# Wow you guys weren’t kidding, the pay stinks



## Valleymonger (Apr 4, 2019)

I’ve been an Uber user for years and thought I’d try driving. I have a lease ending in a few months and have some extra miles...so I thought I’d try to make a few bucks. Went out last night and wow. 2 hours to make 22 bucks. That’s gross pay and not counting gas or anything. This is much more of a grind for far less money than I realized. Never thought about it but I’ll certainly be tipping my Uber drivers a lot better from now on. So sorry it has gotten to this point for you guys. Personally, I’d have be very willing to pay a little more for rides if it meant knowing drivers are earning something more reasonable. Best of luck to all of you. Not going to be a regular user here but did want to register to share my thoughts.


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## amazinghl (Oct 31, 2018)

This is why the turn over rate is so high.


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## jaxbeachrides (May 27, 2015)

How much did you think it paid if you give $7 for a ride?


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## Valleymonger (Apr 4, 2019)

I doubt most people spend any time really thinking about it tbh. Kind of how humans are. We realize things more when we experience them for ourselves.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

I have at times shared my "earnings" page with people who are interested in how much an Uber driver makes, and they are often very impressed by my numbers. They often tell me things like, "wow, you make more than me and I'm a (insert high paying job here)! I'm going to be a driver". Even when I point at the little area that says *76h 23m Time Online. * They seem unphased. And that 76 hours online time actually indicates more time than that away from home. When take a trip down to Tahoe I often turn the app off on the hour journey on the way back for instance since there is practically no chance of a return trip and if I leave the app on that counts against the online time I am allowed to have for the day. (The app auto-logs off after 16 hours).

Perhaps I should be worried about creating competition that way, but I figure most of them will never last anyway. They will most likely, as you did, try it out and decide that it is better to make 80% as much in 40 hours a week than to make 20% more by driving for 80-100 hours. And as much as I like doing this, as time goes on I make less and less. With new flat surge I now make almost the same amount every day. Instead of making twice as much on a weekend night, I make like 10% more. I'm making hundreds of dollars less each week thanks to flat surge.

At one point I mainly phased out a lot of my home-based business stuff for Uber, but I can see in the future slowly phasing out driving for Uber.


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## TheDevilisaParttimer (Jan 2, 2019)

Trafficat said:


> I have at times shared my "earnings" page with people who are interested in how much an Uber driver makes, and they are often very impressed by my numbers. They often tell me things like, "wow, you make more than me and I'm a (insert high paying job here)! I'm going to be a driver". Even when I point at the little area that says *76h 23m Time Online. * They seem unphased. And that 76 hours online time actually indicates more time than that away from home. When take a trip down to Tahoe I often turn the app off on the hour journey on the way back for instance since there is practically no chance of a return trip and if I leave the app on that counts against the online time I am allowed to have for the day. (The app auto-logs off after 16 hours).
> 
> Perhaps I should be worried about creating competition that way, but I figure most of them will never last anyway. They will most likely, as you did, try it out and decide that it is better to make 80% as much in 40 hours a week than to make 20% more by driving for 80-100 hours. And as much as I like doing this, as time goes on I make less and less. With new flat surge I now make almost the same amount every day. Instead of making twice as much on a weekend night, I make like 10% more. I'm making hundreds of dollars less each week thanks to flat surge.
> 
> At one point I mainly phased out a lot of my home-based business stuff for Uber, but I can see in the future slowly phasing out driving for Uber.


75 hour week, you the man bro


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## 1995flyingspur (Aug 18, 2016)

TheDevilisaParttimer said:


> 75 hour week, you the man bro
> View attachment 309493


What the hell is that?


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## jgiun1 (Oct 16, 2017)

1995flyingspur said:


> What the hell is that?


 like a cross between a turkey and a turd


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

Actually it’s a meatball.

His roommates are a giant milkshake and a package of fries.


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## TheDevilisaParttimer (Jan 2, 2019)

1995flyingspur said:


> What the hell is that?


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

Valleymonger said:


> I've been an Uber user for years and thought I'd try driving. I have a lease ending in a few months and have some extra miles...so I thought I'd try to make a few bucks. Went out last night and wow. 2 hours to make 22 bucks. That's gross pay and not counting gas or anything. This is much more of a grind for far less money than I realized. Never thought about it but I'll certainly be tipping my Uber drivers a lot better from now on. So sorry it has gotten to this point for you guys. Personally, I'd have be very willing to pay a little more for rides if it meant knowing drivers are earning something more reasonable. Best of luck to all of you. Not going to be a regular user here but did want to register to share my thoughts.


That's why the drivers striked during the lyft IPO.


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## losiglow (Dec 4, 2018)

That's why I tell people that ever express interest in driving for Uber or Lyft that they need to A. Enjoy driving, B. Only drive if you have NOTHING else to do (e.g. on a Saturday night where you'd otherwise just be playing video games) and C. Keep track of all expenses to make sure you're even making money.

If you don't enjoy it, or could be doing something more productive or of course, aren't making significant money, it's a waste of time.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

losiglow said:


> That's why I tell people that ever express interest in driving for Uber or Lyft that they need to A. Enjoy driving, B. Only drive if you have NOTHING else to do (e.g. on a Saturday night where you'd otherwise just be playing video games) and C. Keep track of all expenses to make sure you're even making money.
> 
> If you don't enjoy it, or could be doing something more productive or of course, aren't making significant money, it's a waste of time.


Uber is perfect for me. I enjoy driving, plus have a lack of friends and hobbies. Pax often ask me what it is that I do for fun. I sometimes tell them I drive for Uber. :coolio: Pax ask me what clubs I go to. I tell them I go to whatever clubs the riders take me to.

Right now I have no other job, but for a while I worked a W2 job with typical sunrise to sunset hours, 6 days a week. I still often drove for Uber until Midnight after work. Why? Because it usually seemed more fun then what I was going to imagine doing at home. I do like going out in the desert to shoot guns but I can't do that during the black of night, nor can I really afford to shoot guns all that much anyway. On the other hand, if I drove for Uber all week after work, I could afford some ammo to shoot for fun on Sundays.

I suppose I can be hypocritical. I often criticize people for their expensive drinking habits but I convert my cash to propellant and burn it away too. I've got a scoped .223 handgun that I only shoot match-grade ammunition through. I practice shooting at jugs with the goal to be to get to the point where I can routinely score hits at 350 yards. I often keep it in my car so if some jerkwad starts shooting at a crowd from a tower like what happened in Vegas, I can return fire. At around 60 cents a shot, that $3.60 profit I just made off of that ride will only buy me 6 shots!


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## CDP (Nov 11, 2018)

1995flyingspur said:


> What the hell is that?


Meatwad.


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## Mr. M (Apr 5, 2019)

Valleymonger said:


> I've been an Uber user for years and thought I'd try driving. I have a lease ending in a few months and have some extra miles...so I thought I'd try to make a few bucks. Went out last night and wow. 2 hours to make 22 bucks. That's gross pay and not counting gas or anything. This is much more of a grind for far less money than I realized. Never thought about it but I'll certainly be tipping my Uber drivers a lot better from now on. So sorry it has gotten to this point for you guys. Personally, I'd have be very willing to pay a little more for rides if it meant knowing drivers are earning something more reasonable. Best of luck to all of you. Not going to be a regular user here but did want to register to share my thoughts.


You can't expect to do well just randomly starting Uber. I average about $22 an hour and on Friday and Saturday I can make $30 an hour.


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> Actually it's a meatball.


Why is it hairy, though?


