RIDEGURU
Wes Kretzer (Wes)
Ride Apprentice from Aurora, OH
Weekend Uber Warrior
1602 Rider DriverWeekend Uber Warrior, experience with lighting and lighting fixtures/applications, Southern Gospel Music.
Activity
Posts by Wes
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Corona Precautions
Just wondering, if you're a driver that's willing to take the chance during these difficult times and continuing to driver, … -
Are you taking any safety precautions during this Pandemic while driving?
Personaly i haven't driven since the Pandemic started as Uber/Lyfting is a sideline occupation for me. And from looking at … -
With the impending changes, will YOU continue to driver for Uber/Lyft?
Yes, you can be SURE rates will increase to the customer, but you can also be equally assured that the … -
Did you continue to drive in spite of the protests in your city?
Several major cities experienced work stoppage this week in protest to low wages and working conditions with Uber. And yet, … -
Why do YOU think Uber is dropping the destination filter in some cities and changing the pay rates on destination rides in other cities?
Uber has announced it is withdrawing the destination filter in some areas (New York for example) and in other areas … -
Uber Sues New York - yet again!
So what do you think Drivers - Uber goes at it again in New York. Uber is suing New York … -
New Surge System Revolt Cleveland, OH
Did you catch the national news story out of Cleveland, OH? The new surge system just rolled into town and … -
Upcoming Rate Increase
Hey Drivers: We all KNOW that Uber/Lyft have been sneaking in a much larger share of the fares as compared … -
The Perfect Prius?
I've been considering picking up a used Prius to use exclusively for Uber/Lyft. But it seems that almost every used … -
New York Rates
If I'm not mistaking, Feb 1 was "D" day for New York when the new rates were going to be … -
Electric vehicles
I regular consider driving an all electric vehicle, but with severe range anxiety as well as the need to occasionally … -
Auto Off feature in newer cars when stopped.
Many of not most newer cars feature an engine cut off feature when stopped at a red light etc... where … -
Should we drive during the government shutdown?
I've seen numerous posts about how dead it is out there - which based on 3 plus years experience is … -
The "new" surge
So for those of you that now have the "new surge" system - where you are guaranteed a surge rate … -
As a Driver, will you buy Uber or Lyft stock when it becomes available?
It appears both Lyft (which has already initiated the paperwork to go Public) and now Uber is rushing to follow, … -
As a Driver, what were some of your moments when you had to say "I'm just the driver"...
If you've driven your share of rides, I'm sure that you, like myself, have had at least a few occasions … -
Cargo and other snack services for Rideshare
Are any of you selling snacks in your cars to passengers whether individually or as part of Cargo or one … -
Lyft Subscription Service
Today Lyft announces that their "trial" subscription service it going mainstream and for $299.00 a month you can receive up … -
The revised Uber Surge System
Just wondering, now that Uber has rolled out the "new way of surging" in many major markets, I'd like to … -
The "NEW" Uber Surge Format
Have any of your markets changed to the new method of surge? Where you no longer get "surge" rates for …
Featured Answers by Wes
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You need to call your agent to see if you can add "rideshare" coverage to your policy. In most states this is now available. I'm with State Farm in Ohio and it cost me less than $10 a month to cover two cars. You NEED this coverage as Uber/Lyft ONLY cover you when you're on your way to pick up and when you have a passenger. You do NOT have coverage when you're waiting for a ping, and if you got in an accident you would technically NOT be covered. Furthermore when adding Rideshare, particularly to State Farm, they then offer you full coverage and THEY deal with the insurance companies used by Uber/Lyft.
If your insurance company does not offer Ridehshare, I would STRONGLY encourage you to change to a company that does. It simply isn't worth the risk. Insurance companies don't want to pay claims!!! Don't give them a reason to deny you, becuase THEY WILL. I don't care how long you've been with them or who you know, the job of the insurance company is to MAKE A PROFIT, and the best possible way to do that is to avoid paying claims!!! Think about it and choose wisely!!!
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Why not use this very site where you are posting the question (www.rideguru.com) and let it calculate the fare for you???
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At least in our market that option no longer seems to be available with Uber. It is available with Lyft, but please understand, all it really does is send out a request in advance of your pick up time to the nearest driver. With Lyft, a driver can accept it well in advance, but if they're on a ride or not near the location, it will still default to the closest driver. It also does not protect you against surge pricing fyi.
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4.5 is not good at all. Keep in mind that, as a driver, we would already be kicked off the system for a rating that low. Honestly I've done a few thousand trips, I've never given a passenger a 1-2 rating, and I've only given a 3 or 4 on rare occasion when they truly deserved much less. There are drivers that are much less lenient, and I would offer a few suggestions to bring your ratings up.
1. Give a cash tip. This will almost ALWAYS result in a 5 star rating, even if you were a little late or generally obnoxious. Once your rating returns to more acceptable levels you could resume tipping on the APP, but a cash tip will be known BEFORE we rate you. Otherwise it can be a couple of days before we would even know that you tipped as they are not always instantaneous on our end.
