Tony Almeida (TonyAlmeida)
Ride Apprentice from Los Angeles, CA
Work for cyber security company
1149 RiderActivity
Posts by TonyAlmeida
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Lyft’s algorithm is trying to block people with names like ‘Dick,’ ‘Finger,’ and ‘Cummings’
Hahaha, did you guys this see this?https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/19/21030601/lyft-algorithm-block-names-inappropriate-obscene -
RIP Juno - End of the Road
Buh, bye.Anything to do with the law changes in NYC? They were focusing on the corporate transports, so I … -
Uber Eats says acquisitions aren’t in its near future
Uber eats is trying to grow organically instead of growing through acquisition Uber Eats doesn’t plan on eating its competition … -
14 women sue Lyft for allegedly mishandling sexual assault and rape reports
Do we need to reengage on a "is rideshare safe" discussion again or is this the nature of the type … -
Uber fares are cheap, thanks to venture capital. But is that free ride ending? [LA Times]
This article explains it so simply and sums up what the public has been assuming all along. Heavily leveraged finances, … -
Scooter Bubble is Already Popping? Silicon Valley’s Mobility Revolution
'I'm Back to Riding My Own Bike.' Higher Prices Threaten Silicon Valley’s Mobility RevolutionBut in June, JUMP, which is … -
Uber and Lyft suggest the days of cheap rides could be over [Wired]
Gasp! ...but not a surprise. We knew this day would come. It was just about when.THE DAYS OF cheap … -
A 12-Year-Old Died After Taking An Uber Alone. Drivers Say They Can’t Afford To Reject Kids. [BuzzFeed]
It's difficult enough to be asking the awkward question of asking for IDs and potentially saying no (and sometimes getting … -
Female drivers for Uber and Lyft say sexual harassment is the norm — and getting help from the companies isn't easy [Business Insider]
Female drivers, would you like to comment?Female drivers for Uber and Lyft say lewd comments from passengers happen regularly. … -
More Seniors Becoming Uber, Lyft Drivers In Retirement
Shows off the power of flexible on-demand workforce. Gig-economy at its best. Mitchell is part of a growing number of … -
Uber, Lyft: Gig economy employees are facing a heightened retirement crisis
Americans are increasingly falling behind on their retirement savings, and it could be even worse for the millions working in … -
How does Uber/Lyft scam passengers? Ideas on their tactics to set higher fares and surges. Share your suspicions, angry riders!
Uber has a reputation for hiding how they calculate their exact fares and determining how the surges are determined. While … -
Is DoorDash really worth 9X as much as it was worth a year ago?
The hype is strong with this food delivery industry. DoorDash is raising $535 million from SoftBank and others at a … -
Lyft short selling builds after Uber files IPO paperwork
I assume this is bad?Shares of Lyft Inc. fell in Friday trading amid active short selling after rival Uber … -
Uber lawsuit: Three women sue after saying they were raped by fake drivers - The Washington Post
It feels like we hear about this on a daily basis now:The woman just wanted to get home safely. … -
Uber Is Said to Aim for I.P.O. Valuation of Up to $100 Billion - The New York Times
I know. It's been expected...but man, $100B.“It’s the Lyft effect,” said Kathleen Smith, a principal at Renaissance Capital who … -
Think you know how to Uber and Lyft? Make sure you're aware of these safety tips
Reminding everyone to be safe when taking your Uber and Lyft. Check out these safety tips.Wait for your ride … -
Uber’s self-driving car unit was burning $20 million a month
Uber’s self-driving car unit was burning $20 million a monthUber thought it would have 75,000 autonomous vehicles on the … -
Lyft Founders Conspire to Take Control of $7.5 Billion Uber Competitor | CCN
Is this shady? I can't tell."The founders of Lyft, John Zimmer and Logan Green, are working on a plan … -
Uber Lawsuit Verdict: Drivers Are Contractors, Not Employees
I am realizing how many drivers missed this news in September where a US judge determined that Uber drivers are …
Featured Answers by TonyAlmeida
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I am a rider. I try to tip 15 to 20%, like I used to with taxis.
I also try to keep in mind to tip more for shorter trips because drivers get screwed on those. I know that's a bit counterintuitive because we pay the most on those short trips due to the booking fee, but the majority of that goes to Uber.
If it's a real short trip, just walk. That's my opinion.
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You can put the same mechanisms in place that prevents drivers from cheating. Jsut like driving a passenger.
From which point? Interesting question. I feel like Uber can build a logic around it. Like, the app would ask right after anothe fare, "Samantha is asking for her phone at location ABC. Would you like to drive there now?"
Then if you say, "no", it'll ask you later.
At which point you accept that, that's when the ride starts, and Samantha also gets a notification on her Uber app.
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"When I talked to the drivers, they described how Uber kept fares in a perfectly engineered sweet spot: just high enough for them to justify driving, but just low enough that not much more than their gas and maintenance expenses were covered."
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"...manipulate bonuses so that drivers could be “tricked” into working longer hours. Laughing, they compared the drivers to animals: “You need to dangle the carrot right in front of their face.”
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Not that I have heard of. I think this business concept is still being proven out by businesses and enterpreneurs, and it will be a while before it gets rolled out to cities outside of the test markets. (e.g. San Francisco, Chicago, LA, Boston, etc.)
I feel as though there is definitely need and demand, but I feel there are lots of hurdles in making it successful.
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I did the same exact plan in LA in 2016 before I purchased a car for UberX. I assume what you are considering is similar. It was like $210 a week for rental but they waive that if you reach 75 trips within a week. I remember it including mileage, standard maintenance, liability coverge, etc.
