Few San Franciscans enjoy the luxury of car ownership. We're beholden to Muni, BART, the occasional rental for an Ikea run and of course, ride-sharing apps. Controversial hometown start-up Uber is the granddaddy of ride-sharing apps and has changed the way we get around town. No matter what you might think of their business practices or impact on the local culture, most of us rely on the occasional Uber ride. From the good to the bad to the bizarre, here are six Uber experiences you'll definitely have in San Francisco:
1. The chatterbox: We're happy to make a little small talk with an Uber driver. Often times, we've enjoyed fun conversations and learned new things with our friendly Uber chauffeur. That's great. You know what's not great? Politely listening to a stranger's TMI life story of moving from the Midwest to Mid-Market after we just got dumped, fired or both.
2. Driver on the phone: Everyone needs to make or take a personal phone call at work once in a while, and we certainly don't begrudge a ride-share driver from staying on the phone through some of our journey. But there's a different breed of driver we can't abide, one who engages in a Bluetooth screaming match for 45 minutes as we make our way from the Marina to the Mission.
3. Uber-pool make-out couple: Uber-pool is a great way to save money on a ride-share. Basically, this Uber option is like sharing a cab with folks traveling in a similar direction. And a $5 cross-town Uber ride sure beats a Muni trek—unless you're sharing that ride with a couple who are audibly engaged in R-rated foreplay. For some reason, this always seems to happen with couples departing the FiDi after-dark. Are these inter-office romances or happy hour hook-ups? We'll never know.
4. The lost guy: One way streets and "no left turns" make navigating San Francisco a challenge for anyone. But a staggering number of Uber drives can't even seem to work Google maps, much less follow one. Unlike the vibe of a taxi cab, it can feel rude to suggest a route to your Uber driver. It's not, especially when you're on your way to Gracias Madre and he seems to be circling Spruce.
5. Angry Uber driver: Driver fees, corporate demands and cancelled rides can make any driver cranky. But we've all suffered through a rant from the driver who angrily called our phone to demand an ETA as we helplessly stood in plain sight on the other side of Geary. A jay-walking ticket in San Francisco is $120. Getting yelled at by an Uber driver is free.
6. The Queen of Service: Hey, it's not all bad. Lucky riders will get picked up by a driver who wants to make your day (and score a 5-star rating.) Free bottled water, Recchuiti chocolates, hand sanitizer, phone chargers galore and custom music mixes have all been a part of some of our best Uber rides.