Uber for picking up kids at school

[teacherwithamustache]

So I am a teacher at a not so affluent HS but not dirt poor.  I was on duty outside at pick up the other day when I noticed a car come in, driver get out and yell one of my kids names.  She then gets into the back seat and takes off.  A couple of days later the same driver yells a different kids name and he gets in and takes off.  I talk to the girl in class and she tells me that she has an UBER account and anytime she stays late or has a game after school and her parents can not pick her up she orders an Uber car.  She is 15 or 16 now and says she has done it since she was 12, and does it about 5 times a week including weekends.  I then ask my students in class how prevalent this is and about 2/3 have said they have done it and 1/3 do it 3+ times a week.


This raises several questions that I would like you opinions on:


Would you let your 12-16 year old have an Uber account?

Are parents really this busy so that they can not pick up their kids?

What happened to riding your bike home?

Is there a market for a kid centered ride sharing program?

Should anyone ever buy their kid a car now when it is more economical to fund their Uber account?


Thanks for replies

[trailrated]

Uber picks up my 2 year old from daycare all the time

[Jakejake]

I can absolutely see that parents can have schedule conflicts that prevent them from picking up their kids. When I was a single parent, if I got stuck late at work it was a huge problem - and before that, I had an hour commute for a temp job, so I couldn't justify moving, but I ended up having to pay for a private kindergarden near where I work for my daughter instead of free public school where I lived. There wasn't any way I could get from work to the public school's latchkey program before it closed.

If your school has a latch key program, I guess you could ask the same question in the same way: Are  parents really too busy to pick up their kids? Of course the answer is yes; that's why latchkey programs exist.

Parents work. Parents work weird shifts. Parents are often single parents who work, or they don't have a car, or they are taking care of sick/elderly relatives, or they themselves are disabled, etc.

[WerKater]

This raises several questions that I would like you opinions on:

(1)Would you let your 12-16 year old have an Uber account?
(2) Are parents really this busy so that they can not pick up their kids?
(3) What happened to riding your bike home?
(4) Is there a market for a kid centered ride sharing program?
Should anyone ever buy their kid a car now when it is more economical to fund their Uber account?

(1) 12 year: probably no. 16: probably yes. Depends on the kid.
(2) I would guess so. People work. In fact, I find it quite outrageous that one would expect parents to make time to drive children from and to school.
(3) That is the most important one. When I went to school as a 12 year old (20 years ago), everyone over 10 or 11 or so who got picked up by parents without a damn good reason was universally regarded as a wussy wimpy mama's boy.
(4) We used to have that. When there was lots of snow that made it dangerous to cycle (and the buses got unreliable), my grandfather and the neighbour's kids' grandfather would take turns to drive all the children to school. They were retired and liked to do it. We were very lucky to have them. I am not sure whether people still do this.

[HipGnosis]

I, and my kids are to old for first hand experience, but I find this fascinating!

It's certainly not for everyone.  Uber is only in major cities,  My first exp. w/ uber was dropping my car off for a repair.  I got an uber account for the ride home.  But I found out when I tried to use it that the repair shop was actually in a suburb that uber didn't service.  I had to walk 8-11 blocks.

@trailrated  I'm shocked (and a bit outraged) that your daycare allows any child to go with whoever pulls up and asks for a child.

[MrsPete]

Typically my kids rode the bus to/from school ... but I can remember times when we had problems.  The most frequent issues were in middle school:  We had bus service only in the afternoons -- I can't remember why -- and when my husband went out of town, it was a problem for me.  I have to be at work before 7:00, kids couldn't be dropped off before a certain time, and it was a solid 30 minute drive to my school.  We did various things to make it happen, including dropping them off at a friend's house in the mornings and hiring our teenaged baby sitter to drive the kids to school occasionally. 

Would I have trusted an Uber driver (a stranger) to take my middle schooler to school?  No, I don't think so.  Maybe I'm being conservative about it, but I think 15 is the youngest I'd want the child to ride in essentially a taxi alone. 

Riding bikes isn't always an option.  For example, our middle school is more than 10 miles from home and the roads aren't bike-friendly.  And none of our schools have facilities for securing bikes during the day.  We're not a bike-friendly location; you can argue that we'd be smart to live elsewhere, but the real point is that bikes aren't an option for everyone. 

I'm also surprised that day care would allow a driver to pick up a kid.  When we had a family emergency a couple months ago and I had to go pick up my 4-year old niece, the day care wanted to see my ID and called the child's mother to verify that I wasn't trying to snatch her. 