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## VanGuy (Feb 15, 2019)

The Gift of Fish said:


> Why is it hairy, though?


Fiber?


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## rkozy (Apr 5, 2019)

Valleymonger said:


> Went out last night and wow. 2 hours to make 22 bucks. That's gross pay and not counting gas or anything.


Uber is best when used as "supplementary income" and not a primary source for paying your bills. Between the wear and tear on your car, and the unpredictable nature of the fares, you aren't going to get rich doing this. After accounting for fuel costs, you'll be doing well to earn $9 per hour most times.

If you don't mind drunk people getting in your face and/or vomiting in your car, you can actually make a little more than that.


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## Valleymonger (Apr 4, 2019)

Personally, I agree with the people here who have a big issue with that. It is work and should at least pay minimum wage imo. Here in Los Angeles it seems like that isn’t happening for a lot of people. Drivers saying it’s just supplemental income etc are playing into Uber’s hands at offering substandard pay and actually having people who defend that.


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## touberornottouber (Aug 12, 2016)

Valleymonger said:


> I've been an Uber user for years and thought I'd try driving. I have a lease ending in a few months and have some extra miles...so I thought I'd try to make a few bucks. Went out last night and wow. 2 hours to make 22 bucks. That's gross pay and not counting gas or anything. This is much more of a grind for far less money than I realized. Never thought about it but I'll certainly be tipping my Uber drivers a lot better from now on. So sorry it has gotten to this point for you guys. Personally, I'd have be very willing to pay a little more for rides if it meant knowing drivers are earning something more reasonable. Best of luck to all of you. Not going to be a regular user here but did want to register to share my thoughts.


The sad thing is the low pay isn't really because of passengers paying too little. Rather at this point it is more due to the company taking too much of the fare. Tipping definitely does help though.



Valleymonger said:


> Personally, I agree with the people here who have a big issue with that. It is work and should at least pay minimum wage imo. Here in Los Angeles it seems like that isn't happening for a lot of people. Drivers saying it's just supplemental income etc are playing into Uber's hands at offering substandard pay and actually having people who defend that.


The "just part time" or "supplemental income" is also the current official company line. It is very possible that some or all of these "drivers" are here on behalf of the company.


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## rkozy (Apr 5, 2019)

Valleymonger said:


> Drivers saying it's just supplemental income etc are playing into Uber's hands at offering substandard pay and actually having people who defend that.


I don't defend Uber. They're a horrible company that rips off their "driver partners" every day.

For me, it's an interesting way to earn a couple extra bucks or pass the time when there's nothing else to do. This isn't a career, and Uber is wrong for making so many people believe it can be. Uber's very high turnover rate speaks for itself. If it was really such a great job, they wouldn't need to keep begging for drivers on Indeed or at my local mall with a "Sign Up and Drive" kiosk near the food court.

It is what it is. I can earn a few extra bucks and meet some interesting people in my town. Thank God for my real job. I'd feel pretty vulnerable if Uber was my only source of income.



touberornottouber said:


> The sad thing is the low pay isn't really because of passengers paying too little. Rather at this point it is more due to the company taking too much of the fare. Tipping definitely does help though.
> 
> 
> The "just part time" or "supplemental income" is also the current official company line. It is very possible that some or all of these "drivers" are here on behalf of the company.


I'll never understand how Uber thinks taking 60% of a $5 fare is going to foster goodwill among the drivers who make them money. They have to know it causes severe morale issues, and drives their very high rate of turnover. Whenever I have a decent night of earnings, it's from the passenger giving me a generous tip...not from the inequitable pricing structure Uber has in place.

I'm not posting on behalf of the company. I'm posting because this seems to be a good place to vent. However, we all make the choice to drive (or not drive) for Uber. I can put up with the BS because the job does give me a few extra bucks while I get to meet (mostly) interesting people from my community. It's far from perfect and it's definitely not a career. But, it's better than stocking shelves at a grocery store part-time.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Valleymonger said:


> Personally, I agree with the people here who have a big issue with that. It is work and should at least pay minimum wage imo. Here in Los Angeles it seems like that isn't happening for a lot of people. Drivers saying it's just supplemental income etc are playing into Uber's hands at offering substandard pay and actually having people who defend that.


You think it's bad in LA, it's even worse in most of the country. I'm in Houston. Charlotte surge, not much of that, and drivers on every corner. There's no reason to even bother with the 2am crowd anymore.


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## Ubermcbc (Sep 25, 2016)

Valleymonger said:


> I've been an Uber user for years and thought I'd try driving. I have a lease ending in a few months and have some extra miles...so I thought I'd try to make a few bucks. Went out last night and wow. 2 hours to make 22 bucks. That's gross pay and not counting gas or anything. This is much more of a grind for far less money than I realized. Never thought about it but I'll certainly be tipping my Uber drivers a lot better from now on. So sorry it has gotten to this point for you guys. Personally, I'd have be very willing to pay a little more for rides if it meant knowing drivers are earning something more reasonable. Best of luck to all of you. Not going to be a regular user here but did want to register to share my thoughts.


Always tip the driver in cash. Atleast 50% tip through guber app uaually get stuck in some blackhole.


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## Pedro Paramo66 (Jan 17, 2018)

Valleymonger said:


> I've been an Uber user for years and thought I'd try driving. I have a lease ending in a few months and have some extra miles...so I thought I'd try to make a few bucks. Went out last night and wow. 2 hours to make 22 bucks. That's gross pay and not counting gas or anything. This is much more of a grind for far less money than I realized. Never thought about it but I'll certainly be tipping my Uber drivers a lot better from now on. So sorry it has gotten to this point for you guys. Personally, I'd have be very willing to pay a little more for rides if it meant knowing drivers are earning something more reasonable. Best of luck to all of you. Not going to be a regular user here but did want to register to share my thoughts.


This is not about money, the important thing is that you are your own boss, you are participating in Travis state of the art disruptive technology, you work when you want, you are meeting very exciting and very interesting people and you are making money aside in 16 hours daily of your spare time
Lol


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

" 


Valleymonger said:


> I've been an Uber user for years and thought I'd try driving. I have a lease ending in a few months and have some extra miles...so I thought I'd try to make a few bucks. Went out last night and wow. 2 hours to make 22 bucks. That's gross pay and not counting gas or anything. This is much more of a grind for far less money than I realized. Never thought about it but I'll certainly be tipping my Uber drivers a lot better from now on. So sorry it has gotten to this point for you guys. Personally, I'd have be very willing to pay a little more for rides if it meant knowing drivers are earning something more reasonable. Best of luck to all of you. Not going to be a regular user here but did want to register to share my thoughts.


"NO NEED TO TIP " !


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## Pedro Paramo66 (Jan 17, 2018)

losiglow said:


> That's why I tell people that ever express interest in driving for Uber or Lyft that they need to A. Enjoy driving, B. Only drive if you have NOTHING else to do (e.g. on a Saturday night where you'd otherwise just be playing video games) and C. Keep track of all expenses to make sure you're even making money.
> 
> If you don't enjoy it, or could be doing something more productive or of course, aren't making significant money, it's a waste of time.


You missed the more important point, in order to subsidize such ridiculous cheap fares you have to have a legitimate income source
Lol


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

TheDevilisaParttimer said:


> 75 hour week, you the man bro
> View attachment 309493


" Work whenever you Want " !


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## TheDevilisaParttimer (Jan 2, 2019)

tohunt4me said:


> " Work whenever you Want " !


Shark penis ???


