# Where are the satisfied drivers? All I see are digruntled threads



## Guest (Jan 3, 2016)

I am just wondering what I am missing here.
I am brand new to uber. New years eve was my first night driving and in a city I am not very familiar with. I have 12 hours of driving and 40 trips. My payout is incredible at this point. But a lot of my driving has been off times (other than new years eve night) and I am still averaging a high hour average payout and have only used about $35 in gas.
With the tire and service discounts, the cell phone discounts, auto parts discounts, etc that we get I feel like this is actually a great way to scoop up some extra cash whenever one needs or wants it.
I see so many gripes involving lawsuits, people complaining about the money Uber takes for its share, etc. I was a delivery driver for a pizza place from high school through college and that was a job where nobody helped in any way with auto expenses. You just had to be savvy about how you operated and had to treat it like a business.
For those who think uber is wrong for what they keep from the fares, consider this:

They came up with the idea and put it into motion. You are not obligated to continue driving for them. 
They are the ones using the business tactics needed to market uber and keep it in a positive light for uber riders so that we still have peoiple to pick up. They are the ones spending millions of dollars on a campaign to keep uber going strong when the media such as forbes and others are bashing them any chance they get and trying in every way to change the public opinion of uber. They are the ones who made the apps, paid for the marketing in the cities we drive in, marketed in such a way that makes Uber stand out even above the plentiful and very brightly colored professional cab services. 
If you think uber's take is unfair, go drive a yellow cab. You will pay much more for the use of that cab than you do uber and it doesn't matter if you are making money or not. Slow day or dead day... you still pay.
The more we help with the image of uber drivers by being being an excellent, fun and professional service, the more traveling by Uber will become standard for people.
Stories I hear from people about uber drivers texting or answering their cell phones, arguing with riders, smoking pot in their cars or having cars that stink in other ways is irritating.
Notice the market we have for riders? I have never had some scuzzy, broke looking dirty nasty person riding with me. Uber has marketed to people who want more class than a taxi cab. We need to keep the image up for the people we want to market to because those are the people who can afford the service.

Remember "Myspace"? You know what happened to myspace? Facebook happened. Uber has a chance to be the facebook of driving... or, if we are not careful or stop being concious of the image we give the market, we will end up being the myspace of rideshare and another company will take over. And if you know how the market works, a takeover company will be one who has figured out how to profit bigger than uber and that wont mean that drivers get a higher percentage than uber. It will mean that if you want to drive, you are stuck with the new company who has taken over the market and either accept less money in your pocket or go work somewhere else.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2016)

Listen dude... learn what a scab is before you call somebody a scab.
I agree with you about the tip option. Why the app doesn't allow that is beyond me.
You want to control your pricing, Go buy a car topper with the word "Taxi" on it, register as a business, buy all of the insurance necessary for legal operation as a taxi, market your taxi to the public, figure out how you will do your fares in a way that can make you money but be competitive in a market saturated with drivers and there you have. Everything you want. If this isn't working for you, good luck with controlling your own pricing.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2016)

The biggest thing is this... Uber drivers need to become aware that the drivers have the opportunity to be the success or failure of this company. This whole thing is new and uncharted territory. The more people whine and snivel like a bunch of little b*%ches the more the public opinion will change about the drivers as a whole. Right now people see uber as a much classier way to ride share than the city bus or yellow cab. But if we aren't careful, we can quickly fall to that level or below in public opinion and then nobody makes shit. 
If you think you have it bad... other companies doing this spread ride request pings out evenly amongst the active drivers. So instead of being pinged because you are the closest, you'd get pinged for being next in line... and your pick up is a half hour away. don't believe me? Think of the other big ride share companies then research them.


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## 2MsBandT (Dec 15, 2015)

You present your case in such a classy way. :-/


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## SanDiegoUberDriver (Jan 3, 2016)

In fairness to you, one cannot truly evaluate their Uber driving experience based upon less than 1 week's driving...ESPECIALLY when that week includes New Year's Eve...without a doubt the busiest, and therefore the most profitable night of the year. New Year's Day is also a fairly good day. I think why you are seeing so many, I will say "jaded" drivers on this forum is that they likely have been driving for quite some time, enough to know that your recent experience is nothing close to "normal" You have not experienced Uber increasing their take % or reducing the passenger fares, and therefore your take home over the years. Bad weather also increases customer demand = Milwaukee in the winter will have better demand. Reevaluate your opinion when it isn't freezing and snowing out and customer demand drops.

I have been driving about 20 hours per week in San Diego for the past 7 months. I take both X and XL customers. I am retired so I can pick high surge times.

Uber Pros = really a good job for someone in between jobs, wants to get off of the couch (me), can only work limited hours (student, etc.), The flexibility is there, but ONLY if one doesn't have to it full time over a long period of time. I average after gas and maintenance about $26 an hour...but I also tend to target surge times. Pretty good. In reality we are glorified taxi drivers. But the taxi drivers have it much, much worse than Uber drivers. They HAVE to work long hours to make their nut (their monthly medallion/license/lease fee) Here in San Diego it is $1,ooo per month. I live and drive often downtown so I am around taxi drivers all the time. Those poor saps give hardly ANY customers.

The concept and implementation of using smartphones, credit cards, and GPS to put drivers in touch with customers at a much reduced price for the customer and a higher income than taxi drivers is simply awesome. It has flexibility and the customer get's their ride very quickly, they can see the progress of their driving coming to pick them up, and the changes of a "no show" are very rare by a driver. Ever call for a taxi and they say it will take 45 minutes and then never show because they got hailed from the street on the way to you? The Uber experience is simply MUCH better for customers than taxis.

Safety - being an Uber driver OR an Uber customer is far and away MUCH safer than taking a taxi. There is a record on both ends of times/persons/locations and would be thieves/rapists know this.

The level customer is much better for Uber than a taxi - one must have a smart phone, a data plan that isn't used up, and a good credit card to use an Uber. All you need to hail a taxi is an arm to wave one down. Therefore, while you see much griping about customers on this forum, any taxi driver forum would have 10X the number of asshole customers.

Surge pricing is great - IF you have the flexibility to take advantage of it. Taxi companies do not have surge pricing.

Uber Cons = company has the absolute WORST driver support. Just email them with anything other than a fare adjustment and get the hilarious (if it wasn't so frustrating) template response from the guy in the Philippines that has never driven or owned a car, so can not relate. Have you ever dealt with an employer that wouldn't even HAVE a customer service phone number ? Luckily there is a support center that I can drive to in San Diego, but these are limited to the major cities. Uber has consistently reduced fares (costing drivers), increased their take percentage, and makes changes to benefit themselves or customers. Really NEVER/RARELY to benefit drivers. Not having an app tipping function like Lyft is one thing, but to actively discourage tipping is quite another. Can you imagine if you went to a restaurant and the hostess seats you with "There is no need to tip here at Uber Steakhouse and Bar" ? Simply asinine. Another example. In California, the "safe ride" fee (really just Uber's cost of insurance during the pax's ride} increased a couple of months ago from $1 to $1.75. I can guarantee that Uber's out of pocket expense for insurance did NOT increase 75%. Any any rate, the customer is paying more, but is the driver getting a percentage of that increase ? No.

