# I still haven't figured out how to play Lyft Primetime



## nononsense (Mar 24, 2016)

I get no indication on my Lyft App if request is Primetime or not. What do you guys do to try to pick up only Primetime fares above certain %?


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## macchiato (Sep 29, 2015)

Drivers are in the dark when PT requests come in.


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## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

When it's surging, switch off Lyft and go to Uber.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

You're all way off base, but on second thought, I ain't correcting y'all

Lyft PT does NOT work like uber surge - at all - is all I'm gonna say.... Its not even driven by the same parameter.


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## Flarpy (Apr 17, 2016)

In 55 Lyft rides I've never scored any sort of prime rate. It's like a unicorn.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

Some things it just takes time to get the hang of...

And some, you just suddenly get to the top of, where before it feels like you'll never get there

It's sorta like rating, there's an invisible line you cross and everything suddenly starts working out.

OR perhaps it *is* ratings; Lyft pings are rumored to prioritize higher rated drivers


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## Firstime (Apr 2, 2016)

My phone says 25%-75% at least 2-3 times an hr but it only shows for 1-3 min then goes away . There were times I could have swore I got pinged when it read 50% PT but my pay out didn't reflect that. I've had pax tell me they ordered a lyft bc uber was at surge prices. Ugh


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## BayArea Lyft Driver (Feb 26, 2015)

The only way to tell is where you see the colored squares or rectangles. The call has to come from that area for if to be PT. Only real way of f knowing is to. E in a huge PT area and get a short drive request, otherwise it's a somewhat a surprise when you end the trip and seee it was primetimd


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## Ben105 (Feb 27, 2016)

I've seen primetime, but NO pink squares, no matter how big. I zoom way out and have yet to see one, even though it regularly PTs at 75% or even 150%.


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## macchiato (Sep 29, 2015)

So nothing like this ?


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

Scott Benedict said:


> I've seen primetime, but NO pink squares, no matter how big. I zoom way out and have yet to see one, even though it regularly PTs at 75% or even 150%.


Those are "personal" PTs, made up of the smallest rectangles on the grid.... You gotta zoom in to find them, they're about the size of a large store (I.e. a local airport fits several such blocks and thus may have different levels of PT at different terminals..)


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

The number range you see is the range existing In the entire map (city /county/possibly state)

I've sat INSIDE and occasionally gotten two different counties' +100%'s and over in the last week though...so yeah you CAN catch em.

Mostly if you know in advance though. Your map lags like 3 minutes, fact (guaranteed primetime until 3am will de-pink the zone on map ~303-304am, but stop paying PT for pings received after 3 on the dot)

Take screenshots seek patterns.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

Firstime said:


> My phone says 25%-75% at least 2-3 times an hr but it only shows for 1-3 min then goes away . There were times I could have swore I got pinged when it read 50% PT but my pay out didn't reflect that. I've had pax tell me they ordered a lyft bc uber was at surge prices. Ugh


I've had pax order Lyft at JUST "200%" (aka 3.0x)because uber was at 12.0x...and they happy about it.


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## macchiato (Sep 29, 2015)

When given a choice passengers will take the cheaper alternative even though they weren't going to request at 12x. Sometimes giving people the option will trick people ordering something even if it was expensive. 

Classic example is Starbucks. They give customers three size choices, but even a 'tall' coffee costs $2.xx. Even though customers can get coffee elsewhere for cheaper, given a choice people will choose the cheapest option given to them.


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## Ben105 (Feb 27, 2016)

Nope, I've never seen itpink like that except in pictures.


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## BaitNSwitch (May 12, 2015)

It's pink like that but you have to zoom in. They have prime time so fragmented (i think on purpose) so that riders can walk a few blocks and get a non prime time ride. Keeps the drivers fooled and logged in, keeps the customers happy because they don't have to pay extra.


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## Ben105 (Feb 27, 2016)

I wouldn't even know where to zoom in as there is NO pink on the screen anywhere in the city or suburbs.


