RIDEGURU
Angela Taylor (RedANT)
Ride Scholar from Seattle
1072 Rider DriverActivity
Posts by RedANT
No posts found.Featured Answers by RedANT
-
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)
-
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)
I'd have reminded her that her terroristic threat was recorded by my dashcam in 1080p, and that I WILL turn over such evidence to both Uber and the local police.
What bothers me is Ubers recent advertising propaganda that implies that riders need emergency panic buttons and the ability to (racially) profile drivers because we're obviously all criminals. What does that say about Ubers screening, and when will our safety be taken as seriously?
The 20 hrs is what I worked Monday thru Wednesday. ("In total this week, M-Th (Took today off and I don't work weekends) I worked 17.4 hrs with Uber, and 8.5 hrs with Lyft. TOTAL: 25.9 hrs I made $590.28 with Uber and $253.59 with Lyft.
$843.87 in 25.9 hrs = $32.58 /hr GROSS, with 842 miles driven If I had driven today, my weekly mileage would probably have been close to 1k, which averages to an oil change a month and 1 set of tires per year.
Am I getting rich from driving? Nope. (I make much, much more off retirement pensions, investments and rental properties) An extra $3,000 to $4,000 doesn't hurt, though, and it paid for my recent 3 week national parks cross country tour and for my upcoming vacation to Europe.
"Monthly" = approx every 4k miles, which is the recommendation by the car manufacturer. I do the dealership specials so that all of the maintenance is on record for warranty purposes.
Why would you spend money on over priced car rentals? Purchase an inexpensive vehicle that meets the minimum car requirements in your area. In many places I'd suspect you can make enough in one or two days to pay your monthly car payments. (My 2016 Altima Uber car costs me $252 /mo, which I can almost always do in one 8 hr shift per month)
When a passenger sits in the back seat I have a sign on the seat back with all car "rules," with the first being, "Please use seatbelts as required under XXXXXXXX." (XXXXX = your local seatbelt ordinance) I did my part in asking compliance with the law.
I do not, however, require that passengers wear them unless they're in the front passenger seat.
We lived for decades without worrying about backseat passengers wearing seatbelts and the world is still spinning. Requiring them now is nothing more than nanny state, politically correct BS.
USAA
Under $300 /mo for comprehensive/$500 deductible and rideshare rider for
2017 Nissan Sentra
2016 Nissan Altima
2015 BMW 535i
2015 Lexus RX350
In my stated calculations, I neglected to add maintenance and upkeep, although I consider those to be minor expenses. I subscribe to the service department email specials from (5) local Nissan dealerships, and generally have maintenance done once a month for ~$50 special. (Full synthetic + tire rotation + 100 pt inspection earlier this week was $57) Four new tires cost me $425 and are warrantied for 50k miles. (If you're a Costco member, get a price quote for tires, then have Firestone match it at 200% of the difference. The savings will pay for your annual Costco membership fees)
$425 per year for tires and $600 for oil and tire rotation is ~$1k per year, fairly in line with what I paid for service even before I drove for Uber and Lyft. All things considered, in my case one can either put aside $20 a week for maintenance, of do as I do and establish credit card accounts for my business and charge/pay for items as required. (I also use GasBuddy with my connected business debit card, with points credited to my ShopYourWay Uber account for free stuff)
Driving in NYC can be a vastly different experience from what most drivers experience in other cities. I pay $50 for my business license, I get unlimited car washes for $36 /mo, the rideshare insurance rider from my insurance company is $20 /mo, and I avoid cops/tickets. (My last ticket was in 1987)
I don't make as much as I did before retirement, but I make enough to comfortably supplement my income and fund several vacation trips per year. YMMV.
Profitability varies greatly depending on the city in which you drive, the time(s) that you drive, the drivers ability to manage their time, their actual expenses, and many, many, many other variables.
Do we make huge amounts of cash? No. Uber/Lyft do, however, afford many of us (I'm twice retired) the opportunity to get out of the house and interact with others.
How much do I make?
* This week (Mon-Wed) I worked 13.4 hrs with Uber, and 7.2 hrs with Lyft. (20.6 hrs)
* I made $437 with Uber, and $190 with Lyft. ($627)
* My expenses: $65 for gas. $75 to savings ($25 /day for replacement $12k vehicle every two years)
$627 - $140 = $487 net /20.6 hrs = $23.64 /hr after expenses.
Driving for Uber/Lyft is far from being a high paying job, but for me it's fine as a side gig after retirement.
You got off easy with a $100 fee. If it were me, I'd have locked the windows in the "up position," locked all doors, then gassed you back until you turned green. (plus grab the $100 fee)
Why do people always think that because we drive for Uber we're not entitled to the least bit of common courtesy and respect?
My point is that we're paid for transportation, not to provide a cheap meal/snacks for ingrateful passengers.
Does it increase tips? NO. What it does is create more work for the driver and causes passengers to expect freebies (while not tipping) to be "acceptable."
The only things I ever got from providing snacks was crumbs in the back seat, trash stashed in every crevice imaginable, water bottles with half a sip drank from it, and complaints/rating hits from the next passenger due to a "dirty car." No thanks. (When I stopped the freebies, my rating rose from 4.92 to 4.96. Go figure.)
I only take bona fide service dogs. "Is that a service animal?" "What is it trained to do?"
I'll take real service dogs. All others are cancelled.
GET THEIR ANSWERS ON YOUR IN-CABIN CAM TO C.Y.A.
I offer one amenity...
A quick, safe ride to the destination of their choice. Passengers aren't paying me for water or candy, they're paying me for TRANSPORTATION. I do the job they pay me for.