Uber Assist
With Uber we like to think that we go the extra mile to assist any and all people to get around our great city and I recently picked up two ride requests from people – one with obvious disabilities and one where it was not so obvious.
A new Ping request came through, I accepted the ride and headed over to George St in the city just down from the casino. The riders were waiting in a loading zone outside a building and it turned out to be a youngish guy and his mum.
Once we exchanged pleasantries, it was obvious to me that he has some form of speech or neurological impairment but he was determined to book an Uber and to take both himself and his mum home from shopping in the City.
He stated ‘I did this all by myself and mum not helping!’
His mum was a nice lady that sat in the back seat, but was keeping an eye on her son and was very protective. He was keen for a chat and we exchanged stories about Uber as we drove to the inner southern suburbs. He said this was his second Uber ride and he was still having trouble using the App and it features.
I sensed that his mum was not all that keen to let him out of the house unaccompanied so I was careful not to cause any further angst here. I asked him what issues he wanted some help with and he was quite forthcoming and determined to answer my questions himself – as he highlighted much to his mother’s dismay!
As we drove along I covered some of the basic features and also explained how he could share his ETA with someone or anyone of his choosing. This was of great interest to his mum so I went through the steps required and mum received the txt and got to see how it all worked.
They were both impressed with this feature and it was obviously a tool they would use in the future and in some ways help alleviate mum’s worry about where he is travelling, should he be let out alone!
All in all it was a great trip not only for them but for me too as it shows that even with a disability, a person can still live an active life and Uber has allowed them to get around in much the same way as able bodies persons however with the added features that the Riders App gives to their carer’s and loved ones!
Another memorable trip request was one where I had to drive to a house in a semi-affluent suburb of Brisbane to pick up a rider call ‘Jane’ (Not her real name).
When I arrived I parked out front of her house and admired the views it had of a magnificent park right across the road. Not long after arriving I got a txt from Jane to drive up her driveway.
I did so and then I noticed she was on the front deck and proceeding to walk down the stairs – she was handicapped physically but determined to complete the trip down the stairs herself!
I got out of the car and welcomed her, she was using small crutches and needed a hand to get into the front seat of the car. Whilst she had obvious physical constraints, she also had some speech issues that made communication more difficult.
Notwithstanding these challenges, Jane was an engaging person who was not going to let her disabilities stand in the way of a social life. She booked an Uber to go out with her girlfriends to an inner city café for dinner.
As I was helping her into the car her father appeared on the front steps and asked her what’s happening?
Her reply was ‘I have booked an Uber and going out with friends…I can do this Dad so you don’t need to give me a lift tonight’
This was a sign that she wanted independence and could manage her life without the father’s involvement – respectfully of course.
We headed off to her café dinner appointment in east Brisbane and during the trip I found the conversation, whilst hard to understand at times, very engaging and insightful.
I was informed she was born with various disabilities and wanted to be treated as any normal person would be and at times she had ‘disagreements’ with her parents along these lines whilst she was growing up. Somehow I believe in her doing that!
I tactfully replied that it was simply their way of protecting their children, they have concerns and all they wanted was the best for her. See looked at me as if to say ‘That’s such a Dad thing to say!’
Still as we ventured on she wanted to know some details about the App and I was only too happy to assist her with the Share My ETA function, what information to expect after the trip has finished, how to rate a Driver and her overall experience along with the service called Uber Assist.
As we arrived at the Café, she wanted some help as the road was at an angle so I went around and escorted her up the footpath to the café. We met the owner who was happy to show her to the table where she met her friends.
The trip was memorable for me as I got a txt from her later that evening thanking me for the assistance I gave her and the fact she told all her friends about the service she received from her Uber ride.
That’s was nice to hear and the fact her friends might very well sign up with the service or are more comfortable organising a night out seeing that all their friends can attend.
I only hope that her Dad didn’t wait up too long that night for her to return home!