We have LOTS of services for picking kids up from school.  When my kids were in elementary school, I know I saw the day care vans/small buses in the parking lot picking up "their kids" -- and my nephew does something like this now; he rides the public school bus to his old day care and his parents pick him up at day care/after school care.  A couple churches have after school programs, and those kids are picked up in the church bus.  Karate, dance, and gymnastics studios pick up kids on certain days  of the week, take them for their activities, and their parents pick them up there. 

[ABC123]

I for one think this is actually a really good idea.  We live in a small town with no Uber, and my kids are only 5 and 7, so it's not something I will be using.  But for high school aged kids, I think it is really smart.  If you are usually able to pick up the kids, and they don't need a car, then paying for an Uber ride once or twice a week is way cheaper than buying them a car and all the extra expenses that go along with it.  At what age I would let me kids take an Uber ride alone, well I think that would depend on the individual kid.

And am I the only one that assumes the comment about the 2 year old getting picked up was supposed to be a joke?

[Chris22]

Would you let your 12-16 year old have an Uber account?  12 no, 16 maybe, and it wouldn't be their account, it would be mine so I can monitor the usage and destinations

Are parents really this busy so that they can not pick up their kids?  Sometimes, yes.

What happened to riding your bike home?  For a considerable portion of the school year, it's dark during the hours when they'd be going home (assuming they can't take the bus because of after school programs) and depending on location, it's not great to ride in the dark.  In my area, with well lighted streets and sidewalks?  No prob.  Where I grew up, with lots of dark windy rural roads, no way.

Is there a market for a kid centered ride sharing program?  What would it offer that Uber doesn't?

Should anyone ever buy their kid a car now when it is more economical to fund their Uber account?  That's like saying should you own a house or car when you could live in a hotel room or use a rental car all the time.  Per-use fees are not outrageous but if you used them every day the cost would be nuts.   


Thanks for replies You're welcome

Cheers.

[Josiecat]

A young school aged child being picked up by a stranger - Nope.

[Blonde Lawyer]

I have a friend that orders a taxi for her high school daughter occasionally when both mom and dad can't get out of work to pick her up from an after school event.  Teens in big cities are used to taking the subway or hailing a taxi.  I don't think it is that weird for a teen to take an uber.

On the bike issue, many high schools are regional meaning one school services 5 towns.  Not all of those kids can bike then.

[mm1970]

I, and my kids are to old for first hand experience, but I find this fascinating!

It's certainly not for everyone.  Uber is only in major cities,  My first exp. w/ uber was dropping my car off for a repair.  I got an uber account for the ride home.  But I found out when I tried to use it that the repair shop was actually in a suburb that uber didn't service.  I had to walk 8-11 blocks.

@trailrated  I'm shocked (and a bit outraged) that your daycare allows any child to go with whoever pulls up and asks for a child.

I think (hope) it was a joke.  The daycare thing.

[lbmustache]

I teach at two high schools, one with lower income kids, one with very affluent kids. 99% of the affluent kids 1) have their parents pick them up* 2) have their own cars 3) take uber or lyft.

There is one kid whose father forces him to ride a bike to class and back. Everyone knows who this kid is because of that :) Reminds of the Calvin and Hobbes dad, "it builds character."

99% of the lower income kids 1) have their parents pick them up 2) ride a bike 3) take the bus.

There is one kid who is well off and drives a newer sports car, everyone knows who he is because of that :)

* interestingly, I think the more affluent parents have MORE time to pick their kids up. Many of them own their own companies, work in fields where they can dictate their hours more, or are high enough on the corporate ladder to have a more flexible schedule. I find that the lower income parents have less flexibility with their jobs, especially given that more of their jobs tend to be hourly rather than salary.

To answer your questions:

Would you let your 12-16 year old have an Uber account? Yes

Are parents really this busy so that they can not pick up their kids? Yes

What happened to riding your bike home? Could be perceived as too dangerous

Is there a market for a kid centered ride sharing program? Perhaps, one that focused on children's safety or something like that

Should anyone ever buy their kid a car now when it is more economical to fund their Uber account? Depends on the parent

[SteveRyeCurd]

According to Uber's Terms and Conditions, minors cannot ride alone.  However, I suppose it's up to the individual driver to decide whether or not to comply.

The Service is not available for use by persons under the age of 18. You may not authorize third parties to use your Account, and you may not allow persons under the age of 18 to receive transportation or logistics services from Third Party Providers unless they are accompanied by you.
Source: https://www.uber.com/legal/usa/terms

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I've heard of at least one kid-centers service with screened drivers. Can't remember the name of it offhand. I remember when I was in high school but not driving, it could be really difficult for me to get home. Would not let my kids use something like Uber because you just don't know who the drivers are--but in a pinch I could imagine using something with background-checked drivers that was geared for kids.

