# NEW YEARS EVE UBERS!!!



## Seastriper (Jul 1, 2015)

If you plan on working New Years Eve - For goodness sake DRIVERS ---> DO NOT accept ALL rides thrown at you! CHERRY PICK your rides! That's the only way to create a demand and a surge that can actually make you $$$ for one night...


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## Realityshark (Sep 22, 2014)

Why would anyone start their year off driving for Uber? I can't think of anything more depressing.


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## itsablackmarket (May 12, 2015)

And then get deactivated for low acceptance rate?


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## Hunt to Eat (Nov 19, 2015)

Seastriper said:


> If you plan on working New Years Eve - For goodness sake DRIVERS ---> DO NOT accept ALL rides thrown at you! CHERRY PICK your rides! That's the only way to create a demand and a surge that can actually make you $$$ for one night...


I learned my lesson last NYE. I got three pings in two hours. And one of those was a pin drop out in the desert. I won't be fooled this year. Car will stay in garage.


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## Hunt to Eat (Nov 19, 2015)

itsablackmarket said:


> And then get deactivated for low acceptance rate?


Is that a downside?


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## Seastriper (Jul 1, 2015)

I didn't say not to accept rides first of all. Second of all you better be conservative if you plan on making any money; and third of all if you do get deactivated it would be a blessing in disguise... UBER will send you everywhere... If you want to chase rides all I have to say is better YOU than ME!


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## Hunt to Eat (Nov 19, 2015)

Seastriper said:


> I didn't say not to accept rides first of all. Second of all you better be conservative if you plan on making any money; and third of all if you do get deactivated it would be a blessing in disguise... UBER will send you everywhere... If you want to chase rides all I have to say is better YOU than ME!


That's excellent advice. I let the newbs take the calls to and fro BFE.


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

I drove last year on NYE. Uber had onboarded huge numbers of drivers. They had also just started using a new driver scam that night where they would light up areas in surge, but the X pings weren't surge. They've since changed it, but it was annoying as hell. After getting 4 X pings in a row in supposed surge that wasn't and turning them down, it pissed me off and I went home. Uber was trying to heal up their Halloween surge debacle from last year, so there wasn't much surge anyway. My driving buddies said the night was a general bust overall. Nothing to write home about.

Went out the next day, early and had one of my last big days. Grossed nearly $500. And most of the pax were nicely low key cause they were all hung over. I'm expecting NYE day and Sat. to be good this year. Maybe not so much NYE so will probably pass and go enjoy the eve. with pals.


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## William1964 (Jul 28, 2015)

If I drive it will be early evening before everyone's drunk.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

I am driving the taxi. I will have the Uber Taxi application "ON". I need not worry about surges on Uber Taxi, *'cuz thar' ain't nunna' them thar' surges on no Uber Taxi.
*
I have rubber floors and vinyl covered seats to deal with people who do manage to smuggle in a drink then spill it. I have the Clorox (@) and 
Spray Nine (@) in the trunk as well as a roll of paper towels.


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## maui (Dec 22, 2015)

Might be interesting if most Uber drivers went offline for the first 10 minutes every hour on the hour. Saw a post / tip for Uber riders when they see a surge to just wait, then got me thinking if enough drivers got together and went offline in unison, would be a way to encourage a surge


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## Seastriper (Jul 1, 2015)

Working together is the best way; unfortunately 75% of drivers are more worried about the ping than using common sense... Common sense would be not to do UBER, but if you do have no choice try to milk it in your favor. Sit and wait and NEVER chase a ride (unless you get great gas milege in which most of us do not).... Do the math


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## scb19 (Oct 26, 2015)

Seastriper said:


> If you plan on working New Years Eve - For goodness sake DRIVERS ---> DO NOT accept ALL rides thrown at you! CHERRY PICK your rides! That's the only way to create a demand and a surge that can actually make you $$$ for one night...


How do you "cherry pick" a ride...all i get to see is the address...don't know how many or where they are going.


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## Seastriper (Jul 1, 2015)

Meaning, that you do not chase rides 7 minutes or longer unless the surge will pay you to make it worth the trip... No one knows where they are going. You control how far your willing to pick up. Passing on a trip will create a surge if demand is high...


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## scb19 (Oct 26, 2015)

I see....but almost nothing is within 7 minutes of me....


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## maui (Dec 22, 2015)

scb19 said:


> I see....but almost nothing is within 7 minutes of me....


Then you have to go where the fares are closer. Anytime you are driving with no PAX you are increasing your expenses. I live in the burbs, but work in the city and either start my Uber at the end of my work day, do a few hours and then meander my way home, sometimes the back roads to try and pick up a PAX along the way, or if during the weekend I do that on the way in.

If I see a ping that is 10 minutes away, I normally pass, and try and go offline to not get the repeated ping and then come back online in a couple of minutes and generally get a PAX who is 1 - 2 minutes away.