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## Mr. M (Apr 5, 2019)

lol most of you obviously don’t know how to Experiment and learn so you can strategize. Good thing too if all of you were as good as me the competition would hurt. Respect to those of you who who do what I do, and to the rest I look forward to you giving up so I can wait a few less seconds on avg for a request. Just finished for today, here’s a couple very normal days for me including tonight and yesterday. I’ll post my whole damn week coming up to prove it.


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## TheDevilisaParttimer (Jan 2, 2019)

Mr. M said:


> lol most of you obviously don't know how to Experiment and learn so you can strategize. Good thing too if all of you were as good as me the competition would hurt. Respect to those of you who who do what I do, and to the rest I look forward to you giving up so I can wait a few less seconds on avg for a request. Just finished for today, here's a couple very normal days for me including tonight and yesterday. I'll post my whole damn week coming up to prove it.


Only average young grasshopper


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## Mr. M (Apr 5, 2019)

I doubt that, though I can Accept you may do it better than me. I’m only 3 1/2 months in and am changing things every day, getting better at seeing the bigger picture and such. used to average about 17 ish an hour and now I practically can’t make less then 22 with what I’ve learned by experimenting. I hope to be able to do 25 avg at 40 plus hours eventually. Thank you for letting me know I can do even better!!!


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## Valleymonger (Apr 4, 2019)

It’s a strange dynamic here. I don’t understand why any Uber driver would think this pay is fair compensation. Maybe the rates are significantly different in different cities. Not sure but I really feel for Uber drivers in a couple of ways. The low pay rate for one. And the fact that their fellow drivers seem to take pride in calling these low wages impressive.


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## Mr. M (Apr 5, 2019)

Valleymonger said:


> It's a strange dynamic here. I don't understand why any Uber driver would think this pay is fair compensation. Maybe the rates are significantly different in different cities. Not sure but I really feel for Uber drivers in a couple of ways. The low pay rate for one. And the fact that their fellow drivers seem to take pride in calling these low wages impressive.


What do you consider to be reasonable income for driving Uber?


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## TheDevilisaParttimer (Jan 2, 2019)

Mr. M said:


> I doubt that, though I can Accept you may do it better than me. I'm only 3 1/2 months in and am changing things every day, getting better at seeing the bigger picture and such. used to average about 17 ish an hour and now I practically can't make less then 22 with what I've learned by experimenting. I hope to be able to do 25 avg at 40 plus hours eventually. Thank you for letting me know I can do even better!!!


I notice on your pictures that you're doing a lot of trips to make +20/hour. Shorter more frequent trips are more wear and tear on your car plus less mpg. Try to lean toward shorter trips only with surge, go for longer trips in all else. I haven't been doing rideshare for some weeks but here's an example. Welcome to the forum.


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## Mr. M (Apr 5, 2019)

TheDevilisaParttimer said:


> I notice on your pictures that you're doing a lot of trips to make +20/hour. Shorter more frequent trips are more wear and tear on your car plus less mpg. Try to lean toward shorter trips only with surge, go for longer trips in all else. I haven't been doing rideshare for some weeks but here's an example. Welcome to the forum.
> View attachment 309880


Understood. Almost 1 trip per hour, I'm trying to imagine how lol. I have been realizing lately it's somewhat worth waltzing around in the right areas for a longer ride. I kind of want to focus on taking the short rides I can in those areas yet be patient for the long one in those areas.


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## Launchpad McQuack (Jan 8, 2019)

Trafficat said:


> With new flat surge I now make almost the same amount every day. Instead of making twice as much on a weekend night, I make like 10% more. I'm making hundreds of dollars less each week thanks to flat surge.


Congratulations!!! You have achieved more consistent earnings!


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## SurgeMasterMN (Sep 10, 2016)

TheDevilisaParttimer said:


>


#1 in The Hood G......


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## TheDevilisaParttimer (Jan 2, 2019)

Mr. M said:


> Understood. Almost 1 trip per hour, I'm trying to imagine how lol. I have been realizing lately it's somewhat worth waltzing around in the right areas for a longer ride. I kind of want to focus on taking the short rides I can in those areas yet be patient for the long one in those areas.


The trick is knowing which trips to decline, shuffle, and accept. After that the next thing will be knowledge about when and where your different types of pax move around. Now you can target particular pax types without cheating the system.


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## Launchpad McQuack (Jan 8, 2019)

The Gift of Fish said:


> Why is it hairy, though?


When you're a ball of meat that rolls around, you pick up some stuff. You know........hair, dirt, gravel, vomit.


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## Valleymonger (Apr 4, 2019)

Mr. M said:


> What do you consider to be reasonable income for driving Uber?


For one thing, it seems like drivers who are doing ok should realize that wouldn't necessarily be the case in other cities. It seems to almost be like Stockholm syndrome with some of the people around here. I wonder how low Uber would need to keep dropping rates to to get those people to understand they're being taken advantage of. I certainly don't think there should be Uber drivers working all day and living in their cars at night. Minimum wage after gas shouldn't even be a question. But it is.


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## touberornottouber (Aug 12, 2016)

rkozy said:


> I'll never understand how Uber thinks taking 60% of a $5 fare is going to foster goodwill among the drivers who make them money. They have to know it causes severe morale issues, and drives their very high rate of turnover. Whenever I have a decent night of earnings, it's from the passenger giving me a generous tip...not from the inequitable pricing structure Uber has in place.
> 
> I'm not posting on behalf of the company. I'm posting because this seems to be a good place to vent. However, we all make the choice to drive (or not drive) for Uber. I can put up with the BS because the job does give me a few extra bucks while I get to meet (mostly) interesting people from my community. It's far from perfect and it's definitely not a career. But, it's better than stocking shelves at a grocery store part-time.


I honestly think the people at the company basically see us as trash. It just so happens too that most trips are short so when they collect a higher percentage of money on these trips it means increased revenue for them.

Myself I get angry every time I get a $3 trip with no tip. Much of how I drive is now aimed at doing everything I can to avoid these short unprofitable trips. For example right now there is an event in my city with a lot of younger folks who tend to only go within a 3 mile radius. Since the pay for these trips is the minimum and as a rule the younger folks don't tip, I'm staying home. If each trip were at least $5 revenue I'd definitely be out there.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

Valleymonger said:


> For one thing, it seems like drivers who are doing ok should realize that wouldn't necessarily be the case in other cities. It seems to almost be like Stockholm syndrome with some of the people around here. I wonder how low Uber would need to keep dropping rates to to get those people to understand they're being taken advantage of. I certainly don't think there should be Uber drivers working all day and living in their cars at night. Minimum wage after gas shouldn't even be a question. But it is.


The fact of the matter is, the pay for an Uber driver isn't nearly enough in places where:

1) There are so many Uber Drivers compared to passengers that you have to wait between ride requests for a new one, even in busy areas.

2) Where Uber has slashed the rates of the fare below operating costs of the vehicles. In my market I get $0.87/mi, I don't know how it is possible to make it in parts of the country where the mileage rate is less than the standard mileage deduction!

Even where (2) is a problem, Uber only gets away with it because of driver saturation. If you're Uber and you can meet 100% of demand paying drivers $5/hr, why pay them $10/hr?

I don't believe regulation is an answer. Driver minimum wage regulation will lead to overall reduced pay potential and reduced freedom... no more sitting at home in the suburbs between shifts with the app on to take that occasional long trip to town.

DRIVER EDUCATION is the answer. If everyone knew the true cost of operating their vehicle, I believe Uber driving would make at least minimum wage for the driver, because most drivers would quit if they had any idea how little they actually make after expenses.


