RIDEGURU
Angela Taylor (RedANT)
Ride Scholar from Seattle
1072 Rider DriverActivity
Posts by RedANT
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The Uber driver app in the Google Play store has a rating of 4.4/5 stars. I posted a comment/rating on Google Play:
Me: "If drivers have a 4.4/5 star rating, Uber calls us failures and deactivates us. Why is this rating acceptable or different?"
Uber: "Hi RedANT. This doesn't sound right. We want to take a closer look into this for you. Please send a quick note to t.uber.con/drivercontact so we can connect."
(Needless to say, I did NOT contact them with my real information)
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Old system:
$25 trip @ 2x surge = Passenger pays $50 (driver made approx 65% of the total = $32.50, and Uber/Lyft made approx 35% of the total = $17.50)
New system:
$25 trip @ 2x surge = Passenger still pays $50 (Driver makes 65% of $25 = $16.25 + a $2.50 fixed "surge" = $18.75 earned by driver. Uber/Lyft collect the balance of $50 - $18.75 paid to driver = $31.25 = approx 63%) Driver pays for 100% of their car payment, insurance, gas, and maintenance. Uber/Lyft does nothing but change policies and adjust app settings to increase their share. Passengers get fleeced.* Please note that all numbers are approximate, and will vary greatly depending on the area you're in.
** Driver pay was previously paid based on a per minute rate + mileage rate + surge multiplier.
Pay is now based on a per minute rate + mileage rate + a flat surge fee that is a fraction of the former multiplier payout. This change effectively increases Uber and Lyfts share of the fares significantly, taking money out of driver pockets and increasing company revenue. Regardless, I'd bet that Uber and Lyft will still post huge Q1 losses as they head into their respective IPOs.
This is why drivers are pissed. (And rightfully so)
The "FU" part is an acronym combined with the name of Uber.
Yeah, and you see how well that's working for ya, right?
If cabbies are losing money and can't make ends meet, they need to either adapt or find alternate ways to support themselves. What part of that do you find so offensive? OMFG I though New Yorkers were stronger than that.
Sincerely,
"the asshole"
With Uber and Lyft there is no phone number to call to arrange a ride. You need to download and install their app, then order each ride individually 15-20 minutes before its needed.
As far as driver assistance, nothing is guaranteed, and some/many of us cannot/will not provide assistance getting in or out of the car due to liability issues. (I walk with either a cane or walker myself, and trying to help you get in or out of the car could place us both in danger) If you really need help with mobility issues, I'm sure there are senior transportation options that can be arranged through MRMC or other local hospital that are trained to accommodate any mobility issues you may face.
Why are so many Uber passengers rude and simply assholes? With a rating system, I'd like to think they know better.
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See how that works? Maybe it's not the Uber driver...
(No offense. Coming from the heart)
You're not going to see any rideshare drivers scoff at that statement, because we all want fewer drivers on the road. Uber and Lyft, on the otherhand, rely on oversaturation with drivers to "increase market share," force down costs and to try to attract the cheapskates that think Uber rates should be lower than bus fare.
OMG... 2058? In 2058 I'll hit 100 years old and most probably won't be around to renew my license.![frown]()
Cancel the ride and contact Uber to reverse any charges. The driver should be notified and take appropriate action at that point.
I've been temporarily deactivated after being accused of "driving impaired." Unfortunately Uber doesn't care and took several days to "investigate," which in my case cost me about $800. (1 week Uber earnings) Once reactivated I also demanded that my accuser be banned from the Uber platform for making false claims. False claims need to be dealt with severely, because for some people, it can mean teh difference between supporting their families and/or becoming homeless.
Unfortunately riders just don't care as long as they get a free ride out of it.
I generally drive 22-26 hrs per week, from early April through mid November. (Early morning - mid morning, M-F)
While this is now my "primary occupation," I'm also a retired military officer, retired financal advisor, and I own several rental properties across the nation which keep me busy during "off" hours.
Key to safe driving is knowing the streets and neighborhoods in your area, knowing when to say "screw you, I'm not taking that chance," and knowing how to handle yourself in emergencies. Can someone assault me? They can try, but I guarantee that they're not going to forget the ass whoopin' they're going to get in the process.
