Overview
For some, friendly banter with whoever happens to be behind a car's wheel is a regular part of booking a ride. For others, the obligatory bout of awkward conversation with the driver is the most dreaded part of the trip. Or, maybe you're just having a bad day and don't feel like chatting. Perhaps you're usually happy to talk away, but you're stressed, have too much on your mind, and have emails to check while you're getting from point A to point B.
Whether you like a good chinwag with your driver or prefer riding in silence, Uber has introduced a new feature that lets customers choose their level of conversation. It's called quiet mode, and it lets you choose if you want a chatty ride or a quiet one.
The catch: it's only available for Uber Comfort trips, which are about 20 percent more expensive than regular UberX trips. But, according to the Uber website, the ridesharing service's Comfort offering also comes with a range of additional benefits, including requesting a specific temperature within the car (warm, hot, cool or cold) and giving passengers a bit of extra time to make their way to the vehicle (up to ten minutes). Drivers will also have a minimum rating of 4.85 and will have clocked at least 500 trips, and cars will be at least a 2013 model.
It's certainly a sign of the times that ordering a conversation (or lack thereof) can now be done at the touch of a button, rather than in person. That said, pre-selecting quiet mode will stop the dreaded, always uncomfortable "I don't feel like chatting" convo before the uncomfortable silence, as well as awkward small talk.
Uber Comfort is now available across Australia.