This is How I Travel With All My Camera Gear: Uber

One question that I get all the time is how do I travel with my camera gear? What I am about to tell you is how I like to travel in cities when public transportation is out of the question.

As of late I have been using UBER to get around cities with my camera gear and with clients. If you are not familiar with UBER it is pretty much an on demand car service for the 21st century.

USE Code “UberFroKnows” to get $20 off your first ride. When you use my code and take your first ride I also get $20 credit.

You download the app for your smart phone log in, enter your credit card info and you are pretty much ready to go. It is all done via credit card including the tip for the driver. So there is no need to tip the driver cash as they should not accept it from you. As a side note you can change the percentage amount of the tip in the settings of your ap. By default it is set to 20%

I have used UBER on multiple shoots in different parts of the country. I used in NYC when I was assisting Shawn Corigan and we had way to much gear to tray and wait for a cab. Recently in LA I used it with Matisyahu so we could get around the city with the gear and not have to worry about parking. And last week when I was in NYC to interview Joey L we used UBER to get from Brooklyn back into the city.

This service is so smart. When you are ready to take a ride you select your location on a map. You see where all the uber’s are currently as well as the time it will take for them to get to you. You have the options of selecting a Black Car, SUV or Uber X which are regular cars so you pay slightly less. I generally select Black Car unless there are a lot of people.

When you are ready to take the ride you select the destination hit the button, verify your location and you are ready to go. Also on the screen you have the option of entering a Promo Code. Please enter code “UberFroKnows” and you will get $20 off your first ride.

You can enter the code at anytime so please download the app and enter my code so it’s there ready to go for your first ride.

After you hit “request car” you will be sent a notification almost instantly that someone will be on their way to pick you up. You will see the drivers photo, what car they will be driving and how long until they pick you up. They on the other hand also get to see a photo of you so they know who they are picking up.

When you have a lot of gear or you are you want to get your gear and your client from point a to point b you can’t go wrong with Uber. So far my experiences have been very very positive.

There is something to be said about not having to use cash and having everything tied in with your credit card. There is no fumbling for your wallet or worrying about the tip. As soon as you get to your destination the drive hits “end trip” and bam your done. You will get an email notification with how much your ride cost.

Keep in mind that you will be paying slightly more than a normal taxi. For example our taxi from Penn Station in NYC to Brooklyn cost us $32 with tip. When we went from Brooklyn back into the city the trip with tax cost $45. You are looking at spending roughly 30% more per ride.

Here is how I justify that expense. When I need a car, I have access to it on demand, no waiting on the corner for a taxi to come by. The drivers are very professional and the cars/SUV’s are usually very nice. The ride overall is a lot more comfortable and my clients really appreciate the extra effort.

Let me explain to you something about affiliate marketing. Many business offer incentives these days for you helping them find new clients. In this case UBER gives me a code to share with you, “UberFroKnows”. It costs you nothing to use the code and you get $20 off your very first ride. When you take your first ride because you used my code I also get $20 in credit. It is a win win for all three of us.

But beyond that, once you sign up for Uber you will have your own code that you can share with your friends. And when your friends use your code they get the same $20 off and you get $20 in credit. That is affiliate marketing and I am a big fan.

I hope you find your experience to be as good as mine.