Uber over all…

As some of you know, I love my rugby, and I also enjoy partaking of a few beers whilst watching ‘the game they play in heaven’.

So, these last few weeks have been a blur of action, raised hopes, touch and go results and quaffable beers. The Six Nations competition tends to do this.

But it’s not about this festival of sport that I’m writing. It’s more to do with transportation here in Portugal. So, what’s the connection?

Well, on Saturday, the final day of the Six Nations, myself and some friends decided to watch a couple of games at The Black Anchor, Tavira’s Irish bar. The first game was at 14:10pm, so it seemed reasonable to catch the 11:49am train from Fuseta-A. This would get us there in plenty of time to enjoy lunch in the build-up to the start of the match.

I wandered up to the station at 11:40am, having first checked my app to see that the train was still on time. It was and yes, it only takes me six minutes to get to the station. I was there in plenty of time and met with Malcolm as planned. He was waiting for me on the platform, along with a friend of his who was heading in the same direction. After a few pleasantries, we began to discuss train times. I checked my phone again. Bloody hell, the train was now delayed by fifteen minutes. Sod’s law.

We waited for a few minutes and I then checked again. Twenty-nine minutes delay now. Bloody hell. Yes, the train service here doesn’t always run to time, and occasionally doesn’t even arrive. So, what to do?

I looked at Malcolm. How were we going to get to Tavira? We obviously couldn’t rely on the train now, could we? I had a think, and then suggested:

‘Uber?’

Here, Uber is a fantastic service. My friend Nigel always uses it to get home after a few beers in Fuzeta. Without fail, it arrives, and is always very reasonable in terms of price. Today, it was €10 to get to Tavira. You can’t knock that, and what was even better, it was due to arrive in three minutes.

We waited, it arrived, and before you could say: ‘Where’s the bloody train?’ we found ourselves in Tavira, wandering down the hill towards The Black Anchor.

Suffice to say, thanks to Uber, we managed lunch (I had a rather nice chilli con carne, in case you were wondering) and a couple of beers before the game kicked off.

And so, on Monday, when I was once again faced with a delayed train, but needing to arrive in Olhão before lunchtime to drop some documents off with my accountant, I again turned to my Uber app.

This time I had to wait thirteen minutes, a bit of a pain, but it was a Monday morning, and I could watch the car’s progress on the app, so I knew exactly when it would be arriving.

It then told me that I was a member of something, and so I was being upgraded. Personally, I think it was simply the fact that no other cars were available, but who was I to argue with the fact that Guilherme the driver arrived on time and in a Tesla. Blimey, yes, I travelled to Olhão in a Tesla – not some basic car, not some bog-standard taxi, but a Tesla.

These Uber drivers must be doing OK, or should I say, MORE than OK, although Guilherme assured me that Uber had recently reduced the rates for drivers. He also told me about his past-times, including kayaking in the Ria Formosa, as well as his girlfriend’s pastelaria in Olhão: ‘Os Amigos do Bairro’ (Friends of the Neighbourhood). It’s very good, apparently.

Yes, he was very friendly, and fully deserved his five-star rating and a tip.

If you’re ever wondering how to get around here in Portugal, Uber is as good a bet as any, certainly compared to the UK. Last time I was there I tried to get one – it meant a wait of an hour and cost me £14 to go two-and-a-half miles.

Something is definitely ‘rotten in the State of Denmark’, or should I say, the UK. Here in Portugal, I don’t feel like I’m being ripped off, but there…?

I’ll leave it at that, or else I may go on for some time.