Nahmsayin? Uber and Me

OpinionsAyrton Wakfer — Published February 13, 2017

Day in, day out, sun up or sun down, I throw a leg over my trusty steed and speed off into the urban fray.

As any devout city cyclist will tell you, the common cab is a fare bearing menace. The disdain seems to go both ways; for every cab mirror I have folded in (righteously and justly I must add), I have had to dodge an errant swinging door or absent-minded lane change.

As the villainous cabby continues to lose its marketplace to Uber, I see an opportunity for the service to avoid creating a strifeful relationship with cyclists. I want to like Uber, I really do.

I drink, you drink, we all drink—and when we’re all done drinking, the backseat of an Uber is much safer than the seat of a bicycle. But when I am soberly aboard my bike, Uber doors have almost claimed my dooring virginity a few too many times.

How hard would it be for prospective Uber drivers to go through a quick Cyclist awareness module during their application process? Some quick tips about blind spots and courtesy, and the common cyclist could be a close acquaintance of a great service.

There’s enough hate in this world already, so let’s keep Uber and cyclists friendly.