Learning to drive a car is a memorable experience of aging. Losing or giving up driving is another experience of aging but memorable for many other, much less celebratory, reasons. In middle age I dream of giving up my car and replacing it with an electric assist bicycle for commuting, errands and family life. Even though I live in a climate and community that supports such a dream, my extreme commute does not, so I remain shackled behind the wheel watching the speedometer on the dashboard and visualizing the “waste-ometer’ in my head that is measuring wasted time, money, chances to be active, opportunities to minimize my carbon footprint, and the list goes on.
The newly redesigned NYC taxi cab brings hope to the world of useful automobiles and newly designed accessible and freedom for riders of all ages. Getting from A to B is important but diminished freedom for those who don’t have easy access to transportation for important events of daily life it can be daunting and even dangerous. Missing a doctor appointment could set off a string of medical mishaps, especially for someone frail and managing multiple meds and conditions. I hope the accessible design features of the widened door, expanded head room and hump-free flat floor of the new taxi cab brings freedom to those who may have shied away from traditional taxi cab experiences.
Now we just need UBER to add a “Luxury” or “Freedom” choice to their service (not vehicle) options to provide trusted assistance to accompany riders during their outings to offer that little bit of extra help – basically a Silver Ride button on the UBER App.
Mashup: Uber + Silver Ride
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