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## Jshawkat (Aug 26, 2016)

Valleymonger said:


> I've been an Uber user for years and thought I'd try driving. I have a lease ending in a few months and have some extra miles...so I thought I'd try to make a few bucks. Went out last night and wow. 2 hours to make 22 bucks. That's gross pay and not counting gas or anything. This is much more of a grind for far less money than I realized. Never thought about it but I'll certainly be tipping my Uber drivers a lot better from now on. So sorry it has gotten to this point for you guys. Personally, I'd have be very willing to pay a little more for rides if it meant knowing drivers are earning something more reasonable. Best of luck to all of you. Not going to be a regular user here but did want to register to share my thoughts.


Thank you for this!

Much respect


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

Ubermcbc said:


> Always tip the driver in cash. Atleast 50% tip through guber app uaually get stuck in some blackhole.


I think most in-app tips don't make it because of failure to press the submit button. But regardless, cash is best, especially for Lyft where in-app tips have in the past counted against hourly guarantee promotions.


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## Mr. M (Apr 5, 2019)

Valleymonger said:


> For one thing, it seems like drivers who are doing ok should realize that wouldn't necessarily be the case in other cities. It seems to almost be like Stockholm syndrome with some of the people around here. I wonder how low Uber would need to keep dropping rates to to get those people to understand they're being taken advantage of. I certainly don't think there should be Uber drivers working all day and living in their cars at night. Minimum wage after gas shouldn't even be a question. But it is.


I don't know what it's like outside of my area but I definitely agree that in areas where it's impossible for there to be enough riders to make what I make there should be a system in place to make it worth it. I mean really if Pax wants a ride that badly and low demand areas they should be willing to pay for it.



TheDevilisaParttimer said:


> The trick is knowing which trips to decline, shuffle, and accept. After that the next thing will be knowledge about when and where your different types of pax move around. Now you can target particular pax types without cheating the system.


 Interesting


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## rkozy (Apr 5, 2019)

touberornottouber said:


> Myself I get angry every time I get a $3 trip with no tip. Much of how I drive is now aimed at doing everything I can to avoid these short unprofitable trips.


One thing I've learned about Uber is that you can't always predict what will happen from trip to trip. One night, I picked up two 85-year-old ladies from a local supermarket. Neither could drive because they couldn't pass the vision test at the DMV. I figured they were on a fixed income, and since their homes were less than a mile away, I'd get my $2 for the fare and a friendly smile as a tip. After I dropped the second lady off at her home, she handed me $30 cash as a tip. She said she appreciated my patience for helping two old ladies with their groceries. I was absolutely floored by their generosity.

On the opposite end of that spectrum, I wound up with a Grammy-winning rapper (T-Pain) in my car one night after his tour bus had to stop in my town for a mandatory driver rest period. I drove T-Pain and his tour manager to a local strip club, hoping the millionaire rapper would toss me a huge tip for my courteous and professional service. Wrong. He tipped me $1 through the app. It was cool having T-Pain in my vehicle, but I was disappointed by the paltry dollar bill from a guy who could afford something more substantial.

Uber is like a roulette wheel. Every time it spins, you never know where it's going to land. You think you might have a pattern figured out, but it seldom works that way from my experience.


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## Ubermcbc (Sep 25, 2016)

touberornottouber said:


> I honestly think the people at the company basically see us as trash. It just so happens too that most trips are short so when they collect a higher percentage of money on these trips it means increased revenue for them.
> 
> Myself I get angry every time I get a $3 trip with no tip. Much of how I drive is now aimed at doing everything I can to avoid these short unprofitable trips. For example right now there is an event in my city with a lot of younger folks who tend to only go within a 3 mile radius. Since the pay for these trips is the minimum and as a rule the younger folks don't tip, I'm staying home. If each trip were at least $5 revenue I'd definitely be out there.


Look what other companies do when they hit the ceiling. Do they keep hiring? Do they decrease the pay of their entire workforce? If they do those two steps its their doomsday. We all know what usually happen and it becomes a news that some giant corporation let go several thousands of their employees.

Each city has a certain number of people. There are certain number of trips available every single day. Number of trips doesn't shoot up dramatically. May be once or twice a year for a certain event. Guber is not going to raise the rates for the drivers (for themself, yes). The only other solution is, there must be a cap on the number of drivers in each city.


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## NOXDriver (Aug 12, 2018)

With gas approaching $3/gallon in the NE I simply stopped driving. Spring means more divers and fewer rides.... meaning longer to make money.

I would use some more snow days.. made over $150 in 8 hours in the storms.


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## touberornottouber (Aug 12, 2016)

rkozy said:


> One thing I've learned about Uber is that you can't always predict what will happen from trip to trip. One night, I picked up two 85-year-old ladies from a local supermarket. Neither could drive because they couldn't pass the vision test at the DMV. I figured they were on a fixed income, and since their homes were less than a mile away, I'd get my $2 for the fare and a friendly smile as a tip. After I dropped the second lady off at her home, she handed me $30 cash as a tip. She said she appreciated my patience for helping two old ladies with their groceries. I was absolutely floored by their generosity.
> 
> On the opposite end of that spectrum, I wound up with a Grammy-winning rapper (T-Pain) in my car one night after his tour bus had to stop in my town for a mandatory driver rest period. I drove T-Pain and his tour manager to a local strip club, hoping the millionaire rapper would toss me a huge tip for my courteous and professional service. Wrong. He tipped me $1 through the app. It was cool having T-Pain in my vehicle, but I was disappointed by the paltry dollar bill from a guy who could afford something more substantial.
> 
> Uber is like a roulette wheel. Every time it spins, you never know where it's going to land. You think you might have a pattern figured out, but it seldom works that way from my experience.


You have a point but if 95% of the time the pattern holds true then I'm going to continue using it.


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## AnotherUberGuy (Oct 26, 2018)

Valleymonger said:


> It's a strange dynamic here. I don't understand why any Uber driver would think this pay is fair compensation. Maybe the rates are significantly different in different cities. Not sure but I really feel for Uber drivers in a couple of ways. The low pay rate for one. And the fact that their fellow drivers seem to take pride in calling these low wages impressive.


Oh boy, this topic again, my favorite! 

There are people out there (lots of people) who will drive for a couple of $4 trash rides per hour and are happy with that because its better than nothing. The second part of this discussion is: At the end of the day, you're driving a car. It's a low skill job, no better than flipping burgers or emptying trash cans. What do you think is a "fair" compensation for this?

Until Uber is regulated (if ever) to pay more than peanuts, you have to either accept the low pay or figure out a way to work your area (surge, airports, events, etc.) to get better pay. There are also many threads here proposing various forms of protest and strike, and join in to that if you wish, and realize you're in for an uphill climb.