Uber drivers should be able to set where they are comfortable picking up PAX. Sure there are people who are willing to drive to get a fare, but that should be treated like a Surge. i.e. if the closest Uber driver is 10 minutes away, that should automatically be a surge. A PAX cancel during a surge when a driver has already accepted should also generate a small fee to the driver automatically


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## Seastriper (Jul 1, 2015)

Agree 100%


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## phillipzx3 (May 26, 2015)

Seastriper said:


> If you plan on working New Years Eve - For goodness sake DRIVERS ---> DO NOT accept ALL rides thrown at you! CHERRY PICK your rides! That's the only way to create a demand and a surge that can actually make you $$$ for one night...


In other words, act just like the cab drivers Uber claims not to be.

Excellent!


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## CantThrowCantCatch (Sep 17, 2015)

How can we cherry pick rides when there's a driver on every other block?


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## Hunt to Eat (Nov 19, 2015)

CantThrowCantCatch said:


> How can we cherry pick rides when there's a driver on every other block?


I think there's a clue in that.


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## maui (Dec 22, 2015)

CantThrowCantCatch said:


> How can we cherry pick rides when there's a driver on every other block?


More drivers makes it easier - Gives more chance that another driver will get the ping.

How I Cherry Pick -

-- Look at the location - If I have a lot of driving to get there and it is not surging and I am going in a low volume area I pass. In short, is it worth my time.
-- I am not afraid of going offline and driving back 10 minutes to get to an area I want to pick up fares. 
-- Look at the Pax rating. I have passed on low rated riders. I have been lucky and have had one obnoxious rider and the rest of their group was cool... O.k. Maybe 2... by the same regard, with the exception of one really obnoxious drunk rider, all PAX have been given 5s

My feeling is that there should be higher rates in bad areas as well as I should be able to blacklist areas I don't want to pick up or drive too. My safety and comfort is worth far more than Uber is paying.

That being said, maybe in a couple of months I will be deactivated for too many cancels, but in general I only cherry pick 3 rides or so out of 20

I probably miss a lot of surge by not driving the drunk hours, but not worth it too me.


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## SECOTIME (Sep 18, 2015)

They've deactivated surge for X in Orlando already. If there is a surge its only for XL or Select now. You'll get pings for X now for up to 20 mins away with no sign of a surge in that area at all.


It hasnt surged on X in 3 weeks now


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## ItookurRider (Oct 10, 2015)

maui said:


> Might be interesting if most Uber drivers went offline for the first 10 minutes every hour on the hour. Saw a post / tip for Uber riders when they see a surge to just wait, then got me thinking if enough drivers got together and went offline in unison, would be a way to encourage a surge


Make sure to log on slowly to keep the surge going


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## ItookurRider (Oct 10, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> I am driving the taxi. I will have the Uber Taxi application "ON". I need not worry about surges on Uber Taxi, *'cuz thar' ain't nunna' them thar' surges on no Uber Taxi.
> *
> I have rubber floors and vinyl covered seats to deal with people who do manage to smuggle in a drink then spill it. I have the Clorox (@) and
> Spray Nine (@) in the trunk as well as a roll of paper towels.


Good for you. Are you in new York?


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

ItookurRider said:


> Are you in new York?


I used to live in New York, but never drove there.. I now live in the Capital of Your Nation.


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## North End Eric (Sep 12, 2015)

phillipzx3 said:


> In other words, act just like the cab drivers Uber claims not to be.
> 
> Excellent!


How exactly do cab drivers go about cherry picking dispatched rides?


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## TampaEd (Dec 31, 2015)

Seastriper said:


> I didn't say not to accept rides first of all. Second of all you better be conservative if you plan on making any money; and third of all if you do get deactivated it would be a blessing in disguise... UBER will send you everywhere... If you want to chase rides all I have to say is better YOU than ME!


I'm new here, so excuse me, but I was wondering, if you dislike Uber so much, why are you on an Uber forum?


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## UberEddie2015 (Nov 2, 2015)

The forum is not for cheerlading Uber. It is to inform. Good and Bad and believe me there is plenty bad. As a new driver you don't have the knowledge and experience of the veteran drivers. It all looks good until you start calculating what your really making after expenses. If your rate is under $1 a mile you are fooling yourself thinking you are making money. The new drivers are either desperate for money or quit when they realize expenses eatup what the take is. go to AAA and see what it costs you to drive per mile. take your mileage when you turn the app off - when you start driving. thats all miles driving to the pax, driving the pax and going back to an active area. take what your revenue is from rideshare for the day and minus the miles * cost per mile. You will be amazed out how little you make. This is what the veterans know and the newbees find out after a while. There is a post from Uber Ray that describes it better than I can.


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## maui (Dec 22, 2015)

TampaEd said:


> I'm new here, so excuse me, but I was wondering, if you dislike Uber so much, why are you on an Uber forum?


It is very simple really.

1) Uber HAD potential to be a nice source of income for many folks. Some people still do well on Uber. Most people make a little. Some people make very little or may actually be LOOSING money in the long term.

