bostonzest

Tag: app

  • UBER: On-Call Car Service in Boston

    Uber screengrab

    This year, we added one more option to our car-free lifestyle. UBER offered a discounted $40 introductory package on Gilt City Boston and we bought it. Since then, we've treated ourselves to a few UBER rides and are ready to recommend it to you at today's Friday Link.

    Test Drives!

    Our first trip was to the preview opening of the Gardner Museum. It seemed like a festive event and our schedule for the day was heavy, so to enjoy more time exploring the museum, we decided to take a ride there and then on to our next destination.  

    We used the UBER iPhone app to request a car. We watched the app as the photo of the driver who had accepted our request popped up, then followed his movement on a map as he approached from about seven minutes away. Unlike a taxi, we knew where he was and that he was really on his way to our location. When he arrived out front, he called to let us know.

    We enjoyed a couple of hours exploring the new and old spaces at the Gardner, had a meal at Cafe G, and then pulled up the UBER app and requested a ride to our next destination. This time, our driver hit some traffic and called to say he'd be a few minutes longer. He arrived, quicker than expected, and called to tell us he was in front of the door.

    Another evening, we tested the service on a rain-soaked trip through rush hour and baseball traffic to an event in the Fenway area. Each time, we've been happy that we were in the care of a completely professional, attentive driver whose only concern was making our day a bit better and getting us calmly and safely to our destination. 

    Last week we found a perfect use of UBER– a pick up from a medical procedure. For Penny, it was an appointment at Mass Eye and Ear that left her dilated eyes half-blind in the blazing sun. Rather than fumble around trying to find a cab, she called UBER. Her driver, Sal arrived in minutes, handed her into his clean, comfortable car, found a way out of the traffic jam surrounding the hospital area, and even offered to assist her into our building. 

    For Us, It's Worth the Price!

    Yes, UBER costs a bit more than a taxi. But, it costs less than a scheduled car service for trips like these. The cars are clean, the drivers professional, and we enjoy the difference.

    Since we don't own a car and usually walk, take the MBTA, use Zipcars, or rentals, UBER fits nicely into our transportation scheme. We look forward to using UBER in the other cities, like New York, where it's also available.

    DISCOUNTS!!

    This UBER link will give you a $10 credit to get you started and they will also send a reward our way.

    And, if you click on the Zipcar box over to the left, you can get a driving credit to start you off when you join and we'll also have some Zip added to our account.

    What's on your fun-in-Boston shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Boston Street Food App: Food Truck Tracking

    Back in March, Toby left a comment on one of our Food Trucks/Street Food posts. He wrote, "Hi Penny & Ed, I think you might like my iPhone app for finding the Boston trucks: Street Food Boston. It's updated daily with the latest hours, closures, etc. Enjoy! Toby"

    Street food apps

    We downloaded this free app to our phones, tested it out, watched it grow, and now we are recommending it as our Friday link today. As you can see in the screengrab above, they also have apps for some of our Canadian readers and for Bostonians headed for Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. 

    This app lets you find food trucks on a map with red or green pins signaling who is open and who is not. Or, you can switch to a list to look for a particular truck. Once you have a truck in mind, you can swipe to see a screen telling you about the food and giving you the current schedule and links to their homepage, twitter, and email. 

    You can sort trucks by those nearby you, a-z list, popular, or your own favorites. If you love food trucks, give this app a try and let us know what you think.

    But, remember, for in depth information on the Boston food truck scene, photos of the food, and tales of the food truck community, always come back to the BostonZest Food Truck/Street Food collection.

    What's on your exploring Boston shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Screenshot: courtesy of Tatlow Park Sofware, Inc.    

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.