Growing up, I rarely took taxi. Most of my taxi rides were taken out of the country when private transportation is not available and mass transit is a little complicated to pick up. Little did I expect that my job will require me to take taxi, or in today’s discussion, Uber in Malaysia.
So far, the most stressful moment of my workplace happened at the parking lot when my colleague was trying to maneuver her car after lunch; the parking lot was so crowded with so many cars double parking wherever possible. No kidding. Most stressful moment so far..
With that said, you’d need to be pretty confident with your driving skill in order to take your car out at the middle of the day, for an offsite meeting or lunch. And thus, Uber comes in as an attractive solution.
I’ve taken 4 Uber rides with my own account within Klang Valley so far. And so far, so good! My first ride was the most memorable because I took it alone, I chatted with the driver the whole journey and made him take the wrong turn (oops). He told me how being a Uber driver can really be a lucrative part-time, explained the Uber system to me and we even talked about the economy a little (LOL).
I had fond memories with the other drivers too. I remember one making a few turns around Mid Valley Ring Road because I had no sense of direction. I remember another instinctively tuned down the radio the minute my colleagues and I started chatting. I remember all of them driving carefully in their well-maintained cars.
I’ve been rating them whenever I’m available right after the trip. Little did I know that they have been rating me too until I read this article on Lipstiq.
Other than the fact that Surge Pricing startled me even after I was alerted about it prior to my ride, everything else was great experience for me. I think it’s a good alternative to taxi and definitely a better alternative to driving myself when I need to get out of office; after all, I can claim the bill. Never felt vulnerable in my 4 rides with Uber Malaysia. No comment on the threat to the taxi industry.