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Uber and Lyft drivers, what makes you think "this is gonna be a long ride" when a passenger gets in?
Posted 5 years, 5 months ago
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Posted By
KGardiner
47
Ride Apprentice
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Comments
Since the drivers are not previed to that information until they start the ride, experience comes into play. If you're picking up at Wal-Mart, you know they're not going to the airport. Some but not every time a ride will come in with a 30+45+60+ disclaimer, that would equate to a long ride if the traffic is good. However, in Los Angeles, 45+ could be a 5 mile ride in rush hour.
Do drivers not see the destination until they start the ride or accept the ride?
What about the pickup location? Do they see that when the request comes in? How would you avoid picking up Walmart shoppers?
We don't know the destination until the pax is in the car and we start the ride. We see the pick-up spot on the map in the background, not the exact address, rider's rating, what type of ride it is, x or pool, estimate of the duration and distance of the pick-up address (almost always wrong) for 8 seconds on the ping screen. Once we accept the ride, we're told exactly where the pick-up address is. Experience and knowing your city plays a big role in what ride to accept and which to pass on.
I would love to hear more about your experience around the customer demographics and how that affects the riders.
If you took Walmart riders, are these people with no cars hence have a lot of groceries and products they bring on your car? Do they not tip well?
This stuff fascinates me. During your shift, do you try to avoid poverty areas?
Avoiding sketchy areas of town is not necessarily a choice we have since we don't know the destination of the pax before accepting a ride. Inevitably, you'll end up there. It's what you do to get out, deadmile it or keep working. I don't try to avoid poverty areas, it actually surges more often due to other drivers avoiding those areas. Wal-Mart or Whole Foods, it doesn't matter, my answer was related to this specific thread of how a driver anticipates the next ride being a long one.
Pax gets in, it's a 7 minute two mile ride, before hello they say do you have a charger, do you have an aux cord and start barking directions thinking they're better than Maps or Waze. That's a 7 minute ride in dog years, 49. Wow, I got life changing $2.62 out of it.
Suitcase is usually a good sign. If you're in a place where the airport is far away.
When they are blabbing on the phone loudly as they get in, and don't even acknowledge me. You know it's gonna be one of "those" rides then. I don't really care if someone is on the phone but some people are just so damn loud and annoying.
You will love the driverless Ubers.
I'll be out of a job but yeah at least I won't have to listen to drunk people blab on about whatever the latest drama with their friend is.
When I can smell BO before they even get through the door...
I just answered this question on quora this morning. My question is ate you talking about a long ride? Or being sarcastic as in oh no this is going to be a long ride? Passenger being a pain in the butt? We dont know how long our rides will be except Lyft will alert you if its a 30 min +, 45min +, or a 60 min +. Uber tells you 41, 45, 54, 62 min, etc... If your asking what makes you this is going to be a long ride in the oh no sense. Really drunk riders, riders that bark orders either texting before you get there or as soon as they get in. Loud obnoxious people, or the rider that I had that told me she signed up for Sugababies.com. Explained in detail with D pics of old men in their 70's & 80's and what she was doing with them or for them. She was in her 20's. Longest 24 min ride ever.
A person who is being carried out of a bar. This happens a LOT more than you'd think
It's always the people who start with "My friend..." because it always ends in:
- ...is coming. She's still getting ready inside. Can we wait?"
- ...needs to be picked up. Can we go grab her, I can show you where to go."