Lastly and MOST IMPORTANT, internet forums on ALL topics tend to be negative. That is the very nature of the human experience - we humans tend to talk about (especially in anonymous media) about the bad things, not the good things about a topic. Those generally satisfied with something will simply not go on-line and talk about it. Human nature. Don't equate postings on this forum with the opinions of all Uber drivers.

Hope my "War and Peace" helps.


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## SanDiegoUberDriver (Jan 3, 2016)

One other point, the term "If you don't like it, just quit. No one is forcing you" is almost always one of the most asinine sentences in the English language. If you don't like this forum, then just qui it. Why waste your time writing such a long post if you don't like it - take your own advice and quit Reddit Uber People Net if you don't like it. Use another forum. There are others out there. See how silly you sound telling someone they only have two options (1) don't complain, or (2) quit There are any number of options between your two extremes.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2016)

Oops... didn't mean to post the one sentence above. Sorry about that.
I am not new to driving... just new to uber driving. I signed up for uber due to a co workers numbers driving in milwaukee which he shows off at work and due to the suggestion of my brother who also drives in milwaukee/chicago who has been supplementing an already decent income with another $1200-$1500 per month after expenses and with not a lot of actual working hours when compared to a typical work week.
But maybe I am not seeing the side from a perspective of someone who is doing this as their sole source of income. For me, and, seemingly, for many, it is not their full time job. And some expect to be able to drive for a few hours during the week, take weekends off and still make a living.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2016)

Ah... you make a good point DiegoDriver.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2016)

Ok so I guess time will tell. I am on a lot of forums for a lot of different things but normally they are in more positive lights as with drones and photography and technology. Facebook groups are usually where I notice the concentrations of the dissatisfied but I suppose I should have probably waited before posting this. I apologize for my lack of consideration to those who have actually been doing this for a while and know what it is really like over time. I do sincerely apologize.


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## SanDiegoUberDriver (Jan 3, 2016)

Thanks, you are a true gentleman.


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## MKEUber (Aug 20, 2014)

Get back to us after Uber cuts rates in a few days and you make $60 gross after driving for 5 hours on a Saturday night. NYE and the busy couple days after is your only experience with Uber. You have yet to deal with any realities of the job.


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## uberguuber (Feb 23, 2015)

yeah talk to us when your rate hits $0.85 a mile and no cancellation fee. don't worry when they hire enough drivers it will!


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## grams777 (Jun 13, 2014)

The attitudes at the beginning were much more positive. Things progressively soured after rounds of rate cuts and driver saturation. Some drivers even got lured into buying cars specifically for Uber while the rates were higher and there were fewer drivers.


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2016)

What will happen, eventually, I am thinking, is many drivers will stop doing Uber and it won't remain saturated.
I use drones and build and repair drones for other people and companies on top of using them for photography. Now the market is saturated with millions of people who think they have this huge exclusive advantage by having a drone. Well now the market is saturated. Many established sUAS users still do just fine in the market. I do even better now because of my position. More people want builds and repairs. But all of these people who ran out and bought $1200 drones or more expensive ones are going to be extremely disappointed when they have no leg to stand on with the rates they thought they could charge. Now drone owners and operators are a dime a dozen and nobody that hasn't already had a foothold is going to make any money.
What will happen and has already started happening is these people have become bored of the fun part of flying drones and now have no use for them. Eventually they will sell them for cheap (good for me and other established drone operators) and the market will thin out. And rates for drone footage will be expensive again.
Right now there are thousands of dumb schmucks with no ambition who think they will be able to get stoned and drive around in their cars and make thousands of dollars a week. They'll sign up, drive, get all pissed off, and quit. The expense will be too much, they'll discover they don't make the millions they dreamed of, they'll see that it is work, they will screw up and get deactivated, etc. And that will leave a team of veteran drivers that Uber needs more than the driver needs them.
At this point, drivers are a dime a dozen bit we have all witnessed how easy it is to sign up and start driving. Right now Uber doesn't need you or you or you because 50 people just signed up while I wrote this post. BUT that will have a huge turn around if it as you all say it is and I have no reason to doubt those of you who have been doing this for a while.
In the mean time the public opinion will hang in the balance and eventually the suits who run this operation will feel the affects of it. They make their money more from a positive rider opinion and experience. They don't care about the drivers. But once they start having no choice but to be more selective on who drives and once the idiots move on to the next get rich quick scheme and once Joe blow loses the new car he bought because Uber wasn't all he dreamed it would be, Uber will have no choice but to appreciate the value of its drivers.
Well... here's hoping, anyway


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## g00r (Mar 10, 2015)

I think that if driver-less cars weren't on the way, Uber's attitude towards drivers would be less... disposable. 
Until then, Uber can afford to churn through drivers because there seems to be a ready supply at this stage.

Right now Uber is competing against Taxis for market share, shortly drivers will be competing against automated drivers, and then Uber will be competing against Google, Apple and everyone else who plans to enter the Autonomous vehicle market


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## ColdRider (Oct 19, 2015)

rsheehan79 said:


> Listen dude... learn what a scab is before you call somebody a scab.
> I agree with you about the tip option. Why the app doesn't allow that is beyond me.
> You want to control your pricing, Go buy a car topper with the word "Taxi" on it, register as a business, buy all of the insurance necessary for legal operation as a taxi, market your taxi to the public, figure out how you will do your fares in a way that can make you money but be competitive in a market saturated with drivers and there you have. Everything you want. If this isn't working for you, good luck with controlling your own pricing.


Excellent post.


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## ColdRider (Oct 19, 2015)

grams777 said:


> The attitudes at the beginning were much more positive. Things progressively soured after rounds of rate cuts and driver saturation. Some drivers even got lured into buying cars specifically for Uber while the rates were higher and there were fewer drivers.


Lol'd at "lured." As if they're naive children.


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## UberBlackPr1nce (Dec 28, 2014)

rsheehan79 said:


> I am just wondering what I am missing here.
> I am brand new to uber. New years eve was my first night driving and in a city I am not very familiar with. I have 12 hours of driving and 40 trips. My payout is incredible at this point. But a lot of my driving has been off times (other than new years eve night) and I am still averaging a high hour average payout and have only used about $35 in gas.
> With the tire and service discounts, the cell phone discounts, auto parts discounts, etc that we get I feel like this is actually a great way to scoop up some extra cash whenever one needs or wants it.
> I see so many gripes involving lawsuits, people complaining about the money Uber takes for its share, etc. I was a delivery driver for a pizza place from high school through college and that was a job where nobody helped in any way with auto expenses. You just had to be savvy about how you operated and had to treat it like a business.
> ...


Unless your working for free, uber pretty much is the new company your afraid of. A rate cut is coming to a city near you.. stand by...... then you'll be on here months later disguising yourself under a different name complaining.