[merula]

I would be more OK with my kids riding Uber than a regular cab, but I wouldn't pay for it. If we still live where we do when they're old enough, they can take the city bus.

And, yeah, I'd let my kids ride the city bus alone. Depends on the time of day, the route and the kid, but I'm thinking they can probably start at 8 or 9.

[trailrated]

I, and my kids are to old for first hand experience, but I find this fascinating!

It's certainly not for everyone.  Uber is only in major cities,  My first exp. w/ uber was dropping my car off for a repair.  I got an uber account for the ride home.  But I found out when I tried to use it that the repair shop was actually in a suburb that uber didn't service.  I had to walk 8-11 blocks.

@trailrated  I'm shocked (and a bit outraged) that your daycare allows any child to go with whoever pulls up and asks for a child.

I think (hope) it was a joke.  The daycare thing.

Definitely a joke... apparently not a very good one :(. The last day before I switched daycare I signed my son out using "Baby-napper" as my signature, they did not find that very funny either.

[honeybbq]

This raises several questions that I would like you opinions on:


Would you let your 12-16 year old have an Uber account?

12, no. 16? Possibly. It's probably safer than having their friends drive them home.

Are parents really this busy so that they can not pick up their kids?

My kid is still in day care, but I have NO idea how we will balance two challenging careers with all the idiosyncrasies of regular school. The answer is "most likely too busy" most days.

Thanks for replies

I believe with Uber you can also track them on GPS so it would be a safe way of knowing your child got picked up and delivered appropriately.

[elaine amj]

I don't see using Uber as any different from using a taxi.

In elementary school, my mom organized a carpool for myself and a few friends using a hired driver (as none of the parents were available). A neat solution as a bus was not a good option for that particular school.

At one point in high school, the schoolbus that was available was extremely inconvenient (don't really remember - but must have been a good enough reason for my mother). So for a year, my brother and I traveled back and forth to school in a taxi. From about 15/16, I thought nothing of using a taxi if that was the option available to me. Certainly, it was very unusual to use one to go back and forth to school daily - but not unheard of. I know of parents who contract with a specific taxi driver to drive their kids back and forth to school. If I had an arrangement with a specific taxi driver, I'd be fine with that arrangement for daycare/elementary school kids. I would do my due diligence with hiring a driver - not too different from a babysitter IMO.

I cannot see any reason why a 15+ yr old could not take a ride in a random taxi. I personally feel safer in an uber vs a taxi so I too would encourage my kids to use uber over taxis if the options were available. That said, for the city we live in and our lifestyles, it is unlikely my kids would use taxis. Just too $$. Uber is supposedly coming, but they'll have to get past our taxi unions first.

[MsPeacock]

A young school aged child being picked up by a stranger - Nope.

Maybe the driver is known to the parents? There is a driver for Uber (and before Uber for a taxi company, and for a while on his own) who is known to me and a lot of other parents in my neighborhood. I use him when we need a ride to the airport sometimes. I have had him pick up my kids when I was stuck at work and couldn't get them from school to home. Other parents I know have used him in the summer when their kids had 1/2 day summer school and 1/2 day day camp. Not surprisingly, parents who work often can't drive their kids to/from things before/after school or at mid-day. Sometimes you just have to do what you can to hold the logistics together.

Would I let my kids (age 9 and 12) ride with an unknown person - no, Uber or otherwise. I won't take Uber myself for the same reason.

I think for teens Uber would be a good idea. If they are out w/ friends who are doing stupid things (drugs, drinking and driving, crashing parties, whatever) they can call Uber and get a ride home if they can't reach their parents.

[justajane]

Sometimes I used to see a taxi in the drive through lane at my kid's early childhood center, and I just assumed the parent was a taxi driver. But perhaps someone was paying because their car was in the shop? It would be a terribly expensive solution if it happened regularly.

[MrsPete]

I don't see using Uber as any different from using a taxi.

I do.  A taxi is sent from a brick-and-mortar business, an organization that has a vested interest in staying in business for the future, an organization that has some accountability in the community.

In contrast, one of my daughter's high school friends drives Uber (when she needs money), and she's a mess emotionally and "pharmaceutically".  Too little accountability.

[elaine amj]

True enough. However, in my personal experiences, I have had much, much, much better Uber drivers. One trip to Orlando, I had two scammy taxi drivers in a row - both from the main Mears taxi company. After that, we relied on the town cars ($$) and Uber (all professional and polite). It's just anecdotal stuff though and I get your concerns with Uber. For me though, I feel the risks of a scammy taxi driver are higher than the risks of a scammy Uber driver - so I will continue to rely on Uber.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[alsoknownasDean]

Wait, that'd be hideously expensive for five days a week of Uber travel. Uber trips aren't that cheap in my experience.