My advice? I don't know the deal now in Seattle, but make sure to look at the fineprints. There are clauses like:
- You have to maintain a 90% (?) acceptance rate. (I don't know if you do.) This can be tough, if you want to cherry pick your rids. Sometimes, depending on circumstances and the way you want to drive, it can be difficult. I am sure you will meet it, but it will take away a bit of freedom on how you will run your Uber-driving business. Just remember that.
- Hidden Fees: You have to put down a big deposit, and I believe they still charge fees and taxes, and they don't waive those. I remember having a bill even after completing 75 rides.
- Make sure liability insurance is included. Even if it is, remember that it's the bare minimum insurance Uber requires. (It basically only covers when you are driving passengers. If you are driving around looking for a fare, you won't be.) If you are driving 75 rides a week, I strongly suggest getting a rideshare insurance and comprehensive for your own car damage. ..and yes, that is yet additional expense.
Zero privacy should be given to child porn collectors.
Actually this is true, isn’t it? Some kind of US law? There is someone at Google reviewing every photo on Google Photos and Google Drive, right?
I think this is 10 months too late, but Uber now officially offers hourly services. Check out this post.
https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/the-best-times-and-places-to-drive-for-uber-make-more-money-per-hour
It’s partially the condition created by Uber and how they make it possible that drivers lose money on certain trips. This causes frustrations among the drivers.
The drivers do not have much voice against Uber so we are at a sad point where the only “voice” they have is ratings and trying to influence the consumer behavior.
Whether it’s right or not and whether it’s effective or not, that’s all they can do. Super sad. Check out another thread about how drivers are going back in their logs and downvoting anyone who tipped too little.
https://ride.guru/lounge/p/lyft-drivers-can-rate-passengers-later-thats-a-horrible-idea
Does this really stop criminals who have intent to harm others.
Does this fall into the category of something that only hinders innocent people and does nothing to stop criminals.
I smell lawsuit all over that though. Safr got suited big time for trying to only hire female drivers. I suppose hiring is different than an algo that matches existing females up...
Can someone smarter than I comment? :)
No, I don't think Uber caps the age. I do not see that under the Uber driver requirements.
Uber and Lyft Driver Requirements 2019 - RideGuru
I'd assume they just stick to each state's determination of being a licensed driver. If you have a driver's license and have a semi-clear driving record, you are good.
Welcome to the forum, buddy!
Yeah, I saw this everywhere as well.
Lyft already verified that the driver had properly dropped her off at the specified location (specified by the passenger). Continued to make regular drops.
I mean, that's a darn good alibi and all the GPS evidence to prove it.
People are missing the point. I was trying to post this as a heartwarming and beneficial side of rideshare and gig-economy. Oh, man.
Uber jacks up the price when your phone is low on battery (and desperate)
https://ride.guru/lounge/p/riders-are-more-likely-to-take-an-uber-when-its-surging-21-times-than-20
Uber makes the surge multipliers with decimals for the sole reason that people are more willing to accept it. Riders are more likely to take an Uber when it's surging 2.1 times than 2.0.
Another crazy tactic taken by Uber.
If they do this, I don't know what else they do to artificially kick up the fares. I just created a thread to share some of the suspicions we have on how Uber does this.
https://ride.guru/lounge/p/ubers-tactics-to-set-higher-fares-and-surges-share-your-suspicions-angry-riders
It's all part of the plan of the Wall Street - rich people. Confuse the less educated and use them to their advantage. This has happened over and over again in history, and this is no exception.
The pay has no transparency, and to make matters worse, our tax system doesn't make the calculation any easier.
Of course, next up is the consumers - people who are taking and riding Ubers. They will also feel the pain. The quality of the service goes down, the price goes up, and all the money gets funneled to the riches.
This will continue until the people rise up, government slowly puts measures in place to protect the people. Then the riches go on to something else where they can do the same.
Repeat and rinse.
Yeah, this author has no idea what modern "gig economy" is all about. It isn't the same thing "women" have been doing all these years.
For example, the current gig economy is
It isn't the same as BABY SITTING, STUFFING ENVELOPES, CLEANING HOUSES
The video is actually worth a look. Asks some good questions about how they are not profitable and there are no guarantee. Also how Uber 3x as big will also flood the market very soon.
Volatility is high.
Recode is in bed with all the investors, so they are pitching to people to buy stuff. It's actually fake news.
Here's what I found on Recode that links to the same article. It's an age-old tactic to get the hype up for an IPO, so suckers would jump in
Uber and Lyft are dominant here. Lots of private drivers and smaller challenger rideshares
Here’s one from last fall FlexLA
https://www.adweek.com/agencies/with-6-rides-l-a-rideshare-program-helps-under-served/
Right, it's all about whether you actually want to invest in them or not.
Will Lyft and Uber be able to beat the rest of the market? Are they the fast growing tech companies that will see double digit gains? who knows?
If you ask me, probably not. When buying stock, always think the growth potential.
If you are speaking of the O'Connor v. Uber case, the judges have ruled in favor of Uber, where drivers were deemed as contractors rather than employees.
Remember that these decisions are a state-level discussion so how these decisions affect will depend on where you reside. Also, it's worth noting that there will always be appeals and different cases around this topic, so it will be very fluid for a while.
I would be careful about jumping into these law firms' discussions. I don't think there are any harm in speaking to them, but make sure to do your own due diligence, especially if they are looking for a cut of the settlement. Often, you are entitled to a settlement directly from Uber.
There may be an overlap with this one. It's a good thread.
https://ride.guru/lounge/p/as-a-driver-have-you-kicked-out-a-passenger-ended-a-ride-early-mid-trip