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## UberBlackPr1nce (Dec 28, 2014)

ColdRider said:


> Lol'd at "lured." As if they're naive children.


Desperate fools then?


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

rsheehan79 said:


> I have 12 hours of driving and 40 trips.


That amount of time and trips is inconsequential.


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2016)

Huberis said:


> That amount of time and trips is inconsequential.


why?


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## Sacto Burbs (Dec 28, 2014)

... just wait grasshopper ... lets talk after your Winter Warmup cuts start, shall we ?


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## Jufkii (Sep 17, 2015)

rsheehan79 said:


> I am just wondering what I am missing here.
> I am brand new to uber. New years eve was my first night driving and in a city I am not very familiar with. I have 12 hours of driving and 40 trips. My payout is incredible at this point. But a lot of my driving has been off times (other than new years eve night) and I am still averaging a high hour average payout and have only used about $35 in gas.
> With the tire and service discounts, the cell phone discounts, auto parts discounts, etc that we get I feel like this is actually a great way to scoop up some extra cash whenever one needs or wants it.
> I see so many gripes involving lawsuits, people complaining about the money Uber takes for its share, etc. I was a delivery driver for a pizza place from high school through college and that was a job where nobody helped in any way with auto expenses. You just had to be savvy about how you operated and had to treat it like a business.
> ...


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## Jufkii (Sep 17, 2015)

rsheehan79 said:


> What will happen, eventually, I am thinking, is many drivers will stop doing Uber and it won't remain saturated.
> I use drones and build and repair drones for other people and companies on top of using them for photography. Now the market is saturated with millions of people who think they have this huge exclusive advantage by having a drone. Well now the market is saturated. Many established sUAS users still do just fine in the market. I do even better now because of my position. More people want builds and repairs. But all of these people who ran out and bought $1200 drones or more expensive ones are going to be extremely disappointed when they have no leg to stand on with the rates they thought they could charge. Now drone owners and operators are a dime a dozen and nobody that hasn't already had a foothold is going to make any money.
> What will happen and has already started happening is these people have become bored of the fun part of flying drones and now have no use for them. Eventually they will sell them for cheap (good for me and other established drone operators) and the market will thin out. And rates for drone footage will be expensive again.
> Right now there are thousands of dumb schmucks with no ambition who think they will be able to get stoned and drive around in their cars and make thousands of dollars a week. They'll sign up, drive, get all pissed off, and quit. The expense will be too much, they'll discover they don't make the millions they dreamed of, they'll see that it is work, they will screw up and get deactivated, etc. And that will leave a team of veteran drivers that Uber needs more than the driver needs them.
> ...


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

My first night ever as a taxi driver happened to be 16 years ago on NYE oddly enough.

No single shift, good or bad is enough to paint a full or terribly meaningful picture of any kind of job let alone what you are doing. Uber terraces reality. Every market tends to be a little higher or a little lower in the pecking order. What is true for brand new markets does not hold true for established but still growing in terms of drivers exponentially, nor does it apply to what a driver is likely to face in a fully mature Uber market.

To get an idea of the life cycle of a typical Uber market which happened to play out unusually quickly, go pour through the La Vegas subforum. Vegas went through the entire cycle, boom to bust faster than any other, you wil be able to see the tone of threads evolve, the tone changed extremely quickly. You could do a case study following that forum for the simple reason of having such a short timeline.

Rate and reality, the screwing or profit is a terraced kind of world which creates stability by fomenting dissent among drivers. Drivers aren't going to be on the same page. 

The story that got you driving Uber is likely different from the story the next guy bought into. The more casual the driver the better.......

I digress. As someone who has driven for over 16 years full time, with over 70,000 trips under my belt, all I can say is get back to me in six months or a year to even see if you are still driving. The typical person who asks where all the negativity is coming from may mostly be asking others not to rock the boat and avoid critical thought. There is little or no objectivity in the initial attraction to Uber during the start up phase.

You workerd a cherry picker's night, those huge surge runs earning you bank are not to be taken for granted, they are a hook designed to attract more and more drivers which in turn will have dramatic effect on your earning potential.

One shift does not a worker make. You should know that. Why are some many drivers disgruntled as opposed to being cautiously critical? My guess is they were likely to have taken their early salad days for granted and meant for them to be the defining moments of their TNC driving careers...... It isn't. That huge money is the hook, not the gravy it tastes like.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

rsheehan79 said:


> why?


Why on earth would it suggest you anything other than a superficial understanding of Uber driving? Arguably you could be expected to have not only a superficial understanding but it is quite likely your perspective is a bit warped having only driven on a night which is outside the norm in terms of business, an evening where even the most inept should be able to make a ton of lot?

How - Why? Shouldn't it be obvious?


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## sellkatsell44 (Oct 25, 2015)

Huberis said:


> My first night ever as a taxi driver happened to be 16 years ago on NYE oddly enough.


and here you are, 16 years later.  its truly awesome to meet folks who stick with a line of work for 10+ years as its rare these days.

a few points.

folks tend to gravitate towards bettering things. as in, if you give someone x, they will want to have x, but than now they have nothing to aim for, unless they think of y.

i don't think majority of people out there will ever be truly "content" and when they do, that is when they're ready to kick up.

whether it is professionally, personally, or spiritually...we're always aiming for progress right?

and uber is progress currently, of what transportation use to hold near and dear--flagging down for the taxi, showing a bit of leg if you're a woman (i always got a kick out of being able to flag a taxi faster than the guy next to me).

or taking the bus, train or hitching with a coworker.

uber expands the horizon.

do they map that shiet out perfectly when they first grew the concept? no. its a work in progress.

that said, there are a few things, one of them being a "tipless" service, that they hold near and dear and you bet a pretty penny they won't be budging from that stance anytime soon.

so where are the happy drivers? out there driving in ignorance bliss, unaware of the resources or pools of folks on the internet--gathering together, hoping to make changes to the uber machine.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

sellkatsell44 said:


> so where are the happy drivers? out there driving in ignorance bliss


True enough. For most people, it is a very casual activity. They show up, put a few months in, average six or seven hours a week and are done after six months, a year if they are lucky. The satisfied drivers tend to be those who can afford to be satisfied already, even without Uber, but maybe they are a bit overextended. It is likely someone with another job and driving for a TNC is designed to be casual and intended to ease some pressure. That all sound great, but it is very much at the expense of the working driver or the more blue collared workers. They will pay the price by bing told that what they do for a living (not just taxi drivers) doesn't cut it anymore. That path needs to be considered critically.