I don't think I even took a taxi until I was an adult.

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

[BeanCounter]

I think there is a business opportunity in this market. Not sure how you would prove that it was safe, but if I could sign up as an Uber driver and then broadcast my kid specific business through my church and neighborhood I bet I could make some money. We've got lots of sports practices that start at 5pm here and in the summer, lots of summer camps are only until 5 (and that's with "aftercare" because the camp actually only runs to 3pm).
For most parents all of these things are a logistical nightmare.

[RetiredAt63]

People who volunteer with people at risk (children, seniors) go through police checks.  It is standard, I did it as a Scout leader and again as the human partner in a therapy dog team.

So if I were involved in hiring for that, I would want a police check and a perfect driving record.  Some way to evaluate how the potential hires get along with (possibly difficult) children too.

I think there is a business opportunity in this market. Not sure how you would prove that it was safe,

[Jakejake]

You could apply for a substitute position at a school, which would trigger the background check, and then in the online profile you could reference that you've had the background check, and that it could be verified through the school district.

[iwasjustwondering]

Are parents really this busy so that they can not pick up their kids?

Please tell me you're not serious with this question.  "Busy?"  Yes, I'm actually busy earning a living to support my children in the afternoons.  Why does this surprise you? 

[justajane]

Are parents really this busy so that they can not pick up their kids?

Please tell me you're not serious with this obnoxious question.  "Busy?"  Yes, I'm actually busy earning a living to support my children in the afternoons.  Why does this surprise you?

To me, it's not an issue of parenting. To me it speaks more to the breakdown of community and that people don't have someone who they could ask for help. What about carpooling or other options? I can understand using a taxi or Uber for an emergency or once in a while, but in this case it appears to be the regular way to do things. I don't mean to wax about the good ole days that probably didn't exist, but I know I would help someone with pick ups or drop offs if they needed help. In high school if my mom couldn't pick me up because of work (I never had my own car), I would just get a ride with another friend.

There's nothing inherently wrong with paying extra for this service for your kid, but I wish we lived in communities in which it wasn't necessary because we were more interconnected and helped each other out. 

[Chris22]

I don't see using Uber as any different from using a taxi.

I do.  A taxi is sent from a brick-and-mortar business, an organization that has a vested interest in staying in business for the future, an organization that has some accountability in the community.

Not sure how much experience you've had with Uber, but you can rate Uber drivers.  So a taxi company has an interest as a COMPANY, but Uber drivers have an interest at the individual driver level.  Wouldn't stop someone who wanted to do something terrible once, but should cut down the creepiness for guys with an interest in longevity. 

[iwasjustwondering]

Are parents really this busy so that they can not pick up their kids?

Please tell me you're not serious with this obnoxious question.  "Busy?"  Yes, I'm actually busy earning a living to support my children in the afternoons.  Why does this surprise you?

To me, it's not an issue of parenting. To me it speaks more to the breakdown of community and that people don't have someone who they could ask for help. What about carpooling or other options? I can understand using a taxi or Uber for an emergency or once in a while, but in this case it appears to be the regular way to do things. I don't mean to wax about the good ole days that probably didn't exist, but I know I would help someone with pick ups or drop offs if they needed help. In high school if my mom couldn't pick me up because of work (I never had my own car), I would just get a ride with another friend.

There's nothing inherently wrong with paying extra for this service for your kid, but I wish we lived in communities in which it wasn't necessary because we were more interconnected and helped each other out.

Yes, but the original question seemed deliberately blind as to the reality of the communities in which we actually live.  I wouldn't drive a friend's kid home from school for the same reason I don't drive my own kids home from school.  I'm working.  My friends are working.  This should not be a terribly surprising fact, especially to a teacher.  Presumably a stay-at-home parent isn't staying home from work in order to drive my kid around in the afternoons, either.

We have activity buses in my town, so my high school kid, especially, rarely needs a ride.  My middle school kid sometimes does.  In fact I have to leave early to pick him up this afternoon.  It's fine, but if it happened every day, I would have to find a solution. 

[justajane]

Are parents really this busy so that they can not pick up their kids?

Please tell me you're not serious with this obnoxious question.  "Busy?"  Yes, I'm actually busy earning a living to support my children in the afternoons.  Why does this surprise you?

To me, it's not an issue of parenting. To me it speaks more to the breakdown of community and that people don't have someone who they could ask for help. What about carpooling or other options? I can understand using a taxi or Uber for an emergency or once in a while, but in this case it appears to be the regular way to do things. I don't mean to wax about the good ole days that probably didn't exist, but I know I would help someone with pick ups or drop offs if they needed help. In high school if my mom couldn't pick me up because of work (I never had my own car), I would just get a ride with another friend.