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## Mr. M (Apr 5, 2019)

AnotherUberGuy said:


> Oh boy, this topic again, my favorite!
> 
> There are people out there (lots of people) who will drive for a couple of $4 trash rides per hour and are happy with that because its better than nothing. The second part of this discussion is: At the end of the day, you're driving a car. It's a low skill job, no better than flipping burgers or emptying trash cans. What do you think is a "fair" compensation for this?
> 
> Until Uber is regulated (if ever) to pay more than peanuts, you have to either accept the low pay or figure out a way to work your area (surge, airports, events, etc.) to get better pay. There are also many threads here proposing various forms of protest and strike, and join in to that if you wish, and realize you're in for an uphill climb.


there are so many bad drivers on the road and so many Uber drivers that don't drive well and I'm sure all of them can empty a trashcan just fine. I can only imagine that driving Uber with the mentality that there's very little skill involved it's going to hurt you greatly with your rating regardless of whether or not rating is important, It is likely a sign that you don't take the job seriously if you have a low one. Also anyone who looks at flipping burgers as a low skill jobs is also probably pretty bad at flipping burgers. In my experience when it comes to the jobs you're calling low skill they almost always tend to push anyone into their limit and if they're not pushing themselves to their limit they're not doing their job very well. Sure to be a doctor or a lawyer you need a lot of education and training compared to something like flipping burgers yet none of that training or education is going to help you be good at flipping burgers and most people who do have so-called high skill jobsWill struggle just the same as anyone else if they were to do a so-called low skill job. My point is just that skill is not what's in question for your 2nd statement you're really just talking about how much training was required. I can absolutely guarantee that with your perception you would never come Close to the level of skill I and others have at driving unless you changed your perspective. Safe driving is a skill with virtually no cap, You will only be as good at it as you try to be, and you can only try to be as good at it as you think one can be. So if you think the Skill is low, You will only try to have a low skill level. This is why I know your skill cannot be that great.

Though maybe your skill is great, If so one can only imagine how great you would be if you took it seriously enough to believe it required great skill to be great. Maybe then you could be the greatest but until then, I think anyone should care less as to what you have to say about the skill involved.

Oh I almost forgot that we were talking about pay. There's just so much to say about skill LOL. I'm personally pretty happy with the pay. I do think it's fair and if it was much higher Uber would not be able to compete with taxis. Of course I do think that it would not be wrong to be paid more or even to be paid a lot more though that's only because of how hard I personally work and there are certainly those who would not deserve such pay Such as those who think this job is easy probably don't deserve to be paid more. The fact that certain markets are very difficult to work in and make good money is really just A lesson that driving Uber where you live is a bad choice and the fact that your market is bad is not really Uber's fault. You have to hold yourself accountable for the fact that you're trying to do the impossible if you're upset at being in capable of making good money in a bad market even if you're really trying your best. There are many businesses that don't work in certain areas.If you want Uber to babysit you and explain that your market isn't good you're asking way too much.

And one more thing, if you really want to be paid more that badly you do what any business man or woman does. You take the steps necessary and Uber actually provides a path. With Uber black Uber select UberXL Uber SUV all of these will pay much higher as well as charge much more for the customers. And what do you know, for most people in order to reach the point of being able to drive under one of those titles unless you already have a good bit of money you're going to have to spend up to years mastering the art, saving money And being a goddamn boss at ride sharing, No one's giving handouts. Now quit y'alls complaining Or quit driving Uber either way you'll do everyone and yourself a favor. This is capitalism baby, get over it.

Here is my shift for last night. It's really not what I wanted I could've done better I made a couple mistakes. My Thursday and Friday shifts are shown in my post here not long before this one.


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## Valleymonger (Apr 4, 2019)

Nobody is saying a “low skill” employee should be paid like an nba all-star. But there’s an ocean of difference between that and the pay we are talking about.


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## Mr. M (Apr 5, 2019)

Valleymonger said:


> Nobody is saying a "low skill" employee should be paid like an nba all-star. But there's an ocean of difference between that and the pay we are talking about.


Again I'm curious as to the pay your talking about, should I Be able to make even more than $24 an hour like I did today doing exactly what I did? I mean short trips do feel wasteful though it's not impossible to work yourself into situations where short trips isn't all you do. I just like to hear something specific like " trips that are 2 miles and take over 10 minutes should have some kind of bonus added to them" I like that idea, that would be difficult for Uber to do for I'm sure they've done the calculations to predict the kind of impact increasing the price would have on the amount of people who would be willing to pay for it. It's a very complex subject which I'm not aware of, as far as I can tell no one here has the knowledge to come up with a reasonable change. Instead here we are wishing to Uber that they come up with something


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## Valleymonger (Apr 4, 2019)

Why does you making $24 in your market have anything to do with others in other markets? It seems to me that your entire perspective is ego based. That somehow you think you’re better at this than the people earning less. It’s a strange perspective and there’s probably nothing anyone can say to make you feel that Uber pay rates are unfair in any way. Regardless of what that pay actually is.


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## Mr. M (Apr 5, 2019)

Valleymonger said:


> Why does you making $24 in your market have anything to do with others in other markets? It seems to me that your entire perspective is ego based. That somehow you think you're better at this than the people earning less. It's a strange perspective and there's probably nothing anyone can say to make you feel that Uber pay rates are unfair in any way. Regardless of what that pay actually is.


Like I said if the market is bad you should probably not be driving Uber in said market. Uber isnt forcing you to work there. Maybe you should try making your own ride sharing business in said market And see how well it works out when you try to charge enough so that those who use the rideshare can earn a living. I mean that's what capitalism is about anyone can do it.



Valleymonger said:


> Why does you making $24 in your market have anything to do with others in other markets? It seems to me that your entire perspective is ego based. That somehow you think you're better at this than the people earning less. It's a strange perspective and there's probably nothing anyone can say to make you feel that Uber pay rates are unfair in any way. Regardless of what that pay actually is.


I do hope this isnt all based on the two hours you tried. I've had plenty of times where it for two hours I made $10 or even less. I pay attention to where I was when I did make that little I pay attention to what time it was and what day it was and I go back to that spot at the same time to see if I make the same amount of low money. Maybe I do maybe I don't either way I keep going back I tried different times on different days and I figure out if that spot is good or not at what times on what days. If there's no way after a lot of experimentation that that spot can ever be good then you should never go there. If you approach your market with this mentality and you find it everywhere is bad most of the time on most days then you definitely need to quit driving Uber and find a different occupation which that market is looking for because it's not looking for Uber drivers and you shouldn't expect Uber to simply make it more expensive for customers so that it can work for you. If the market is bad after experimentation the way I just described that I am really sorry because I love driving Uber and I feel bad that you're not able to do it where you are because it is really really good. But I'm sorry it's not good everywhere. Nor could it ever be.



Valleymonger said:


> Why does you making $24 in your market have anything to do with others in other markets? It seems to me that your entire perspective is ego based. That somehow you think you're better at this than the people earning less. It's a strange perspective and there's probably nothing anyone can say to make you feel that Uber pay rates are unfair in any way. Regardless of what that pay actually is.


I mean honestly try it out you would be an absolute legend a God of business and ridesharing you would be talked about across the world for being someone who created a ridesharing business where drivers could make a living in areas where Uber was not able to. It would be incredible I would love to see it and I would probably come work for you.


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## Valleymonger (Apr 4, 2019)

Like I said, you're consistently defending Uber and feel they can pay as little as they want without anyone being able to have a legitimate complaint. So it's a pointless debate. There's nothing that can be said that will change your perspective. We're just going in circles here so I'm checking out. If you'd like the last word, go ahead and take it. There are certainly rates in the country that I feel are reasonable (definitely not what is being paid in Los Angeles) so I feel I'm showing a lot more flexibility in this. If there are unreasonable low rates in some of the country, I don't know that you'd acknowledge it and if so it seems like you would blame the driver for working at that rate. Like I said, no point in this conversation. You feel one way and I feel another.

