We’ve all been there. 

The yellow door opens as you make your way in and sit on the dreary brown seats. As you buckle-in you begin to notice the classic scent of spray can cleaner, but the scent is neither fruity nor earthy, it’s blandness overwhelming. 

Within minutes you begin looking at the small, black digital meter with its red digits slowly ticking, rising with each minute as you feel your pockets sinking. 

That’s right, you’re in the backseat of a taxi. 

Being in unfamiliar territory without a personal vehicle is more commonplace than ever as the global population increases its taste for accessible travel, but that doesn’t mean that you need to see your hard-earned paychecks dwindle in the backseat of a cab while getting to your destination. 

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Transportation apps like Uber and Lyft provide safe, simple, and most importantly cheap modes of arriving at your destination. Their flat fees and choices between riding solo or with others for a lesser cost give riders both comfort and financial options without pressure. 

These apps have quickly become mainstream amongst young business professionals, and hearing “I’m going to Uber there,” is steadily becoming more commonplace over the outdated “I’m going to take a taxi.” 

With this being said, for those individuals who weren’t exposed to the initial boom of digital transportation apps like Uber and Lyft due to necessity or personal choice, the transition from taxi-goer to Uber user is understandable daunting, although it doesn’t have to be.   

These quick instructions will have you using Uber in a jiffy and on your way to your out-of-town business meeting or late night soiree in no time without the excessive taxi fees. 

*see bottom for adding payment instructions for Uber* 

How to Use Uber

1. Download Uber app (for best results have minimum phone specifications of iOS 11.0 / Android 5.0)
2. Create a new account with an active email account
3. When you open the app, your phone will ask if you want to allow Uber to use your location. Make sure that you allow the app to use your location while you have the app open to ensure the drive meets you at the proper pickup location 
4. The Uber home screen will appear with a map of the area and a search bar at the top of the screen asking “Where to?” Type in your desired destination. For convenience, you can use the address of your destination verbatim, or if you are trying to reach a location with a name, for instance ‘Marriott Hotel,’ simply type in the name and options will be automatically generated below the search bar. 
5. You will be given three options to choose from with varying costs, but before you choose it is important to look at the map and make sure that the correct pickup location is entered. Uber will automatically use your current location when using the app.
6. The first choice of ride is ‘UberX,’ which is essentially the standard Uber ride.
7. The second choice is ‘Comfort,’ which includes riding in a slightly larger, more spacious vehicle that is on average newer than vehicles driven on UberX rides. 
8. The third choice is ‘Pool,’ which has the lowest associated cost but potentially includes riding with strangers (god forbid) and arriving at a common destination that is nearby the specific place you are trying to get to and therefore includes a short walk. 
9. The estimated arrival time will be shown below each choice ensuring that you arrive at your destination on time and without any worry along the way! 
10. When a ride option has been selected Uber will ping nearby drivers. Once a driver agrees to pick you up the map on the app will expand to show where the vehicle is along with the driver’s information. This includes name, number and specific vehicle information that will conveniently allow you to locate your driver even in the busiest of cities. You can check the progress of your journey while using the app during your ride.
11. Simply await your driver at the pickup location and your driver will take care of the rest! 

1. 1. Upon arrival, a new screen will be generated asking how your ride was along with an option to add a tip and comment for your driver. You can also tip at a later time if you are in a hurry so there is no pressure from the driver, unlike a taxi. 

12. Email confirmation of rides will be sent to the email associated with your account. You can also check past rides by selecting the “Your Trips” option after clicking on the three horizontal black lines located on the upper left of the home screen.

To Schedule Future Ride: 

1. On the right side of the home screen search bar, you will see a small car icon in front of a clock. Select this icon and then select the desired date and time of pickup using the scrollbar menu. From here you will use the app just like you would normally, select the desired pickup location and destination and Uber will generate you a ride in seconds! 

Adding Payment Instructions: 

1. On the upper left side of the home screen, there are three horizontal black lines. Click these lines and then select “Payment” from the options presented. Select the “Add Payment Method” link from the Payment screen to add debit or credit card information. 

Traveling is already stressful as it is, whether you are simply going across town or the country. The convenience of Uber aims at taking those stressors and putting them into the hands of the driver (for better or worse), letting you read through those pesky emails you’ve been meaning to get to or play that phone game that is all-too addicting. 

Either way, with Uber you are in the clear to enjoy your trip. 

Now that you have these quick and simple instructions you can forget the expensive, outdated backseat of the taxi and travel with greater flexibility. Enjoy Ubering!