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## cleansafepolite (Dec 14, 2015)

I am a happy uber daytime driver and miserable night driver...I used to just be a happy driver, now i am miserable mostly..I used to gross 400ish weekly with 20 hours online and i had a high rating...now my rating sucks, my home life sucks..no day time surge ever anymore...yes drunks suck. When i ask why does my life suck? Its my job. Uber. I had plans for daycare and maybee the golden ticket ...now i cant plan..i need to plan an escape from uber and i am bitter about it. I dont want to process into a real job. In the begining it was taxis hating uber, now its fulltime ubers that hate the part timers who do thier shift work, then flood the streets and make it so there is no surge. Ultimately THIS IS ALL MY FAULT. But as i said, I am bitter and I no longer want Uber to be "fixed". I want to see them hurt, and destroyed. You wanted honest you got it. I hate uber. I want them to fall for many reasons. I will do everything in my power to hurt them. ME for my selfish reasons. They had thier selfish reasons for hurting us and the taxi industry and the over seas workers they employ. Eye for an eye. It is beyond having them fix it, I want them accountable for what they have done and I want them to pay. You wont get any pissing and moaning from me, I am all about action now.


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## EcoboostMKS (Nov 6, 2015)

cleansafepolite said:


> I am a happy uber daytime driver and miserable night driver...I used to just be a happy driver, now i am miserable mostly..I used to gross 400ish weekly with 20 hours online and i had a high rating...now my rating sucks, my home life sucks..no day time surge ever anymore...yes drunks suck. When i ask why does my life suck? Its my job. Uber. I had plans for daycare and maybee the golden ticket ...now i cant plan..i need to plan an escape from uber and i am bitter about it. I dont want to process into a real job. In the begining it was taxis hating uber, now its fulltime ubers that hate the part timers who do thier shift work, then flood the streets and make it so there is no surge. Ultimately THIS IS ALL MY FAULT. But as i said, I am bitter and I no longer want Uber to be "fixed". I want to see them hurt, and destroyed. You wanted honest you got it. I hate uber. I want them to fall for many reasons. I will do everything in my power to hurt them. ME for my selfish reasons. They had thier selfish reasons for hurting us and the taxi industry and the over seas workers they employ. Eye for an eye. It is beyond having them fix it, I want them accountable for what they have done and I want them to pay. You wont get any pissing and moaning from me, I am all about action now.


From this to that in about 3 weeks?

https://uberpeople.net/threads/man-up-or-woman-up.49632/

If you're for real, it might be time to figure out something else to do with your life.


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## sellkatsell44 (Oct 25, 2015)

Huberis said:


> True enough. For most people, it is a very casual activity. They show up, put a few months in, average six or seven hours a week and are done after six months, a year if they are lucky. The satisfied drivers tend to be those who can afford to be satisfied already, even without Uber, but maybe they are a bit overextended. It is likely someone with another job and driving for a TNC is designed to be casual and intended to ease some pressure. That all sound great,* but it is very much at the expense *of the working driver or the more blue collared workers. They will pay the price by bing told that what they do for a living (not just taxi drivers) doesn't cut it anymore. That path needs to be considered critically.


It's always at the expense of workers--regardless of what line of work you're in. It's just that with uber, they found a way to grab workers without having them be able to talk to other workers (besides a platform like this, which ya'll know is about less than 5% of total uber drivers in the US alone).

Business owners almost always want to pay as little as they can legally get away with. Give as little benefits as they can...etc etc... whenever they are giving more than what is necessary it is because they're rolling it in themselves and can afford to, after their cut, their pockets are lined--and they still have a surplus.

Which is why when the economy tanked--the first thing to go besides decent pay and benefits, is the workers themselves. Yup, no longer are we having 1:1 ratio but its more like 1:3, 1:2 if lucky. The fact is that they're looking for places to trim. When retail stores start telling their employees that a small bag is $.05 cents compared to a paper bag that is $.10 cents that's when you know its time to get out.

However, on the flip side, it isn't just big companies but small business owners--and I know a lot that barely break even themselves (depending on the line of business they're in) because it is a tough, tough world out there.

The point is, you're always going to have to fight for your wage/salary. You're always going to have to ask for more than what they're giving because they'll always undercut you with the expectation that if you were smart--you'd ask for more and if not, great for them.

I have only met ONE out of hundreds, of business owners, that told me...yeah, we're sitting on a sizable surplus of $200-300k after all of our revolving expenses and income but we're looking to set up 401k, pension, etc for our employees, on top of the generous health care benefits and vacation dates. They're looking to retain and keep their 10-15 employees happy and not aggressively expand, but also still want growth year after year. It is SO rare. Even my last employer who is super nice, was also super cheap... benefits? On my own. Retirement? On my own.


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## cleansafepolite (Dec 14, 2015)

Yes all this in about 3 weeks, i wont stick to my guns if i find out I am wrong. I want people to see my original posts, i am embarassed but I would be more embarassed if i kept on that path. There are people here that post nonsense prouber and antiuber...but if you read the posts that are backed with PROOF..you can learn something..it does not feel good to find out you have been used like a cheap *****, it does not feel good to see how many people have been and are being hurt...i wish i were that noble..im not..im pissed becuase the money is gone..first an foremost..I am an ugly imperfect person, selfish ignorant and lazy...I have uber to thank for this discovery..guess what? I can change if I have a purpose in my life...right now that purpose is taking down Uber for all the RIGHT REASONS..thats how i deal with the guilt of being an ugly selfish person and I pray become a better person in the process. If i just walk away how can i change? Not for the better. Im gonna do this right. For somebody other than myself. This is better than a leather couch session anyday...i feel better, alot better.


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## sellkatsell44 (Oct 25, 2015)

EcoboostMKS said:


> From this to that in about 3 weeks?
> 
> https://uberpeople.net/threads/man-up-or-woman-up.49632/
> 
> If you're for real, it might be time to figure out something else to do with your life.


That person has been driving uber for about a month before that post so total is about 7-8 weeks? Although s/he cleaned vomit and with no tip...makes me curious what happened in those three weeks to make them want to TAKE DOWN UBER.



cleansafepolite said:


> Yes all this in about 3 weeks, i wont stick to my guns if i find out I am wrong. I want people to see my original posts, i am embarassed but I would be more embarassed if i kept on that path. There are people here that post nonsense prouber and antiuber...but if you read the posts that are backed with PROOF..you can learn something..it does not feel good to find out you have been used like a cheap *****, it does not feel good to see how many people have been and are being hurt...i wish i were that noble..im not..im pissed becuase the money is gone..first an foremost..I am an ugly imperfect person, selfish ignorant and lazy...I have uber to thank for this discovery..guess what? I can change if I have a purpose in my life...right now that purpose is taking down Uber for all the RIGHT REASONS..thats how i deal with the guilt of being an ugly selfish person and I pray become a better person in the process. If i just walk away how can i change? Not for the better. Im gonna do this right. For somebody other than myself.


If you quit Uber in 7 weeks than good luck taking them down.

I don't think you're real with the language you're speaking.

Also I hope Uber is the only job you've had for a mere 7-8 weeks.

I hope you've had other jobs where you faced obstacles, and in turn, you overcame those obstacles. I hope those jobs also presented you with opportunities to learn and grow from it as a person--intellectually.

I always told folks who came at me, reaming me for my mistakes and how I should "know everything". Well, If I knew everything, I might as well be dead.


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## cleansafepolite (Dec 14, 2015)

I think im done here...thanks folks for being nice. Guess i was going through a meltdown or something like that. No more posts. I dont care anymore and it feels great.


