Carless in Coburg: How Priyam made it work with the help of Freddy Kluger
Discover why one Kluger called Freddy became Priyam’s favourite answer to being carless in Coburg. Learn how she transported her dog, took weekends away, and even catered a wedding.
When Priyam found herself carless in Melbourne, it didn’t take her long to find a reliable and affordable alternative to public transport. She discovered Uber Carshare – realising it could probably save her 40-50% on car hire costs.
Making weekends away easy
The first time she used Uber Carshare was for a weekend getaway. And she's since taken many more trips. Her favourite getaway was when she grabbed a sporty little VW Golf and headed to a friend's place in Redesdale in central Victoria.
"It's about an hour out of Melbourne, so not difficult to get to. We just wanted something fun and sporty. Put a couple of bags in the back, and off we go."
Where Uber Carshare really shined, though, was when Priyam's partner, Josh, needed to cater some special events through his restaurant, Harley and Rose, in West Footscray.
Transporting small business
Josh occasionally agrees to cater for special events. Despite selling software for a living, Priyam helps Josh at these events – calling on distant memories of waitressing when she was younger.
“Josh once showed me how to shuck an oyster. And then he said, “Here, there’s 300 to do.”
Last year, he had a wedding to cook for. Now, delicious food he can do. But getting it all to the venue, including all of the equipment? Not so easy.
Enter: Freddy.
‘Freddy’ is a Toyota Kluger that Priyam and Josh found on Uber Carshare and named Freddy – for Freddy Krueger. “We packed Freddy full of catering equipment, and off we went.”
If only Freddy’s many talents extended to shucking oysters. Freddy has since become a favourite and has taken them on more weekends away, easily fitting eskies, all their bags and two dogs, one named Tonto.
Driving old dogs (no matter their size)
Unlike his pug mate, Tonto is a big 10 yr-old Weimaraner. Of course, he’s a gentle old boy, but you wouldn’t always know it to look at him. Priyam found that out the hard way when her pet transport kept getting cancelled.
“Various concerned drivers would see Tonto’s size and think, “That’s not what I signed up for!”
But Tonto’s old bones can’t always walk everywhere, and vet visits are increasing as he ages. So Priyam took things into her own hands with the help of Uber Carshare. No more stress transporting Tonto.
The fun part is that Priyam loves to drive. “I love figuring out all the different cars and their nuances. When I first picked up Freddy, it was my first time in a Kluger. It was 11 o'clock at night, pitch black and really, really quiet.
"I got the keys and started the car. And then I was searching the middle console for the handbrake. I was looking everywhere. I eventually had to Google, "Where's the handbrake in a Kluger?"
Despite that mildly alarming moment the night before the catering gig, Priyam has nothing but good things to say about her time using Uber Carshare.
“It’s so easy to use”
“Whenever I knew I needed a car, I could just book quickly and easily find a car within walking distance. I had no issues with pick up, drop off, or any of the owners.”
“It's just so simple to choose the right car. If it's just to run a few errands, you get a small car. Going away for the weekend? Get a bigger car.
“There's so much variety, and there's something for everyone. It makes life really easy. It's really simple to use and it's affordable.”
Fancy finding your own Freddy? Grab yourself a car and learn how to make the most of your long weekend, or how Carey used Uber Carshare to grow her business.
