# Disappearing Surge zones



## billdozer (May 1, 2015)

I drive in Cincinnati.

How is it that I park my fat ass in the middle of a 2.0-3.9 surge zone, wait 5-10 minutes, and then have it disappear? **** that. The surge zones should be much, much smaller.


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## Lidman (Nov 13, 2014)

That's the thing. The surge attracts all the other animals in the jungle and poof!! it's gone.


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## MW415 (Feb 18, 2015)

Don't follow the surge I learned that after a few months of driving. I choose to accept all rides and not chase the surge unless its rush hour then I will go after it as I notice the surge stays longer. At least that's how it is in SF. I hate when I drive to the surge zone and once Im there it keeps giving me rides to go out of the surge zone for regular fare.


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## Ez-Russ (Oct 31, 2014)

MW415 said:


> Don't follow the surge I learned that after a few months of driving. I choose to accept all rides and not chase the surge unless its rush hour then I will go after it as I notice the surge stays longer. At least that's how it is in SF. I hate when I drive to the surge zone and once Im there it keeps giving me rides to go out of the surge zone for regular fare.


Surge or nothing, not doing no stinking $5.00 rides. Crazy


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## AintWorthIt (Sep 30, 2014)

They are doing the same thing in Louisville, it's a joke. It's almost like they rotate the surge around , think this is my last weekend dealing with this shit. They have brought in drivers from Ohio and Tennessee for the derby.


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## Simon (Jan 4, 2015)

AintWorthIt said:


> They are doing the same thing in Louisville, it's a joke. It's almost like they rotate the surge around , think this is my last weekend dealing with this shit. They have brought in drivers from Ohio and Tennessee for the derby.


So stupid.. deadmileing to another state to lose money is the Bain. We have guys from NJ drive 2 to 3 hours to come to CT to get that 1.50 per Mike fare. Your losing money dumass!


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## KGB7 (Apr 23, 2015)

I make more money by accepting every ping vs chasing surge rides.

After 150 hours of driving, i got one 1.9 surge PAX to airport. 30min drive netted me $51.

Cherry picking rarely works.


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## HollyD (Jul 8, 2015)

I agree chasing surges is counterproductive.


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## DB2448 (Jun 30, 2015)

billdozer said:


> I drive in Cincinnati.
> 
> How is it that I park my fat ass in the middle of a 2.0-3.9 surge zone, wait 5-10 minutes, and then have it disappear? **** that. The surge zones should be much, much smaller.


Strange. It went on as soon as I signed in this morning at about 10:10 and then vanished :/


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## HollyD (Jul 8, 2015)

I have been driving about 8 weeks in Seattle. I started this morning, all logged in approximately 7:30 am. I am ending my day at 6:51 pm. In between I took a lunch about 30 minutes and swam at my gym from 12:50 pm, logging back in just before 3 pm. I have had 19 trips which included both the morning and end of day rush hours...AND not one of those 19 trips had any surge. For my work I made $131 and change (reflecting my take). Until the recent driver app updates surges were common and for roughly these same hours on a Friday I would net close to $200. My rating last week was 4.93, and have been told one of the highest in the city. 

While I appreciate and cherish the flexibility of driving for Uber while in school, their business model is doing the following: burning their drivers, some riders and many countries around the world.


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## uberissohonest (Aug 7, 2015)

eltakasaaiya said:


> Surge is a scam. Passengers are not stupid to pay 2.7x once in a bluemoon someone not knowing would accept the surge pricing.
> 
> Here is what long distance passengers are doing now. This is based on my most recent expierence. I had a two passengers at 2.1x surge in Beverly Hills. Had s 5 star rating. They were on their way to LAX. After two miles of driving. They asked me to pull over and end the trip. I pulled over and the guy exits the car once I start driving, I get the ping from the same guy at the normal rate. I accepted it and cancelled the ride by giving the reason other.
> 
> ...


you forgot to include the part about 1-starring his ass.


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## ATL2SD (Aug 16, 2015)

MW415 said:


> Don't follow the surge I learned that after a few months of driving. I choose to accept all rides and not chase the surge unless its rush hour then I will go after it as I notice the surge stays longer. At least that's how it is in SF. I hate when I drive to the surge zone and once Im there it keeps giving me rides to go out of the surge zone for regular fare.


Drove into a surge zone one night here in San Diego, I literally got 6-7 pings from outside of the surge zone b4 I finally got a surge ride. I was canceling regular fares left & right to just get a surge fare. It paid off though, I got a $40+ ride & came back & got a $50 ride.


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## uberissohonest (Aug 7, 2015)

ATL2SD said:


> Drove into a surge zone one night here in San Diego, I literally got 6-7 pings from outside of the surge zone b4 I finally got a surge ride. I was canceling regular fares left & right to just get a surge fare. It paid off though, I got a $40+ ride & came back & got a $50 ride.


this is why surge is horseshit. if you got 6-7 pings outside the surge zone, obviously that zone was busy enough to warrant surge pricing, whereas the surge-zone you were in wasnt necessarily busy at all.


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## BlackDog (Sep 5, 2015)

HollyD said:


> I have been driving about 8 weeks in Seattle. I started this morning, all logged in approximately 7:30 am. I am ending my day at 6:51 pm. In between I took a lunch about 30 minutes and swam at my gym from 12:50 pm, logging back in just before 3 pm. I have had 19 trips which included both the morning and end of day rush hours...AND not one of those 19 trips had any surge. For my work I made $131 and change (reflecting my take). Until the recent driver app updates surges were common and for roughly these same hours on a Friday I would net close to $200. My rating last week was 4.93, and have been told one of the highest in the city.
> 
> While I appreciate and cherish the flexibility of driving for Uber while in school, their business model is doing the following: burning their drivers, some riders and many countries around the world.


I have noticed the same thing... it is too bad that my pay check being worth while has to do with getting some good surge pricing rides to average out a decent hourly wage. Last night 16 rides and 80 dollars. However, I do enjoy the freedom of Uber. I just need to net more than $ 10 and hour.

Seems like Seattle is over saturated with drivers vs. customers at this point. Guess I am part of the problem. I feel Uber should increase fairs a little and always have a 5 dollar minimum. Also when the surge hits over 2.5 times, i am often left just sitting there doing nothing since riders don't want to pay that much. I saw it get to 5x once last week just for about an hour... no PAX for an hour. Riders go with Lyft at that point to pay a reasonable price or just wait for surge to drop.


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## JLA (Mar 26, 2015)

MW415 said:


> *I choose to accept all rides*


You're actually fine with $1.00 per mile which all equates to zero (or less) after everything is taken out? It's my understanding that surge is the only way to compensate for all the little shit $3.27 rides. Btw that's the reason I stopped driving. Saturation has all but ended the surge or limited it to areas I have no access to. Just not worth it.

You should do your own educational video. How to make bank while ignoring surge. People would love to see that.


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## JLA (Mar 26, 2015)

BlackDog said:


> Seems like Seattle is over saturated with drivers vs. customers at this point. .


Really? That's too bad. I thought Seattle was still pretty good. You're absolutely right about increasing the fares. At least you guys are a bit ahead @ $1.35/mile I believe.

Your minimum wage there is set @ $15.00/hour. You could work at subway and make lots more. You have good options.


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## ddjboomer (Sep 5, 2015)

I think I might have something!!
Control the surge and control your rides. I accept the rides and then check to see ictual s

Actual surge is locked onto the riders side. If not, I cancel the ride, turn off the app for a second and go back on.
As far as these "guaranteed rates"-BS. I have tried these and have NEVER gotten the rate. There is no way to check your acceptance rate nor your rating as you go. U ber will find a way to not pay you these guaranteed rateS. What Uber wants is to have enough drivers out there so that there is no surge at all. This keeps the riders happy, but does not pay you because you might get a ping over 15 minutes away and drive two blocks for a whopping 3.50, minus 20%, minus gas, mileage and of course tips. Don't accept=no guaranteed rate.
Also, I have noticed that Uber riders will switch to Lyft when it surges and Uber riders do not tip!!!!!!
when there is a surge I don't do Lyft. I do Lyft when there is no surge in hopes that I get a regular Lyft rider who likes to tip.
This is my 2 cents worth.
An fyi...even if there was a tip section onUber's app, most regular Uber riders are too cheap to tip. Uber has created a group of riders who will never tip. They have been conditioned not to Sad, but true.


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