Smitten Kitten (SmittenKitten)

Ride Scholar from Washington DC

2098 Rider

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     6 years ago in  Do Uber and Lyft drivers mind picking up another passenger if it means they have to wait 5 to 10 minutes?

    As I read these responses, I think the answer depends on a few things:

    a) How busy the night is.  Yes, drivers do make money while driving and when the vehicle is moving.  So, if it's a busy night, they'd rather be doing that.  Some are saying, "it's better than making $0.00", but that logic only works if there aren't other passengers out there.

    b) Whether the driver drives an UberX, UberXL, UberBlack, or UberSUV.  The per minute fee is quite different between these services.  In Boston, UberX makes $0.21/minute ($12.6/hr), UberXL $0.35/minute ($21/hr), UberBlack $0.45/minute ($27/hr), and UberSUV $0.50/minute ($30/hr).  UberX drivers would be at a disadvantage and perhaps be grumpy, but UberSUV guys probably don't mind nearly as much.

    c) Location probably matters.  The per minute fee is also different from city to city.  For example, Boston UberX drivers get paid $0.21/minute but those in San Diego make $0.15/minute.  That's a big difference.  You may argue that there is a cost of living adjustment, but $0.15/minute is $9 per hour before Uber takes its cut. 

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     6 years ago in  Uber's Stance on Tipping? - The evolution over the years. Language has Softened

    Here's the driver edition:

    Before:

    After:

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     6 years ago in  What does the tipping screen look like in the Uber app?

    Here you go.  two screens  You first are prompted to leave a review, and then upon doing so, the tipping page opens.

    BTW, there used to be a "$0" option and someone told me there used to be a "No tip" option too.  It looks like they updated that though.  Perhaps the drivers didn't like it.

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     6 years ago in  This Time It’s Uber on the Defensive in Battle With New York [NY Times]

    The fact remains that Uber is in bed with all the law makers in NYC, so I doubt anything too negative will happen to Uber.  Any measures that will be put into place will likely benefit Uber as they do have influence over this decision.

    For all we know, this "change" was proposed by Uber.  They too knew the sharp rise of rideshares would become a problem.

    For example, thy will 

    • Limit the number of rideshares to exactly the # Uber wants on the road, after they carefully analyze the demand.
    • Put some rules or emasures in place to "limit" the number of competitor driver apps in NYC, say make it more difficult to drive for multiple.
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     6 years ago in  How is Uber fighting back against Cleaning Fees Scams?

    Uber and Lyft both analyze the photo you submit, by putting them through an automated scan.  They supposedly check for various properties of the photo to look for inconsistencies and associate a credibility score to it.  They check for information such as when the photo was taken, what camera was used, etc. (more on that later)

    Before you ask what exactly Uber checks (which no one except Uber knows), let me interest you on something you probably didn't know.

    Your images that you take on your smartphones or digita cameras store various properties in its metadata.  There are many fields that you probably didn't know you were sharing when you send your files around.

    Are you scared yet?

    Yeah, you should be scared because this applies to any photo you share with anyone. (but since this is a ridesahre forum, I should stick to what Uber cares about.)

    I was going to post a full list of metadata properties that you can identify, but that's a pretty lengthy list.  I will pickup a few things below:

    - Timestamp

    - Date Created/Date Modified (If different, the image was "editted")

    - GPS Location, such as lat/long and even altitude.

    - What camera or smartphone was used

    - Flash on/off

    - Exposure

    - Camera Lens

    - Resolution, etc.

    So how do they verify?

    Since I don't work for Uber, I don't know exactly what they check.  However, if I were one of their engineers, and I had to catch crooks, I would look for the following:

    - Was the photo taken on a different day then when the rider occured?

    - Was the photo ever modified or editted?

    - Was the photo taken on a different smartphone than the one driver uses? If so, why?

    - Does the photo match up with any other photos submitted by other passengers?

    - Does the photo match up with the car that the driver drives?

    Why so secretive about this process?

    Well, it's because none of these things will *prove* that the photo is not authentic or that the incident didn't happen.  If the file was modified or if the pic was taken by a different camera than the smartphone the driver conveniently had in his hand, you would start to doubt the authenticity.

    This is why Uber won't tell you exactly why you are being denied the cleaning fees or that you don't have credibility.  

    I hope I have adequatey answers how Uber *must* be fighting back against this cleaning fees fraud.  They do it because they can, and it isn't that hard.

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     6 years ago in  Arriving at Vancouver International Airport midday Sept. 8. Rental car site approx. 20 min. ride away. Is there any option other than taxi in Vancouver?

    Vancouver doesn't have Uber or Lyft yet.   There's a feud over this.  Here's an article from June.

    'Unfathomable': Vancouver tourism industry lashes out against absence of Uber

    Excerpt

    "Members of British Columbia's tourism industry are speaking out against the BC NDP for failing to deliver on a promise to bring app-based ride-hailing services to the province in time for this year's travel season.

    "People come and go, 'OK, can I have my Lyft or my Uber?' and then turn on their app and there's no cars," said Ian Tostenson, a spokesperson for Ridesharing Now. The coalition is aimed at lobbying the provincial government to create a framework that would allow companies such as Uber and Lyft to operate alongside the taxi industry.

    Before forming government last summer, the BC NDP promised it would pass legislation regulating app-based ride-hailing services in the province before the end of 2017.

    But halfway through 2018, that still hasn't happened.

    "It's just unbelievable," said Harbour Air executive vice-president Chad Wetsch. "Like, you're counting on it to get these people to their final destinations and we just can't do anything about it."

    Wetsch said the inconvenience caused by the province's lack of ride-hailing services is damaging the reputation of the rest of the tourism industry.

    "It's awful when we get a two-star Trip Advisor (review) because someone has had to wait for a taxi," he said."

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     6 years ago in  What are the best passenger pickup locations during less busy times?

    Where to wait during downtimes is something every driver needs to eventually figure out for each local market.  This is a sign of you beoming a veteran driver!  It's the rite of passage. :)

    So, basically the question is where to wait during those slow times like mid-mornings and mid-afternoons.  You have to think about how society works and who your target should be doing those times.  Working people are at work, and students are at school.  So who is out?

    • Seniors and retirees
    • Housewives or caregivers
    • Tourists
    • People who aren't working, running errands, going to doctors', etc.

    So, What destinations are popular during the days.  They are very different from busier times.  so, try these places.

    • Hospitals
    • Grocery stores
    • Strip malls, car dealerships, etc. (every town/city has these roads)
    • Senior centers

    Notice that downtown business districts and transportation hubs are relatively empty during the day.  So, make sure to try out all these locations, and see if you have a better ping rate!  Good luck!

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     6 years ago in  Man gets life plus 60 years for posing as Uber driver, raping 2 women

    Here's a good articlef for the riders.  It's tips on how to identify and finding your driver. 

    https://ride.guru/lounge/p/how-do-i-know-if-the-uber-driver-is-who-he-says-he-is

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