There's nothing inherently wrong with paying extra for this service for your kid, but I wish we lived in communities in which it wasn't necessary because we were more interconnected and helped each other out.

Yes, but the original question seemed deliberately blind as to the reality of the communities in which we actually live.  I wouldn't drive a friend's kid home from school for the same reason I don't drive my own kids home from school.  I'm working.  My friends are working.  This should not be a terribly surprising fact, especially to a teacher.  Presumably a stay-at-home parent isn't staying home from work in order to drive my kid around in the afternoons, either.

We have activity buses in my town, so my high school kid, especially, rarely needs a ride.  My middle school kid sometimes does.  In fact I have to leave early to pick him up this afternoon.  It's fine, but if it happened every day, I would have to find a solution.

That's true. As a SAHM, I would help out someone out once in a while, but unless I made it my side hustle, I wouldn't do it everyday necessarily. Do school districts really not have paid after school programs? Or do they end after elementary school? I don't have kids that age yet.

I know my district has a waiting list for the after school program, which thankfully ends at 6:30 p.m. to accommodate most working families. I'm not even sure my kids' elementary school has a morning program, since we start at 7:30.

In many respects, this underscores picking a contained, smaller school district if at all possible. In our case, because we are in a small district with only 100 kids per grade, no school is more than, say, a mile or a mile and a half from most residences. For this reason, I think a higher than average number of kids walk to and from school, especially at the high and middle school levels.

[iwasjustwondering]

Are parents really this busy so that they can not pick up their kids?

Please tell me you're not serious with this obnoxious question.  "Busy?"  Yes, I'm actually busy earning a living to support my children in the afternoons.  Why does this surprise you?

To me, it's not an issue of parenting. To me it speaks more to the breakdown of community and that people don't have someone who they could ask for help. What about carpooling or other options? I can understand using a taxi or Uber for an emergency or once in a while, but in this case it appears to be the regular way to do things. I don't mean to wax about the good ole days that probably didn't exist, but I know I would help someone with pick ups or drop offs if they needed help. In high school if my mom couldn't pick me up because of work (I never had my own car), I would just get a ride with another friend.

There's nothing inherently wrong with paying extra for this service for your kid, but I wish we lived in communities in which it wasn't necessary because we were more interconnected and helped each other out.

Yes, but the original question seemed deliberately blind as to the reality of the communities in which we actually live.  I wouldn't drive a friend's kid home from school for the same reason I don't drive my own kids home from school.  I'm working.  My friends are working.  This should not be a terribly surprising fact, especially to a teacher.  Presumably a stay-at-home parent isn't staying home from work in order to drive my kid around in the afternoons, either.

We have activity buses in my town, so my high school kid, especially, rarely needs a ride.  My middle school kid sometimes does.  In fact I have to leave early to pick him up this afternoon.  It's fine, but if it happened every day, I would have to find a solution.

That's true. As a SAHM, I would help out someone out once in a while, but unless I made it my side hustle, I wouldn't do it everyday necessarily. Do school districts really not have paid after school programs? Or do they end after elementary school? I don't have kids that age yet.

I know my district has a waiting list for the after school program, which thankfully ends at 6:30 p.m. to accommodate most working families. I'm not even sure my kids' elementary school has a morning program, since we start at 7:30.

In many respects, this underscores picking a contained, smaller school district if at all possible. In our case, because we are in a small district with only 100 kids per grade, no school is more than, say, a mile or a mile and a half from most residences. For this reason, I think a higher than average number of kids walk to and from school, especially at the high and middle school levels.

We had paid aftercare through sixth grade.  After that, my kids took the bus home.  Now they either take the bus home or have activities and then take the late bus.  So it's actually not an issue for me personally (except for the occasional post-late-bus pickup, like the one I have to make today). 

We have about 100 kids per grade, too, but the high school is too far for biking.  I really don't think the occasional uber ride is a sign of a failing society, or the parents' choosing the wrong town.  I've actually never used uber for my kids, but it doesn't strike me as a huge problem.  Sometimes a great school is more than a bike ride away.

[SteveRyeCurd]

When people summon an Uber for someone else (e.g., their kid), doesn't that cause a problem, because the photo (of the account holder) that pops up on the driver's app clearly would not match the actual person being picked up?

[elaine amj]

When people summon an Uber for someone else (e.g., their kid), doesn't that cause a problem, because the photo (of the account holder) that pops up on the driver's app clearly would not match the actual person being picked up?

You can call/text the driver with more specific instructions. Also, there are ways to ensure you get the driver you want (e.g. a pre-arrangement). One time I had an Uber driver we really liked and when we said we hoped we got him again, he said we could call him, get him to come where we were, and then request the ride via Uber.

