Sending kids in Uber alone ?

amother

Natural

Mon, Dec 10 2018, 7:32 pm

Mommy F. wrote:

Hello ladies

I am curious if anyone sends their kids in an Uber alone ever ?

For example: if the kid sleeps in and misses the bus to school. Or if a kid is sick and you can’t pick them up from school.

Would you do it even if the kid doesn’t have a cell phone ?

I’ve seen parents send their 5th and 7th grade siblings in a Lyft (another kind of Uber) late at night when it’s dark

What about a 10 yr old during the day ?

I used to take a taxi home in 7th grade. Do you think taxis are safer ?

What I like about Uber and Lyft is that I can see where the car is on my phone every second and I have the type of car and license plate and phone number in case I see them driving off track.

Curious to hear what others think.
And if you think it depends what city or neighborhood you live in

Thanks for your input

I’d never. Some crimes were committed and in the news by Uber drivers.

amother

Burgundy

Mon, Dec 10 2018, 7:38 pm

I see that I'm in the minority here. We don't have a car and I do send my teens in Uber rides for short distances. I track the rides on the app.

As a side point, my children were never refused entry for being under 18 years of age.

ETA: I see you are asking specifically about younger children?

amother

Sienna

Mon, Dec 10 2018, 9:00 pm

I let my 12 year old son go alone in a Jewish car service but I would be worried about Uber- especially at night. I wouldn’t let kids any younger (I don’t think)

Ruchel

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 3:08 am

amother wrote:

"How do you request a woman driver?"

Not a uber the Jewish car service. It's more money but I get a drum lady driver. Fyi:A non Jewish lady driver in today's days can be a transgender as opposed to a drum woman looking for extra income for her family

I don't have that. I wouldn't use unless not more expensive. Uber already is crazy.

Amelia Bedelia

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 4:52 am

Ruchel wrote:

I don't have that. I wouldn't use unless not more expensive. Uber already is crazy.

In my neighborhood, Jewish-owned car services are usually cheaper than Uber

cnc

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 4:59 am

Amelia Bedelia wrote:

In my neighborhood, Jewish-owned car services are usually cheaper than Uber

They are?
Which Jewish car service charges $4 for a local ride?

Actially I use Juno not Uber.

nicole81

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 5:02 am

I sent an Uber to pick up my 13yo ss when he missed his ride home from a bar mitzvah. He said he was the last one left. The other option would have been to wait alone at 10:30 pm for a half hour while my husband drove there, which is not any safer.

I've had many excellent Uber experiences. The bad apples are not the norm, and there's probably just as much risk to a child who's walking or standing around waiting.

I'd prefer Uber to a car service because you have the license plate number and can track the ride.

Amelia Bedelia

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 5:18 am

cnc wrote:

They are?
Which Jewish car service charges $4 for a local ride?

Actially I use Juno not Uber.

Uber is usually over $8 for a local ride. So is Lyft. Never tried Juno.

cnc

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 1:46 pm

Amelia Bedelia wrote:

Uber is usually over $8 for a local ride. So is Lyft. Never tried Juno.

Juno is great. It's much cheaper than Uber. The only negative is that the wait is usually a few more minutes than Uber during very busy times of the day.

ra_mom

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 3:27 pm

cnc wrote:

Juno is great. It's much cheaper than Uber. The only negative is that the wait is usually a few more minutes than Uber during very busy times of the day.

But they let you know how long it will take, same like the other apps, with tracking?

amother

Mistyrose

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 3:30 pm

FranticFrummie wrote:

You can request a woman driver if it makes you feel better. Lots of women request it, especially late at night. I would not let a child go alone in a car with a strange man.

How do you request a woman on uber? I've never seen that option

amother

Natural

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 3:34 pm

amother wrote:

Just wondering, if you had to deliver a bag of diamonds, would any of you you send it unaccompanied with an Uber driver? I bet not,,,Your kids should be more precious than jewels or treasures....

amother

Natural

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 3:35 pm

nicole81 wrote:

The bad apples aren’t the norm? So if their not the norm but there are a few you take. A chance with your kids?

amother

Goldenrod

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 3:43 pm

amother wrote:

Just wondering, if you had to deliver a bag of diamonds, would any of you you send it unaccompanied with an Uber driver? I bet not,,,Your kids should be more precious than jewels or treasures....

Bag of diamonds/large $$ = something that tempts most people

Other people's kids = something that doesn't tempt most people

Bag of diamonds = kept mostly hidden away in safes

Kids = mingle in society all the time

I"m not saying we don't need to protect our kids - I just hate this analogy.

amother

Silver

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 3:55 pm

amother wrote:

Just wondering, if you had to deliver a bag of diamonds, would any of you you send it unaccompanied with an Uber driver? I bet not,,,Your kids should be more precious than jewels or treasures....

Well, if you had a bag of diamonds, would you let it sit in a seat at a school all day long, tempting teachers and students? I wouldn't.

Would you take that bag of diamonds to shul, walking along the street and showing them to every passerby? I wouldn't.

Maybe you should just lock your kids up in a safe deposit box; that's what I would do with a bag of diamonds. But kids aren't diamonds.

The nice thing about Uber is that you know the identity of the driver, and his/her plate number. It reduces the risk.

So yes, in an emergency, I would allow a tween to teen to take an Uber alone.

Ema of 5

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 4:01 pm

newbie wrote:

Actually Uber doesn’t allow this- no idea why parents still manage to do it:
https://help.uber.com/partners.....49ccd

“A rider must be at least 18 years of age to have an Uber account and request rides. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by someone 18 years of age or older on any ride.”

Yes, I was going to say this, there is a minimum age requirement to travel alone in an Uber. Lyft may have different rules, but I would check first.

amother

Natural

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 4:20 pm

amother wrote:

Kids = something that tempts child molesters
Kids = something that’s an easy target to rob or do worse

nicole81

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 4:34 pm

amother wrote:

The bad apples aren’t the norm? So if their not the norm but there are a few you take. A chance with your kids?

You're taking a chance with letting your kid walk home, letting your kid wait outside alone while you try to make last minute arrangements, or just driving home with your kid. There's a risk with everything in life. I find this line of reasoning ridiculous.