In case you were wondering, OP, Lyft, Uber, and the like are illegal in some areas.
And just so YOU know, in some areas they’re NOT illegal.
Well! Ignorance fought and thank you!
I’ve never heard of Uber or Lyft, and I pretty much assumed that since I live in rural SC it wouldn’t be available. My town has two gas stations, two dollar stores, a pawnshop and an ancient grocery. And a post office.
Color me very surprised and pleased to find that it IS available, and that I can get to the airport for under $40.
Off to play around with the site and see about Lyft too! 
Didn’t look at second page, missed mod instruction.
What is wrong with people?
MOL, I had never heard of Lyft or Uber, so thank you for introducing me to something new.
If you use either app more than once, let us know if it’s the same driver each time! 
Can you refuse to pick up someone if you feel they are too intoxicated (might get sick in your car or need medical help) or if you thing they are dangerous?
If cabs float your boat, have at them. I was pretty late to the rideshare app party too, figuring “Why can’t I just hail a cab?” Well I can, and still occasionally do, but I’ve found the apps to be easier and cheaper.
If you decide to start using rideshare apps, I’m almost certain that you’ll find Lyft to be annoying, especially considering it doesn’t have a fare quote feature built in. I mean, maybe it won’t annoy you since you generally don’t know how much a cab is going to be when you take one and you’re used to that, but one of the major advantages of rideshare apps is supposed to be that you can know upfront how much you’re going to have to pay, and the payment system is super hassle-free. Well, those are the advantages of Uber anyway. Lyft is not so great. Maybe useful as a Plan B if, I dunno, all the Uber drivers in your area are dead or something, or their surge pricing is out of control and Lyft’s rates end up being cheaper.
Can’t speak for Houston, but around here the shuttles are about 1/4 the cost of a taxi to the airport. So, double would be great. In my experience, Uber and cabs tend to be about the same cost, although I suspect Uber is a bit more. But, also in my experience, Uber drivers are much more professional and the cars are much nicer.
Where do you live, if you don’t mind? Their website shows them only being available in 150 cities in North America. The only ones I see listed in SC are Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville. The closest listed to me is 90 some miles away. The second closest is in another state.
Uber uber alles. And this is the stupidest sniping of a useful thread I’ve seen yet.
I can, but so far I have accepted everyone. New Year’s a guy passed out in the back with a beer in his pocket and it spilled all over the back seat. It is some kind of pleather back there so it cleaned up just fine. Another time a college kid had taken too many drugs and there was a big argument among his friends on whether I was taking him to the hospital or the dorm. The people paying said dorm, and he was still awake, so dorm it was.
So far no one has seemed dangerous. One klutzy girl sneezed and lost a hit of acid in the back- when I pick up hippie dudes I tell them if they can find it they can have it. I think Uber will reimburse me if somebody pukes, but so far it hasn’t happened.
Oh, I obviously know that. Perhaps my use of the term “some areas” indicates such knowledge. My point is that “real people” live in areas where those so-called services are illegal and don’t (legally) have a choice on using them.
What’s up with calling rideshare apps “those so-called services” though?
No, your point was to be snippy.
I am wondering why cab companies aren’t taking the hint and making their own smart phone apps to get some business back from Uber, Lyft and the like.
Some do. I haven’t seen any that work as nicely, but I haven’t been actively searching.
When cabs invent super easy to use apps, maybe I’ll return to them. Also, they’d get bonus points if they had a rule about their drivers not being assholes or having filthy cars, but I’m not picky.
I don’t use these apps as I’m in the 'burbs and have my own car (bear with me :)), but I don’t live in a bubble and realize there are probably a million different reasons why others do. That said, I checked out both of their local service areas and found that Uber isn’t available in my area, but Lyft is. I could get to the airport for $20. Maybe Lyft sucks, but if I need to get to the airport (or anywhere else, like if my car breaks down and is in the shop for a few days), keeping in mind the suckage, that’s really good to know.
In DC, rather than try to figure out why Uber is so popular, they cab companies have staged protests, such as a mass of cabs blocking traffic downtown during rush hour.
ETA: