Monica Castleberry (momof4)

Ride Expert from Philadelphia PA

Mom & Nursing Student by day Ride Share Driver by night always on the go
8198 Rider Driver

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Posts by momof4

Comments by momof4

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     5 years ago in  Uber Event created, does that guarantee a driver?

    I am not a ride guru, do not have this option in my city, and dont know anyone who has ever used it. I thought I would help you with what I do know & hopefully a ride guru or someone who has used the service will share their experience.  I am an Uber driver (2 yrs 2200 trips with Uber & Lyft). So I am going to share with you what I think may be an issue.  In checking reviews they seem to be positive but most are dating back 2/3 yrs ago . I havent found many reviews from people who actually used the service.  I did find one article written by someone who used the service. I will include the link to the article below. 

    As a driver there are 3 concerns I have

    1. You dont actually talk to a person but do everything through the app. If you have questions or issues you may be able to send them a message. Unfortunately emailing them or messaging them gets you a Customer Service rep from another country. Lets just say it is not easy dealing with these reps and rare that they understand your question. You usually get a generic reply. My suggestion is to check to.see if you can actually speak with someone in the event you have questions or issues.

    2. It sounds like you are not guaranteed drivers. Uber doesnt arrange to have drivers in thst area just for your party. The requests will all go out to the nearest driver just like it does for scheduled rides and regular trip request. If you are in an area that is more remote there may not be a lot of drivers in that area. That will cause long wait times. This is definately a question you need to ask.

    3. When there isnt enough drivers in the area it creates what is called "surge pricing". Uber app will light up on the drivers end. Drivers will see the increase in fare and may or may not head to that area to get the extra $. So we are back to not enough drivers longer wait time. Surge pricing can be as little as 1.25 extra per ride or as high as 40.00 or more extra per ride. If drivers are  having to come a far distance to pick up your guest there may be a long pick up fee added also. In my market if I have to drive more than 10 min I receive the long pick up fee for anytime I drive to you over 10 min.  The threshold for long pick up to be assessed is different in each city.  Ex. It takes me the driver 20 min to get to you and you are 7 miles away. I will make approx. 9.90 just to come pick you up. Normally driver isnt paid on the way to get you only if they are over the threshold in that market. These are questions you need to ask. 

    Will surge pricing go into effect if not enough drivers in the area?

    Will long pick up fees be assessed if drivers have to travel X amt of min. & miles to pick up the guest? 

    Are there normally a good amount of drivers near my venue? 

    The questions I have for you are how many people will need rides at a given time? 

    If you dont mind me asking what City and State. 

    If you have any more questions I will try to answer you. If I am unable to answer your question I will try to find the answer for you. One of the guru's, drivers, or riders on the forum may know more.

    “UberEVENTS is anything but über: a detailed review” “UberEVENTS is anything but über: a detailed review” by Ajay Goel https://link.medium.com/Y3idRxegGX

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     5 years ago in  I have a dashcam in my car, but I keep hearing I’m not allowed to record passengers unless they know about it, or agree to it. Is that true?

    Some drivers do live stream it on You Tube or Twitch. Uber now deactivates drivers who do this. Some drivers were deactivated even though they had permission from the passenger. Assuming the driver is just using it for safety issues I see nothing wrong with that. We basically have no protection while driving for Uber or Lyft. Just the cameras being in the car helps keep most passengers in line. If we are deactivated because of a lie a rider tells that is our only proof that we didnt do what the rider accused us of. If there is an accident that can help prove who was at fault.  More & more insurance companies are using video from drivers in general (not just rideshare) to determine who caused the accident. Lets say its a pool ride and you were inappropriately touched by the other rider. You now have proof versus he said she said. Male drivers transporting females. A female rider may accuse driver of inappropriately touching them or raping  them. Driver has proof it didnt occur.

    As a driver I could care less what you are talking about on the phone let alone going home and watching my riders on video. I am sure most drivers pay no mind to whats on the camera unless Uber deactivates them because of a false claim. If my conversatio is private enough that I dont want it recorded I probably wouldnt even want the driver to hear it. Wearing a skirt or dress I would assume you would be sitting like a lady and your legs would be closed:) Anyone sleeping in our car I wouldnt think would be interesting enough to post on you tube or any other site. Assuming you dont do weird stuff while you sleep. These are our private cars that we need to feel safe in. We are not allowed to carry weapons. Cameras are our only protection.  We are hired to get you safely from Point A to Point B in a timely manner. Cars should be clean drivers should be nice.  Passengers need to realize that you are paying a big discounted rate compared to taxi and limo service. You want personalized rides hire a car service or limo with a professional driver.  I know this may sound harsh but its the reality of it. You get what you pay for. 

    Cameras are everywhere now a days. No where in public is safe. Everyone has a phone and everyone is quick to pull it out and record. People have cameras in their homes and you would never know it. They are disguised as electric outlets, light switches, etc... Anything that you dont want out there for the world to see or hear be careful as someone is always listening, watching, and most likely recording.  

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     5 years ago in  Rideshare Cars have more germs/bacteria than a toilet seat. Do you agree? What do you do to keep your car clean?

    I would like to know what city these cars drive in. Would also like to know if these cars were used to pick patients up from a hospital or medical center. As some of these places arrange for cars to pick up and drop off patients who have no way to get to their appointments. .  Were the rideshare cars rented out to drivers who then returned it at the end of the week or were the personal cars that drivers own? I also dont feel that 9 cars can give accurate results. 

    I have worked in Healthcare since I was 14 yrs old. Started out as a Candy Striper (young people wont know what this is lol). I know about bacteria and what it can do and how sick it can make you. I take care of my car as I dont want to get sick, my family to get sick, or my riders to get sick. I use anti bacterial cleaner before I start my day.  I spray lysol on the door handles, seat belts, seats, trunk area and floor mats after each rider. If I have an immediate pick up at same drop off as last passenger which is extremely rare then I may not be able to spray. I pick up people at the airport coming from different states and countries. I put luggage in my car that who the hell know where thats been. I dont know if these people I pick up are sick, have contagious illness that they know they have or dont know they do, people who Cancer and other illnesses that lower their ability to fight off illnesses. I picked up people from Newark Airport the day there was a confirmed case of someone with measles at the airport. I put my family in this car. You dont know who you are picking up and how clean, contagious, or sick they may be. I make sure I vacuum my car everyday (sometimes 2 or 3 X) in case someones luggage may have bed bugs or whatever other creatures could've crawled in there. I put my family in my car. I dont need them getting sick. I also look out for my riders. One thing I hate about this job is having to use public restrooms. The shit (literally) that I see in these bathrooms, the filth, the piss everywhere but in the toilet is absolutely disgusting. Also let me tell you most people dont wash their hands at all,  some use plain water no soap, others put a drop of soap, rinse their hands in less than 5 seconds. Totally not enough time. The best is after washing their hands they shut spigot off with their clean hands then open door by the handle (use paper towels to do this) you just recontaminated your hands. I would assume most drivers clean & disinfect their cars. At least I hope they do.


    DRIVERS PLEASE DISINFECT YOUR CARS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOU ARE PICKING UP OR WHAT GERMS/BACTERIA THEY MAY BE CARRYING. YOU  ALSO MAY PICK UP A RIDER WITH NO IMMUNE SYSTEM BECAUSE OF CHEMO OR SOME OTHER ILLNESS. REMEMBER YOU AND YOUR FAMILY GET INTO THAT SAME CAR.

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     5 years ago in  AC in Uber?

    Yes you are supposed to have working AC.  Should you report him?  Assuming he wasnt a crazy angry person would've mentioned it to him that it didnt feel very cool in the car during the ride. If you didnt feel comfortable mention as you are getting out in a nice way. If he got rude or cocky  I may give him less than 5 stars (4). Once you do that it should ask you why you are not giving 5 stars. Please answer it and say "AC wasnt cool enough". When riders rate drivers less than 5 stars 99.9% of the time we dont know why. We cant fix something if we dont know what we are doing wrong. Maybe he needs to charge his system. It is $30/$50 per can. Sometimes you need 2. Maybe he didnt have the money this week and needed to drive to get the $. Maybe he feels cool and doesnt realize it may not be for other people. In my car my riders think its too cold:) They are lucky I didnt add the 2nd can of refrigerant to my system:) 

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     5 years ago in  AC in Uber?

    Some cities are 10 yrs old some can be as old as 15 yr old.

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     5 years ago in  The "Big Question", to sign or not to sign? CA drivers what are you going to do? Drivers from 49 other states what would you do?

    I may complain about Uber and Lyft as a company. However I love the flexible hours/schedule, instant pay, being my own boss. I like most of the riders I meet, the new things I learn, seeing new cities, and meeting new people. I still make money by knowing my market (with the help of a fellow driver), we work as a team and give each other info on new spots or where to wait, knowing when & where to drive, finding the busiest places to wait. Its nice having a friend out there while you are driving. You dont feel so alone and you have someone to vent to when you have a crappy day or annoying m, difficult rider. 

    With that being said I want no part of being an employee. Uber & Lyft all ready have enough control over us. Dont need them having anymore. 

    I would like to see rates increase to at least what they were a year or 2 ago. They need to have riders use their name not "dickswallower" , "the boss", "tothewindow", etc... riders should have to sign up with a gov. issued ID, and a real credit/debit card. If riders are reported to be abusive they need to booted from the app. The rating/deactivation process needs changes and improvement. Fair 75/25% or 80/20%  (depending when you signed up). No more BS with "upfront pricing" . Riders think we get 75/80% of the fare so why tip? Riders don't realize they are being charged for the longest most timely route possible but drivers take you the shortest, quickest way to your destination. U and L taking 40, 50, 60% of the fare. No more charging rider surge prices but not giving driver the surged rate. Uber not sure about Lyft will show drivers a $10 surge but charging riders $40, $50, $60. Uber is taking that surged rate. Ripping off rider, lying to driver.  Transparency, no more lies and deceit. 

    Summary:

    Increase rates

    Transparency

    Safety

    Stop the deceit and lies

    Changes to the ratings and deactivation process

    Not an employee, remain a pvt contractor

    Many drivers would agree. Dont think this is too much to ask. Do these few things and problems like they are having in CA will go away. Other states will follow. Dont think Uber and Lyft need thise problems. Most of these demands can be worked out with little to no cost to Uber and Lyft. Rate increase will be the only thing that will cost them $. Not asking for rates that they initially pd drivers. Just what we were making a year or 2 ago. 

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     5 years ago in  The "Big Question", to sign or not to sign? CA drivers what are you going to do? Drivers from 49 other states what would you do?

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     5 years ago in  Would You Settle With Uber For $0.11 A Mile?

    If you drove 50,000 miles they would owe you 5,500.00. I would take it. What else you going to do? I would assume these people had a lawyer in a class action suit. Money needs to be given to X amt of drivers plus the law firm needs to be paid. Dont think lawyer would tell drivers to take it if they knew they could get more. I would probably take it but may talk to my personal lawyer to see what their advice is. 

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     5 years ago in  How is it not a security threat and a risk and a privacy issue that people can see Uber drivers real-time?

    I dont see how this would be an issue. Too many variables. The only way I could see this to be an issue is if you sit at your house waiting for request. Even then the person who plans to carry out a criminal activity would have to know some things about that driver to even plan any criminal activity. Many times cars look like they are on top of one another but yet the cars are blocks away from each other. I sit at a small airport on occasion. It will show 4 cars parked one after the other or on top of each other. Yet there are no cars visible to me. They are probably on the airport grounds but in looking at app we are all next to one another. 

     

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     5 years ago in  Are Uber and Lyft drivers more dangerous (i.e. less safe) than regular taxicab drivers?

    I agree with Dfoster. I don't want any damage or my car totalled as it's my personal car. Dont feel like dealing with Uber or Lyft over an accident (heard its a nightmare). Most important I dont want to injured or kill my riders.  I look out for my riders where I drop them off. Taxis cut you off, pull out in front you, stop dead, etc... they are always in a rush to get next fare with no concern for safety at least in NJ and NY. They are the worst most dangerous, careless drivers I've ever come in contact with. I've had my license for 38 yrs. Some of the taxi drivers come from other countries and havent had their license for a long period of time or have only driven here in US for a few years. When I have applied for car insurance in Philly it always ask if you drive in NJ and NY. Always wondered why. Now I know! Drivers are careless and dangerous there and just dont give a damn that they drive like idiots. Taxis dont care if they abruptly stop, use no signals, cut you off, cut in front of you, pass you on the right, etc... I cant speak for every city but NJ but mostly NY taxi drivers are awful. NYC Uber and Lyft drivers (some not all) have picked up their bad habits.