[BeanCounter]

I'm really wondering if this could be a part time job in my FIRE? Kid and medical transport. Does this make any decent money? Maybe I could do dinner drop offs too? I'll pick up your kid and drop off a homemade dinner.

[justajane]

I'm really wondering if this could be a part time job in my FIRE? Kid and medical transport. Does this make any decent money? Maybe I could do dinner drop offs too? I'll pick up your kid and drop off a homemade dinner.

Depending on the demographics and needs of your community, you very well may be onto something here. The problem is that it would decrease your flexibility dramatically in FIRE, since whoever hired you would likely need you to do it every day and not just periodically.

[GuitarStv]

I don't see using Uber as any different from using a taxi.

I do.  A taxi is sent from a brick-and-mortar business, an organization that has a vested interest in staying in business for the future, an organization that has some accountability in the community.

Not sure how much experience you've had with Uber, but you can rate Uber drivers.  So a taxi company has an interest as a COMPANY, but Uber drivers have an interest at the individual driver level.  Wouldn't stop someone who wanted to do something terrible once, but should cut down the creepiness for guys with an interest in longevity.

Besides being terrible drivers and typically carrying only the minimum insurance, taxi drivers in Toronto aren't really a great bunch and they aren't well regulated.

http://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2013/02/05/assault_drunk_driving_death_threats_the_cab_drivers_the_city_cant_get_off_the_road.html

I wouldn't see Uber as being less safe.

[RetiredAt63]

Medical transport is often a volunteer job.  My Dad did it for several years after retiring (in Ottawa).  His expenses were covered (mileage, parking) but it was not paid. 

I'm really wondering if this could be a part time job in my FIRE? Kid and medical transport. Does this make any decent money? Maybe I could do dinner drop offs too? I'll pick up your kid and drop off a homemade dinner.

[Melissa]

There is a company in California set up specifically for picking kids up....it's called Hop, Skip, Drive.

I checked it out and it is interesting, although I thought it was expensive (but I live in Central Ohio so I'm not sure about various costs).
Drivers go through a background check and where a specific shirt and have a code word.

I would think that I found a part time job, but our school district has plenty of parents who can carpool and my kids are now older and often getting rides with friends if I can't pick them up

www.hoposkipdrive.com

[MrsPete]

I believe with Uber you can also track them on GPS so it would be a safe way of knowing your child got picked up and delivered appropriately.

Yeah, a kidnapper could never figure out how to foil that iron-clad system.

Maybe the driver is known to the parents? ...

I think for teens Uber would be a good idea. If they are out w/ friends who are doing stupid things (drugs, drinking and driving, crashing parties, whatever) they can call Uber and get a ride home if they can't reach their parents.

If I knew the driver, that'd be a whole different story. 

I was never once out of reach of my kids when they were teens /could've potentially been in such situations -- well, me or my husband. 

I'm really wondering if this could be a part time job in my FIRE? Kid and medical transport. Does this make any decent money? Maybe I could do dinner drop offs too? I'll pick up your kid and drop off a homemade dinner.

I was thinking the same thing.  As a certified teacher, I'd be considered trustworthy.   

I've considered other kid-oriented part-time retirement gigs: 

- Taking small group of kids on field trips to the zoo or science museum on teacher work days -- parents really scramble for care on those days.  I wouldn't want to commit to every afternoon after-school care. 
- Offering art camps or science camps a week at a time in the summer (people pay $300/week for elementary school science camps, and they don't do anything fancier than the things I did in the kitchen with my own small kids). 
- Sick-kid care. 
- Overnight care for nurses/medical professionals. 

[SF'd]

There's a service called Shuddle in San Francisco (naturally) that does pretty much exactly this. It works like uber, but all drivers are certified in child care or some such, which speaks to the "safety" issue some of you have mentioned. I know a few people who have used it and like the service. I believe they also have cameras in the car so you can monitor what's happening.

[FiguringItOut]

Sorry this of off topic, but I need to vent about Uber for minute.

I have to drop my kids off at my ex every other weekend when his has his weekends with them.  We have to share drop off and pick up according to our agreement and I don't have a car. He drives them back to me on Sunday night.

It costs me $39.50 and 3 hours of my time every other Friday evening drop them off and get back home; bus to the commuter train, train to his place (he meets us at the train station), train for me to get back home, bus for me to get back home.  I can save $3 on the way back by taking train back to a subway couple stops earlier and taking subway to the bus, but in bad weather I prefer to just take the train to my stop.  Plus, by the time I come back it's close to 10pm, so I just want to get home. I don't have a car.  By car it is a 30 min drive without traffic.  Overall, I'm spending $80 a month on this commute.

