Anyone here use Uber or other ride-hailing services?

[RainMaker]

I understand the reasoning but some bad wording nonetheless.

Uber fares soar during Sydney cafe siege - Dec. 15, 2014

[jeff061]

Have to imagine it's automated based on quantity of requests and drivers in the area. They quickly changed to free and refunded everyone. Non-story.

Edit: Article says as much, missed it on first pass.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by jeff061

Have to imagine it's automated based on quantity of requests and drivers in the area. They quickly changed to free and refunded everyone. Non-story.

Edit: Article says as much, missed it on first pass.

Except they still tweeted the reason for the surge pricing before they pulled it back, so it wasn't like they were unaware that it had been put in place.

[jeff061]

It was just some intern seeing a question about surge pricing and pasting the approved answer without thinking.

Looks like they reversed it almost immediately.

[JPhillips]

Poor scapetern.

def- an intern who exists solely to be fired for their boss' screwups.

[RainMaker]

Uber is great by the way. And what they did was perfectly fine. It's just the way they worded it on Twitter was bad. Not a big deal.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Off the current topic, but I had been driving for Lyft for a few months when Uber put up an offer for Lyft drivers to make $500 by doing 20 rides for Uber. So, hell yes, I signed up for Uber, did exactly 20 rides, and got my $500. Two weeks later - after doing zero subsequent Uber rides - Uber gave me another $500. I have no idea why, but uh, thanks, Uber.

[Lathum]

I'll be in Greensburg next Friday night, I may just ride around all night waiting for Pumpy lyft.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Now that's what I call being hot and fresh out the kitchen.

[timmae]

Originally Posted by path12

Earlier this week I was parked waiting to pick up my wife, just sitting there checking my phone, when a well dressed guy opened up my back door and got into the car.

Me: What the fuck are you doing in my car???
Him: Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I thought you were Uber!

I was walking downtown last night and saw this happen. A guy tried opening the back door of a car waiting at a stop light. When the door didn't open he yelled that he was the uber guy. The person driving was very confused and the guy finally figured out it was the wrong black Camry with a license plate starting with B. Oops. I would completely freak out on someone if I was the driver of the vehicle they thought was uber.

[molson]

Uber had a good faith agreement with Boise that let them operate without a business license as long as they didn't charge customers - they were running a free trial program the last few months. Uber broke that agreement and started charging. The city sent them a cease-and-desist letter on New Year's Eve. Uber says, "fuck you, we're going to keep driving and keep charging". The city says they're going to start prosecuting drivers for operating without a license. Fun times.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by molson

Uber had a good faith agreement with Boise that let them operate without a business license as long as they didn't charge customers - they were running a free trial program the last few months. Uber broke that agreement and started charging. The city sent them a cease-and-desist letter on New Year's Eve. Uber says, "fuck you, we're going to keep driving and keep charging". The city says they're going to start prosecuting drivers for operating without a license. Fun times.

This is pretty much par for the course with both Uber and Lyft. Several cities have sent C&D letters to both services, but the drivers were instructed to keep driving and let HQ pay any fines or provide legal counsel. When that stuff went on in Pittsburgh, I continued to drive. I never got in any trouble, but I know some drivers who did. HQ for both Uber and Lyft took care of everything.

The services are both operating under temporary agreements in Pittsburgh right now, so they are fully legal for a while. My only real fear as a driver has to do with insurance. Several drivers around the country have had their personal auto insurance policies cancelled because the companies considered ridesharing as driving for hire, which would require commercial insurance. Honestly, given that I have only driven part-time (and haven't given a ride in over a month), it's not worth it to me to lose my personal insurance over this.

What baffles me is how some people have actually quit their jobs to do ridesharing full-time. First of all, in most places, these services are not fully legal. Secondly, the fact that it's a service makes it subject to demand. I know I've had my share of nights where I waited 3 hours and got no passengers. In addition to all that, there's the insurance thing I mentioned above and the fact that the deductibles on Uber's and Lyft's insurance policies are very high.

If someone can't find a job doing something else, I get trying to do this thing full-time, but to quit a full-time job to do this? That's a dangerous, dangerous thing. I have friends who drive who are currently regretting their decision because lack of demand is causing these drivers to net under $200 a week.

I'll drive for these services again fairly soon, but it'll be for the same reason I started. It's something to do if I'm sitting around bored and want to make small talk with some folks and make a little bit of extra money.

[nol]

The plot thickens

Exclusive: Google and Uber are going to war over taxis

[miked]

[Desnudo]

I trust him more than 90% of cab drivers I've had.

[Buccaneer]

Spent several days in San Francisco this week as I do every year visiting my brother. I learned about Uber and we used it several times and came away thinking this was a great and clever business model. I know there are issues to be resolved but this is a great example of filling a market-driven need.