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## EcoboostMKS (Nov 6, 2015)

cleansafepolite said:


> Yes all this in about 3 weeks, i wont stick to my guns if i find out I am wrong. I want people to see my original posts, i am embarassed but I would be more embarassed if i kept on that path. There are people here that post nonsense prouber and antiuber...but if you read the posts that are backed with PROOF..you can learn something..it does not feel good to find out you have been used like a cheap *****, it does not feel good to see how many people have been and are being hurt...i wish i were that noble..im not..im pissed becuase the money is gone..first an foremost..I am an ugly imperfect person, selfish ignorant and lazy...I have uber to thank for this discovery..guess what? I can change if I have a purpose in my life...right now that purpose is taking down Uber for all the RIGHT REASONS..thats how i deal with the guilt of being an ugly selfish person and I pray become a better person in the process. If i just walk away how can i change? Not for the better. Im gonna do this right. For somebody other than myself. This is better than a leather couch session anyday...i feel better, alot better.


There's a reason why uber has such a high turnover rate. Can't say i blame you for anything you're saying. Glad you figured it out sooner than later and are man enough to admit it. A lot of people will never admit they were wrong even though they know they are.


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## HiFareLoRate (Sep 14, 2015)

Oh another one of these guys.
I'll check back in a couple of months or weeks to see OP threads again but with the words " Too many drivers! " or " Anyone making money? " or my personal favorite " Why is my rating so bad? "


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

cleansafepolite said:


> I think im done here...thanks folks for being nice. Guess i was going through a meltdown or something like that. No more posts. I dont care anymore and it feels great.


Take care of yourself first and foremost. Be well.


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## Guest (Jan 5, 2016)

Huberis said:


> Why on earth would it suggest you anything other than a superficial understanding of Uber driving? Arguably you could be expected to have not only a superficial understanding but it is quite likely your perspective is a bit warped having only driven on a night which is outside the norm in terms of business, an evening where even the most inept should be able to make a ton of lot?
> 
> How - Why? Shouldn't it be obvious?


Still doing well... sunday between noon and 4 and tonight between 6 and 9... still don't understand why people are so bent out of shape. I am still happy.


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## bezi_NY (Feb 28, 2015)

The satisfied drivers left when the going was good is my understanding. The rest are stuck with Santander deals.

Perhaps, Santander can answer your question. There's more if you google..

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0PX2CB20150723


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

rsheehan79 said:


> Still doing well... sunday between noon and 4 and tonight between 6 and 9... still don't understand why people are so bent out of shape. I am still happy.


This forum represents what? Less than one percent of all active duty Uber drivers if I had to guess. It is not likely to be an accurate sampling. That said, two shifts doesn't change things. Wait until you have been doing this for several months.

You may have to live with the fact that your simply a happy guy and no amount of pooping on your is going to change that. COunt yourself lucky.

What are your rates in Milwaukee?


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## Guest (Jan 5, 2016)

HiFareLoRate said:


> Oh another one of these guys.
> I'll check back in a couple of months or weeks to see OP threads again but with the words " Too many drivers! " or " Anyone making money? " or my personal favorite " Why is my rating so bad? "


See this is what I am talking about... Did anything in my original post


Huberis said:


> This forum represents what? Less than one percent of all active duty Uber drivers if I had to guess. It is not likely to be an accurate sampling. That said, two shifts doesn't change things. Wait until you have been doing this for several months.
> 
> You may have to live with the fact that your simply a happy guy and no amount of pooping on your is going to change that. COunt yourself lucky.
> 
> What are your rates in Milwaukee?


By rates do you mean what am I making? I am going to wait, as has been suggested quite a bit on this thread, before I say anything else. But so far I haven't averaged less than $20 per hour after factoring in gas and $0.15 per mile for maintenance. 
As I said, this isn't the first driving job I have had. I have a lot of pick-up and delivery experience.
I will say this... I did have a disgrunthing moment last night when I drove across the city for a pick up who had me wait after arrival for over 10 minutes then cancelled the trip. $0 for a huge waste of time.
I actually stay away from down town and I get trips that pay better due to distance. So far anyway. But I am new so this thread was definitely way too premature. Sorry about that everybody.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

rsheehan79 said:


> By rates do you mean


What is your town's base rate $/mile and time. How many drivers on would be interesting.



rsheehan79 said:


> I will say this... I did have a disgrunthing moment last night when I drove across the city for a pick up who had me wait after arrival for over 10 minutes then cancelled the trip. $0 for a huge waste of time.


Better brace yourself. There will be days where everything goes perfect and days where everything seems to be futile.

$0.15/mile seems very low. Some people on here will suggest that is in accurate.

If all you have had is one dead trip that wasted your time...... You simply haven't been driving much. Once you have experienced a few hundred of those, you will have a more balanced perspective. It may turn out that you will have learned to deal with the BS just fine, you may handle it better than you handled it your last shift. What will be different is you will understand why some people get bent out of shape over it.

Also remember....... Some markets are way out of hand saturated and at very low $/mile. Some new markets are at quite high $/mile. When things go wrong in such markets, people moan, they either feel exploited or entitled. There is a wide range of experience.


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## Guest (Jan 5, 2016)

Well I appreciate the insight everybody. I think one of the reasons I can't see being bothered by a lot of what seems gets people riled up is that I have experience with very frustrating driving jobs from driving otr class A tractor trailer to courier services. And this isn't my primary source of income by any means. 
It also gets me away from the wife. Haha. Just kidding, she's awesome. But like I have been told... I should definitely wait a while before posting something like this. 
I will also have to get back to you on the rates. I don't even know what they are.
Oh and does anybody drive for lyft as well? Opinions? I am approved as a driver for them too but haven't started.


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## UberBlackPr1nce (Dec 28, 2014)

rsheehan79 said:


> Well I appreciate the insight everybody. I think one of the reasons I can't see being bothered by a lot of what seems gets people riled up is that I have experience with very frustrating driving jobs from driving otr class A tractor trailer to courier services. And this isn't my primary source of income by any means.
> It also gets me away from the wife. Haha. Just kidding, she's awesome. But like I have been told... I should definitely wait a while before posting something like this.
> I will also have to get back to you on the rates. I don't even know what they are.
> Oh and does anybody drive for lyft as well? Opinions? I am approved as a driver for them too but haven't started.


You don't know the rate per mile in your city?


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## Guest (Jan 5, 2016)

UberBlackPr1nce said:


> You don't know the rate per mile in your city?


That is basically what I said above isn't it? Thought I did anyway. 
Rate is 1.25 base, 1.10 per mile and .20 per minute.


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## UberBlackPr1nce (Dec 28, 2014)

rsheehan79 said:


> That is basically what I said above isn't it? Thought I did anyway.
> Rate is 1.25 base, 1.10 per mile and .20 per minute.


So you know but you don't know?
Btw your rate per mile is decent for uber x..


