# an uberx driver farther away than I got the job. How? Isn't it closest first?



## kideyse (Oct 22, 2015)

I regularly work the Newark Liberty Airport for Uber trips. After getting two parking tickets from the police for standing the car in the terminal area, I decided to go ahead and park the vehicle in the terminal C garage, and wait for pings in the baggage claim area.
I noticed a lady there had her smart phone out and I asked her if she needed an Uber ride. She said yes. My uber driver app was online and I guided her on requesting an UberX trip. After we put in the destination and showed her the fare estimate, she hit request uberx trip. I waited for the ping but never got it. She told me that she got booked with another uberx driver. I looked at her screen and the drivers car was not even in the close vicinity of terminal C.

How did this happen?

I thought that the driver selection algorithm was based on proximity or distance to the rider. In other words, the closest driver would get the ping first. 

This is not an isolated incident. I would wait in the baggage claim area and noticed several people bring up there uber rider app and request a trip and I don't get the ping evn though I am less than 10 ft from them.

My only guess is that when there are many congested uber drivers in a small area such as the terminal area of an airport, the network cannot determine which driver is actually closest to the requester but rather which driver's smart phone is closer to the cell tower. Or maybe there's a waiting queue factored in or maybe its random. 
Anybody else have similar issues?


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## uberguuber (Feb 23, 2015)

its screwed, I get pings 12 minutes away when there are 3 cars closer. it happens


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

First, google maps is (+/-) 100 feet accurate - so standing next to someone even isn't 'closest.' And, more important is the data connection both you and the Rider have. Their phone might not be updating Uber information quickly, or yours could possibly be having same issue. Every cell provider has it's _holes_ on coverage. I have worked out a system where I can always get the Rider matched with my App, but it takes some effort.


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## kideyse (Oct 22, 2015)

I have had cases where I would go up to the air train on the 3rd level and I would get pings from the baggage claim 2 levels down and once I even got a ping from terminal A which is 1/4 mile away. Since the higher elevation seems to bring better results, I strongly suspect that proximity to the cell tower may be a more important factor than distance to the rider. Anyone else have similar results?


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## mandreyka (Sep 25, 2015)

I though airports are geofenced and you get in line


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## Tony from New Jersey (Jan 21, 2015)

I think airport authority has distorted the cell phone signals with in the airport grounds for security reason. So all of these hypotheses are correct: closest driver gets the ping but due to this distortion, it does not work precisely and coupled with 100+ _ factor.


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## andaas (May 19, 2015)

Here in Dallas, both airports use a first in/first out queue system for Uber. So regardless of your location within the airport, drivers are dispatched in the order they became available within the airport zone. Not sure if that's what is going on for you.


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## Tony from New Jersey (Jan 21, 2015)

In New Jersey it is the closest driver get the ping and no que system, might not be fair, but that what we have here in NJ.


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## UberLefty (Oct 8, 2015)

Here at Sacramento SMF it is also FIFO (first in, first out).


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## FlDriver (Oct 16, 2015)

Has Uber ever said that the closest driver always gets the ping?

The app might consider other factors, like driver rating and experience, how long a driver has waited for a ping, and who knows what else. I have no idea, but those are some things I might consider if I designed the app.

Also, GPS isn't 100% accurate when you get close, so if there are 10 available Uber cars at the airport, the app may not be able to figure out which one is closest- and if all are at the airport, that doesn't really matter since they can all get to the rider fairly fast.

I have done a bunch of rides to the airport, only one pickup. I don't see the point in parking at the airport waiting for pings- I am just as likely to get one when on the street outside the airport, especially if there are several other drivers waiting. Also, an airport pickup might want to go to one of many hotels that are only 1-3 miles from the airport, not a high paying ride.

Of course this depends somewhat on what is around your airport, but ours is in the middle of the city with surface streets all around and lots of demand. The last person I took to the airport wasn't even headed to a flight, just staying at the hotel on airport grounds.


