# Uber, Please give us driver a brake



## Zaxtoy (Oct 11, 2017)

Can someone pass the following letter to a senior person at Uber. I really think there are some ideas here that could help Uber but I don't know anyone at the company. I did send it to them. However, I highly doubt that anyone with decision making power will read it . Perhaps one of you can get this to a person high up in the company.

9-17

Dear Uber,
Please give your drivers a brake.

Uber is a wonderful arrangement for everyone except for the drivers that work outside the city. The passengers get cleaner nicer transportation at 1/3 the price of a Taxi. Uber corp gets to take in a nice percentage while the drivers do the majority of the work. That is a negative statement but I actually believe that Uber could be a wonderful arrangement for all. It just needs some minor changes.

Uber works best in densely populated areas but in rural areas it is a financial nightmare for the drivers. I often encounter fares that are 30 min up in the hills. When I pick them up I find the destination is 25 miles further away from my home base. After dropping them off , I find myself over an hour away from home with no chance picking up any customers on the windee bumpy road home. On this 2 hour journey, I pay for almost an hour and 30 min of it with my own money. Unfortunately, the fare can't cover the gas, milage depreciation, and other expenses. The driver works for a couple hours but doesn't make any profit.

I live in Sonoma county which is a mixed area. We have some densely populated city centers and we also have a tremendous amount of rural farm area or mountains. There are many similar situations like the example above that reduce or eliminate profit for the drivers. Last night I arrived at a house a half hour out of town. When I called to locate him, he answered and drunkenly said he got another ride. I had to cancel and I got paid zero. I was upset at loosing almost an hours worth of gas and expenses. Most of these situations do not happen in the city.

The differences in my area became noticeable when I drove Uber in downtown SanFrancisco for the first time. It was much more profitable and most of the problems I was having in my area didn't exist in the city. Every time I dropped someone off, there was a new passenger request within a few blocks. There was always someone in the car and therefore the profits were much higher. In addition, all the passengers in the city tipped and most do not tip in Sonoma county. Most riders here aren't aware you can tip an Uber driver.

The bottom line is that driving Uber in my area will soon be financially impossible if Gas prices continue to rise. Fortunately, there is a way to fix it.

*We Can Fix This Problem and Make Uber Fantastic for Everyone.*

The Uber answer is to adjust the base fare depending on how far away the pickup location is from a city center. If the pickup location is more than five min away from Downtown Santa Rosa then the base fare should go from $1.50 up to $3.00. If the pickup location is up in the hills 35 miles away from Downtown Santa Rosa then the base should be around $9.00. The extra money should go directly to the driver to cover gas and other expenses associated with driving so far to the pick up location. This would make it much more fair for the Uber driver. The Uber driver should be able to make the same amount of money regardless of what community they serve. This would accomplish that.

The customers would be glad to pay this extra fee. The only alternative they have is to call a cab. A cab is more than $100 and takes more than an hour to show up to rural locations. Uber drivers are starting to turn town requests that are far. The passenger would gladly pay a little extra to make sure the Uber drivers want to give them service.

The last fix is to encourage tipping. In most locations the passengers aren't aware that you can tip an Uber driver. In San Francisco everyone tips. In all other locations, tips are rare. This needs to change, tipping should be a clear choice on the app. The passengers should also be encouraged to tip.

I hope this helps Uber make necessary changes. There are too many drivers that will not drive in the area they live. They only drive in the city because they make more money. That is a shame. Uber is an important community service that should be equally profitable in the city and in the more rural towns.


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## chitown73 (Jul 18, 2017)

Zaxtoy said:


> Can someone pass the following letter to a senior person at Uber. I really think there are some ideas here that could help Uber but I don't know anyone at the company. I did send it to them. However, I highly doubt that anyone with decision making power will read it . Perhaps one of you can get this to a person high up in the company.
> 
> 9-17
> 
> ...


First you need to learn how to do spell, then you need to learn how to read. This is a drivers forum. Do yourself a favor, buy a plane ticket to California and deliver it yourself. Then sign up for Lyft cuz Uber just deactivated your a**.


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## Zaxtoy (Oct 11, 2017)

Wow chitown, is it your sense of humor or your IQ that can't keep up. Both are so low, its hard to tell. Fortunately, you crack me up. I haven't had a good laugh like that in some time. Please send me more. I enjoy the entertainment.


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## Kembolicous (May 31, 2016)

Zaxtoy said:


> Can someone pass the following letter to a senior person at Uber. I really think there are some ideas here that could help Uber but I don't know anyone at the company. I did send it to them. However, I highly doubt that anyone with decision making power will read it . Perhaps one of you can get this to a person high up in the company.
> 
> 9-17
> 
> ...


I agree with what you say. But as the other poster said, watch the spelling.
BRAKE, Cars have BRAKES. A brief rest is a BREAK. It happens.


