# Anyone else notice the colored surge zones are BS?



## Dan_ator26 (Aug 15, 2014)

I drive in El Paso. Not a ton of demand usually, and not a ton of drivers yet either. They have the city split into two zones, the west side, and everywhere else. Often I will see an orange zone for the west side, indicating increased rider demand. I will then pull up the passenger app on my personal phone and see no other drivers except for me anywhere near the zone. Yet multiple times this has happened and I haven't received a single ride request. Am I missing something, or do the surge color zones mean basically nothing? Anyone else have this happen or notice stuff like this?


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## Swed (Jul 20, 2014)

The color surges it seems are just to get drivers into areas that Uber feels are in need of them. I doesn't equate to actual rides for you.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

Dan_ator26 said:


> I drive in El Paso. Not a ton of demand usually, and not a ton of drivers yet either. They have the city split into two zones, the west side, and everywhere else. Often I will see an orange zone for the west side, indicating increased rider demand. I will then pull up the passenger app on my personal phone and see no other drivers except for me anywhere near the zone. Yet multiple times this has happened and I haven't received a single ride request. Am I missing something, or do the surge color zones mean basically nothing? Anyone else have this happen or notice stuff like this?


Yep keep just away from the colours and hope it surges. If right in the middle, Some drivers log off and watch for the zone to go full red before logging back on.


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## Tommyo (Aug 18, 2014)

My instincts tell me these are blown-up images intended to sensationalize the mundane. I tend to think of an inverted pyramid that identifies a five by five block area that has just head 3 or more pax requests in the last 10 minutes.


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## Realityshark (Sep 22, 2014)

I think it's all just one big mind ****. I imagine some geek at your local Uber office kicking back and laughing at all the drivers racing to the "surge" areas. Once enough of them get there, he shuts it off. Seriously, the passengers are getting smart enough to wait out the surge BS. I personally don't waste the gas chasing a surge.


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

There is only ONE indicator of surges. It is shown on the ping whether it's surge or not. 

At least 25% of the time you can be sitting in the middle of a supposed surge zone and will get pings that are not surge priced.


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## Salthedriver (Jun 28, 2014)

Just about everything about this company is BS


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## mattvuberx (Sep 30, 2014)

Realityshark said:


> I think it's all just one big mind ****. I imagine some geek at your local Uber office kicking back and laughing at all the drivers racing to the "surge" areas. Once enough of them get there, he shuts it off. Seriously, the passengers are getting smart enough to wait out the surge BS. I personally don't waste the gas chasing a surge.


No person controls the surge zone. However, if one did, I would expect that's exactly how it would work, because that's how it's supposed to work.


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

Realityshark said:


> I think it's all just one big mind ****. I imagine some geek at your local Uber office kicking back and laughing at all the drivers racing to the "surge" areas. Once enough of them get there, he shuts it off. Seriously, the passengers are getting smart enough to wait out the surge BS. I personally don't waste the gas chasing a surge.


There was a boatload of traffic at the airport tonight. I was the only UberX/XL in the entire area. There were no Uber black or suv's either.

One MIGHT think I'd get a surge fare or at least ONE of these tight ass customers would order up an XL fare? Helllll no. I passed on a half a dozen X pings waiting for an XL or for Uber to kick in the surge pricing and I would have taken an X at surge.

But they didn't. After waiting all damn day for this kind of setup on a slow day to boot. Nuthin.

So I shut off the damn phone and drove home.

Screw 'em all. They can freakin' walk for all I care.


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## UberMalibu (Sep 6, 2014)

I avoid surges now. Heat maps indicate nothing and often times I don't get any requests when I'm in a surge.


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## Tommyo (Aug 18, 2014)

I have to remain satisfied to follow my instincts and ignore most of the pro tips and other bs. Reality is Uber is really like a reverse mortgage for your car and you get to work for the cash twice.


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## RippGutt (Sep 6, 2014)

Sorry guys, but I'm in San Diego and the surges have been good especially on the weekends and holidays. I love when the whole city is surging!!! I feel like a kid in a candy store.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

Realityshark said:


> I think it's all just one big mind ****. I imagine some geek at your local Uber office kicking back and laughing at all the drivers racing to the "surge" areas. Once enough of them get there, he shuts it off. Seriously, the passengers are getting smart enough to wait out the surge BS. I personally don't waste the gas chasing a surge.


Hey Shark! I'm thinking that Uber has got a major shareholding in oil companies. Just think of all the extra fuel that is burnt following the surge mentality that they facilitate.

it is the most wasteful and carbon rich way of running a fleet of vehicles i have ever seen.

UBER - WE ARE TOO MEAN TO BE GREEN!


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## cybertec69 (Jul 23, 2014)

I can't believe drivers still fall for it, lol.


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## Realityshark (Sep 22, 2014)

mattvuberx said:


> No person controls the surge zone. However, if one did, I would expect that's exactly how it would work, because that's how it's supposed to work.


 Wow, you thought I was serious about one person controlling the surge....lol.


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## Realityshark (Sep 22, 2014)

RippGutt said:


> Sorry guys, but I'm in San Diego and the surges have been good especially on the weekends and holidays. I love when the whole city is surging!!! I feel like a kid in a candy store.


 ...At least it's working out for someone. Tear it up while you can and get fat as hell on all that candy! Happy for ya.


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## Dan_ator26 (Aug 15, 2014)

Seems like a lot more options in other cities. Here in El Paso, no way to actually pass up a fare, because they just aren't that plentiful. But anyways, the "surge" I was talking about are the yellow and orange color, which is not actually surge pricing at all. I have only seen the red color surge once or twice, briefly.


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## ontheroad (Aug 31, 2014)

Dan_ator26 said:


> I drive in El Paso. Not a ton of demand usually, and not a ton of drivers yet either. They have the city split into two zones, the west side, and everywhere else. Often I will see an orange zone for the west side, indicating increased rider demand. I will then pull up the passenger app on my personal phone and see no other drivers except for me anywhere near the zone. Yet multiple times this has happened and I haven't received a single ride request. Am I missing something, or do the surge color zones mean basically nothing? Anyone else have this happen or notice stuff like this?


I have commented on this several times and I could never get a straight answer


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