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## kideyse (Oct 22, 2015)

Below is the reply I got from Uber support. They basically blamed my cell phone and asked me to reboot; reinstall; etc. My smartphone is the latest model Samsung and I use Verizon, which is the best network in NJ. I doubt they even read what the problem was. It looks like a canned reply they send out automatically. Out of all the replies I have gotten so far, I like Tony's where he pointed out that the airport cell coverage is a special case for security reasons. I drove all over the airport to find a conventional cell tower with no luck. The reception is 5 bars (the best) no matter where I am at the airport.

"Thanks for the follow up, happy to help as always.

Let's try the following steps to troubleshoot for the app.

When an In-app function it's not working properly, in order to solve any problem I suggest you to perform the following steps:

-Restart the application
-Retry to use it as normally
-If that doesn't work, restart the phone and reset your phone's network settings
-As a last resort, reinstall the app to have the latest updates for the Uber Partner Application.

By doing this you may fix your problem. If you keep running the same issue, feel free to reply back in order to help you further."


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## kideyse (Oct 22, 2015)

In reply to the post by FIDriver,
Outside of my said experience at the airport, I am reasonably certain the proximity rule applies. Outside of the Newark airport, I have had people request Uber when they were standing next to me and I always got the trip, no problems, even in dense Uber driver locations like Hoboken.


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## JimS (Aug 18, 2015)

FlDriver said:


> Has Uber ever said that the closest driver always gets the ping?


On our regional page, it does say it:


> _Pro-tip: When a rider requests a ride, the closest partner receives it first. Being in the hotspots increases your chances of receiving a request!_


YMMV


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## bestpals (Aug 22, 2015)

Over the time I have been driving I have taken dozens of riders to Newark, NJ airport. I always leave my app on after I end their trip and only 1 time did I pick up an outgoing rider. You will never really know how the app figures out who gets the request as they don't want you to know. One time I picked up one of my regulars and when we went on app in my vehicle it literally kept requesting others drivers for 6 times in a row. I had to drive to Elizabeth before he was able to request my vehicle. All of this while placing the pin on top of my vehicle. Just goes to show how messed up the app is with pin placement. And they make millions of dollars a day that supposed to go to keep app working properly. Uber management to just plain INCOMPETENT.


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## CROWBOY (May 31, 2015)

mandreyka said:


> I though airports are geofenced and you get in line


Bradley Airport in CT doesn't have geofencing, and when I inquired about it, I found out not every airport has it.


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## Horsebm (Jul 21, 2015)

kideyse said:


> I regularly work the Newark Liberty Airport for Uber trips. After getting two parking tickets from the police for standing the car in the terminal area, I decided to go ahead and park the vehicle in the terminal C garage, and wait for pings in the baggage claim area.
> I noticed a lady there had her smart phone out and I asked her if she needed an Uber ride. She said yes. My uber driver app was online and I guided her on requesting an UberX trip. After we put in the destination and showed her the fare estimate, she hit request uberx trip. I waited for the ping but never got it. She told me that she got booked with another uberx driver. I looked at her screen and the drivers car was not even in the close vicinity of terminal C.
> 
> How did this happen?
> ...


This happened to me twice today and it was the same driver each time and yes, it pissed me off.


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## Steve Joseph (Oct 21, 2015)

1. Next time check to see if that driver has a higher rating than you.
2. As part of the VIP rider program several riders have told me this means they get a 5 star rated driver. 
3. Was your potential customer a VIP?
4. All of these things considered I don't believe UBER is using proximity in the way we're being told. I think they try and match every customer with the highest possible rated driver and go down the scale as they search, using proximity as a last resort instead of a first variable. I think this because several VIP customers have told me they don't feel like VIP's because the program is weak at best and they don't see the clear or real value. Someone please prove me wrong or just correct me if something I've said is way off. Thanks.


