RIDEGURU
Chris Hawes (chawes)
Ride Guru from Boston, MA
CTO of RideGuru, tech expert & enthusiast
756 Rider GuruChris has been involved with the Taxi industry since co-founding TaxiFareFinder.com in 2007, and has been an avid follower of the rideshare industry since its inception. An expert in full-stack web design and development, Chris oversees all the technical aspects of Unleashed's innovative products.
Activity
Posts by chawes
-
How to keep your car safe during COVID
Check it out, some smart people figured out how to make airflow in your car safest for avoiding getting germs … -
Due To New California Law, Uber Allows Some Drivers To Set Their Own Rates
Whoahttps://www.npr.org/2020/01/28/800437791/due-to-new-california-law-uber-allows-some-drivers-to-set-their-own-rates?utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR25AV1xVIyT5ykvB3lF6EcC8thYJ4pf4BX2pBKCOZmGCZV8isrR5a_-KOU -
Uber: The ride-hailing app that says it has ‘zero’ drivers
Reality distortion field...Uber contract drivers helped bring in more than three-quarters of the company’s revenue in this year’s first … -
Bird raises new funding at a $2.5 billion valuation, thanks to longer-lasting scooters
Lot of cash for a company that can't turn a profit......That may have something to do with grim reports … -
Inside the new Uber: Weak coffee, vanishing perks and fast-deflating morale [Washington Post]
It's official. Uber has gone from hip startup to boring big company.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/09/30/inside-new-uber-weak-coffee-vanishing-perks-fast-deflating-morale/Sounds like morale is pretty low among … -
Inside Uber’s plan to take over city life with CEO Dara Khosrowshahi
https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/26/20885185/uber-ceo-dara-khosrowshahi-interview-exclusiveIt’s an ambitious play to become the de facto transportation and delivery service in every major city. But the … -
New York City’s first self-driving shuttle service is now open for business
https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/6/20755163/new-york-city-self-driving-shuttle-serviceMuch like other autonomous vehicle (AV) shuttle services that have cropped up in recent years across the country, it … -
Woman gives birth in back of taxi. Driver is cool.
Warning: graphic. Can anyone top this??? -
The Uber for helicopters is now Uber
This pricing doesn't seem that bad. Getting from Manhattan to JFK can be a nightmare. Helicopter in 8 minutes? Where … -
As was predicted, Uber’s IPO means you’ll be paying higher fares for your rides
This article nicely sums up what I think a lot of us were already thinking.As we’ve reported before, Uber's … -
The future of the gig economy...
Is this it? LOL -
Uber rang in its IPO with champagne and mimosas. Then the hangover began.
You just can't teach an old dog new tricks, can you.SAN FRANCISCO — Uber shut down a party at … -
Beijing Taxi Trajectories
Check out this cool visualization of a day of taxi trips in Beijing. Talk about busy huh! Click on the … -
Four reasons Uber’s IPO stalled on Friday
So the Uber IPO is a huge dud, surprising exactly no one (especially after Lyft's weak performance since it's IPO). … -
Uber and Lyft stop hiring new drivers in New York City
NYC's new regulation around rideshares is officially doing its job now, for better or for worse. Uber and Lyft have … -
Electric scooters may not be around for long [The Verge]
The article is light, but watch the video for more detail.The fundamental numbers don’t really add up because scooters … -
Lyft becomes the first ride-hail company to go public, beating Uber
Welp, here it is folks.https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/1/18246328/lyft-ipo-ride-share-bikes-scooters-uber-public-secI am surprised to see how much Lyft's market share has increased in the … -
Uber and Lyft reportedly giving some drivers cash bonuses to use towards buying IPO stock
So, would you buy the IPO, or just pocket the cash? I know what I'd do...The two programs are … -
Uber Exploring Autonomous Bikes and Scooters [TechCrunch]
Pretty wild. Scooters that can drive themselves to their charging stations, and redistribute themselves to wherever they are needed. So … -
Uber Is Headed for a Crash [nymag]
Interesting read. How long can Uber survive hemorrhaging money?Uber’s investors have been buying your satisfaction in the form of …
Featured Answers by chawes
-
Ok since a few people have wondered about this:
How much does it cost to charge a scooter? Less than you might think. Just to run some rough numbers:
The scooter batteries' capacities are reported to be about 8800mAh at 36V. We can convert this to watt hours: 8800 * 36 / 1000 = 316.8Wh
Electricity costs on average of 12 cents per kilowatt hour (ie. 1000 watt hours) in the US. So, the cost of charging one of these scooters from empty is going to be something like:
(316.8 / 1000) * 12 = 4 cents
It's probably a bit more than that since chargers are not 100% efficient. And, the cost of electricity varies between different locations, so take this with a grain of salt. But it's safe to say the electricity cost of charging these things is not something to worry much about.
