# Going/Staying Online prior to being in car?



## cheerose (Aug 29, 2014)

When you are online -- are you always in the car? Or do you go or stay online, even if you are not immediately ready to go to the rider's location?


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## Former Yellow Driver (Sep 5, 2014)

I often come home for an hour or so and stay on line. If I get a ping I put on my shoes and grab the phone....I can be out the door in a minute or two. From the customers perspective I could be sitting at a light somewhere.


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## Daemoness (Aug 27, 2014)

No, never. It would add at least 5 minutes, and the customer is going to cancel. They want to see you moving right away. If you're in a remote area and customers are used to waiting 15 minutes, then maybe, but not in the urban area I live in. I never have to wait that long for a ping. That's crazy.


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## Worcester Sauce (Aug 20, 2014)

Former Yellow Driver said:


> I often come home for an hour or so and stay on line. If I get a ping I put on my shoes and grab the phone....I can be out the door in a minute or two. From the customers perspective I could be sitting at a light somewhere.


same with me, especially during slower times. I can be out the door and moving in no time.


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## Worcester Sauce (Aug 20, 2014)

Daemoness said:


> No, never. It would add at least 5 minutes, and the customer is going to cancel. They want to see you moving right away. If you're in a remote area and customers are used to waiting 15 minutes, then maybe, but not in the urban area I live in. I never have to wait that long for a ping. That's crazy.


5 minutes??? I timed myself. From kitchen table to "wheels turning" in 30 seconds.


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## Former Yellow Driver (Sep 5, 2014)

If a customer can't wait a minute or two for me to get out the door (or from their viewpoint...for the light to change) .....then they are welcome to cancel. I don't think I want to drive them anyway.


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## Grace A. (Jun 30, 2014)

Requests all seem to come in waves. I hang out with a few drivers. We are not in our cars, but can get to them quickly. It's nice to commiserate while waiting.


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## BOSsMAn (Aug 15, 2014)

In slow markets, you would be crazy to just stay in your car if there is a better place to wait.

A minute or two won't lead to that many cancellations. And if the weather is hot/cold, occasional idling only eats into your margins


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## driveLA (Aug 15, 2014)

Naw. 

As long as what I'm doing isn't gonna keep me from being in the car in two shakes of a lambs tail I don't see why I need to be in the car. 

I'll be in my house when I'm ready and my car is ready waiting for that first ping of the day on those days when I'm not in a hurry to drive out. 

Or I'll have my phone in tow if I'm at the convenience store to quickly get a drink/snacks.


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## cheerose (Aug 29, 2014)

Thanks all...

What about moving around vs. staying still? I would assume that you use the rider app to see where the drivers are in your area and stay on the outskirts vs. dive right in...


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## BeachBum (Aug 6, 2014)

Worcester Sauce said:


> 5 minutes??? I timed myself. From kitchen table to "wheels turning" in 30 seconds.


Same here Sauce. At most it may take a minute.


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## Worcester Sauce (Aug 20, 2014)

BOSsMAn said:


> In slow markets, you would be crazy to just stay in your car if there is a better place to wait.
> 
> A minute or two won't lead to that many cancellations. And if the weather is hot/cold, occasional idling only eats into your margins


you are no fool


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## drivingmisscrazy (Aug 12, 2014)

I hate sitting alone in my car in a public parking lot area waiting for pings.

It makes you appear to be one of those guys that masturbate in public or something.


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## Worcester Sauce (Aug 20, 2014)

drivingmisscrazy said:


> I hate sitting alone in my car in a public parking lot area waiting for pings.
> 
> It makes you appear to be one of those guys that masturbate in public or something.


I feel your pain...


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## Worcester Sauce (Aug 20, 2014)

drivingmisscrazy said:


> I hate sitting alone in my car in a public parking lot area waiting for pings.
> 
> It makes you appear to be one of those guys that masturbate in public or something.


refreshing and funny!!! good post...


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## drivingmisscrazy (Aug 12, 2014)

drivingmisscrazy said:


> I hate sitting alone in my car in a public parking lot area waiting for pings.
> 
> It makes you appear to be one of those guys that masturbate in public or something.


I mean, other than those times when I actually did masturbate in public.


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## rukawa (Aug 30, 2014)

Usually im at home ready (uber phone, wallet, personal phone next to me) but watching tv, so i can get in my car in 1 minute.... i live in a remote place, so usually the riders are 10 min away.... not bad tho... Well.... on labor day i been online even when i was sleeping, so i had my clothes ready so get dress in a couple minutes, usually were rides to the airport (early morning) but i didnt have any problem.. actually that week i been online 94 hours... was my best week so far in fares


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## Swed (Jul 20, 2014)

Former Yellow Driver said:


> I often come home for an hour or so and stay on line. If I get a ping I put on my shoes and grab the phone....I can be out the door in a minute or two. From the customers perspective I could be sitting at a light somewhere.


Same here, I work my " day job" and leave the Uber app on, if it goes off I go pick up the client. Never had an issue in over 800 rides.


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## Chicago-uber (Jun 18, 2014)

Wish I could wait at home for a ping. I live in a high rise building. It will take me 5+ minutes to get the wheels moving. Plus I risk loosing a signal in an elevator and underground parking garage.


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

cheerose said:


> When you are online -- are you always in the car? Or do you go or stay online, even if you are not immediately ready to go to the rider's location?


There's a large mall where I drive. Everyday I take out my phone, go for a walk, grab a coffee, maybe do some shopping, etc. I will invariably get pinged. Sometimes immediately. Sometimes it will take 20 min or more. I call, make pickup arrangements. Walk to vehicle. Not an issue. Never had a cancel. Rides are usually decent distances which is why I make a stop or two there plus I need java!


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## julianashusband (Aug 6, 2014)

It takes me about two minutes from the ping to get to the first stop sign when sitting at home. It gives me time to put the address in the GPS and text the client to make sure the address is correct. I find that I am a lot more relaxed when I get pinged from home then when I'm already driving trying to find out where my pickup is.

I try and stay put so as to not burn the gas. The little bit we get paid can get eaten up really quickly if you randomly drive around trying to catch the perfect fare.


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## Droosk (Sep 1, 2014)

I actually have 2 "home points" which are great. First is less than a mile from a large university, get MANY pings from there. Then, my grandparents own a house near "downtown", so I will hang out there as needed and waiting.


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## SupaJ (Aug 12, 2014)

drivingmisscrazy said:


> It makes you appear to be one of those guys that masturbate in public or something.


Sooooo judgemental


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## MKEUber (Aug 20, 2014)

Grace A. said:


> Requests all seem to come in waves. I hang out with a few drivers. We are not in our cars, but can get to them quickly. It's nice to commiserate while waiting.


How does that work with all of you sitting together? Aren't you concerned that you won't get any pings with so many drivers around you?


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## duggles (Aug 25, 2014)

I take shits at this hotel I used to work at in downtown, after I first got out of college. I will also hang in their parking lot. Beneficially, my apartment is right on the border of the Denver surge zone so I can also hang out there before starting a shift.


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## Allaffair (Jul 21, 2014)

Keep my phone with me, exactly not a big issue. Only if I start to eat I may go offline. One going is I park in the shade always to avoid a hot interior.


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## ATXFALCON (Sep 24, 2014)

If your going to drive around until you get a ping, do yourself a favor, and drive a taxi


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## Wee Willie (Sep 29, 2014)

I live in downtown/urban setting. Whenever I am online and not actually on a call, I am usually at home waiting for a request, but also getting some things done around the house. For me, this is one of the best things about UBER-that it allows me to go about my day until I get a request. I always keep my shoes on and my keys in my pocket. If I get a request, I just take off right away. This approach has not seemed to have impacted my perfect 5.0 rating after 400 rides.


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## SupaJ (Aug 12, 2014)

Wee Willie said:


> 5.0 rating after 400 rides.


BS!


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## Doodle (Jul 17, 2014)

I typically turn it on the app while I am getting ready to head out. I usually get a ping within 5 mins from my home. I live in an area with very few cabs and a lot of hipsters so demand is good. It usually only takes me a minute to go from home to moving in the my car though.

During slower periods of the day, I sometimes will find a Starbucks and hang out there until I get a ping. Might as well use their wifi and not my data while I'm waiting.


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## FlDriver (Oct 16, 2015)

I often do this if I am within a minute or two of the car- always when I'm already out driving and taking a break while waiting for a ping. There's no point in spending all that waiting time sitting in the car. You need to get up and move around now and then.

I don't sit around at home with the app online, though I often go online while I'm walking out the door.


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## SECOTIME (Sep 18, 2015)

Pax text : why arent you moving ?

Me: I have to u turn I'm waiting on the light to turn green.

Pax: did you go the wrong way?

Me. I wasn't moving in your direction when you requested a ride

Pax: what do you mean?

Cancel


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## pizza guy (Jul 23, 2015)

I live in a suburban hotspot. About half my pings are just a few minutes away withing my apartment complex. I'm always ready to be in the car within 1-2 minutes depending how far away they are. If they are within my complex I'll go ahead and pee before I leave because they are won't be ready anyway (2-3 a day are physically closer to me than my car). If they wan't to cancel because my car isn't moving for a minute then good, probably didn't want them as a rider anyway. Using home wi-fi, having short pick-up drives, and being able go do things at home pretty much cancel out those dead hours.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

SECOTIME said:


> Pax text : why arent you moving ?
> 
> Me: I have to u turn I'm waiting on the light to turn green.
> 
> ...


I get a lot of people canceling in downtown here. I think its because they're too stupid to figure out that with all one way streets I almost always have to make a square or rectangle to get back to them. I've had more than one call to helpfully inform me I'm going the "wrong" (away from them) way.

Plus with 4 lanes I may not be able to turn at the first street I should if I'm on the other side.


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## pizza guy (Jul 23, 2015)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> I get a lot of people canceling in downtown here. I think its because they're too stupid to figure out that with all one way streets I almost always have to make a square or rectangle to get back to them. I've had more than one call to helpfully inform me I'm going the "wrong" (away from them) way.
> 
> Plus with 4 lanes I may not be able to turn at the first street I should if I'm on the other side.


One of the laws of Ubering is that as soon as you get in the left turn lane you will get a ping requiring you to take a right turn.


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## SECOTIME (Sep 18, 2015)

Some people are starting to figure that out and they're getting good at being ready..

Most others are too drunk or just too damn stupid to bother with.

One day I just want to witness a pax with his face in his phone watching his Uber driver on the map trying to figure out where he is then a huge pterodactyl swoops in for lunch and carries his ass away.... Oh me


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## DocT (Jul 16, 2015)

SECOTIME said:


> Pax text : why arent you moving ?
> 
> Me: I have to u turn I'm waiting on the light to turn green.
> 
> ...


When I get the "Why aren't you moving?" question, I reply back with "I am in traffic, then I had to pull over to a safe location to reply to your message. State law prohibits texting while driving." Buh-bye! CANCEL


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## texasm203 (Oct 27, 2015)

DocT said:


> When I get the "Why aren't you moving?" question, I reply back with "I am in traffic, then I had to pull over to a safe location to reply to your message. State law prohibits texting while driving." Buh-bye! CANCEL


Only had this once. I was downtown. Replied to text with a picture of the 18 wheeler that was wedged between 2 buildings causing a nightmare of a traffic situation. Never heard back from them until I arrived for pickup.


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## Avi-ator (Sep 18, 2015)

SECOTIME said:


> Pax text : why arent you moving ?
> 
> Me: I have to u turn I'm waiting on the light to turn green.
> 
> ...


Ha! It's like chewing rubber trying to explain why you made a right instead of a left, if you're already in the right turning lane. Some pax are so captivated by the moving car icon, any perceived deviation is like the magic just failed them.