Made it pretty clear this isn't my occupation and never will be btw. I was just expressing empathy for drivers who depend on Uber money in their lives


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## Mr. M (Apr 5, 2019)

Mr. M said:


> Like I said if the market is bad you should probably not be driving Uber in said market. Uber isnt forcing you to work there. Maybe you should try making your own ride sharing business in said market And see how well it works out when you try to charge enough so that those who use the rideshare can earn a living. I mean that's what capitalism is about anyone can do it.
> 
> 
> I do hope this isnt all based on the two hours you tried. I've had plenty of times where it for two hours I made $10 or even less. I pay attention to where I was when I did make that little I pay attention to what time it was and what day it was and I go back to that spot at the same time to see if I make the same amount of low money. Maybe I do maybe I don't either way I keep going back I tried different times on different days and I figure out if that spot is good or not at what times on what days. If there's no way after a lot of experimentation that that spot can ever be good then you should never go there. If you approach your market with this mentality and you find it everywhere is bad most of the time on most days then you definitely need to quit driving Uber and find a different occupation which that market is looking for because it's not looking for Uber drivers and you shouldn't expect Uber to simply make it more expensive for customers so that it can work for you. If the market is bad after experimentation the way I just described that I am really sorry because I love driving Uber and I feel bad that you're not able to do it where you are because it is really really good. But I'm sorry it's not good everywhere. Nor could it ever be.
> ...





Valleymonger said:


> Why does you making $24 in your market have anything to do with others in other markets? It seems to me that your entire perspective is ego based. That somehow you think you're better at this than the people earning less. It's a strange perspective and there's probably nothing anyone can say to make you feel that Uber pay rates are unfair in any way. Regardless of what that pay actually is.


How about this maybe Uber shouldn't pay per ride, It should pay per hour, And It shouldn't be based on where you live they should just spread it out all over evenly that way people in good markets make less and people and bad markets make more. That way even if you're in the worst possible market where you might get one ride in 10 hours it won't matter you get paid per hour. And this way we would be employees and we would get health insurance And once there's so many drivers that the pay spread gets down to minimum wage no more drivers are allowed to work for them because of one more driver works for them the pay for everybody becomes less than minimum-wage and that would be illegal. You see where I'm going here? There's really nothing wrong with the way Uber is doing it.



Valleymonger said:


> Like I said, you're consistently defending Uber and feel they can pay as little as they want without anyone being able to have a legitimate complaint. So it's a pointless debate. There's nothing that can be said that will change your perspective. We're just going in circles here so I'm checking out. If you'd like the last word, go ahead and take it. There are certainly rates in the country that I feel are reasonable (definitely not what is being paid in Los Angeles) so I feel I'm showing a lot more flexibility in this. If there are unreasonable low rates in some of the country, I don't know that you'd acknowledge it and if so it seems like you would blame the driver for working at that rate. Like I said, no point in this conversation. You feel one way and I feel another.
> 
> Made it pretty clear this isn't my occupation and never will be btw. I was just expressing empathy for drivers who depend on Uber money in their lives


Listen dude whenever you're ready to have a real conversation And offer interest in what I'm literally saying or counter arguments to what I'm literally saying I will be here. But if you're going to just run away from a conversation because you can't handle it well that's on you buddy.

Oh and by the way I don't give two shits about Uber. I could care less about defending them I don't think they are great and I don't think they are bad they're just a business and you obviously don't understand business. Uber is for business owners and business minded people you are obviously an employee minded person.


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## Mr. M (Apr 5, 2019)

Ultimately if you really believe that you’re being treated unfairly if you really believe that Uber can do it so much better go do it yourself. Create the vision you have of a better ride share. Make a rideshare that’s for drivers not for riders. You be the guy. I’ll tell you what if someone does create the rideshare that you want That person was not wasting their time begging Uber to do it for them.


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## Whisena (Jun 6, 2016)

Trafficat said:


> I have at times shared my "earnings" page with people who are interested in how much an Uber driver makes, and they are often very impressed by my numbers. They often tell me things like, "wow, you make more than me and I'm a (insert high paying job here)! I'm going to be a driver". Even when I point at the little area that says *76h 23m Time Online. * They seem unphased. And that 76 hours online time actually indicates more time than that away from home. When take a trip down to Tahoe I often turn the app off on the hour journey on the way back for instance since there is practically no chance of a return trip and if I leave the app on that counts against the online time I am allowed to have for the day. (The app auto-logs off after 16 hours).
> 
> Perhaps I should be worried about creating competition that way, but I figure most of them will never last anyway. They will most likely, as you did, try it out and decide that it is better to make 80% as much in 40 hours a week than to make 20% more by driving for 80-100 hours. And as much as I like doing this, as time goes on I make less and less. With new flat surge I now make almost the same amount every day. Instead of making twice as much on a weekend night, I make like 10% more. I'm making hundreds of dollars less each week thanks to flat surge.
> 
> At one point I mainly phased out a lot of my home-based business stuff for Uber, but I can see in the future slowly phasing out driving for Uber.


Wow, you have a chance yo ruin someone's life by encouraging them to quit their jon and do uber and you didn't. I am disappointed in you.


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## Mr. M (Apr 5, 2019)

Valleymonger said:


> Like I said, you're consistently defending Uber and feel they can pay as little as they want without anyone being able to have a legitimate complaint. So it's a pointless debate. There's nothing that can be said that will change your perspective. We're just going in circles here so I'm checking out. If you'd like the last word, go ahead and take it. There are certainly rates in the country that I feel are reasonable (definitely not what is being paid in Los Angeles) so I feel I'm showing a lot more flexibility in this. If there are unreasonable low rates in some of the country, I don't know that you'd acknowledge it and if so it seems like you would blame the driver for working at that rate. Like I said, no point in this conversation. You feel one way and I feel another.
> 
> Made it pretty clear this isn't my occupation and never will be btw. I was just expressing empathy for drivers who depend on Uber money in their lives


I keep forgetting things you just say so many things. Uber can pay as little as they want. We're not employees therefore they can pay whatever they want and that's what it should be unless you want to be employee and potential he get paid minimum-wage because that's what they should do if they want to make the most amount of money possible if they do it employee based.


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## Humphrey (Aug 18, 2018)

Mr. M said:


> You can't expect to do well just randomly starting Uber. I average about $22 an hour and on Friday and Saturday I can make $30 an hour.


I can attest to that. I only take surge trips and I average 40.00 an hour. You should only take surge trips of 4X or more.


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## rkozy (Apr 5, 2019)

touberornottouber said:


> You have a point but if 95% of the time the pattern holds true then I'm going to continue using it.


We all must do what we believe is the best thing for our bottom line. Uber doesn't care about my financial well-being, so I feel no obligation to accept every ping they throw me. In recent weeks, I've stopped accepting ride requests that are too far away. Unfortunately, you don't know exactly what you are giving up in every instance. Perhaps that person 11 miles away is a great tipper, or will be going somewhere you can justifiably longhaul them. There are so many unknowns in the rideshare equation. In the end, I've found that dumb luck plays as much of a role as skillful guessing.


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## touberornottouber (Aug 12, 2016)

rkozy said:


> We all must do what we believe is the best thing for our bottom line. Uber doesn't care about my financial well-being, so I feel no obligation to accept every ping they throw me. In recent weeks, I've stopped accepting ride requests that are too far away. Unfortunately, you don't know exactly what you are giving up in every instance. Perhaps that person 11 miles away is a great tipper, or will be going somewhere you can justifiably longhaul them. There are so many unknowns in the rideshare equation. In the end, I've found that dumb luck plays as much of a role as skillful guessing.


I actually see Uber as malicious. I've seen them send me 5 miles away to get a $3 ride when there were five other closer drivers. I don't trust them at all and due to that I am willing to drive far less to get a ping on Uber than I am Lyft. But it is also on a case by case basis based on factors such as the time and location. In general though I assume Uber pings are crap unless they are 45+ long trips because, well, for the most part that is all they give me -- crap.


