I Kissed Taxi Cabs Goodbye – Why Uber Rocks My World

Technology is changing the world… rapidly. And some uses of technology are so disruptive to the status quo that it seems like the world changes overnight.

Think about how dramatically things have changed since Apple came out with the first iPhone in 2007. I owned one of the first devices and willingly paid $600 for it.

My team and I immediately took to developing applications and our iVote Mobile was one of the first 1000 apps in the entire appstore. Of course, I went on to produce an application that spent more than three weeks at the #1 slot and managed to disrupt many offices with less-than-savory sound effects. ;-)

Fast-forward to today. People are doing incredibly disruptive things with technology, and nowhere is it being demonstrated more clearly than with Uber.

Uber is one company\’s answer to the problematic transportation industry. No one likes calling for a taxi cab. No one likes sitting in the back of a dirty cab. And no one likes taxi rates.

Imagine opening up an application and being able to call for a car on demand. Not a yellow cab, mind you. A nice, clean, four-door vehicle, ranging from a simple Acura to a Lincoln Towncar. Imagine seeing the car on your map as it is heading your way, along with an estimated time of arrival and estimated fee (with tip included.) And imagine knowing your driver\’s name, car make and license plate before they show up, along with seeing their photo.

It gets better.

Now imagine getting in the car, being offered a bottle of water and friendly service as you are safely driven to your location. And when you arrive at your location, you don\’t have to pull out a credit card or cash. You simply step out of the car, thank your driver and go on your way. When you open the app again, you are presented with your fare total (which is likely to be less than a taxi cab) and the opportunity to rate your driver.

That\’s Uber, my friends. And they are disrupting the transportation industry like nothing I have seen in my lifetime.

I was first turned on to Uber when in San Francisco for Cisco Live 2014. I downloaded the Uber app and used the service multiple times. The experience was fantastic each time.

Since that time, I\’ve probably used Uber about a dozen times to date. Sometimes it\’s great to take me to the airport when I am flying out of Denver. Other times I have used it to make my way around a city such as Orlando.

The upfront pricing, cashless transaction and built-in two-way feedback system make Uber the coolest thing since the Ferrari.

Unless I have no other options, I don\’t anticipate jumping in a taxi for a long time. Uber has nailed it and the competitors are already entering the landscape.

Uber, however, is very aggressive with their promotions. As of this writing, they want you to try it so much that they are offering a free ride valued at up to $30 just for signing up! And, when you sign up for a free ride, I also get one! (This goes for you as well when you refer your friends.)

So, if you have not yet tried Uber, this is your opportunity.

Click this link to claim a FREE RIDE and see why I have kissed taxi cabs goodbye.

And then you can thank me. :-)

Would love your feedback on Uber as well. Please feel free to use the comments field below and let me know your thoughts!