Getting your driver’s license is a rite of passage most teens eagerly look forward to. I am the anomaly who didn’t care a whit; I could walk to my high school and was hell-bent on heading to NYC where I knew I could get around easily without a car. Still, I can appreciate how this new promo will be welcome to young would-be drivers everywhere: Uber is giving a free month of rides to teens who fail their driver’s tests. It’s a cute idea! And it expires at the end of March (“or until all offers have been redeemed”), so if you’ve recently failed the test I’d get on Uber’s site quick (but within all local speed limits) to fill out a questionnaire to qualify. Here are some more details:
Uber is offering parents a break from chauffeuring teens to their various activities.
Teens who recently failed their driver’s test can sign up to receive a free month of rides from Uber through their Uber Teen Accounts, the company announced on Thursday, Jan. 9.
Taking a driver’s test is an exciting time in any young person’s life. It often represents the freedom they’ll receive to come and go as they please to see friends and travel to social events. However, with this test can come a lot of pressure.
Uber is looking to take some of that pressure off of students who recently took the test and didn’t pass, as well as their parents with busy schedules.
Free rides can be unlocked by downloading the car-scheduling service app or by visiting their website. Teens will be prompted to fill out a questionnaire through the app inquiring about their recent driver’s test. They will need to provide information regarding the areas missed on the test and the reasons.
Teen accounts are authorized for people ages 13-17 with consent from a legal guardian. When parents add a teen account to their family profile they receive alerts whenever their child requests a ride and can simultaneously follow their ride from pick-up to drop-off.
Uber provides teens new to the app with safety onboarding education so they know the safety features available to them while using the app.
Like I said, I think it’s a cute idea. A nice way to soften the blow of a disappointment that, if I recall teenagedom accurately, is amplified by raging hormones. Funnily enough, when I finally took my test at 25 I didn’t pass the first time. Yet somehow, I was totally fine and even-keeled about it, thinking, “Well now I know what it’s like and am ready to try again!” Which is remarkable, because I dare say it may be the ONLY time in my life when I exhibited such a positive, grounded attitude towards failure. But I digress… My only word of caution to hopeful teens looking to cash in on this, is to read the fine print carefully! Of course not all of it is comprehensible with the carefully obscure language they use, but I was able to glean a few important stipulations: the “month” of free rides covers a max of $20 per ride for a max of 6 rides from an Uber Teen account, and tolls, tips, taxes, or other charges are not included. Also, the entire promotion is not available in California. They seriously buried that tidbit in the middle of the disclaimers at the bottom of the page! But I will give Uber credit for helping Californians of all ages out in another way: they’re offering free rides (up to $40) to four select shelter locations for people evacuating the wildfires.
photos credit: Kindel Media, Ron Lach and Freestocks on Pexels