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## Coachman (Sep 22, 2015)

I turn on my app when I get in the car. I will leave it on when I make pit stops. I've gotten plenty of pings while in the gas station bathroom.


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## texasm203 (Oct 27, 2015)

Coachman said:


> I turn on my app when I get in the car. I will leave it on when I make pit stops. I've gotten plenty of pings while in the gas station bathroom.


Oh I've sent that text from the porcelain throne before "Hello xxxx, this is XXXXX your Uber Driver. I am trying to get to you, but there is a slight blockage at 281 and bitters. I will be there as soon as possible. Thanks in advance for your patience."


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## nickd8775 (Jul 12, 2015)

If I'm on a train I will go online a minute before the train stops at my station to get someone from the train I'm on. The passenger is usually ok with walking to my car in the parking lot after I explain that I just got off the same train. That beats waiting longer for another Uber to come from miles away and saves the passenger the time it takes for me to drive from my parking spot to the pick up area.


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## FlDriver (Oct 16, 2015)

DocT said:


> When I get the "Why aren't you moving?" question, I reply back with "I am in traffic, then I had to pull over to a safe location to reply to your message. State law prohibits texting while driving." Buh-bye! CANCEL


I've never gotten that question, but if I ever do, I will cancel. Sounds like a bad trip waiting to happen.


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## dcnewber (Nov 6, 2015)

SECOTIME said:


> One day I just want to witness a pax with his face in his phone watching his Uber driver on the map trying to figure out where he is then a huge pterodactyl swoops in for lunch and carries his ass away.... Oh me


Is this the plot of the next Jurassic Park movie? "Jurassic Park, sponsored by Uber"


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## driveLA (Aug 15, 2014)

As long as your ready to get to your car in a reasonable amount of time.

3 to 5 minutes ish. The same amount of time I give the pax to get to my car at p/u you don't need to be sitting in your car.

You're taking the job too serious if you always sit in your car.

If pax immediately call me to ask where I am or why I'm not moving, that is a cancel no buts about it.


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## BostonBarry (Aug 31, 2015)

I do this all the time. Demand is low where I live but only want to drive into Boston 2 or 3 days/week. So I turn the app on when home doing chores or watching tv. When a request comes in I'm on my way in less than a minute.


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## JimS (Aug 18, 2015)

I'm in a pretty quiet suburban area. I go downtown on weekends or when I know things are happening. Otherwise, I leave the app on at home when I'm just watching TV or spending time with the family. Last night I netted $32 from Armchair Ubering. Took a total of about an hour and a half away from home. Usually, it's just to take a guy home from work, but last night was just pleasantly weird. First guy spent $22 (gross) to go a few miles to his grandma's house to collect boxes of snacks and take them home. Super nice guy. Don't know why grandma didn't bring them to him. Not my concern. $16 net. Then I got a ping from two pilots to take them from a local Hindu temple back to their airport. Another $16 net.

This past weekend, I tried to keep the app open all night long because I knew it was going to surge because of a local marathon. Got a ping at 1 AM. Accepted, they immediately cancelled. Got another ping at 2 AM. Same scenario, different hyucksters. Another at 4 AM that I ignored. Finally, I get up at 5 AM and the whole map is red, starting at 2.7x. Was busy for the next several hours.


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## DieselkW (Jul 21, 2015)

When I see an abandoned shopping cart I think the guy must've gotten a ping and left. 

I sit at home until the first ping - I try not to come home again until I get a half dozen rides in. Starbucks is my favorite waiting spot - dozens to choose from, comfy chairs, wifi, clean bathroom, food and sober drink. Wish they had TVs.

Longest wait for the pax is when I have to get the dog to come back in before I leave, or my food order at Starbucks is still in the oven when the ping comes. I've already paid for it, I'm not leaving without it.


When I am told: "you're not moving" I tell them yes I am, your data plan must be slowing down and you're not seeing me in real time. Then I wipe my butt and get in the car.


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