Here is the RideGuru estimate to Stuyvesant Falls: link
Here is the estimate from there to Albany airport: link
So, you're looking at probably under $200 if you take Uber XL or Lyft Plus. That's assuming the 5 of you plus your luggage can fit in an SUV. That might not be realistic since not all SUVs have third row seating, and even if they do, your luggage might be too much to fit. You might need to get an Uber X or something as well.
I would just book the ride to Stuyvesant falls, and then ask the driver if they can take you on to Albany. They won't say no, after all it's back the way they came from anyways.
Interesting idea. I have some questions:
How much do people typically pay in per month? Is it a percentage of income?
How do people find a fund to join? Do you have to come with people you know, or can you somehow find an existing group that's looking for new members?
What is the advantage of doing this in small groups like this rather than pooling income from all participants (more like disability insurance)?
That website seems to be broken?
Oof you guys sure picked a tough time to be doing this... Best of luck.
That link does not work. It is a link to a gmail message and so it will not work for anyone but you. You need to put the picture somewhere publicly accessible.
You could upload pictures to this thread. I would be happy to help you if you need it.
Do you have a link where we can see these? The link at the bottom goes to Gmail...
That is a conundrum... Are you able to login via facebook on the website at www.uber.com? I logged in using google just now and it did not require a verification code.
However, I can't see where you can change your phone number via the website, so even that might not help you.
Honestly I don't know. This is all new since independent contractors were not eligible for unemployment before now. Have you looked through the guidelines provided by your state? Assuming they have provided any yet...
Do you know any companies that install these? Or is there any type of removable partition? Seems like something that ought to be made.
I'm going to move this over to the legal forum, they can probably answer this best.
I don't know about CT and ME but the governor of MA just issued a shelter in place order starting tomorrow. Technically it doesn't actually prohibit rideshare drivers. But with so little demand for rides it might mean more drivers just give up and stay home...
Yes. Estimates are per car, regardless of how many passengers are riding.
Do you offer this helpful service for other people too, or is it just Uber drivers?
I am afraid not, sorry.
Yes you should be able to. You might want to schedule it ahead of time.
Hi Rahul,
RideGuru uses a combination of technologies for fare comparisons. Some fare estimates are computed in-house using proprietary algorithms based on a custom database of rate data. Others are gathered using APIs.
If you have more specific questions about our tech stack I would be happy to try to answer them for you.
Chris
RideGuru CTO
Whoa. That is super sketch. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out...
Estimates are per vehicle.
I am not a driver but as far as I know most drivers like long trips, but the problem is if they can't get a good fare coming back then it ends up costing them time and money so it can be a mixed bag.
So if you are getting a long ride to somewhere that is a bit remote, where they will not be likely to get a return trip, then be sure to leave a decent tip.
But I mean the thing is you are worrying about having lost 4 hundredths of a rating point. If you think about it it's crazy that that should be a concern -- I think the problem here is Uber's rating system sucks. If you get a few bad ratings, which may not even be deserved, it's hard to dig out of the hole. In any case I wouldn't lose sleep over it.
😂 😂 😂