Uber

Uber added the ability to request pet friendly rides in 2019. Previously riders had to clear pet passengers with drivers, but can now pay an additional $3 to $5 to travel with their furry friends. Uber Pet is not required for service animals because state and federal laws prohibit drivers from refusing rides to riders with disabilities. A "service animal" is any animal that’s "trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability," according to the Uber guidelines. Riders can ask "if the animal required because of a disability," and "what tasks it has been trained to perform." No special vests, tags or any other kind of proof is required to identify that the animal is a service animal.

The Uber Safety Toolkit includes the ability to quickly contact 911 if you're having an emergency while using the ride sharing service. When using the 911 button in Uber, the app will give you a location, vehicle information and license plate number so you can share it with the 911 dispatcher. This will allow emergency services to locate you faster.

The ride sharing experiment has been a huge success offering an affordable and reliable option to public transportation and taxis. Companies like Uber and Lyft have elevated the overall experience and expectations of the transportation service by attracting helpful and personable drivers. Riders can help keep the high level of service by rating their drivers using Uber and Lyft's 5-star rating system. After each ride, passengers are asked to rate their individual driver and comment on their experience using the service. This encourages drivers to go above and beyond what is expected, and has caused many to be very creative on how they treat their passengers. Some dedicated drivers offer riders free amenities such as mints, water, and handi-wipes, while others provide phone chargers and even the ability to watch videos or play video games. However, as with any business that employs a large number of people there is also the occasional rotten egg.