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Mark F.

You just get out. That's it. Once you go Uber, you'll never go back. I've been a loyal Uberite, Uberist, Uberer (not sure what to call it) for a few years now in San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver B.C., Dallas, NYC (recently launched) and now at home. Since Uber came to Santa Barbara I've not touched a taxi. Why? Because it's cheap and easy. Let me break it down for you. 1. Create an account at Uber.com or through the smart phone app entering one or more credit cards (personal and business) 2. When you need a ride downtown, to the airport or wherever, choose Uber C or Black (more on that is a minute) from the snazzy app and a driver is on their way. 3. Enjoy a ride in a clean car with a friendly driver and often with a free bottle of water and sometimes snacks. 4. When the ride's over, just get out. Yep, it's that easy. Just get out of the car (say thank you) and you're credit card is billed, tip included. No cash, no hassle, no nothing. Just get out (get the point). We all need a ride sometimes. Maybe it's to the airport ($45 taxi on average from the Mesa, $30 Uber with tip) or home from a late night downtown ($20 to the Mesa, $8 Uber with tip). Let's be honest, you should be driving after some nights out and Uber has you covered. Here's what you get. Uber X: a more fuel efficient, clean and modern car with a friendly driver* Black: a "Town Car" like vehicle with more space, free water and a friendly driver* I take Uber X to save a small % of the total over Black but if you have 4 people, best try Black until you get used to it. The X are usually smaller cars. Now about my experiences. Overall, each city is the same with subtle differences (NYC Black is not as nice or clean as SFO Black) with clean cars and friendly* drivers. For Santa Barbara, i've had almost a 100% excellent experience. I "call" a car through the app and they show up. Out of dozens of trips I've only had 3 mediocre rides with one having a ride along in the front seat (not allowed by Uber), another who's "new car smell" was that of an old lady hooker and another where the app was not working well and he was parked up the street from me. After each ride I provided feedback through the app and the community supervisor contacted me via e-mail and provided a small break on the fare to compensate. Sweet! This review is here to educate and hopefully motivate you to Uber. I'm willing to bet once you try them, you'll not take a taxi again. That is, as long as an Uber driver is available and that's where the 4/5. Santa Barbara is a small but growing Uber community and you may not find a ride available during busy times or especially early in the AM when trying to head to the airport. It's a live system and you can't book ahead. As the driver base grows, this will change. Overall, I've not had a problem except for early departures from SBA. * I say friendly driver because Uber monitors passenger's reviews from the app (you rate every trip) and will provide feedback in both directions. They want to succeed and will even offer discounts should have a less than stellar ride. That said, the driver rates you too. Loud, drunk, a dick? The drivers know and may not choose to pick you up. I apologize for the long winded review but it goes to the point that Uber is IT. Not that I'm offering a money back guarantee but it's that good. Trust me, download the app, setup the account and you will be hooked. Thank me later.

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9 years ago

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11 years ago

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10 years ago

Helpful 4
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Prompt, courteous, reasonably priced, and clean vehicle.

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Uber - taxis - Updated May 2026

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