taking a ride with uber

We're a mass transportation family. Husband takes Millie to school on the bus in the morning and I bring her home on the subway each afternoon. And, since we live in what locals humorously refer to as "Upstate Manhattan," taking a yellow taxi is a pretty expensive option, not to mention the fact that car seats aren't available. The few times I've taken taxis with the girls with only a seat belt on, I've clutched the glass window in front of me the whole time, totally stressed out (and it's a commonplace occurrence for a lot of families, which I know seems insane to non-New Yorkers).

Well, a new day is here, thanks to Uber car service. They recently launched uberFamily, which now offers car seats. Already making life easier for transportation with the ability to quickly book a car through their app, now you can easily go to the uberFamily section to secure a car seat. Speaking of which, for the launch of uberFamily, Uber teamed up with Dr. Alisa Baer, otherwise known as The Car Seat Lady, who trained the highest-rated uberX partner drivers on how to safely secure IMMI Go brand car seats. Thus, when you request uberFamily, you're getting a professional driver who has been certified by an expert in car seat safety.

Care.com has also teamed up with Uber, with a goal of working to change the conversation on child care safety by making it easier and safer for families to manage their transportation needs. Donna Levin, Co-Founder and VP of Operations at Care.com, says, “Transporting children safely is of critical importance to Care.com. In fact, more than half of Care.com members seeking childcare include some kind of transportation requirement when they are looking for caregivers.” 

A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to try out uberFamily, and I was very pleased with our experience. I had a couple events to attend and Millie's school pick up in the afternoon, so sufficed to say, I got around town quite easily, and safely, which was most important.

So, while we primarily use mass transit to get around, it is a relief to know that in a pinch or with a subway blocks away (or a crying toddler or two), I can request uberFamily to travel home with ease. And this will absolutely become our go-to when traveling back and forth to the airport. I can't tell you what a relief it is to know that we now have this option for safe travel around town.

Welcome to NYC, uberFamily!