GETTING AROUND: TRUSTED TRAVEL
One of the things I get asked the most about my travels is how I manage to get around in a brand new city without fear or concern for my safety. I completely understand the question and especially as a woman in a new city, it is a very good question. If you asked me a few years back, my tip and answer would have been quite different.
Most of the time, group travel, daytime travel, making sure you had a clear map or lay of the land before heading out. And while all of those still hold true, there's one thing that has changed and greatly improved my local and international travel over the past few. I didn't even see it coming but I have realized that I increasingly rely on it to get around. And that has been Uber (So far I have used in 5 different US cities and 6 Countries - including Thailand, Hong Kong, Canada, Indonesia, Morocco, Singapore).
Because I have so many appointments and meet-ups scheduled (locally and abroad), in places I am remarkably familiar with like NYC or places far away like Bangkok, I find that I need to get around in a fast, trusted, convenient and accessible way. There's currently nothing that beats the convenience of Uber, especially on those days when my heels won't let me make it down the subway stairs or for those events which run late into the night. I always liked that I can see my driver and their ratings ahead of time and that because of the routed GPS within the app, I had assurances that the driver is always taking the correct route home.
Now Uber has introduced some additional features that put safety even more at the forefront and it couldn't be more perfect. Now, with Trusted Contacts, you can designate up to five family members and friends as Trusted Contacts and set up reminders to share your trip details with them, so they can follow along and know when you’ve arrived. It's great to know that my hubby (who is also my blog partner) can always check-in on me, to make sure I'm getting to appointments on time and more importantly he can know where I am and feel confident that I'm safe even if I'm stepping into a new situation or in a new place.
Even more, you can now dial 911 directly from the Uber app, if you're even in a situation that warrants a call. There's even a Safety Center section in the app which provides more key safety information.
I always tell people in my interactions with people the world over and in different US cities, that an overwhelming percentage has been with people who are good, generous and kind. However, I am not blind to the reality that there are situations and interactions that are less than ideal and it is great to have tools such as Uber to make you step out into the world, more confidently than ever. There's a lot I can be nervous about doing the work I do, meeting new people, visiting new places- I'd much rather not have my travel or how I get to where I'm going add any more anxiety to my day. And that's that's why I've been choosing Uber.