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## backstreets-trans (Aug 16, 2015)

cleansafepolite said:


> Yes all this in about 3 weeks, i wont stick to my guns if i find out I am wrong. I want people to see my original posts, i am embarassed but I would be more embarassed if i kept on that path. There are people here that post nonsense prouber and antiuber...but if you read the posts that are backed with PROOF..you can learn something..it does not feel good to find out you have been used like a cheap *****, it does not feel good to see how many people have been and are being hurt...i wish i were that noble..im not..im pissed becuase the money is gone..first an foremost..I am an ugly imperfect person, selfish ignorant and lazy...I have uber to thank for this discovery..guess what? I can change if I have a purpose in my life...right now that purpose is taking down Uber for all the RIGHT REASONS..thats how i deal with the guilt of being an ugly selfish person and I pray become a better person in the process. If i just walk away how can i change? Not for the better. Im gonna do this right. For somebody other than myself. This is better than a leather couch session anyday...i feel better, alot better.


This forum has been good therapy for me at the right price.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

rsheehan79 said:


> That is basically what I said above isn't it? Thought I did anyway.
> Rate is 1.25 base, 1.10 per mile and .20 per minute.


Well, it sounds as if you are slowly learning what you have been missing at least. Give it more time. Look around the subforums to get a feel for how individual markets play out. At $1.10/mile and $0.20/min you are decidedly middle of the pack. That being said, that is a crap rate considering you own your own car. If your car is financed (not such a good idea for TNC work) make sure the lien holder is cool with it. If that is the case, be sure your personal insurance provider is on board, coll with it and meets the lien holder needs. If the car is financed consider gap insurance which will protect you from loss of value should something happen to your car. If you own your car, set aside some money to cover the deductible or emergency repairs.....

Keep us posted as to how this unfolds for you. If you put a string of 40 trip nights together and make it to 4,000, it would be entertaining to turn back to this thread...... That's if any of us are still around.


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## Oscar Levant (Aug 15, 2014)

rsheehan79 said:


> Listen dude... learn what a scab is before you call somebody a scab.
> I agree with you about the tip option. Why the app doesn't allow that is beyond me.
> You want to control your pricing, Go buy a car topper with the word "Taxi" on it, register as a business, buy all of the insurance necessary for legal operation as a taxi, market your taxi to the public, figure out how you will do your fares in a way that can make you money but be competitive in a market saturated with drivers and there you have. Everything you want. If this isn't working for you, good luck with controlling your own pricing.


A lot of the money you are making is an illusion. Put 150K miles on your car in 3 years, and what's it going to be worth?

See, the difference it what it would have been worth before Uber and what it will be worth after Uber, the difference ( depreciation ) must be deducted from your income as well as gas and maintenance, or, you can go with the IRS deduction, which is a figure that includes the above, and I think it's like 57 cents per mile ( every mile, not just paid miles ). I worked part time, grossed $14K ( after uber commission ), and I took the irs deduction, and my profit was less than $4K. If I had itemized, my profit would have been higher, but not a lot higher.

That is how much you are really making, and it's not as much as you think. So, in reality, a lot of the cash you are recieving is actually your converting your car's equity into cash.

After realizing how much I was not making, I switched to UberBlack/SUV. I'm not getting rich, but I'm actually making a living now.


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2016)

Oscar Levant said:


> A lot of the money you are making is an illusion. Put 150K miles on your car in 3 years, and what's it going to be worth?
> 
> See, the difference it what it would have been worth before Uber and what it will be worth after Uber, the difference ( depreciation ) must be deducted from your income as well as gas and maintenance, or, you can go with the IRS deduction, which is a figure that includes the above, and I think it's like 57 cents per mile ( every mile, not just paid miles ). I worked part time, grossed $14K ( after uber commission ), and I took the irs deduction, and my profit was less than $4K. If I had itemized, my profit would have been higher, but not a lot higher.
> 
> ...


I have a dodge journey with 3rd row but it is white. Could I still do SUV? seats 6 passengers plus me. But sort of small and not as convenient to get in and out of as a minivan. I also have a 2013 lincoln MKZ with only 6500 miles on it so far and it is black but I am not going to drive strangers around in that.


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## MKEUber (Aug 20, 2014)

rsheehan79 said:


> I have a dodge journey with 3rd row but it is white. Could I still do SUV? seats 6 passengers plus me. But sort of small and not as convenient to get in and out of as a minivan. I also have a 2013 lincoln MKZ with only 6500 miles on it so far and it is black but I am not going to drive strangers around in that.


You may not qualify for SUV, but should definitely qualify for XL. Did they just put you in for UberX when you signed up? I would request XL too for the 6 seater. You may qualify for UberBLACK with the MKZ.

http://uberexpansion.com/what-is-uberxl/


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

MKEUber said:


> You may qualify for UberBLACK with the MKZ.


Sketchy path in that Uber doesn't seem to support that platform in a meaningful way. UberX tends to undermine what they created with Black. An Uber Black car has a tougher vetting process, requires limo insurance and the associated licensing. That is decidedly not a casual path.


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2016)

Awsome. Thanks MKE.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Lots of replies didn't read all. Here's my take though.

When I first started Uber was awesome, I made money hand over fist. Then the market got more drivers, then the rates went down, then we got more drivers. I still make ok money, but it's not awesome anymore.

Looking at Milwaukee rates you seem to still be in the Awesome stages, expect to make less at some point as they onboard too many drivers and lower rates.


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## MKEUber (Aug 20, 2014)

Fauxknight said:


> Lots of replies didn't read all. Here's my take though.
> 
> When I first started Uber was awesome, I made money hand over fist. Then the market got more drivers, then the rates went down, then we got more drivers. I still make ok money, but it's not awesome anymore.
> 
> Looking at Milwaukee rates you seem to still be in the Awesome stages, expect to make less at some point as they onboard too many drivers and lower rates.


Milwaukee is a mature market. It has already seen rate cuts and rises over the last year. Over-saturation has already happened. He is basing his observations on New Years Eve which is great in any city.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

MKEUber said:


> Milwaukee is a mature market. It has already seen rate cuts and rises over the last year. Over-saturation has already happened. He is basing his observations on New Years Eve which is great in any city.


Maybe, but their rates are still up there, probably better than average, closer to what I was making last year before the cut.


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## MKEUber (Aug 20, 2014)

Fauxknight said:


> Maybe, but their rates are still up there, probably better than average, closer to what I was making last year before the cut.


That's true, rates are about in the middle. My bad, you made it sound like Milwaukee is a new market. It's been around a lot longer than Columbus.


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## Davetripd (Dec 14, 2015)

cleansafepolite said:


> Yes all this in about 3 weeks, i wont stick to my guns if i find out I am wrong. I want people to see my original posts, i am embarassed but I would be more embarassed if i kept on that path. There are people here that post nonsense prouber and antiuber...but if you read the posts that are backed with PROOF..you can learn something..it does not feel good to find out you have been used like a cheap *****, it does not feel good to see how many people have been and are being hurt...i wish i were that noble..im not..im pissed becuase the money is gone..first an foremost..I am an ugly imperfect person, selfish ignorant and lazy...I have uber to thank for this discovery..guess what? I can change if I have a purpose in my life...right now that purpose is taking down Uber for all the RIGHT REASONS..thats how i deal with the guilt of being an ugly selfish person and I pray become a better person in the process. If i just walk away how can i change? Not for the better. Im gonna do this right. For somebody other than myself. This is better than a leather couch session anyday...i feel better, alot better.