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     5 years ago in  Is it true that drivers avoid turning on the A/C to save on fuel costs? Won't that hurt their ratings?

    I read this article last night and a rideshare You Tuber did a video. I would assume this is exaggerated. Although I am sure it happens. There is no way in hell I am riding around in my black SUV (not Uber black)during the summer in Philly & NJ with no AC. I would also never be so rude to put a passenger in my car with temps in the 80/90's with high humidity and not have air on. I do see many taxis riding in hot days with windows down. I am not being uncomfortable and dont expect my rider to be. You can also forget any tip that rider may have given you. Also look for that 4 star or less.  The only reason I would give less than 5 stars is a safety issue (dangerous, careless driving), filthy car, rude, and disrectful attitude. If i got into an Uber (only have once) on a 85 to 95 degree day with high humidity and no air on I would probably ask you to pull over and I would cancel with a 1 to 4 star. Had you had AC on & it was cool in the car you would've got at least 20% tip if not more:)

    There are studies that have been done that says leaving windows open on major highways puts drag on car. You waste more gas with windows open. Other studies disagree. This is the most recent one that I found that explains it pretty well.

    https://www.thespruce.com/ac-or-windows-down-gas-mileage-1709086

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     5 years ago in  As a Uber or Lyft driver, what sets you apart from other drivers? What do you do to have an edge over others?

     It really doesnt matter if you have or do anything that gives you an edge over other drivers. Riders have no way of requesting you for their next ride. Although I do have riders that will text me when they are going on a long trip. If  in the area I go to their location & they request ride. I am closest driver I get their request. Most of my rides are to & from  airports (no i dont sit in queue) with business people & families. :) 

    I do provide water, variety of hard candy, and a charger.  I dont provide them for tips.  I found it makes no difference if I have them or dont when it comes to tipping. Most people take the candy but few take the water. I use those things for myself when I run out of drinks or want a piece of candy. Water cost me .20 per bottle and candy even less. I just quit smoking so I tend to eat the candy to help when I want a cigarette. If I run out of drinks I take the waters I provide for riders:) I was raised to never eat in front of other people unless you share or at least offer.  Old habits die hard:)  If I take a drink or eat a mint those things are available for rider.   I have coloring books, kids word search book, and crayons . One Rider tipped me $20 cash and one 20% (on long trip) for having these few things. Cost $4.00. On longs trips it keeps the kids occupied.

     I am pleasant, respectful, courteous, and professional.  Load & unload luggage.  Keep car cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather. Always ask if the temp is ok & for them to let me know if at anytime it becomes uncomfortable.   Drive them from A to Point B safely and timely. SUV is clean and smells good. I hold conversation if rider wants it and shut up if they dont. Keep my radio low or put music on rider prefers. I also have booster for kids 5 yrs & older. Many people think because their child is old enough to be out of child safety seat they dont need anything else. Travelling to & from airports they tend not to bring seats unless child is in infant seat. Cost $11 to $15 @ Wal Mart. Light weight & small. In 6 mths I have used it 7X on long trips. Those rides would've been cancelled had I not had the booster resulting in a loss of good $. Will make short stop if rider ask. Dress comfortable but neat. No flip flops, cut off shorts, t shirts etc...  I have been tipped everday since Dec. 31st except for 1 day but only did 2 trips that day.   My tips are always 20% sometimes more. I average over $100.00 per week in tips. 

    Minus the carseat, water, candy, and coloring books (these are extras that sometimes help with tips but not necessary). I think as long as you provide what I mentioned and other drivers who posted answer to question is all that is needed. Passengers are getting cheap rides compared to taxis, limos, etc... To expect anything more is just ridiculous for the price that they pay. 

