One common problem STA students seem to face on the weekends is transportation. Who is going to drive? Who is going to pay for gas? Are parents going to pick up? What is the meeting place? Since its Kansas City debut in June, Uber has not only become a popular use of transportation throughout the Kansas City area, but also in the STA community.

Uber was founded in 2009 and can now be found in hundreds of cities. Uber “seamlessly [connects] riders to drivers through [their] apps,” according to the company’s website. Uber is similar to a taxi service, except you simply request a driver through the Uber app on a smartphone.

Many STA students find themselves using Uber when they have no other way to get around Kansas City.

Senior Gwen Robertson uses Uber up to four times a month.

“I use Uber if I don’t want to leave my car somewhere or if I don’t have my car and need a ride,” Robertson said.  “I usually use it to go to things like concerts or where parking is really hectic.”

Junior Jamie Hafenstine thinks other STA students may have similar reasons to use Uber.

“Some students may not be able to drive just yet [so they can use Uber’s vehicles] to get places,” Hafenstine said.

Uber is easy to use and payment is done through the app and not in the car. This reduces the awkward transaction of money in person that usually comes with using a taxi.

Robertson said it’s great because it is easy to connect your credit or debit card to the app. Hafenstine agrees.

“Some people have their debit cards hooked up to their Uber accounts so they can pay for their rides, but mainly my friends use their parent’s credit cards and we all just pay them back after we take an Uber,” Hafenstine said.

Both Robertson and Hafenstine agree that Uber is a great way of transportation and encourage STA students to look into using it on weekends.

“The best advice for someone using Uber for the first time would be to have someone with you when you take an Uber just to be safe,” Hafenstine said. “Also, be respectable [and] friendly to your Uber driver because they are just normal people like you, and sometimes they can even have some pretty interesting stories to tell.”