I checked Uber in the hopes that it may be a reasonable cost to use them at least once in a while; I'm thinking winter, snow, freezing cold, heavy rains, etc.

Uber estimated $80 for me to just get from my house to his.  I would still need to come back home either by Uber (another $80) or by train ($9). 

Needless to say I was a disapointed.  I do understand that it's far and their prices are their prices and I can't change that.  I had a small hope that they would be a viable option.  Alas..

/vent over

[mamagoose]

I am self-employed & work from home, and when my daughter starts kindergarten, I hope to start a"walking school bus" group since many of the kids at her school live in the neighborhood within walking distance. I have a silly daydream about having all her friends come over for big pancake breakfasts in the morning and then we all walk to school together, no need to take a car. Especially since she's an only child, I'd probably do it for free to give her social time. I definitely see a market for this in our neighborhood with so many working parents (heck, even my husband's work schedule doesn't coincide with school drop-off/pick-up).

[GuitarStv]

Sorry this of off topic, but I need to vent about Uber for minute.

I have to drop my kids off at my ex every other weekend when his has his weekends with them.  We have to share drop off and pick up according to our agreement and I don't have a car. He drives them back to me on Sunday night.

It costs me $39.50 and 3 hours of my time every other Friday evening drop them off and get back home; bus to the commuter train, train to his place (he meets us at the train station), train for me to get back home, bus for me to get back home.  I can save $3 on the way back by taking train back to a subway couple stops earlier and taking subway to the bus, but in bad weather I prefer to just take the train to my stop.  Plus, by the time I come back it's close to 10pm, so I just want to get home. I don't have a car.  By car it is a 30 min drive without traffic.  Overall, I'm spending $80 a month on this commute.

I checked Uber in the hopes that it may be a reasonable cost to use them at least once in a while; I'm thinking winter, snow, freezing cold, heavy rains, etc.

Uber estimated $80 for me to just get from my house to his.  I would still need to come back home either by Uber (another $80) or by train ($9). 

Needless to say I was a disapointed.  I do understand that it's far and their prices are their prices and I can't change that.  I had a small hope that they would be a viable option.  Alas..

/vent over

What's the cost by taxi?

[FiguringItOut]

Sorry this of off topic, but I need to vent about Uber for minute.

I have to drop my kids off at my ex every other weekend when his has his weekends with them.  We have to share drop off and pick up according to our agreement and I don't have a car. He drives them back to me on Sunday night.

It costs me $39.50 and 3 hours of my time every other Friday evening drop them off and get back home; bus to the commuter train, train to his place (he meets us at the train station), train for me to get back home, bus for me to get back home.  I can save $3 on the way back by taking train back to a subway couple stops earlier and taking subway to the bus, but in bad weather I prefer to just take the train to my stop.  Plus, by the time I come back it's close to 10pm, so I just want to get home. I don't have a car.  By car it is a 30 min drive without traffic.  Overall, I'm spending $80 a month on this commute.

I checked Uber in the hopes that it may be a reasonable cost to use them at least once in a while; I'm thinking winter, snow, freezing cold, heavy rains, etc.

Uber estimated $80 for me to just get from my house to his.  I would still need to come back home either by Uber (another $80) or by train ($9). 

Needless to say I was a disapointed.  I do understand that it's far and their prices are their prices and I can't change that.  I had a small hope that they would be a viable option.  Alas..

/vent over

What's the cost by taxi?

Just did online estimator for taxi and it's also $80.  Oh well, I'll just keep doing what I've been doing. 

[elaine amj]

Sorry this of off topic, but I need to vent about Uber for minute.

I have to drop my kids off at my ex every other weekend when his has his weekends with them.  We have to share drop off and pick up according to our agreement and I don't have a car. He drives them back to me on Sunday night.

It costs me $39.50 and 3 hours of my time every other Friday evening drop them off and get back home; bus to the commuter train, train to his place (he meets us at the train station), train for me to get back home, bus for me to get back home.  I can save $3 on the way back by taking train back to a subway couple stops earlier and taking subway to the bus, but in bad weather I prefer to just take the train to my stop.  Plus, by the time I come back it's close to 10pm, so I just want to get home. I don't have a car.  By car it is a 30 min drive without traffic.  Overall, I'm spending $80 a month on this commute.

I checked Uber in the hopes that it may be a reasonable cost to use them at least once in a while; I'm thinking winter, snow, freezing cold, heavy rains, etc.

Uber estimated $80 for me to just get from my house to his.  I would still need to come back home either by Uber (another $80) or by train ($9). 

Needless to say I was a disapointed.  I do understand that it's far and their prices are their prices and I can't change that.  I had a small hope that they would be a viable option.  Alas..