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     5 years ago in  How does Uber/Lyft scam passengers? Ideas on their tactics to set higher fares and surges. Share your suspicions, angry riders!

    Uber and Lyft base fares on the longest route to riders destination (time & miles). Most Drivers take the shortest route. Driver is paid for the miles they drove & the amt. of time it took. I arrive at riders destination switch off GPS & go back to Uber or Lyft app. It will say 5 to 15 min until destination. I do the speed limit, I use WAZE app, my car doesn't fly, and its not an amphibious car. Passenger got charged for that 5 to 15 min even though it didnt take that long and they get charged for the miles I didnt travel. This is why drivers are complaining. Uber and Lyft are making a few dollars less than us or the same amount. Nothing we can do as we agreed to be pd per mile and time. Upfront pricing scam. What sucks is riders think we are getting 75%/80% of the fare so they may not be tipping for that reason. Especially on long trips that are 50.00 to 150.00. I am driving for Uber as I text this. When I have some free time later today I will post some screen shots so passengers can see whats going on. O will also screen shot my next trip that says we have X amt of time until destination when we are all ready there. 

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     5 years ago in  How does Uber/Lyft scam passengers? Ideas on their tactics to set higher fares and surges. Share your suspicions, angry riders!

    I've scheduled rides for my daughter in law and at most some days price was .50 more but it was also during rush hour. 

    I needed to test something on my driver app so I used my sons phone to put info in like I was taking a long trip on Lyft. I put info in 2X  one after another gave me same price. The 3rd time I tried it right after 2nd time price went down 35.00. That was sketchy. He never requested a car on Lyft. I think they were trying to see if he would go for higher price since he never took it before.

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     5 years ago in  Riders are more likely to take an Uber when it's surging 2.1 times than 2.0.

    Interesting that people would do that. If I was ordering an Uber and seen a surge I dont care what the multiplier is. I am waiting for it to go away or to get lower. My question is do riders see on their app that surge is 2.0 X, 2.1 X, etc...? I know on the dollar amt. riders do not see that there is a surge. They only know it's surged if they normally take that route and price is higher than usual. Uber doesnt breakdown the price for the rider showing a surge. In area when surge is still multiplier do riders see how much the surge is?  In reality I would wait out the surge if ride was really expensive. 

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     5 years ago in  Riders are more likely to take an Uber when it's surging 2.1 times than 2.0.

    I live in Philadelphia and 2 blocks from Bucks County (Bensalem PA).  I believe we went to dollar amt. between May 2018 - August 2018. I get trips into NJ and they are still going by multiplier surge. The highest I've seen is 2.8X. I ended up in Princeton a few weeks ago when they were having their annual reunion. I was not aware of this at the time. I was headed back on 295 when my phone was blowing up with surged rides including a few Long Trips with multiplier surge. Their rates are lower than Philly. .87 Base Fare, .66 per mile, and .1725 per min. Not that Philly's rates are much higher. 

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     5 years ago in  I’m flying into Redding, Ca and need a ride to Castle Crags to start a hike. ...

    Not sure if I have the correct  pick up location and destination. Not familiar with that area. If you click on "RIDE" at top left of this page it will bring you the fare estimator. You can put your location and destination in. It will give you fares on rideshare and taxi's in thst area.

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     5 years ago in  Has everyone seen their Uber video for drivers? It was interesting/nice but a fare increase would be nicer.

    I got it as soon as I opened my app. It was in my notifications. They emailed me a notfication also.  Its also under your profile when you click on your pic to look at your ratings. Try updating your app.


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     5 years ago in  TRYP Rides has started the Rider on-boarding/account setup, sign up now to start - you must be invited. (Read Below)

    Steven, I totally agree. How do start a business with promises to go live for months? Then you put an app out that clearly has some bugs. 

