The service is coming to high-traffic areas Thursday-Sunday. (Photo: GEST)
As the old adage goes, "nothing in life is free." And so it is with a new "free" ride service to debut in Detroit on Opening Day — which is not so much free as it is paid for by advertisers who want maximal exposure, meaning it will only cart people around high-traffic areas during high-traffic periods.
But as another old adage goes, "something is better than nothing."
The company bringing the rides to Detroit is called Green Easy Safe Transportation, or GEST. According to Crain's, it functions much like Uber, only the cost of the ride is covered by whatever companies' logos are wrapped around the vehicle.
The licensees are locals, and so far there is one couple with a GEST car in Detroit. Damon and Kaia Dickens will be running the service from 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. this Thursday. Regular availability is 5 -11 p.m. Thursday through Sunday in Corktown, Midtown, Eastern Market and the East Jefferson area. Prospective riders must download the GEST app.