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## mbd (Aug 27, 2018)

Valleymonger said:


> I've been an Uber user for years and thought I'd try driving. I have a lease ending in a few months and have some extra miles...so I thought I'd try to make a few bucks. Went out last night and wow. 2 hours to make 22 bucks. That's gross pay and not counting gas or anything. This is much more of a grind for far less money than I realized. Never thought about it but I'll certainly be tipping my Uber drivers a lot better from now on. So sorry it has gotten to this point for you guys. Personally, I'd have be very willing to pay a little more for rides if it meant knowing drivers are earning something more reasonable. Best of luck to all of you. Not going to be a regular user here but did want to register to share my thoughts.


Pay is trying to keep pace with pax ....

Stink


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## AnotherUberGuy (Oct 26, 2018)

Mr. M said:


> I can absolutely guarantee that with your perception you would never come Close to the level of skill I and others have at driving unless you changed your perspective.


I also think that anyone gets better at their occupation over time, whether it be driving Uber, flipping burgers, or whatever. The thing is that whether you're a good burger flipper or a mediocre burger flipper, you're still making burgers. The fact that you are the best burger maker in the house really doesn't mean much in the eyes of your boss. The expectation is low and the skill set is low.

So it goes with Uber. I think there are a lot of drivers out there who consciously try to do a good job and go above and beyond. I also know for sure there are a LOT of very poor quality drivers out there. Dirty cars, bad attitudes, can't use a GPS, etc. Riders love the good drivers because it makes for a positive experience for them. Good drivers go above and beyond because that is just the kind of person they are and they take pride in their work. And maybe they get a little more coin in the form of tips. The problem is that we are all ants in the eyes of Uber and we all make the same peanuts. It does not matter to Uber whether you are good or bad, you just drive.

I agree that the better drivers ought to receive some better form of compensation. The problem here is that if Uber tried to be more involved in driver evaluation and/or create some sort of pay scale based on seniority or high ratings ... well, that's starting to look a lot like an employee/employer relationship, so we know that will never happen.


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## Soldiering (Jan 21, 2019)

1995flyingspur said:


> What the hell is that?


Looks like a turd or a turdturkey if there is such a thing. ?



The Gift of Fish said:


> Why is it hairy, though?


It's not hairy bro, it's pitted like meat, ground beef specifically ?



touberornottouber said:


> I actually see Uber as malicious. I've seen them send me 5 miles away to get a $3 ride when there were five other closer drivers. I don't trust them at all and due to that I am willing to drive far less to get a ping on Uber than I am Lyft. But it is also on a case by case basis based on factors such as the time and location. In general though I assume Uber pings are crap unless they are 45+ long trips because, well, for the most part that is all they give me -- crap.


Yes Guber is full of it. They do that too me too. What's worse is paxholes don't care so your getting tagteamed, what a feeling, huh?


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## Mr. M (Apr 5, 2019)

AnotherUberGuy said:


> I also think that anyone gets better at their occupation over time, whether it be driving Uber, flipping burgers, or whatever. The thing is that whether you're a good burger flipper or a mediocre burger flipper, you're still making burgers. The fact that you are the best burger maker in the house really doesn't mean much in the eyes of your boss. The expectation is low and the skill set is low.
> 
> So it goes with Uber. I think there are a lot of drivers out there who consciously try to do a good job and go above and beyond. I also know for sure there are a LOT of very poor quality drivers out there. Dirty cars, bad attitudes, can't use a GPS, etc. Riders love the good drivers because it makes for a positive experience for them. Good drivers go above and beyond because that is just the kind of person they are and they take pride in their work. And maybe they get a little more coin in the form of tips. The problem is that we are all ants in the eyes of Uber and we all make the same peanuts. It does not matter to Uber whether you are good or bad, you just drive.
> 
> I agree that the better drivers ought to receive some better form of compensation. The problem here is that if Uber tried to be more involved in driver evaluation and/or create some sort of pay scale based on seniority or high ratings ... well, that's starting to look a lot like an employee/employer relationship, so we know that will never happen.


That's all making a lot of sense.


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## Erin C Banning (Jul 3, 2018)

Valleymonger said:


> I've been an Uber user for years and thought I'd try driving. I have a lease ending in a few months and have some extra miles...so I thought I'd try to make a few bucks. Went out last night and wow. 2 hours to make 22 bucks. That's gross pay and not counting gas or anything. This is much more of a grind for far less money than I realized. Never thought about it but I'll certainly be tipping my Uber drivers a lot better from now on. So sorry it has gotten to this point for you guys. Personally, I'd have be very willing to pay a little more for rides if it meant knowing drivers are earning something more reasonable. Best of luck to all of you. Not going to be a regular user here but did want to register to share my thoughts.


You're not wrong, but on the other hand that was your first 2 hours. I made ~$15 in my first two hours, so you've got me beat there 

But ... as with anything there's a bit of skill and know-how involved, and now I routinely can average $20+/hour net (accounting for tolls and gas, I don't track depreciation). It's all in knowing the right times and places to pick, and the right tactic to use in bouncing between uber and lyft.

Now, that being said, your fundamental point is sound and is one most riders are unaware of --> their convenience is being underwritten by exploiting underpaid workers -- you're absolutely right about that.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

rkozy said:


> On the opposite end of that spectrum, I wound up with a Grammy-winning rapper (T-Pain) in my car one night after his tour bus had to stop in my town for a mandatory driver rest period. I drove T-Pain and his tour manager to a local strip club, hoping the millionaire rapper would toss me a huge tip for my courteous and professional service. Wrong. He tipped me $1 through the app. It was cool having T-Pain in my vehicle, but I was disappointed by the paltry dollar bill from a guy who could afford something more substantial.


Overall I think it is pretty unfair that a person is expected to pay more for the same service just because they are well off. What I think it is funny is I once worked a job where my coworkers made more per hour than me, they always called me rich because I had thousands of dollars in my bank account instead of living check to check like them. They would often come to me for interest free loans, which I would often grant since they would pay me back when they got their paychecks. But they expected me to split the bills for team dinners evenly when I only order $4 worth of food and they ordered $80 worth of food and beverages. So I generally said I didn't want to go to team dinners. I got a reputation for being rich and stingy. Oh well. I got "rich" by not spending $80 for food every other day.

As for a millionaire rap artist... he may have a million dollars... but it is his to spend as he wants. If he gives the same tip as another rider who is poorer he deserves the same respect as anyone poorer who gave the same tip in my opinion. His overall generosity could still be very high, just that he prefers to express it towards say, charity, than Uber driver tips.

That said, I too was once upset by a rap artist over a matter of tipping. I wasn't expecting a tip, and wasn't going to hold it against him if he didn't tip... EXCEPT THAT HE SAID HE WOULD GIVE ME A BIG TIP IN THE APP AND DIDN'T GIVE ME A TIP AT ALL.

People should really refrain from making promises that they don't intend to fulfill.


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## Valleymonger (Apr 4, 2019)

_You're not wrong, but on the other hand that was your first 2 hours. I made ~$15 in my first two hours, so you've got me beat there :wink:

But ... as with anything there's a bit of skill and know-how involved, and now I routinely can average $20+/hour net (accounting for tolls and gas, I don't track depreciation). It's all in knowing the right times and places to pick, and the right tactic to use in bouncing between uber and lyft.

Now, that being said, your fundamental point is sound and is one most riders are unaware of --> their convenience is being underwritten by exploiting underpaid workers -- you're absolutely right about that. _

Right. There are certainly multiple points being made in this thread. It's not just one points and it's not mutually exclusive. Uber drivers can develop more skill/knowledge at their job...certain areas can offer reasonable rates while other areas don't...the company can be exploiting underpaid workers...and some of those workers can still be making decent money in their particular situation.