/vent over

I'm assuming the kids don't have to pay to travel by public transport? I know when we visited DC, I quickly figured out that it was cheaper/the same for the 4 of us to move around using uber instead of paying for 4 of us to use public transport - even for the long journey from DC to Baltimore airport. When I traveled there by myself for work, I primarily used the train/metro since that was cheaper than uber. It's rare that uber/taxi would be cheaper for one person vs bus/subway/train.

[BeanCounter]

Sorry this of off topic, but I need to vent about Uber for minute.

I have to drop my kids off at my ex every other weekend when his has his weekends with them.  We have to share drop off and pick up according to our agreement and I don't have a car. He drives them back to me on Sunday night.

It costs me $39.50 and 3 hours of my time every other Friday evening drop them off and get back home; bus to the commuter train, train to his place (he meets us at the train station), train for me to get back home, bus for me to get back home.  I can save $3 on the way back by taking train back to a subway couple stops earlier and taking subway to the bus, but in bad weather I prefer to just take the train to my stop.  Plus, by the time I come back it's close to 10pm, so I just want to get home. I don't have a car.  By car it is a 30 min drive without traffic.  Overall, I'm spending $80 a month on this commute.

I checked Uber in the hopes that it may be a reasonable cost to use them at least once in a while; I'm thinking winter, snow, freezing cold, heavy rains, etc.

Uber estimated $80 for me to just get from my house to his.  I would still need to come back home either by Uber (another $80) or by train ($9). 

Needless to say I was a disapointed.  I do understand that it's far and their prices are their prices and I can't change that.  I had a small hope that they would be a viable option.  Alas..

/vent over

I'm sorry you are going through this! Have you looked into renting a car for those days? My roommate in college did not have a car, but we often needed one for trips to the store or appointments. She would just rent a car one or two days a month and it was much, much cheaper than owning one. At least in our area.

[Guses]

Sorry this of off topic, but I need to vent about Uber for minute.

I have to drop my kids off at my ex every other weekend when his has his weekends with them.  We have to share drop off and pick up according to our agreement and I don't have a car. He drives them back to me on Sunday night.

It costs me $39.50 and 3 hours of my time every other Friday evening drop them off and get back home; bus to the commuter train, train to his place (he meets us at the train station), train for me to get back home, bus for me to get back home.  I can save $3 on the way back by taking train back to a subway couple stops earlier and taking subway to the bus, but in bad weather I prefer to just take the train to my stop.  Plus, by the time I come back it's close to 10pm, so I just want to get home. I don't have a car.  By car it is a 30 min drive without traffic.  Overall, I'm spending $80 a month on this commute.

I checked Uber in the hopes that it may be a reasonable cost to use them at least once in a while; I'm thinking winter, snow, freezing cold, heavy rains, etc.

Uber estimated $80 for me to just get from my house to his.  I would still need to come back home either by Uber (another $80) or by train ($9). 

Needless to say I was a disapointed.  I do understand that it's far and their prices are their prices and I can't change that.  I had a small hope that they would be a viable option.  Alas..

/vent over

Do you have good relations with the Ex? You could ask if he would be willing to pick them up in exchange for a portion of what it would costs you.

Plus he gets to see them a bit longer. Win-win.

[4alpacas]

Sorry this of off topic, but I need to vent about Uber for minute.

I have to drop my kids off at my ex every other weekend when his has his weekends with them.  We have to share drop off and pick up according to our agreement and I don't have a car. He drives them back to me on Sunday night.

It costs me $39.50 and 3 hours of my time every other Friday evening drop them off and get back home; bus to the commuter train, train to his place (he meets us at the train station), train for me to get back home, bus for me to get back home.  I can save $3 on the way back by taking train back to a subway couple stops earlier and taking subway to the bus, but in bad weather I prefer to just take the train to my stop.  Plus, by the time I come back it's close to 10pm, so I just want to get home. I don't have a car.  By car it is a 30 min drive without traffic.  Overall, I'm spending $80 a month on this commute.

I checked Uber in the hopes that it may be a reasonable cost to use them at least once in a while; I'm thinking winter, snow, freezing cold, heavy rains, etc.

Uber estimated $80 for me to just get from my house to his.  I would still need to come back home either by Uber (another $80) or by train ($9). 

Needless to say I was a disapointed.  I do understand that it's far and their prices are their prices and I can't change that.  I had a small hope that they would be a viable option.  Alas..

/vent over

What's the cost by taxi?

Just did online estimator for taxi and it's also $80.  Oh well, I'll just keep doing what I've been doing.

What about zipcar? 

[cchrissyy]

In my town, there actually is a startup that is "Uber for kids"

https://shuddle.us/