2) Uber is DECLINING in value to drivers. This is in

Satisfaction
Safety
Support
Pay
3) Uber driver turnover is accelerating. Why do you think Uber pays so much to recruit new drivers? More importantly, why do you see such a high rate of people LEAVING Uber.

4) There is a great disparity. Drivers have to go through background checks and maintain above a 4.6 rating. If a driver cancels enough rides, they also get kicked. Why is it a driver has to undergo a background check, but a rider doesn't. Do you know that Uber will allow someone who has been convicted of :

Rape
Murder
Assault
Any of all of the above
If you were a young woman, would you be comfortable knowing that you were giving a ride to some who served time in prison for murder or rape?

Also, ask yourself this - Why is it as an Uber Driver you have to maintain a 4.6 or better rating, but riders can fall way below that. When you realize that Uber slants everything to the rider and a bad rider can still remain and ding drivers, you start seeing things a little differently.

5) Drivers do care. They see potential. There is potential and it is a question for many drivers, since they are the slaves that drive the machine, that if they rant, complain, make enough noise, that perhaps they will get improvements in issues raised in #2. One of the first questions any new employee should ask is what happened to the employee who had the job before them. Every drivers experience is different, but when you see such a high turn over rate, you really should open your eyes more. There is money to be made, but there are also higher risks to both driver safety and profits if attention is not carefully paid.


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## Seastriper (Jul 1, 2015)

Actually I never said I didn't like UBER.. I actually do it for other reasons... When you drive for UBER; if you plan on making $$$ fuel cost, insurance bills, and quiet days --> you will question yourself if it is really all worth it... Learn from all the negative and the positive --> only you can answer whether or not it is worth it...


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## UberEddie2015 (Nov 2, 2015)

When I first started and read thru the forum I thought that all the veterans that were writing how bad it was were [email protected]@holes. They were trying to protect their way of making money. But over time I realized that they went thru all the [email protected] that I didn't even now existed. Over time I realized they were just giving me good advice and apologize for thinking it was b#[email protected] There is a reason that 60% of drivers quit in 16 months. And that was before the lowering of rates.


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## SECOTIME (Sep 18, 2015)

16 months?


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> I used to live in New York, but never drove there.. I now live in the Capital of Your Nation.


You live in Austin? 
I thought you were in DC.


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## D"icy"K (Jun 8, 2015)

Seastriper said:


> If you plan on working New Years Eve - For goodness sake DRIVERS ---> DO NOT accept ALL rides thrown at you! CHERRY PICK your rides! That's the only way to create a demand and a surge that can actually make you $$$ for one night...


Agreed, I screwed up last night accepting a ping out of the surge area I was already in. Stupid, stupid stupid. The ping is addicting, but it's not a game
show buzzer. I learned a lot last night, even though it cost me. Economy of movement being one.


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## uberpvd15 (Dec 28, 2015)

D"icy"K said:


> Agreed, I screwed up last night accepting a ping out of the surge area I was already in. Stupid, stupid stupid. The ping is addicting, but it's not a game
> show buzzer. I learned a lot last night, even though it cost me. Economy of movement being one.


Right there with you my friend. I had several trips on NYE out of Providence, where the surge was highest. After dropping off pax I received a ping for a pick-up 23 minutes away. Stupidly, I accepted it with when I was 9 minutes out, they canceled. Obviously, I made the $10.00 cancellation fee, but still wasn't worth it, as I then had to drive all the way back into Providence in hopes of scoring big money. I've only been driving for about a month, so still learning the ropes and ways to maximize my profits and minimize my expenses.


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## Hunt to Eat (Nov 19, 2015)

uberpvd15 said:


> Right there with you my friend. I had several trips on NYE out of Providence, where the surge was highest. After dropping off pax I received a ping for a pick-up 23 minutes away. Stupidly, I accepted it with when I was 9 minutes out, they canceled. Obviously, I made the $10.00 cancellation fee, but still wasn't worth it, as I then had to drive all the way back into Providence in hopes of scoring big money. I've only been driving for about a month, so still learning the ropes and ways to maximize my profits and minimize my expenses.


As you continue to learn the ropes, you'll likely not be driving NYE again. I made that mistake once. Because of driver saturation, NYE is a money-maker only for Uber, not the drivers. I played it smart this year and I hung out with family instead of driving. You'll do likewise next NYE.


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## maui (Dec 22, 2015)

Hunt to Eat said:


> As you continue to learn the ropes,, you'll likely not be driving NYE again. I made that mistake once. Because of driver saturation, NYE is a money-maker only for Uber, not the drivers. I played it smart this year and I hung out with family instead of driving. You'll do likewise next NYE.


I think that is a little wrong. There was a lot of money to be made, but you had to work in the wee hours, you had a much higher risk of sick passengers, and you also risked death - One Lyft driver I have seen was hit by a drunk driver and killed.

I drove NYE, but was home by 11:30. I missed the big surges, but no puke to clean up, no damage and no death.

Probably a lot safer with a bunch of Ubers out there vs drunks, but seeing some of the $500 fares reported this year, have a feeling that next year there will be more drunks on road for economic reasons if anything


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