2. NEVER make the driver wait more than 2 minutes, and most definitely not beyond 5 minutes. (Most drivers will leave at the 5 minute mark anyhow)
3. NEVER turn the sound system up to max!!! Drivers' need to hear things like sirens and horns etc... Consider your driver and also consider that it is their personal car, so they DO care about their sound system in general.
4. If you ask to make a stop, please be quick. Remember we make almost nothing when we're sitting still. We're doing it as a favor, NOT as an obligation. We don't HAVE to wait, so if your driver is gracious enough to do so, hustle yourself in and out of the store!
5. Don't put your feet in our seats. Don't get crumbs all over our seats. Don't get into our car wet or soiled without offering a seat covering (plastic bag would suffice).
6. Please tell us if you're sick. We'll gladly assist you, most of us have barf bags, and we will gladly pull over when it's safe to do so. PLEASE don't puke in our cars!!!
7. Please NEVER yell out the windows at friends or foes, and NEVER discard anything out the window.
8. Please don't bring opened alcohol into the car. It's against the law. We are NOT a limo, so it is NOT allowed. I don't care how special your occassion is, don't break the law!!!
9. Please bring car seats for the kids and babies. We don't have them, and you, as a parent, are responsbile to provide them.
10. Please make sure the address that the app found as your location is correct. YOU, not Uber, not me, but YOU are responsible for entering a correct pick up location. Consider walking outside to request the ride so the GPS in YOUR phone can correctly identify your location. Remember, it's YOUR phone that pinpoints your location and communicates that information to the Uber system, so don't blame Uber when it's not correct!
11. I know nobody wants to "wait"... that's the nature of American culture. But please, wait until you're really READY to depart before requesting a driver and have your shoes on and be ready to go when we arrive. Remember, WE MAKE NOTHING waiting for you, or driving to pick you up. NOTHING!!! So please be considerate!!!
12. Lastly, please don't eat Taco's and messy foods in the car. I know you think you're starving and that drive through Taco Bell stop smells SO good. But please - it is totally wrong to expect us to stop and clean our car in preparation for the next passenger (who is probably already waiting for us to arrive) to clean up YOUR mess. That will ALWAYS result in a lower rating.
13. Lastly, be considerate. Leave the car in better shape than when you arrived. We are NOT responsbile for your trash, your chewing gum wrappers, your candy papers, and I can ASSURE you the next passenger doesn't want to see them.
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Actually they aren't that prevalent in our area and unless it's a Tesla charging station, they aren't free (nor are they free any longer for the more recent Tesla customers)...
But I do feel the day will come when they'll be everywhere - in fact I suspect gas stations will soon add areas for charging (if they have room) and use superchargers that can do the job rather quickly) at 30 mins or less.
But for now - it's still an issue for sure.
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The threshold varies by market. It is a well established fact that certain geographies rate more liberally or more conservatively and thus there is no single number for the entire US. However the long standing number for reference and concern is 4.65 and we can assume once you see any version of 4.xx you should be mildly concerned.
Call a cab. uber/Lyft is not set up to handle cash. Alternately download the app and attach a credit or debit car and you can save yourself a few dollars by using Uber/lyft instead of a cab service.
The Uber employee was being paid to observe everything and make sure the automobile was being operated in a safe and legal fashion. Apparently watching TV and not paying attention took precedent and as a result, an innocent pedestrian was killed. While I don't know the details (perhaps the pedestrian dashed in front of the car) it would appear to me that the driver may well have placed themselves in a perilous legal situation that resulted in the death of another human. I surely wouldn't want to be in their shoes!
Depending on the car model, leather seating is a determining factor in being a "Select" Driver. The auto list is very narrow that qualifies, and those auto's that do must also have leather seating surfaces.
Tell Uber the REAL story - they will refund your cancellation fee and they will deal with the driver.
Is it possible given the current rate structure, absolutely NOT. But keep in mind that when I started rates were double what they are now, and they were still MUCH MUCH cheaper than a cab. I'll never understand why they reduced the rates to the levels we have today. The solution is simple, charge a little more, cover your driver expenses and then allow for a small margin for the fleet operators. It can be done but ONLY with increased rates. And yes people will complain until it becomes the new normal.
They won't ignore CA for long - they're hoping for a public outcry. There IS a way for this to work and still offer flexibility that we all desire, but their software is not currently ready to handle a change of model. All they have to do is INSURE that all drivers will make (clear) more than minimum wage AND HAVE benefits such as social security and taxes (which you would undoubtedly get back when you file taxes at year end and take the mileage deduction).
California is an appreciable contributor to the overall volume of both Rideshare companies, and you can be sure they won't ignore this situation for too long.
You certainly have the rite to request it be turned off, however do so with the understanding that the driver has the right to refuse you the ride, which will result in you having to request another car/driver.