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     5 years ago in  TRYP Rides has started the Rider on-boarding/account setup, sign up now to start - you must be invited. (Read Below)

    I dont claim to know anything about starting a business. However I have common sense enough to know that you dont put an app out that clearly isnt ready or tell people for months you are going live and it never happens.  TRYP is either a scam or they dont know what they are doing. Wouldnt you test it out and work all the bugs out first? I am assuming that the pic I posted is an error on the app. At least I hope so as no one in their right mind would pay that. So lets assume it is a mistake. Why wasnt the app tested before it went live? Again lets assume tryp is legit. I dont have much faith in this company as they really dont seem to know what they doing. So far all they have done is take money from people, empty promises, and an app that clearly needs work. My question to you is how do ypu believe in a company like that. If tryp comes out and drivers start making money, they have a decent working app, and they have riders I'll be the first to admit i was wrong. From what I've seen and heard dont think that will happen anytime soon if ever. For people who put out money I hope it does work. I'll even drive for them if they have a decent working app with riders. Just dont understand how you put so much faith in a company that has not produced a working app and has been claiming they are going live for months yet it never happens. 

     To answer your question I am sure he keeps it up to make $ just like tryp influencers continue to try and sign people up even though the app dont work and they have been promising for months to go live. He never tells people not to drive for Uber he just presents the facts and hopes Uber will eventually hear the drivers and change. He will still say you can make with Uber. As shitty as they treat drivers you can still make money.

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Featured Answers by momof4

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     6 years ago in  Extra passengers

    This happened to me quite a few times. This particular night  I get a request for Uber X I can seat 4 safely. I pull up there are 3 people they say we are waiting for one more. I am paying no attention to back seat they say ok we are good I start trip get 5  blocks from pick up look in rear view mirror I have 4 in back 1 in front. So what do I do? Do I say something? Do I end trip there and boot them out? I am sure you are all saying I would of. Lol There is 5 of them one of me, oh forgot to mention I am not in a very good neighborhood. Do I call police? I probably won't get past 91 before one of them can take my phone and if I can connect with 911 chances are police will not be there before I am beaten and my car is on cinder blocks. So I take my time ride the right lane nice and slow, stay away from traffic. We get to destination still in another crappy hood. I quickly end trip. The person they are meeting doesn't answer their call so they are not moving out of my car. Uh hello trips over. So they continue to sit in my car for 10 min deciding what to do. Fnally I get another rider so  I find my voice and get the courage to say "I got to go" . Still another 2 min. go by. Finally guy comes out and they get their stuff out of my trunk and go on their way. Now I pull up with doors locked and don't unlock until I know how many are getting in my car. I've learned quite a few lessons driving for Uber this past year.

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     6 years ago in  A Night In The Life of An Uber Driver! Drivers/Riders please share your story!

    I've picked up strippers twice. One stripper had a fit & started screaming at me because I didnt pick her up at stripper enterance. The app put me in front of the place. I had never been there before. She called me screaming so I drive around to where she told me but there were people all over plus 2 entrances/exits so I ask the first female I see if she was my passenger. She ignores me then I see Mr. Big and Beefy with the tight muscle head shirt on wave me over. She opens door starts screaming why didnt you come here 1st & why were you talking to those people? I try to explain that the pick up location put me up front and what people are you talking about? She screams the people in the car. I reply "what people, what car" . She screams again the people in the car. I am getting annoyed now, because she hasnt stopped screaming at me and what people in what car not a clue who she was referring to. I should've left when I was eligible for cancel fee. We drive a mile GPS says make left turn screaming stripper barks order i will tell you where to go. We go another mile another barking order "pull into that gas station I need something". She needed something all right some manners or a foot up her ass. I pull in to this gas station that is packed has a line of cars to get in (will explain the line of cars at 3am at a gas station another time). I finally get into lot she gets out and I plot my escape. Why should I take her screaming, order barking ass anywhere else they dont pay me enough for this? I put the car in drive ready to pull out and my guilty conscience kicks in. Its 3am you cant do that. Then the  little devil on my shoulder says go for it. Good conscience won I stayed but when she got back in I had a little talk with her. By the time i dropped her off she was happy. So happy when she got out she said "i am going to give you 5 stars". I wanted to reply "stick your 5 stars so far up (that thing you shake for money)that they shoot out of your mouth and hand over some of those bills you made tonight.  She was out right rude and bossy. 