A good dashcam is essential, as is adequately notifying all pasengers that they're being recorded. (I just don't tell em that it's not just the dashcam, but also the 10" tablet that I use for navigation, and the 7" tablet on the back of the passenger headrest that all run in tandem)
It depends on where you're located. In my market, approx 20-25% of us are women.
If you're "driving rideshare" to scam $5 ride cancellations,
seriously... YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.
Unfortunately the only people who think this happens frequently are the passengers who think we're all scam artists and who have never spent a day driving in our shoes.
Why would they? Most Uber drivers also drive for Lyft, so in essence the chances are high that you'd be spending money to recruit your own people.
That being said, if I picked up an Uber ride and found out that the person was there only to steal me to Lyft, I'd end the ride and leave them at the curb. I may not be a model driver, but I have ethical standards and can't be bought. Wrong is wrong regardless of how you try to justify it.
In that case, Uber should pay their drivers a fair wage so that this isn't an issue. Passengers always complain about their bottom line, but dare not ever do anything to stop Ubers unethical practices. Want awesome service? Demand Uber pay their drivers to provide it. (And not at the drivers expense)
Just my opinion, but forcing a driver to take you somewhere that costs them money doesn't seem very fair either, does it? A driver will eventually accept your request, it just may take a bit of patience and time.
Would you spend your afternoon driving someone to an undesireable location, paying for gas, losing money and not spending time with your family, and all for someone that most likely wouldn't even tip you for your time or efforts? Yeah, neither would we.
If the driver never arrived at the designated pickup location, then the trip was never started and the driver wouldn't be entitled to a no-show fee.
When you spoke with the driver, did he ask your destination? What is your passenger rating? Have you ridden with him in the past? All can potentially lead to what he did, even if not allowed.
(FWIW, the driver can always cancel the trip from when it's accepted until you're dropped off at your destination)
Totally skewed numbers by a bunch of college student (many of whom are also disgruntled Uber/Lyft drivers) who were trying to generate sympathy for their cause. I'm not saying that rideshare pays well, because in most areas it's not sufficient to support a family, but in some cities, driven by knowledgeable drivers, during carefully computed hours, driven in more fuel efficient cars, by drivers with low insurance rates, and calculating actual numbers vs. base prices for maintenance and high interest rate car payments, the numbers aren't as horrible as people are led to believe.
Can I survive on Uber wages? If I chose to drive full time I could absolutely survive, but I rarely work more than 5 days/25 hrs a week, so my gross wages are only around $4k per month.
63% of Lyft business travelers tip? I'd guess closer to 50%, but my numbers may be skewed by local cheapskates heading to the airport too. (Still better than Uber riders, though) 2% seems a bit low for overall tipping, since I get tipped by Lyft riders an average of 30% of the time, and Uber riders ~15% of the time. (I do NOT pickup any shared rides... EVER)
Considering that Uber is (was?) banned in Italy, you may want to start searching for alternate transportation like bus, train or taxi.
Good luck
Yeah tipping causes uncertainty, not much different from surge pricing, etc. All prices are dynamic, and while surge can increase your ride price by $20 or more, tips are only a fraction of that cost. If you're too damn broke that a buck or two will break you, you probably need to look into catching a bus or walking.
Does tipping shift ride access? If peoples decision to call for an Uber was influenced by tipping that argument could be made, however 90%+ of riders don't even care if their driver end up penniless as long as they get to their destination and have enough to buy their morning coffee. (plus tip for the barista)
Is tipping fair if it doesn't improve service? The question I'd ask is is it fair to not pay your driver fairly? If you want to make it cheaper for riders, please just don't follow the general Uber practice of shifting the cost for your drivers to absorb.
The fix for Uber isn't too hard...
Require ALL employees, including executives, board members and customer service personnel, to drive a minimum of one 8 hour shift per week. (or minimum of 30 trips, including at least two hrs during rush) Only then will they understand what it means to sit in our seats, and maybe gain come compassion for the harships caused by their bullshit policies.
Want to fix driver issues? Give us access to live 24/7/365 driver assistance, and ALLOW US TO RATE THEM with the same bullshit 5 star system. It's the only way customer service will quit screwing us whiel kissing customer ass. (Semi annual driver ratings of executives would also work magnificently)
Alternately, tie all executive compensation to average driver earnings and/or retention numbers. Make drivers a priority for them rather than us just being viewed as disposable pawns.