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## DexNex (Apr 18, 2015)

Adieu said:


> I've had pax order Lyft at JUST "200%" (aka 3.0x)because uber was at 12.0x...and they happy about it.


At that surge, I would not have been taking Lyft pings.


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## BostonBarry (Aug 31, 2015)

Firstime said:


> My phone says 25%-75% at least 2-3 times an hr but it only shows for 1-3 min then goes away . There were times I could have swore I got pinged when it read 50% PT but my pay out didn't reflect that. I've had pax tell me they ordered a lyft bc uber was at surge prices. Ugh


The banner with the % listed indicates there is PT somewhere in your coverage area. It does not mean you're going to get PT where you are now. 


BayArea Lyft Driver said:


> The only way to tell is where you see the colored squares or rectangles. The call has to come from that area for if to be PT. Only real way of f knowing is to. E in a huge PT area and get a short drive request, otherwise it's a somewhat a surprise when you end the trip and seee it was primetimd


Inaccurate. The Heat Map does not always indicate PT. I live in the suburbs where there is hardly ever any pink but have had surprise PT added to ride at end, even though the map had been blank for 30 minutes or more. You can also be in a dark pink zone and still end up with a regular rate because the pax had requested before PT was applied and had been canceled on by other drivers.

This is why I don't chase surge/pt, just take the requests as they come. I know where and when the best times/places are to drive, so I maximize my chances of getting PT but I don't count on it to justify my accepting a ride.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

DexNex said:


> At that surge, I would not have been taking Lyft pings.


Everyone was waiting it out anyway.... Plus I was new back then, rating in the red like 4.4-4.6....not 4.9 like now 

I didnt even care about the money from any individual ping, just wanted to be safe to stay on platform and farm my guarantees driving groups of Asian chicks a few blocks down to the 24h tofu and back to their dorms


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

Scott Benedict post: 1021115 said:


> I wouldn't even know where to zoom in as there is NO pink on the screen anywhere in the city or suburbs.


Sacramento? Still CA though, should see what places with robust demand are like on your map... Scroll down to San Fran for rush hour or party stuff (i guess), or LA/OC and look atSanta Monica at any peak hour and watch the lights show....or Balboa at bar rush.

Not that I'd willingly drive either. Lol. I prefer quieter pastures with longer hauls


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## Ben105 (Feb 27, 2016)

Sacramento is either oversaturated with Lyft drivers and/or there is a lack of demand. A customer told me that they like to request Lyft because there are more drivers and the wait time is less than Uber. Explains a lot.


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## CLAkid (Oct 23, 2014)

BostonBarry said:


> The banner with the % listed indicates there is PT somewhere in your coverage area. It does not mean you're going to get PT where you are now.
> 
> Inaccurate. The Heat Map does not always indicate PT. I live in the suburbs where there is hardly ever any pink but have had surprise PT added to ride at end, even though the map had been blank for 30 minutes or more. You can also be in a dark pink zone and still end up with a regular rate because the pax had requested before PT was applied and had been canceled on by other drivers.
> 
> This is why I don't chase surge/pt, just take the requests as they come. I know where and when the best times/places are to drive, so I maximize my chances of getting PT but I don't count on it to justify my accepting a ride.


Exactly. Chasing a surge is a newbie mistake.


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## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

CLAkid said:


> Exactly. Chasing a surge is a newbie mistake.


Depends on your market. I do it all the time and with great success. I nailed three long surge rides today by chasing them down.


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## CLAkid (Oct 23, 2014)

Greguzzi said:


> Depends on your market. I do it all the time and with great success. I nailed three long surge rides today by chasing them down.


Here in L.A., I can't be 100% if it's a prime time ride unless I'm in the middle of a fairly large pink zone and the ping is 1-2 minutes away.


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## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

CLAkid said:


> Here in L.A., I can't be 100% if it's a prime time ride unless I'm in the middle of a fairly large pink zone and the ping is 1-2 minutes away.


