‘Uber for Teens’ Officially Launches in Lafayette and Local Parents Have Very Mixed Reactions

Uber has officially launched a new feature that allows Louisiana teens to request rides and Uber Eats food at their front door putting local parents on edge.

There are certainly pros and cons to this; there's never a shortage of opinions to go around when this type of news breaks on social media. Before we can even ask you to join this debate allow us to provide you with the details. Here's what we know so far.

How Does it Work?

Teens ages 13-17 in Lafayette and Lake Charles now have access to a new feature that allows them to request their own rides to go to their friends' houses and order Canes right to their front door.

First, create a teen account and from there you can supervise and approve their requests. You didn’t think Uber would just let your kid run up your bill like that did you? Uber strongly emphasizes safety, ensuring that your teen is always sent the highest-rated drivers who undergo annual background checks. Additionally, parents can track the ride from start to finish. Steps to get started here.

Even with these “always on” safety features Uber is prioritizing Jury is still out on how Acadiana parents feel about their teens having this much freedom at their fingertips. However, I think any parent could see this being a convenient option, especially during the summer months when kids are home all day while they are at work.

Stranger Danger?

Valid concerns about their kids being alone with strangers surfaced after KLFY posted an. Article about the Uber news detailing the specifics of this new feature. Who knows if the drivers in Acadiana will even activate this feature, could be more work than it’s worth in terms of dealing with unsupervised teenagers.

I don’t know, I think I would personally rather bring a 13-year-old to the jump zone (do kids still go there???) than have a grown adult puking in my back seat at one in the morning. Plus, we finally have a way to get our teens to and from Reds every day during the summer.

While it could seem like an unnecessary or necessary risk to take with your child, I think it's important to remember that everyone's situation at home is completely different and an option like this could be crucial for some families.

My parents were always running me from one after-school activity to the next, often inconveniencing their workday. Especially all those times I called them from the front office at school because I was…sick. But really, I just didn’t want to eat fish sticks.

What are your thoughts on the new features? Do the positives outweigh the negatives? Please drop a comment and let us know.