[sovereignstar v2]

Used Uber for the first time a few months ago in Minneapolis and the dude with the tibetan flag seat covers took us to Target Field instead of Target Center.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar v2

Used Uber for the first time a few months ago in Minneapolis and the dude with the tibetan flag seat covers took us to Target Field instead of Target Center.

They are across the street from one another and even connected via skyway and shared parking garage.

[Edward64]

Uber is great. All that I've met are courteous, clean cars etc. vs often smelly cabs who are often talking/yelling in some foreign language in their earphone.

[Groundhog]

We loved Uber when we were in the US - LA in particular. $5 for an Uber shared ride where we were in the car for about 45 minutes... I felt so guilty about it that I tipped the driver.

[RainMaker]

I still love it. Wondering if they are used in the suburbs much or if it's mainly just a city thing?

[Ryan S]

I don't take taxis very often, but when I do take taxis in London it is always Uber. Black cabs in this city are basically commiting daylight robbery. I was charged £38 in a black cab for a journey that cost less than £10 with Uber.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Uber is great. All that I've met are courteous, clean cars etc. vs often smelly cabs who are often talking/yelling in some foreign language in their earphone.

Originally Posted by Ryan S

I don't take taxis very often, but when I do take taxis in London it is always Uber. Black cabs in this city are basically commiting daylight robbery. I was charged £38 in a black cab for a journey that cost less than £10 with Uber.

It's fun to see a historically bad service like cab rides be hugely damaged by a newer and better alternative,

One potential downside is increased car usage in cities. I know NYC is concerned about that. Uber is more preferable than the subways a lot of times, especially on nights and weekends when subway service can be more sporadic.

[CU Tiger]

The other thing is (and I love Uber and use it regularly) a friend had the unbelievably bad luck to be involved in an accident while riding in an Uber ride. He was fine but we got to thinking and looking and it looks like had that have been either of us driving he would not have been covered by insurance in SC because we dont have "for fee" coverage...

Not sure if Uber adds in coverage here or not, and granted its a pretty rare sequence of events, but food for thought.

[Groundhog]

There's been some issues with Uber rolling out in Australia. Our government - in coordination with the major Taxi companies - performed a review and declared that Uber drivers must pay GST, which would push Uber fares up. Uber is currently fighting that.

Nothing like in Paris and Colombia, where Uber cars (sometimes with passengers inside) are in some cases actually being attacked by taxi drivers.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I still love it. Wondering if they are used in the suburbs much or if it's mainly just a city thing?

It's really hit or miss, even in a place like Northampton/Amherst (a.k.a. UMass), which could definitely use something like that to curb drunk driving. It's supply and demand, so if a couple drivers take that night off you could be waiting well over an hour, and it's hit or miss for drivers as well because fewer people use it so the lack of consistent money probably leads fewer people to drive for Uber. So in Boston etc we literally only use Uber and know one will show up within 15 minutes, but other places we don't rely on it. ~Half the time we try using it we just end up canceling it because the wait time is too long and you're planning around the Uber instead of it making life simpler.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by molson

It's fun to see a historically bad service like cab rides be hugely damaged by a newer and better alternative,

One potential downside is increased car usage in cities. I know NYC is concerned about that. Uber is more preferable than the subways a lot of times, especially on nights and weekends when subway service can be more sporadic.

"NYC is concerned" because the taxi industry is deep in De Blasio's pocket. Congestion in midtown has been a major issue for years (duh) and despite a small effort to introduce congestion price taxes under Bloomberg that never got voted on, we haven't heard much about congestion issues until Uber came around and taxi medallion values started plunging.

[GrantDawg]

Just started driving Lyft as I side gig. Necro this old thread to see how many are doing the rideshare and which services. Also, any strategies on making money. I have driven a couple of hours a day for the last week, and I am not exactly racking in cash. I looks like the demand is really mostly late night, which is hard on me.

[GrantDawg]

and for old times sake, dola:


Too many names I miss in this thread.

[stevew]

HMU anytime you have a question. FB messenger works well

[Edward64]

Still using Uber primarily. Know about Lyft but pretty comfortable with Uber. With Uber tips are voluntary after I get out and "rate" the driver.

TBH, I've not given tips but what I do remember are the early Uber drivers that offered water bottles, USB plug-ins, business cards etc. Uber drivers don't do that now.

Maybe go for the "tips" strategy. Increase chance for tips with "exceptional" service which includes the small stuff and also conversation if/when they want it such as restaurants, bars, pick-up places (wink-wink) etc.