I never chase Prime Time. My Lyft app is off when it's surging on Uber.


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## DudeCity (Jun 22, 2015)

Why Lyft is hiding the P/T is

it to cheat the driver.......!


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## BostonBarry (Aug 31, 2015)

DudeCity said:


> Why Lyft is hiding the P/T is
> 
> it to cheat the driver.......!


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## chevelle454 (Aug 13, 2015)

Scott Benedict said:


> I wouldn't even know where to zoom in as there is NO pink on the screen anywhere in the city or suburbs.


Same here in Nj used to be able to see them but no longer? Using a I Phone 6 Plus


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## Ben105 (Feb 27, 2016)

chevelle454 said:


> Same here in Nj used to be able to see them but no longer? Using a I Phone 6 Plus


No, I use Android, an LG V10.


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## chevelle454 (Aug 13, 2015)

How's things on the left coast as sucky as the east coast??


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## THIRDEYE (Jul 2, 2015)

The reason most think Lyft is taking their PT is because the 2-3 minute lag. Most pax will request a ride as soon as PT goes away, but it still shows pink on the driver's side. 

If you have 2 devices, leave one in driver mode and the other as pax (will need to set up a separate account). When you get a ping, move the pin to where you're getting the request and you can confirm if it's PT. 
Sure, it's a pain in the ass, but it's paid off for me to ignore non-PT and get a 150% PT immediately. I'd rather give a quick 10 mile ride than go 30 miles plus more dead miles for the same pay.


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## ND379 (Mar 29, 2016)

Getting a PT is like catching a unicorn. I'm just amazed when it happens but never expect it.


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## DudeCity (Jun 22, 2015)

true tahat lyft pax sooo cheap

worse than Suber's..........!!!!!!!


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## FAC (Mar 27, 2016)

Prime time is as real as santa clause. You believe in him when your young and naive the. You grow up and learn he doesn't exist.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

FAC said:


> Prime time is as real as santa clause. You believe in him when your young and naive the. You grow up and learn he doesn't exist.


$80 ride last night says different... Woulda been $100, but had to disqualify it from guarantee hour


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

ND379 said:


> Getting a PT is like catching a unicorn. I'm just amazed when it happens but never expect it.


I hunt it. Don't expect HUGE wins from it, nice bonus tho....



FAC said:


> Prime time is as real as santa clause. You believe in him when your young and naive the. You grow up and learn he doesn't exist.












$310 Saturday OR "was $125, became $310":

175 fares ~= 125 base + 50 PT boost
50 PDB
55 AHGuarantees
20 cash tips
10 no shows


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

...who needs UberSelect,again? And who was calling me a tard for driving a depreciated diesel BMW on Lyft????


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## FAC (Mar 27, 2016)

Adieu said:


> I hunt it. Don't expect HUGE wins from it, nice bonus tho....
> 
> View attachment 38116
> 
> ...


Right on for catching so many prime time rides. I was being a bit sarcastic. My experience is the only time I see prime is 2am bar rush, or after a special event. Don't know if it's because most people use uber here than Lyft. I got a pt once didn't even know it was pt. it's so rare to see a pink heat map here.

Anyway congrats on the extra money. That's awesome. It's nice to see people succeed and get paid what they are with.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

FAC said:


> Right on for catching so many prime time rides. I was being a bit sarcastic. My experience is the only time I see prime is 2am bar rush, or after a special event. Don't know if it's because most people use uber here than Lyft. I got a pt once didn't even know it was pt. it's so rare to see a pink heat map here.
> 
> Anyway congrats on the extra money. That's awesome. It's nice to see people succeed and get paid what they are with.


Most of these never hit the map....just made predictable sense


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## SacTownDood (Apr 22, 2016)

I agree with Scott about our market in Sacramento. The last 3 months Lyft has gone into overdrive flooding the streets with drivers. The Friday and Saturday nite bar rushes barely trigger PT now as there are so many cars chasing either a new driver bouns, guarantee hour or PDB peak ride. In recent weeks they've been pushing guarantee chasers into " zones", aka sandboxes which makes it even worse.

