Tag Archives: uber

Service Provides Safe Trip Home

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by Jessica Ladd
Delta Digital News Service

Driving service Uber is helping eliminate drunk driving one trip at a time. The app allows users to go out and enjoy themselves without having to worry about getting home safely.

The mobile app is simple to use and fair in price. Some citizens think highly of the service.

“Uber is a hot topic right now,” said Melissa Herman, a customer at Brickhouse Bar and Grill in downtown Jonesboro. She said she is grateful for Uber’s service to the community.

Taylor Cagle, who was with Herman at the bar, also had nothing but positive reviews. She even considered driving for the company. She said her boss swears by Uber.

Downtown Jonesboro businesses also approve of the app. Uber is helping transport their customers safely and it’s helping reduce their employee’s stress.

“It’s great,” said Krysti Breyette, a bartender at Cregeen’s Irish Pub. “A lot of people drink and use Uber. It’s not uncommon to see an Uber or Lyft outside waiting to pick someone up. It has cut down on drinking and driving.”

Breyette said Uber is saving lives by offering its service.

BrickHouse

Jordan Wooten enjoys the “calm before the storm” on a slow Saturday afternoon at Brickhouse Bar and Grill. (Photo by Jessica Ladd)

Brickhouse Bar and Grill bartender Jordan Wooten has more than six years of experience working in downtown Jonesboro’s bars.

“Uber absolutely is preventing drunk driving,” he said. “You can see someone get into an Uber and know they’ll make it home safely. It’s an app. Even in your worst state, you can use it.”

Uber breaks down the process of using its app into five steps on its website:

  1. A rider opens the app. The rider can enter their destination and view prices, car sizes and wait times. The rider confirms the pickup location and taps request.
  2. The rider is matched with a driver. A nearby driver accepts the trip request. The rider is notified when the driver is a minute away.
  3. The driver picks up the rider. The driver verifies the driver’s name along with the destination.
  4. The driver takes the rider to destination.
  5. The driver and rider leave ratings for each other. Riders can also leave reviews for the driver as well as tips.

Wendell Vovo started driving for Uber in August 2017. He also claimed Uber is cutting down on drunk driving. He said the community appreciates Uber’s service.

“A lot of people are so thankful for it because they have gotten tickets in the past,” he said. “You go and spend $60 on a drink and wind up paying over $2,500.”

In the United States, two out of three people will be involved in a drunk-driving incident within their lifetime. Partnering with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and creating the hashtag #DesignatedRider, Uber is encouraging people to make safer choices.

Texts can wait

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By Savannah Strickland
Special to the Delta Digital News Service

Lisa Strickland

JONESBORO – The Arkansas Legislature passed Paul’s Law to harshly punish those who text and drive because they are putting other drivers and passengers in danger.

Even though a year has passed, Lisa Strickland still reflects on a near-fatal accident back in November 2016. The 57-year-old Jonesboro native and employee at Joe’s Tire and Auto survived a head-on collision due to a woman typing out a text message to a friend.

Strickland traveled across the Windover overpass on a Sunday afternoon. She said she remembers seeing a woman coming towards her, clearly distracted. The car drove over the center line and hit Strickland head-on, knocking off her SUV’s rear tire, flipping and spinning her vehicle, and leaving her hanging upside down by her seat belt for 8 minutes.

The wreckage of Strickland’s SUV. She keeps pictures on her cellphone as a testament to not text-and-drive and to wear a seat belt. Photo courtesy of the Strickland family

Strickland purchased her vehicle just nine days before the accident. When police arrived on the scene, officers told Strickland the wreck would have killed her immediately had her vehicle been smaller.

Strickland said before the accident occurred, she used to text while driving. But now she keeps her phone zipped inside of her purse in her back seat. She stays more aware of her surroundings, and makes sure those driving around her are paying attention to the road and not their phone.

Hannah Aldridge, a 21-year-old Arkansas State University senior, drives for Uber. Her job affected her views on texting while driving.

“Before I was an Uber driver, I would text and drive,” Aldridge said, although noting she wouldn’t do it while baby-sitting. “I am very grateful to be driving with Uber because it taught me that texting and driving is not safe, and that getting a text sent to one of my friends can wait until I have arrived safely at my destination.”

Hailey Wright, a 19-year-old freshman from Paragould, has not been a a victim of a texting-and-driving accident. But she has heard horror stories from family members and friends who knew people who had been injured as a result from another driver texting while driving.

“I think texting and driving is extremely ridiculous,” she said. “There is no text worth endangering and possibly killing yourself and other people. Choosing to text and drive is choosing to put yourself and others at risk.”