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## backcountryrez (Aug 24, 2017)

From all the driving I have done for Uber and Lyft, I sure could use a BRAKE from them. Carbon Ceramic for extra stopping power, please.


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## Kembolicous (May 31, 2016)

backcountryrez said:


> From all the driving I have done for Uber and Lyft, I sure could use a BRAKE from them. Carbon Ceramic for extra stopping power, please.


That's true. I just got a set of Bendix Ceramic pads for my rear axle, off of Amazon for $10 and change. These things retail local for over $40!! Check amazon or RockAuto for best prices.


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## Aerodrifting (Aug 13, 2017)

If you can't drive making a profit in your county, Then you SHOULDN'T drive. Uber is not going to change anything just for you. If an area does not have TAXI service coverage, I think it's a good sign that you shouldn't drive there.
You mentioned you can make profit in SF and that's where you SHOULD BE driving.


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## sidemouse (Apr 2, 2017)

No.

They don't care.

If they did they would have already raised rates, because they can easily charge twice what they do and still be cheaper.
But they don't care, with Uber it's a race to the bottom.


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## JAnightrider (Jun 25, 2015)

Totally agree with you,i live in the suburbs but working there is not profitable.I drive an hour to go in the cities to work where the average pickup time is 5 mins. and not 20 mins as with the suburbs .I just cant understand that Uber still not getting it?are as most drivers believe they just don't care for drivers.


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## shahid7380 (Aug 31, 2017)

Here is another bad news for uber drivers , uber slashes 5% more today from driver pay without informing the drivers in all over NY state.how you can see just go to one of your todays fare and see the fare detail you will see black car fund going out of your fare .it was not taken out of fare before.it was separate.guys it is $30 to 45 daily dedication.passenger is still paying the same money so uber is pocketing that money they use to pay black car fund.this is sucks I am done with uber now.f


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## nayeem (Jun 22, 2017)

passengers pay the same or even more than regular cabs. But uber is paying us(DRIVERS) 1/3 out of that fare.


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## Driver2448 (Mar 8, 2017)

Wait, people tip in the Bay Area and San Fran area? Then what are drivers from that area doing in my area (Roseville) and taking away possible business for us local drivers? Tips have been very rare with two riders tipping $3 in twelve trips during the last two weeks. Just doing limited driving right now which is the reason for the small number of trips.


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

I got some connections and forwarded this for you to the right people in the north pole.


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## CJfrom619 (Apr 27, 2017)

Uber is a choice friend... remember that.You can choose to drive or not.


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

nayeem said:


> passengers pay the same or even more than regular cabs. But uber is paying us(DRIVERS) 1/3 out of that fare.


Not a cab driver but from what I read here most pay for the cab everyday (free dor some shifts to over $100 for 12 hour) and also credit card processing fees in addition to gas


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## emdeplam (Jan 13, 2017)

Uber is in deep doo as they are bleeding badly and need to go IPO with investors backing out. They are also in a price war with Lyft. Any extra penny will go to their bottom line. Not personal just business....they have actual employees who will not stay if the coin doesn't come and that's the one group who might win short term.


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## shahid7380 (Aug 31, 2017)

CJfrom619 said:


> Uber is a choice friend... remember that.You can choose to drive or not.


You talking similar like you help a company to establish their business,you work day and night for them .kill business of all other small car service companies.now all of sudden they move away from you asking you that you have a choice work or don't work for us.this is just a joke .a poor driver more than 15?years in driving can't do any thing else other car service companies don't have business.what he is going to do he will force to work for uber .when uber say it's your choice work or don't work they know these drivers have to work for them .you know everything go high or low uber is very high right now and from that high falling to depths will also be hard and bad .its matter of time these poor drivers will erupt.you might have another job and work uber part time this is very good but think about those drivers who don't have any other job and trying to make there living in this profession .everything was good before uber.now nothing better for them .supply of drivers are more than demand.


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## RangerBella (Nov 29, 2017)

The sad thing is.......Uber is laughing like hell at all of us.


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## CJfrom619 (Apr 27, 2017)

shahid7380 said:


> You talking similar like you help a company to establish their business,you work day and night for them .kill business of all other small car service companies.now all of sudden they move away from you asking you that you have a choice work or don't work for us.this is just a joke .a poor driver more than 15?years in driving can't do any thing else other car service companies don't have business.what he is going to do he will force to work for uber .when uber say it's your choice work or don't work they know these drivers have to work for them .you know everything go high or low uber is very high right now and from that high falling to depths will also be hard and bad .its matter of time these poor drivers will erupt.you might have another job and work uber part time this is very good but think about those drivers who don't have any other job and trying to make there living in this profession .everything was good before uber.now nothing better for them .supply of drivers are more than demand.


Friend life is full of choices. We choose to drive for Uber. If I didn't like doing uber I would go find another way to make income. No one is forced to do this job so don't act like people have no other choices.


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