Lyfts PT is like it is by design. Tough for drivers to trigger a surge ala uber, short lasting to counter pax's complaints about gouging, and tough to predict sometimes to prevent driver clustering. While it gives Lyft PR points and does reduce driver triggering, I see it also leave areas here underserved. Sometimes in the pax map, closest car will be 20 mins away in a area with demand and no PT. Well with no extra on the ride and no way to know if it's a PT drivers will just let those rides go.

I have noticed something, maybe others here can chime in as well to see if it's a fluke. Sometimes when logging in the pax app from a different account, it triggers a micro PT around my neighborhood for about 5 mins. Any others experience this?


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## macchiato (Sep 29, 2015)

You know what would help? Actual increases in mileage pricing. Also, as a driver in a pt zone, don't you think it actually make sense that we know what our agreed payment is? Independent contractors in any other field know what they're expected to get paid. Not so with Lyft hiding PT rates.


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## 666cartman666 (Feb 25, 2016)

Last night when Uber was surging 5X, Lyft was at 200% (3X). When Uber was surging at 2X, Lyft was at 25%.


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## FAC (Mar 27, 2016)

Adieu said:


> Most of these never hit the map....just made predictable sense


That's the true definition of driving smarter! Right on. It's awesome to read about drivers making money and able to take advantage of the little perks we get!


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

SacTownDood said:


> I agree with Scott about our market in Sacramento. The last 3 months Lyft has gone into overdrive flooding the streets with drivers. The Friday and Saturday nite bar rushes barely trigger PT now as there are so many cars chasing either a new driver bouns, guarantee hour or PDB peak ride. In recent weeks they've been pushing guarantee chasers into " zones", aka sandboxes which makes it even worse.
> 
> Lyfts PT is like it is by design. Tough for drivers to trigger a surge ala uber, short lasting to counter pax's complaints about gouging, and tough to predict sometimes to prevent driver clustering. While it gives Lyft PR points and does reduce driver triggering, I see it also leave areas here underserved. Sometimes in the pax map, closest car will be 20 mins away in a area with demand and no PT. Well with no extra on the ride and no way to know if it's a PT drivers will just let those rides go.
> 
> I have noticed something, maybe others here can chime in as well to see if it's a fluke. Sometimes when logging in the pax app from a different account, it triggers a micro PT around my neighborhood for about 5 mins. Any others experience this?


PT surge is crazy easy to trigger... Problem is, it's a classical "prisoners' dilemma" to orchestrate.

Also, big new driver onboarding bribes tend to smother the whole thing....unless the noobz are asleep. Or just got timed out by 14h/attempting to follow guarantees without a plan.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

666cartman666 said:


> Last night when Uber was surging 5X, Lyft was at 200% (3X). When Uber was surging at 2X, Lyft was at 25%.


LA and OC trends interplay, despite different pricing, since drivers get diverted out their zone

Also some "LyftOC" hot spots ARE in LA county, and many drivers can't quite recall where the borders are...that and Lyft never names the pinging city at all.

Hence, you got your cross border LyftOC drivers soaking up some LA pings thru zoning differences, force of habit, or by mistake.

At 95%-100% of $1.05 plus tips and 1ride/hour guarantees, vs. Uber rates, LyftOC miles and pings are worth roughly DOUBLE that of UberOC for a fulltimer....sometimes more.

LyftOC 200% is >$3 takehome pay / mile for fulltimers, making it about the same as LUX/SUV type rates or Uber 5x surge.... 20-30 miles to hit TRIPLE DIGIT$

Lyft 200% is even MORE if you consider how far many people take Lyft vs. Uber


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

Plus.... I've seen 350% on the map before.

$4.50-4.70 / mile.
$45 / hour time alone.


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## Jwhit16 (Aug 10, 2015)

nononsense said:


> I get no indication on my Lyft App if request is Primetime or not. What do you guys do to try to pick up only Primetime fares above certain %?