All of the above can be true.

Obviously, we all understand that some people and companies take advantage of individuals when given the opportunity. It's why laws are written. We shouldn't need to tell each other "don't murder and rape out there," but some people will do it and laws are written to attempt to deal with that.

On a less intense part of the spectrum, minimum wages exist in big part because without it, people/companies would exploit individuals to an extreme degree. Even something like the Lime/Bird scooters that started overflowing on the streets in Los Angeles and other big cities. It was a problem that didn't exist before. So city councils are trying to deal with it. If they didn't do that, those companies wouldn't police themselves appropriately and the cities would suffer for it. There are obviously limits to things that get put in place.

Uber/Lyft are still new-ish companies and are now dealing with a little pushback. They've pushed this pay down (and I'm speaking specifically of the Los Angeles rate) to the point that it has but a major strain on many of their drivers. It's why they're striking and why Uber's reputation here is as a company that screws drivers over.


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## Driver_Down (Dec 11, 2018)

Trafficat said:


> I have at times shared my "earnings" page with people who are interested in how much an Uber driver makes, and they are often very impressed by my numbers. They often tell me things like, "wow, you make more than me and I'm a (insert high paying job here)! I'm going to be a driver". Even when I point at the little area that says *76h 23m Time Online. * They seem unphased. And that 76 hours online time actually indicates more time than that away from home. When take a trip down to Tahoe I often turn the app off on the hour journey on the way back for instance since there is practically no chance of a return trip and if I leave the app on that counts against the online time I am allowed to have for the day. (The app auto-logs off after 16 hours).
> 
> Perhaps I should be worried about creating competition that way, but I figure most of them will never last anyway. They will most likely, as you did, try it out and decide that it is better to make 80% as much in 40 hours a week than to make 20% more by driving for 80-100 hours. And as much as I like doing this, as time goes on I make less and less. With new flat surge I now make almost the same amount every day. Instead of making twice as much on a weekend night, I make like 10% more. I'm making hundreds of dollars less each week thanks to flat surge.
> 
> At one point I mainly phased out a lot of my home-based business stuff for Uber, but I can see in the future slowly phasing out driving for Uber.


You are creating competition!! SMH freely gave them the valuable information to decide whether they wanted to try driving or not!

I used to be the same, but kept it real and never showed earnings!! They always ask you how much you make!!! Do you ask them and they honestly answe?? Very few do...I would just tell them the truth you could make money, but only if you're willing to work hard and aren't lazy which most are.

Nowadays in CA driver supply is soooo high that he's doing what you're doing is atrocious.



Trafficat said:


> Overall I think it is pretty unfair that a person is expected to pay more for the same service just because they are well off. What I think it is funny is I once worked a job where my coworkers made more per hour than me, they always called me rich because I had thousands of dollars in my bank account instead of living check to check like them. They would often come to me for interest free loans, which I would often grant since they would pay me back when they got their paychecks. But they expected me to split the bills for team dinners evenly when I only order $4 worth of food and they ordered $80 worth of food and beverages. So I generally said I didn't want to go to team dinners. I got a reputation for being rich and stingy. Oh well. I got "rich" by not spending $80 for food every other day.
> 
> As for a millionaire rap artist... he may have a million dollars... but it is his to spend as he wants. If he gives the same tip as another rider who is poorer he deserves the same respect as anyone poorer who gave the same tip in my opinion. His overall generosity could still be very high, just that he prefers to express it towards say, charity, than Uber driver tips.
> 
> ...


Spot on! Hate when people always come to you for $$ and claim other things when really all you do is sacrifice wants.


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## rkozy (Apr 5, 2019)

Trafficat said:


> Overall I think it is pretty unfair that a person is expected to pay more for the same service just because they are well off.
> 
> People should really refrain from making promises that they don't intend to fulfill.


This is the first job I've held where tipping is part of the income stream. I don't expect people to tip, because they're already paying for a service through the app. It's just interesting to me that two 85-year-old ladies with limited means showed so much generosity, while a millionaire rap star gave so little. That's part of my larger argument: The random nature of Uber passengers make it nearly impossible to predict beforehand what is going to be a worthwhile ride and what is not.

Some people like to show their appreciation for good service, and those generally are the people who tip. Others believe they are entitled to good service, and don't see any reason for additional reward to those who give it. I've had great passengers who didn't tip, and obnoxious passengers who tipped quite generously. Again, it's very random and difficult to predict....like Uber itself.

And, if I had a dime for every time a pax said, "I'll tip you through the app" and then didn't, I could buy every single share of Uber's upcoming IPO and run the friggin' company myself.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

The problem with Uber is depressed markets. Those cities have more people looking for work, more people willing to drive, which lowers wages. And of course those cities probably have less demand.

The interesting thing about it is that people can employ different strategies. One guy could be making $20/hour after gas, but he could be driving non stop, with more wear/tear, cleaning, and depreciation. Myself I've been almost exclusively doing airport queue. The wage after gas is less, but there is much less wear/tear/gas and half of the day I'm able to do other work while waiting. I tried being an "ant" and I saw pretty quick that for that to work, you need a Prius and not care too much about depreciation.

I think part of the game is accepting that the business model is designed to abuse drivers. Its market dependent. Some drivers will find something that works for them, others will rage quit.


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## UberTrent9 (Dec 11, 2018)

Valleymonger said:


> Personally, I agree with the people here who have a big issue with that. It is work and should at least pay minimum wage imo. Here in Los Angeles it seems like that isn't happening for a lot of people. Drivers saying it's just supplemental income etc are playing into Uber's hands at offering substandard pay and actually having people who defend that.


Then they should quit and find another revenue source.


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## Ubergaldrivet (Feb 6, 2019)

rkozy said:


> I don't defend Uber. They're a horrible company that rips off their "driver partners" every day.
> 
> For me, it's an interesting way to earn a couple extra bucks or pass the time when there's nothing else to do. This isn't a career, and Uber is wrong for making so many people believe it can be. Uber's very high turnover rate speaks for itself. If it was really such a great job, they wouldn't need to keep begging for drivers on Indeed or at my local mall with a "Sign Up and Drive" kiosk near the food court.
> 
> ...





touberornottouber said:


> The sad thing is the low pay isn't really because of passengers paying too little. Rather at this point it is more due to the company taking too much of the fare. Tipping definitely does help though.
> 
> 
> The "just part time" or "supplemental income" is also the current official company line. It is very possible that some or all of these "drivers" are here on behalf of the company.


When I drove it was just to write off my mileage to and from work, with a small loss. Taking away the DF filter finally finished me off. Now I try to discourage as many folks as possible from wearing out their vehicle for a


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## UberTrent9 (Dec 11, 2018)

Humphrey said:


> I can attest to that. I only take surge trips and I average 40.00 an hour. You should only take surge trips of 4X or more.


Lol! Good luck getting anywhere near 4x here in L.A. I've seen it twice like that: Once for a Rams game and once for the Jay Z/Beyonce concert @ the Rose bowl.


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## Delilah5 (Mar 20, 2017)

New Jersey drivers make $5 per hour, but it is mostly because there is not much demand there and they do a trip and sit for next 40 minutes per hour.


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## Soldiering (Jan 21, 2019)

Delilah5 said:


> New Jersey drivers make $5 per hour, but it is mostly because there is not much demand there and they do a trip and sit for next 40 minutes per hour.


Ouch. Sounds painful. Why even do it?


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