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## UberXTampa (Nov 20, 2014)

Uber definitely tweaks the experiment.

*Experiment#1:*
Initially we had no FIFO here in TIA. I knew the few hot waiting areas and was getting steady business there. 
*
Experiment#2:*
But, at some point, Uber wanted to not give me any trips from the airport. Until I was the absolute last car!
I realized the pattern had changed and I was being skipped consistently. 
So I stopped going to the TIA for pickups.

I still don't go there.

*Experiment#3:*
But, with recent implementation of FIFO, we have a fair deal. 
If I end up at the airport, I wait around if airport is busy and I get a trip. It looks like it is random again and I am in the queue.

*My Conclusion:*
You probably have a FIFO there as well. 
FIFO is more fair a system to drivers than other experiments we have gone through. 
Sit in the queue, take a nap, go to the restroom as soon as you arrive without turning the phone off.


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## DougB (Apr 8, 2015)

When you are in a geofenced FIFO are can the driver see his spot in queue?


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## kideyse (Oct 22, 2015)

The VIPs generally prefer Uber Black or SUV, so priority based on rating would apply to Uber Black or SUV. I can't picture VIPs using UberX.


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## tohellwithu (Nov 30, 2014)

andaas said:


> Here in Dallas, both airports use a first in/first out queue system for Uber. So regardless of your location within the airport, drivers are dispatched in the order they became available within the airport zone. Not sure if that's what is going on for you.


That's right its FIFO but when I was working most of the time use to get the call while ending the ride or just in 5 minutes. Never had to wait more then 10-15 minutes. Use to see lots of drivers out there, but still get the ping. I guess FIFO is just to make the driver happy that they are in que. Before getting inside the airport I use to check the rider app and see cluster of drivers thinking have to wait for ping but, May be coz of my rating was a key player... May be, just a guess..


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## Richf28 (Nov 11, 2015)

Got a ping this morning and the rider was 47 minutes away. I know other drivers were closer than I was. I also figured by the time I got to the pax they would cancel and try for a closer driver. I ignored the call. Hope i dont get dinged for it but i think common sense comes into play sometimes.


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## Tony from New Jersey (Jan 21, 2015)

I think you did the right thing. I would have done the same. Pax can not ding you in this case but your acceptance rate will go down a little depanding how many rides you do in a week period.


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## Uberwagoner (Oct 11, 2015)

What confuses me is that sometimes I am the closest driver yet the dri e is 30 miles or 35 minutes away in the DFW area. Most of the time the request is to the edge of the DFW service perimeter, but some are in the central core of Fort Worth where I am the closest driver after a driver that was half the distance or time drop the pax rejected the request.

Most of the time the pax cancels once they see the long wait time or the distance for the pickup. However, as of late, more pax are willing to wait that amount of time.


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## nickd8775 (Jul 12, 2015)

At EWR I find that if someone wants to ride with me, I have them get in my car, drive to the 7-11, and have them make the request at the 7-11 parking lot. It always works for me and I get the airport rates. 
I have a few customers who want to ride with me to and from the airport


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## Avi-ator (Sep 18, 2015)

Richf28 said:


> Got a ping this morning and the rider was 47 minutes away. I know other drivers were closer than I was. I also figured by the time I got to the pax they would cancel and try for a closer driver. I ignored the call. Hope i dont get dinged for it but i think common sense comes into play sometimes.


You're right and it won't be the last time you get a ping like that so if you're in a position to be concerned about your acceptance rate, accept those pings then call the pax immediately and explain the error. They are always happy to cancel and ping again. This will not affect your acceptance or rating.


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## howo3579 (Dec 8, 2015)

My theory is newer drivers get the ping first. My first weekend driving I got bunch of surge trips and minimal idle time. The weekend didn't have anything going on either. Next few weeks I haven't gotten any surge even though I've been sitting in the dead center of the surge area. That's how Uber got all us suckers get addictive driving as slaves.


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