Lyft just recently took the cap off their surge pricing, so this should make it even more lucrative. Problem is a lot of times the primetime location is very pinpointed, so it's hard to be in that area at the right time. I drive at times and in places that are more likely to surge, and that's the only attention I pay to it. Driving around chasing surge prices will only waste gas and piss you off when you don't get it.


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## bingybingyfoo (May 5, 2016)

Hey, I'm interested, do you really never see the pink display? I've done more Lyfting the last couple weeks and they have been doing guaranteed PT in Sac, and those display too - can you see them? I often find that it's difficult to find the corresponding area with random PT (on the map), but they are often over in Davis, or random spots in the Arden Arcade area, when at first i don't see them in more expected spots. 
(Pic of the guaranteed PT zones)


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

oh theyre expected alright

Alsl the small squares and rectangles "ar random" essentially mean its been surging consostently foe over 3 mimutes there

Really small microsurges never get to the map, well, definitely not for you (theor driver) since map lags 3 minites, and probably not for others either

Pax get matched to drivers and picked up, miltiplier starts plummeting, full strength never hits the map

Mornings get sone GNARLY pt multipliers that hardly ever hit map


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## Agarcia578 (May 25, 2016)

This is what I see with Lyft in the OC 99% of the time.


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## Jack Pavlov (Nov 7, 2015)

I get primetime everyday, and I accept all rides. If i happen to be in an area with primetime, then awesome, if not, oh well. I typically don't chase primetime, I just know when my cities busiest hours are in each of the areas.


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## bingybingyfoo (May 5, 2016)

Seemed like the right spot to share what will probably be my greatest PT triumph. Yes, I went on purpose to Davis during grad week to catch my ride-price rides in this guarantee free week, and I even went unavailable between PT squares and did all the things as if I were a real PT chasing *****. (Since i like guarantee hours I mostly have ignored PT in the past).
And... I did get some luck.


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## Flarpy (Apr 17, 2016)

Nice, how long was trip?


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## Daniel Harbin (Sep 23, 2015)

In vegas PT is easy to spot and mostly tied to the strip. Always something going on in Vegas.


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## bingybingyfoo (May 5, 2016)

Flarpy said:


> Nice, how long was trip?


 To SFO, about 90mi


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## SuckA (May 4, 2016)

You gotta have 90% acceptance rating to get the prime time bonus.


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## Daniel Harbin (Sep 23, 2015)

SukAI dont believe so. A 90% rate is required for the 10% or 20% bonus along with a min of PT rides and a certain number of total rides. The term PT is also used for the bonus area rides. At least that is my understanding.


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## AllenChicago (Nov 19, 2015)

SacTownDood said:


> I have noticed something, maybe others here can chime in as well to see if it's a fluke. Sometimes when logging in the pax app from a different account, it triggers a micro PT around my neighborhood for about 5 mins. Any others experience this?


I've had several Chicago suburb passengers tell me that they delayed requesting their ride for a few minutes until the Prime-Time price went away. They say that it shows up for only 2 to 5 minutes every so often, and then goes away. I don't think the "micro prime times" are a fluke, but quite common SacTownDood. As someone else said, they aren't large enough or long enough to generate that pink patch on our maps.

There are a few passengers who get hit with a Prime-Time fare because it popped up in the between the time when they got the estimate and actually requested the ride. One of mine was extremely angry over this. Lyft lost that customer.


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## Skinny1 (Sep 24, 2015)

I've been getting better at playing prime time. I sit parked and watch the area....try to be sure the request comes from said area, and you have prime time.
11 of my 13 rides on Sat were prime time including a $45 2 mile trip ( it had a puker in the bag) so I didn't feel bad.
don't ask what I do to the other requests trying to pull me from prime time zones.... But I do have my limit and will leave if no ping comes in certain time frame.

also this is not perfect, I have take. Rides only to find out later they were not PT but I getting better.


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