# More and more fake surges.



## Drivincrazy (Feb 14, 2016)

As drivers, old and new, driving at a loss, we are staying home, more and more. So, Uber teases drivers onto the road with surges but no rides. They just want us out there on the road in case they need us. But, of course, by the time we are there and ready...the surge is gone. What a bullshi_ way of conducting business. 
I'm thinking the NHTSB would/should look into this. It's a dangerous rideshare model...making drivers speed in order to get a ride where we actually make money. This, after Uber changes the original agreement by implementing a second, driver excluded fare called "upfront fare".


----------



## Jsaxophone (Nov 9, 2017)

Stop chasing surges. Problem solved.

The surge model is one that works for Uber, not for you, the driver. It's designed to get drivers to put around town and space out and cover more area, it's not designed to make you profit.

A surge is formed when the number of people *LOOKING* at their Uber app exceeds the number of nearby drivers by a certain percentage. It doesn't mean that people are REQUESTING rides, just looking. In fact, requests go down because no one wants to pay surge pricing if they don't have to.

If you think that you can ONLY make money during a Surge, you're doing it wrong. Stop putting on miles by chasing a surge, stop putting on miles because you want to make your way to a specific place, stop putting on miles by accepting 20minute pickups, and stop putting on any miles that don't include a stranger's ass in the passenger seat. You should be aiming for $1 for every odometer mile, which isn't realistic, but it's a good goal.


----------



## Drivincrazy (Feb 14, 2016)

I will not drive 15 miles to burbs at 3 am and drop a pax and then wait for a ride request that may or may not be where I want to go. I want to get back to the action, in my case, it's Las Vegas Blvd. I want 2x+ and I get it. You stay out there in the far reaches and wait until 5:30 for an X ride. I'll burn the miles to get back in the game, real soon. Every time. Do what works for you. I'll do the same. Good Luck sitting.


----------



## Jsaxophone (Nov 9, 2017)

If it's dead, I'll crawl around a bit, but the burbs aren't that dead, because no one is working them. Late night in the suburbs = walk of shame. Burbs are great in the mid morning.


----------



## ROCuberguy585 (Sep 10, 2017)

Sometimes it's better to sit, often it's better to drive around a bit. It's all about positioning. Use the rider app to see where cars are clumped then don't be in the clump. Ideally you need a bit of breathing room and it's good if you can be about 10 mins from everywhere. Need to know your area and understand where the demand is when. I saw a swarm around a local college campus at 6pm on Good Friday. It's like hello there were no classes today demand will be much lower than normal. I've also done dropoffs in a neighboring business park in the morning and seen the campus swarmed. On a frigid cold morning the city is the place to be, not a mainly residential campus in the burbs. I see 8-10 cars sitting in our airport queue after 9pm and through the night. We have a small airport compared to many markets, very little happens there after 8pm. I've seen poor fools there at 12am when the next arrival isn't till 4am. You have to be smart.

Surge is nice but not necessary to profit in all markets anyways. Have to know how to work it. Like Jsaxophone said it's not a guarantee of rides, it means there is simply more possible riders than drivers in said area. When it starts it'll be less likely pax will order rides at the increased rate unless they really need a ride. Your best bet is last call on weekends or on big bar days you'll also typically see sustained surging in the suburbs earlier in the evenings on those same days. They are only going to put off ordering a ride so long if their friends are waiting downtown or they are outside a bar at 4am. Unless you are absolutely positive the surge will be sustained (basically night before Thanksgiving and New Years after midnight only) don't chase the surge unless you are within a mile or driving that direction anyways. Once you are in or right outside the surge ignore all pings that don't have a surge this will serve keep demand up. Also if you have a boost zone and it's surging heavily in the area don't take anything outside the boost zone that's lower than the boost provided you're close to the boost zone. I won't drive out of my way for a surge and I won't go online for a surge unless my home is in the surge zone and I have nothing better to do anyways. Don't know about you but I signed on to this to make money not to be a mindless drone (or ant) that Uber can manipulate with some red on a map.


----------



## TresTrinity (Apr 13, 2018)

I haven't even seen a surge since Sunday. Things were going so great.....


----------



## IERide (Jul 1, 2016)

Uber doesnt “make” anyone speed.
If you break the speed limit, it’s because you decided to, not because Uber “made” you do it.


----------



## Rakos (Sep 2, 2014)

Stay offline until you are *INSIDE* the surge...

And I don't mean on the edge...

Anything else is crap...8>)

Rakos


----------



## MadTownUberD (Mar 11, 2017)

Jsaxophone said:


> Stop chasing surges. Problem solved.
> 
> The surge model is one that works for Uber, not for you, the driver. It's designed to get drivers to put around town and space out and cover more area, it's not designed to make you profit.
> 
> ...


$1 per odo mile is NOT unlrealistic in my market, and I am happy with it. In fact I got it today....$135 on 124 miles driven. Too bad after expenses it equated to about $12.50/hr. But, in some of the down time I got a good power nap at least.


----------



## UBR'N'LYFT'DRIVER (Mar 4, 2017)

I don't work for Uber and Lyft, those motha****ers work for me!


----------