    The 2nd stripper I picked up didnt yell at me but she also barked orders. Wont get into much detail as I just wrote a book about stripper #1. Her barking orders were hello as she entered car  order #1"put this radio station on, order #2 turn volumn up ill tell you when to stop" #3 dont speak to me while music is on #4 put the heat up. No please no thank you ànd you guessed it no tip. Last but not least we pull up to destination my app shows end trip you've arrived i end it wait for her to get the hell out. But she needs to bark 1 more order #5 "I've never been here before just sit here until I can find my friend then you can leave". Must be a stripper thing to bark orders and not tip. These 2 were in my first month of driving they taught me a few things that night.  No, one of those things was not how to work a stripper pole. Thanks for sharing R Paulson. Would love to here more stories. 

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     6 years ago in  A Night In The Life of An Uber Driver! Drivers/Riders please share your story!

    This time I pick up 3 men in there 30's from India at a strip club in Bensalem PA. They get in dont seem really intoxicated. We have a coversation then they are talking amongst themselves. I look at GPS. Its putting me on PA Turnpike. Now where ever I get off I am not going to know where I am so obviously relying on GPS completely. Go up a few exists get off. Its dark as hell. I swear Bucks County suburbs doesnt like or is too cheap to put up street lights. Everything is so dark you see nothing  when you look behind you. At this times roads are not only dark but no traffic around. The guys start speaking in their language now, up to this point their conversations were all English even to each other. Before I go further I was under impression destination was one of their homes. Now I have to turn into a dark business complex. Everything closed no one around.  My mind thinks they are plotting to hack me up into little pieces lol This is just too shady. No houses, everything dark, no people, no cars. I am so ready to turn around at this point but had no idea where I could go or what i would say to them about turning around. Hearts pounding, nervous. Drive about .5 mile and up on my right was a Hotel. Never so grateful to see one. This was my 2nd experience on a ride that really scared me being a female driver. I think after all my stripper, strip club experiences (as I have 2 other time I had a pick up) I need to stay away from those places. Those rides are either miserable, scarey  or just plain strange. Do you think Uber would deactivate me for not driving to or picking up from those places? Lol Yes definately. 

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     6 years ago in  Can you select the gender of the operator?

    I think you should be able to. I have had a few riders who are happy to see a woman driver. I even had a male who said he would rather have a woman because a male driver may be able to over power a male rider. Some of these young girls pass out from drinking. Some are so drunk that a male driver could do something and she probably wouldnt remember. If these women who got raped had a female than the rape would've never happened. Young women tell me all the time some of their male drivers hit on them  some are just creepy make them feel uncomfortable. One young woman said her driver bought her cigs alcohol, and tried to kiss her after ride was over. Women tend not to be criminals, rapist, etc. I would think they wouldnt be hitting on male passengers to the point that the msle rider is uncomfortable. Unfortunately these women who have had these issues dont report driver because they are afraid he will come back to their house. 

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     5 years ago in  Does Uber charge a fee for scheduled rides?

    Lilly, Can you please clarify or correct me if I am wrong as I dont want to be giving my riders wrong info. If you schedule a ride more than 60 min. in advance your fare is locked in. If you schedule a ride in less than 60 min. in advance Uber gives you an estimate. Then when you are matched with a driver fare could increase if there is a surge in your area. Thank you.

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     5 years ago in  How does Uber/Lyft scam passengers? Ideas on their tactics to set higher fares and surges. Share your suspicions, angry riders!

    Uber and Lyft base fares on the longest route to riders destination (time & miles). Most Drivers take the shortest route. Driver is paid for the miles they drove & the amt. of time it took. I arrive at riders destination switch off GPS & go back to Uber or Lyft app. It will say 5 to 15 min until destination. I do the speed limit, I use WAZE app, my car doesn't fly, and its not an amphibious car. Passenger got charged for that 5 to 15 min even though it didnt take that long and they get charged for the miles I didnt travel. This is why drivers are complaining. Uber and Lyft are making a few dollars less than us or the same amount. Nothing we can do as we agreed to be pd per mile and time. Upfront pricing scam. What sucks is riders think we are getting 75%/80% of the fare so they may not be tipping for that reason. Especially on long trips that are 50.00 to 150.00. I am driving for Uber as I text this. When I have some free time later today I will post some screen shots so passengers can see whats going on. O will also screen shot my next trip that says we have X amt of time until destination when we are all ready there. 

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