[stevew]

Yeah and for starters the rate table in your region is really bad. It's going to be very hard to make any kind of money at those rates.

You would want to make sure that you are you using the rider app to see where other drivers are. If you're in a cluster you won't get pings. Why only Lyft? Uber surges way more. I don't know if they have door Dash in your area but you will probably make more on door Dash than you do on regular priced Lyft runs.

For next week I would look and see what everyone from UGA leaves and I would attempt do airport trips with the destination mode. Point it at the nearest major airport.

How many seats does your car have

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

and for old times sake, dola:

Too many names I miss in this thread.

Yeah, agree.

Mods - maybe you can send a mass mailing and let them know "we miss them". We can start a thread on "what have you been up to".

[stevew]

Yeah you're not going to get very many tips. People are cheap and the vast majority of Lyft customers from my experience are just going to work and home

[stevew]

Generically I would just look and see what the Facebook groups for your region are for drivers and I would just join one of those and read as much as possible

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by stevew

Yeah and for starters the rate table in your region is really bad. It's going to be very hard to make any kind of money at those rates.

You would want to make sure that you are you using the rider app to see where other drivers are. If you're in a cluster you won't get pings. Why only Lyft? Uber surges way more. I don't know if they have door Dash in your area but you will probably make more on door Dash than you do on regular priced Lyft runs.

For next week I would look and see what everyone from UGA leaves and I would attempt do airport trips with the destination mode. Point it at the nearest major airport.

How many seats does your car have

I can take 4 riders. It's a Nissan Sentra, though I have been thinking about trading my wife for her Camry. I am thinking about Door Dash, but I just signed up for Grubhub which is the only service running close to me. I imagine with Dine Dash making the deal with Chick-fil-a that might change soon.
As for why Lyft? 1) I am trying to get as many rides as I can to get the $500 bonus, so I'm concentrating on getting that bonus right now. 2) I had signed up and got approved for Uber last year, but never drove. When I decided I was really going to go for it, I had to redo all my documents for them. They took everything ok, but they still haven't approved me the second time. Tried calling the help desk, and they were less than helpful. *shrug*

[stevew]

I drive for Uber/Lyft/DoorDash/UberEats/GrubHub/Roadie.

[Butter]

People don't tip on Uber / Lyft? I just tip like it was a cab ride, usually 20%. Maybe I'm more generous than most, I didn't think so though. I just took a bunch around in Boston though.

[stevew]

You have different types of customers. Business travelers generally tip. Old white guys(like us) tip. But like the vast majority of people don’t have cars, you’re just a weekly $$$ nuisance to them. Drunk people sometimes tip exceptionally well. As for tips I’m ecstatic to get $2 on a short ride.

[jeff061]

Just started a new job and was given access to an Uber and Lyft business account, which basically allows me to hail a ride and the cost goes direct to my company. Haven't used yet, but nice perk to have.

[molson]

I love some of the little improvements that have come along. Especially in-app tipping, and what they've done to make uber and lyft drivers easier to find. In busier metro areas I've seen little video boards on top of the car with my name on it when my driver gets there. And more big venues are setting up dedicated pick-up spots. And it seems like all of the airports are in now. Gone are the days that I flew into Boston and had to either walk to a park across the street or leech a shuttle bus ride to a hotel to get an uber ride.

[Izulde]

I tip a buck every ride, 2 if it's exceptional service, but I also use Lyft pretty much every day, at least 2 rides (to/from work and then going places on the weekend).

Shit gets expensive. Going to have to learn how to drive at some point to cut costs.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by stevew

I drive for Uber/Lyft/DoorDash/UberEats/GrubHub/Roadie.

Do you drive full time? Or is this still a side-hustle?

[stevew]

All the time. I wish I could just side hustle but surrendering 40hrs to a job for like $350 after taxes is dumb when I can avg between 15-25$/hour doing this.

[Marc Vaughan]

I use Uber to go out socially a fair bit so I can drink without issue, I always try and tip a few bucks because I appreciate the service

(so far never had an issue using Uber - I get $15 in trips free each month through my credit card so its really cost effective for me)

[Edward64]

Find your Uber breakdown. Didn't know this existed

Zoom In Icon

Here’s how to find your score:

• Open the Uber app on your phone.
• Choose Account on the bottom right.
• Select Settings.
• Tap Privacy.
• Choose Privacy Center.
• Select See Summary.
• Now click View my ratings

.

4.89

5 stars - 275
4 stars - 8
3 stars - 3
2 stars - 2
1 stars - 3

[Ksyrup]

I use Lyft but it's almost exclusively when on vacation or work trips. No need for these types of services at home. I use Lyft because I get Lyft Pink and 10x points with my Chase card plus 2x miles from Delta for the same ride.