops via bus.
To finish up, I highly encourage everyone to try and use the transportation available. If you’ve never ridden on the metro, give it a shot and you may end up liking it better than Uber or at least consider using it more often. Less stress, fresher air, and healthier living; there’s no contest when it comes to using a train or a bus. Always remember, every time you hop in an Uber there’s a chance you may be kidnapped or assaulted.
