Critiquing Uber's Cross-Border Service from San Diego to Baja California

In Mach, Uber launched Passport, a service allowing cross-border service from San Diego to any location in the northern Baja California region. A columnist's experiment with the service reveals more PR effort than mobility service.

1 minute read

May 24, 2016, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Mexico Border

Chad Zuber / Shutterstock

Robin Abcarian provides a first-hand account of a first attempt at using the cross-border service, announced two months ago, "to great fanfare" and in an apparent first for transportation network companies. According to Abcarian's tongue-in-cheek summary of the announcement, "Riders would be able to order an Uber to cross into Mexico from the San Diego area. You could Uber to Tijuana! Or Rosarito Beach!"

Abcarian's first experience with the cross-border Uber experience reveals much to be desired from the service, as well as a list of what not to do—from the perspective of the app user, the app itself, and just about anyone who tries to cross the border from Mexico into the United States.

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