I Built a Bilingual "Mini-Uber" for My Dad's Escalade Business
I Built a Bilingual "Mini-Uber" for My Dad's Escalade Business My dad drives a Cadillac Escalade. He's licensed in California (TCP permit — the real commercial charter-party license, not the "I downloaded an app" kind), and he has a circle of regulars who call or text him when they need a ride: airport runs, business dinners, family trips to Disneyland. For years his dispatch system was WeChat…
The author built a bilingual mini-Uber-like app for his dad's Cadillac Escalade business, which serves a limited number of regulars in the San Gabriel Valley. The app, which includes Chinese and English support, a real account system, and features similar to Uber's dispatch system, aims to scale without the high fees and marketplace aspects that come with larger ride-hailing services.
The stack used for the app is simple and purposeful, with a focus on functionality over complexity. The author opted for a plain HTML/CSS/JS web client, Expo for mobile development, and Cloudflare Tunnel for HTTPS, avoiding the need for a separate domain. The app's state machine ensures proper ride management, with only the accepting driver able to change the ride's status.
This solution allows the business to accept a wider range of customers while maintaining control and efficiency.
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