OP as you can see many posters relish being melodramatic and there is a very vocal group that insist it's impossible to make money, often quoting the ridiculous $0.57 a mile cost. I push my UberX down the road for $0.10 a mile and I try to focus on times when it surges so *in my case *Uber makes sense and I (try to) pocket an extra $1500 a month in spending money working part time. I also run at a loss and pay lower taxes on my other income streams, yay.

I don't rely on Uber money for bills or living expenses and I think my attitude towards it might be different if I did. If it works for you, great but as with anything YMMV.


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## Santa (Jan 3, 2016)

20,000 Uber drivers -more the number of taxis-, and growing, in Toronto, Canada. The surges have disappeared during the evening rush hour, and decreased in the morning rush hour. 

I started driving in the end of November '15, and I noticed how much has changed. The only time had it good was during the week of Xmas and NYE. Most drivers flock to downtown, the only place you could've made some $$ because of the surges. Well those surges have turned into fake surges. You'll get a ping from the surge area BUT it isn't a surge ping. It makes you go WTF.

It's all a joke nowadays, since all the holiday shoppers have seized, and in the last month a few thousand more drivers have signed up.

Anyways, welcome to Uber. Just don't stay long


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## bobby747 (Dec 29, 2015)

lets say you treated yourself to a new car. not for uber for you. 
you are making $1500 a month with uber x.
while sleeping someones steals the car from you driveway and totals it. But you are a great guy. ins company chats you.
they do investigation. you got a great deal on that car 7k off. but you still owe 20k. ins company says claim not being paid as you are a uber driver. what next?????
i got 5000 rides and this sucks . my only option to be 100% legal is to pay 5 k a year . $1000 dn. $400 a month. for comm. ins. with low rates i cant afford it.


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## UberHammer (Dec 5, 2014)

Fauxknight said:


> Maybe, but their rates are still up there, probably better than average, closer to what I was making last year before the cut.


Too many people in Milwaukee are going to get drunk for there to be a surplus of drivers to bring the rates there lower.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

UberHammer said:


> Too many people in Milwaukee are going to get drunk for there to be a surplus of drivers to bring the rates there lower.


It's not like we don't have a big ass brewery here as well.


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

Fauxknight said:


> Lots of replies didn't read all. Here's my take though.
> 
> When I first started Uber was awesome, I made money hand over fist. Then the market got more drivers, then the rates went down, then we got more drivers. I still make ok money, but it's not awesome anymore.
> 
> Looking at Milwaukee rates you seem to still be in the Awesome stages, expect to make less at some point as they onboard too many drivers and lower rates.


I wouldn't call a buck 10 a mile awesome. When I started Xing it was a buck 57, then a buck 35, then into the low 90 cent zone.

It's easy for me to say no at anything less than a buck 10. I simply can't do it. Won't work. Can't work. Done. But I'm in an XL, so the numbers are more difficult. I have to look at the overall picture, when the dust settles. Total miles, total receipts, time spent. All have their vital parts.


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## UberHammer (Dec 5, 2014)

Fauxknight said:


> It's not like we don't have a big ass brewery here as well.


True. But everyone here says it puts out crap and drinks craft beers instead.


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## Rozilyn (Oct 28, 2015)

rsheehan79 said:


> I am just wondering what I am missing here.
> I am brand new to uber. New years eve was my first night driving and in a city I am not very familiar with. I have 12 hours of driving and 40 trips. My payout is incredible at this point. But a lot of my driving has been off times (other than new years eve night) and I am still averaging a high hour average payout and have only used about $35 in gas.
> With the tire and service discounts, the cell phone discounts, auto parts discounts, etc that we get I feel like this is actually a great way to scoop up some extra cash whenever one needs or wants it.
> I see so many gripes involving lawsuits, people complaining about the money Uber takes for its share, etc. I was a delivery driver for a pizza place from high school through college and that was a job where nobody helped in any way with auto expenses. You just had to be savvy about how you operated and had to treat it like a business.
> ...


what city are you servicing because you sure don't get that kind of pay down here in Detroit baby


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## Rozilyn (Oct 28, 2015)

scrurbscrud said:


> I wouldn't call a buck 10 a mile awesome. When I started Xing it was a buck 57, then a buck 35, then into the low 90 cent zone.
> 
> It's easy for me to say no at anything less than a buck 10. I simply can't do it. Won't work. Can't work. Done. But I'm in an XL, so the numbers are more difficult. I have to look at the overall picture, when the dust settles. Total miles, total receipts, time spent. All have their vital parts.


they told me I was going to get a $3 base a dollar sixty five cent of miles and 20 cents a minute when I look at my way bill I was getting a dollar based 75 cents a mile and $0.15 of freaking minute and I Drive a van


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## bobby747 (Dec 29, 2015)

new guy 1 week old. No disrespect no disrespect but I honestly after one week how could you rate the system. I only got 5000 more rides then u. Its like one car for every customer


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## 20yearsdriving (Dec 14, 2014)

rsheehan79 said:


> The biggest thing is this... Uber drivers need to become aware that the drivers have the opportunity to be the success or failure of this company. This whole thing is new and uncharted territory. The more people whine and snivel like a bunch of little b*%ches the more the public opinion will change about the drivers as a whole. Right now people see uber as a much classier way to ride share than the city bus or yellow cab. But if we aren't careful, we can quickly fall to that level or below in public opinion and then nobody makes shit.
> If you think you have it bad... other companies doing this spread ride request pings out evenly amongst the active drivers. So instead of being pinged because you are the closest, you'd get pinged for being next in line... and your pick up is a half hour away. don't believe me? Think of the other big ride share companies then research them.


I like your thinking 
But for consideration if you push the jello on one side it bulges on the other 
Uber wants to pretend free lunch is possible


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## Dude in the Car (Aug 31, 2015)

rsheehan79 said:


> I am just wondering what I am missing here.
> I am brand new to uber. New years eve was my first night driving and in a city I am not very familiar with. I have 12 hours of driving and 40 trips. My payout is incredible at this point. But a lot of my driving has been off times (other than new years eve night) and I am still averaging a high hour average payout and have only used about $35 in gas.
> With the tire and service discounts, the cell phone discounts, auto parts discounts, etc that we get I feel like this is actually a great way to scoop up some extra cash whenever one needs or wants it.
> I see so many gripes involving lawsuits, people complaining about the money Uber takes for its share, etc. I was a delivery driver for a pizza place from high school through college and that was a job where nobody helped in any way with auto expenses. You just had to be savvy about how you operated and had to treat it like a business.
> ...