Retired Arkansas State Police Lt. Robert Speer saw many driving accidents caused by a driver texting while driving.

“Once I was called to the scene of an accident because I was the closest officer,” he recalled. “Upon arrival, I learned that the car had crashed because the passenger had received a funny picture through text and was showing it to the driver of the vehicle, which caused the car to veer off the road and run head-on into a telephone pole.

“Neither passenger sustained injuries, but it taught them a lesson on the distractions that cellphones can cause when inside of a vehicle.”

Public Transit Provides Cheapest Option

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by Kayce Wilson
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – With transportation apps like Uber and Lyft bringing services to the Delta, pre-existing businesses may feel the need to change their operations.

Jonesboro Economical Transit System transportation supervisor Keith Michael said the company does not feel threatened by the new services.

“The difference that JET has from other transportation options is that we are able to set our fares at lower rates than other services because we are federally funded,” Michael said. “It will cost you $10 and higher to ride a local cab, UBER or Lyft one way, in comparison to $1.25 one way for JET.”

JET of Jonesboro began operating in 2006. JET’s routes reach across the Central, East, North and West regions of Jonesboro, with a hub at 713 S. Caraway Road.

Since the city runs the public transit, its maintenance department and JET employees provide maintenance. The amount of riders per day varies. Many people use this service to get to work, the grocery store and various appointments.

“I don’t believe the newer forms of transportation will affect our JET ridership. Because we can offer lower fares, this alone will keep our ridership numbers steadily growing,” Michael said.

Craighead County Cab Company was unable to comment at this time.

Edward Harthorn, a graduate assistant in history at Arkansas State, said it is important for people to know about all of the forms of Jonesboro transportation.

“While there’s a lot that I don’t know about Uber or Lyft, I am optimistic that they will quickly play an important role in local transportation,” Harthorn said. “Single-car families, international students and many other constituencies may find that ride-sharing provides a convenient alternative when running errands, traveling across town or waiting for a vehicle to be serviced. It will be interesting to see how these companies and Jonesboro’s public transit co-exist.”

(Photo courtesy of A-State Media Relations)

Uber Serves Northeast Arkansas

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by Kayce Wilson
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO- Northeast Arkansas welcomed Uber in early August, with the Uber-friendly area reaching over 15 cities.

Jonesboro’s new development reaches toward Memphis, the first hub near the Delta region. Drivers can take people out of the region, such as if a Jonesboro resident needs a ride to the Memphis airport. However, drivers cannot pick up someone in Memphis and bring them back to Jonesboro.  

Uber began during a taxi ride in France in 2009 when the creators, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, wanted simpler options for travel. UberCab started the next June.

Starting as an idea about a simple phone app, Uber now acts as a new way to get around. With Uber, users can now receive packages or takeout with expanded service.

Uber operates in over 633 cities worldwide, with the 1 billionth ride occurring in 2015.

With Jonesboro being a college town, Uber acts as a newer way to limit the number of unsafe drivers on the road. Rides are mainly requested on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Uber driver Austin Sandy in front of his Kia Soul. Sandy uses his primary vehicle while working for Uber. (Photo courtesy of Austin Sandy)

Austin Sandy, a Jonesboro Uber driver, said, “I would much rather someone act a fool in my car than them get behind the wheel of their own car while they’re under the influence.”

A-State junior Gianna Confer used this service during her travels to Australia, Indonesia and Mexico. She mentioned the lack of confusion regarding your destination as a beneficial aspect.

“You put your pickup location and the destination into the app. If you can’t speak the language of the driver, they still know where you are trying to go,” Confer said.

Compared to taxis or traveling in foreign countries, Uber gives you a preset estimation and automatically selects the shortest route. Credit or debit card information is already entered in the app for direct deposit, and riders can tip their driver through the app as well.

Sandy said the flexibility of working for Uber makes it a great job. He works a full-time job and makes extra money on the weekends by turning on his Uber location. Once the location is on, passengers can see nearby drivers and request a ride.

“As a driver, you don’t have to worry about making change for your riders or people targeting you or trying to steal from you,” Sandy said.

As for ride safety, all drivers must go through a background and motor vehicle report check. When requesting a ride, the app displays a small picture of your driver alongside a description of their car and a license plate number.

Uber’s rating service ensures that other experiences will improve by letting both parties rate each other after a ride.  

To request a ride, download the app and then make an account. Once location is synced, riders can see the nearby cars in their area. Payment information is entered into the app and then all payments will be done digitally. After the passenger enters the current location and destination, the only thing left to do is hit request.