The driver has the right to refuse, the passenger has a right to request. But never lose sight of the fact that the driver is protecting YOU as much as they're protecting themselves. Many cameras have both forward and backward viewing, so many drivers are more interested in the capturing the forward view in case of an accident.
There are VERY FEW drivers working due to Covid-19. Probably less than 5% of the normal ratio, at least in my market. Open your APP and watch for cars to pop up. It could take several minutes. As SOON as you see a car appear on the map, REQUEST your ride. The system will not allow you to request a ride if there are no cars available, so act QUICKLY as soon as you see a car appear. (Cars are much easier to see on the Lyft app, they're super tiny on the Uber map)
Why not call a cab? They are set up to accept cash. Uber and Lyft are strictly handled by card and you are NOT insured if you take a rideshare ride paying cash. This is a violation of the terms of service and would not only get the rider terminated, but you would have NO insurance if you were in an accident.
Absolutely you can - just as you can get them from ANY surface where the bed bugs reside or have been recently deposited.
If you have Ridehshare Insurance, YES. If not, you can only hope your insurance company doesn't find out you were involved in Ridehshare activities at the time of the accident as they could use this to avoid covering you.
Do you have an Uber Hub office in your area? I would go visit them where you can speak to a "live person" and perhaps you can sway them to get involved. This whole "drinking" thing has gotten completely out of hand with customers who choose to totally disregard the outcome to you in hopes of gaining a free ride or free credit on their account. It's criminal but there's little you can do and that's completely unfair to everyone. I found it infuriating as I'm sure you do!!!
In some cities you can while others it's not an option. However, please understand that scheduling in advance merely places your request in a que that automatically makes the request at the time you indicate for pick up. Particularly since you're both at different terminals, I wouldn't recommend attempting to pre-arrange. There's always plenty of cars at the airport and it will not expedite your pick up whatsoever. The system may not allow it at the airport anyhow as there is a que system in place at airports where the the drivers are stacked to receive requests in the order of their arrival at the Uber/Lyft holding lot where drivers are required to go before they can receive a request. No matter what you do, the time for a driver to arrive at your pick up point will be the same since every car begins at the drivers lot which is typically 4-6 minutes away from the gates.
If you haven't done 500 rides, you'll find your rating jumps around more than if you have. If you're a new driver, Uber and Lyft both pretty much ignore your ratings for the first 100 trips unless they receive negative comments in which case they'll send you an automated message informing you of some things you could "improve".
Once you've completed 500 rides, even a 1 won't have a huge impact on your overall score, but it's also slower to increase your rating to a higher level.
Scheduling in advance (on Uber) does NOTHING. It simply places the request in a computer que to request your ride at the indicated time. If there are no drivers available, you still won't have a car. With Lyft, the system is different and a driver can accept the trip in advance which is sort of a commitment that they will be working during this time.
My suggestion would be, prior to the trip, to look at your app at 4 in the morning and see if there are cars available in your area. If so, you can have reasonable confidence cars will also be available whenever you're actually ready to go on your trip to the airport.
In the United States, Uber/Lyft does NOT accept cash as a form of payment. If you DO somehow find a driver willing to take the ride for cash, just remember, you are taking what could easily turn out to be an UNINSURED RIDE should an accident occur. Personal insurance policies EXCLUDE drives 'for hire'. In other words, if you're getting paid to take someone somewhere, that ride is NOT insured and requires commercial insurance. Thoretically, even if you have added Rideshare coverage to your policy, that covers Rideshare rides and NOT cash rides. Those rides would require TRUE commercial insurance which is WAY more expensive than Rideshare coverage. So let the customer beware and if you do this, know that you're doing it fully informed.
If your city allows you to schedule trips, then yes, you can schedule XL vehicles in advance. Keep in mind several things. Getting multiple vehicles in advance is NOT possible, only one at a time. Also keep in mind that many XL's can seat 6 but it's a squeeze, so if comfort matters, you may want to plan for 5 passengers (plus the driver) to a vehicle.
More importantly, you can only request ONE vehicle at a time, so if you need multiple vehicles it will be a problem.
Lastly, keep in mind that using two regular Uber/Lyfts only costs slightly more than one XL, so there's not a huge savings by going to XL. It's a matter of convenience.
The easiy way is to download the app, open it up and see if it tells you service is not available. If it does not, then service IS available in your area and if you look closely at the map, you'll most likely see available cars in various points around your area. You may need to enlarge the map (squeeze in) to be able to see the available cars.
I would tend to agree with the writer's thoughts, however with that said, I have on more than one occasion not noticed a passenger rating until after I accepted the ride only to find they were absolutely lovely people. So perhaps their lower rating experience was one where "you would have to have been there" to see why it might have happened.
At an airport, YES you should always be okay. If you were in an outlying area, that's probably the weakest time of night to find a driver.