Students can climb down the stairs of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and into an Uber car this weekend for free.
The global app-powered ride service is now available in Gainesville, and it is offering users free transportation for their first five rides through Labor Day.
“Anywhere you are, you press a button, and within a matter of minutes, a vehicle shows up for you,” said Uber spokesman Taylor Bennett.
UF Student Body President Cory Yeffet said in an email that students have wanted an alternative and safe transportation option like Uber for some time.
“I am most excited that students now have a reliable, easy-to-use and convenient method of transportation whenever they need one,” Yeffet said.
This weekend, the service will also donate $5 to Dance Marathon each time a user enters the promotional code UFSG.
Dominique Falconeiri, a 21-year-old UF advertising senior, said it will be useful to students who walk home late at night and those who need safe rides home from Midtown or downtown.
Falconeiri used Uber during the summer in New York and thinks it will take about a semester to catch on.
“You can be really drunk and still use Uber,” she said. “It’s so easy once you have it.”
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 8/29/2014 under the headline "Uber finally arrives; five rides free until Labor Day"]