You drive on the busiest night and start asking questions about the disgruntled drivers. ..seriously

You can only give a fair assessment after having a good number of trips.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Davetripd said:


> OP as you can see many posters relish being melodramatic and there is a very vocal group that insist it's impossible to make money, often quoting the ridiculous $0.57 a mile cost. I push my UberX down the road for $0.10 a mile and I try to focus on times when it surges so *in my case *Uber makes sense and I (try to) pocket an extra $1500 a month in spending money working part time. I also run at a loss and pay lower taxes on my other income streams, yay.
> 
> I don't rely on Uber money for bills or living expenses and I think my attitude towards it might be different if I did. If it works for you, great but as with anything YMMV.


There's not a car made that only costs 10 cents per mile.


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

Rozilyn said:


> they told me I was going to get a $3 base a dollar sixty five cent of miles and 20 cents a minute when I look at my way bill I was getting a dollar based 75 cents a mile and $0.15 of freaking minute and I Drive a van


I've always had the philosophy of "Trust, but verify" ... it's not to hard to see what you'll get paid as a driver in any city, as the rates are posted for the pax on the Uber website and in the app. Here are the rates for Detroit ... and don't drive a van, unless you're just trying to rack up deductions for your taxes. I see people all the time driving cars that are totally wrong for the platform or the class of service they are delivering; I've seen several people with H3's driving X ... and like you, he's probably not making any money driving H3 on X. However, the X that is making the most money consistently here is driving an old crown vic cop car ... it's a POS; but he got it for only $3,500 and he's making over $3,500/mo.


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## Davetripd (Dec 14, 2015)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> There's not a car made that only costs 10 cents per mile.


Wrong. Show me how a 2001 Civic worth $1500 will cost more than ten cents a mile to drive for my goal of another 50k miles. I could replace the engine and only add another $0.04 per mile.I

Have done any calculations for yourself or are you just parroting what someone else says?


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## Davetripd (Dec 14, 2015)

And I know I drive an old car but the math is the same for any car that is depreciated.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

scrurbscrud said:


> I wouldn't call a buck 10 a mile awesome.


I was mixing up their base charge and per mile charge. Still a $1.25 base and a good $.20/minute really boosts earning quite as bit. We get the same per mile, but have a lower base and lower per minute. Between the two of those a Milwaukee driver would make around $50 more per week than I normally do. An extra $200+/month would be huge.


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

Fauxknight said:


> I was mixing up their base charge and per mile charge. Still a $1.25 base and a good $.20/minute really boosts earning quite as bit. We get the same per mile, but have a lower base and lower per minute. Between the two of those a Milwaukee driver would make around $50 more per week than I do on my normal fares.


The short math for me is a quick analysis of my "paid driven" miles and gross fare after srf deduct. That number on X usually falls in the low $1.35 per paid mile zone. IF I'm trying to get to $1. per mile gross for "all miles" that means I can only screw around with about 26% dead miles. Long two way paid runs help the numbers. Too many dead miles kill the numbers. It's excruciating to try to keep the dead to paid miles even equal, let alone in the 25% range, from what I've found on a practical basis.

As soon as I get below a buck a mile overall, after srf and before company take, I am losing money. Were it not for a smattering of XL fares and the occasional surges, it would be impossible to even consider this gig, for me. And it's often at that point with driver saturation, because there are no surges to be had when the streets are loaded with drivers.

When I first got into this it was not uncommon to come away with $1.25-1.35 an overall mile. Because of fare cuts I simply won't drive unless I can see it's going to pay. Otherwise I have to leave X to the rattletrap cars and the desperate drivers who are willing to work for nothing. They can have nothing. I don't want it.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

UberHammer said:


> True. But everyone here says it puts out crap and drinks craft beers instead.


Which is why whenever I see guy with a hipster mullet I know they're going to one of the many many micro breweries even before I'm done laughing at their haircut.

Hipster Mullet:
- Business in front
- Shaved sides and rear 
- Party in the beard


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## Cov87 (Sep 12, 2015)

I am a satisfied driver but only due to the fact that Uber enables me to choose my own hours. I have been doing this since May in the DC area and have noticed less and less money in my weekly pay, especially since new years. I worked last night( a Friday) and saw only one surge ( at Reagan) . Admittedly my eyes aren't what they were.
I am glad I don't have to Uber full-time.


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## ABC123DEF (Jun 9, 2015)

How can anybody be satisfied with this crap? It's always the crooked people who come up with a good thing and mess it up for themselves and everybody else. I can see this going the way of Enron, Bear Stearnes, Red Swoosh, MySpace, and the rotary telephone.


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## Guest (Jan 10, 2016)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> There's not a car made that only costs 10 cents per mile.


Disagree fully. Add up your maintenance costs and devide it by miles. I am not talking about gas because that should be deducted anyway. If you are factoring the value of your vehicle, I don't know what to tell you. As I have said, I am not new to driving. You are using your car for work and if you value the value of your vehicle then you are using the wrong vehicle for the work.
All I care about is keeping the car running and safe. But I own both of my cars outright. I hate financing.


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## Guest (Jan 10, 2016)

As for my second week and now 111 rides in, I made more than what I wanted to this weekend. I had to use more gas and put on a lot more miles to get there, and also drive for lyft but my honest opinion is not too far from my original. There are things I can't stand. The rating system. What if you pick up a car full of drunk college kids who had no problem on the ride but think it would be funny to give a guy a 1 star rating just because they are degenerates? And after driving 12 miles only to have the rider cancel or not show, a payment should be mandatory.
As for a supplamental income, I am still happy with the rideshare experience.
And for those who have 5000+ rides... go drive a semi over the road for a big company. You think driving for money sucks? Go drive the streets of san fran as a courier. I am new to Uber but have been doing rideshare for longer than Uber has existed. I drove otr tractor trailer. I am not new to how this works. So I am not really ready to go back on my original opinion that there are a lot of unfounded complaints. But still a lot of well founded complaints.
I am a Tool and Die maker and if any of you are under the impression that businesses other than ride share are totally into taking care of their employees with fair shares and so on, wake up.
The business of any successful business is the business of making money at the least cost. I am also a college graduate with 16 credits in marketing and finance alone. I wish you all the best and if this all falls through it will have been slightly worth it, in my opinion. For the majority of you who think relying on an unreliable source of income as a living is going to benefit you in the long run, there are still a lot of lessons you need to learn in life, and these are just the beginning of your problems.


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## MKEUber (Aug 20, 2014)

rsheehan79 said:


> If you are factoring the value of your vehicle, I don't know what to tell you. .


 Why not? Vehicles don't lose value when you add miles to it?


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## MKEUber (Aug 20, 2014)

rsheehan79 said:


> As for my second week and now 111 rides in, I made more than what I wanted to this weekend. I had to use more gas and put on a lot more miles to get there, and also drive for lyft but my honest opinion is not too far from my original. There are things I can't stand. The rating system. What if you pick up a car full of drunk college kids who had no problem on the ride but think it would be funny to give a guy a 1 star rating just because they are degenerates? And after driving 12 miles only to have the rider cancel or not show, a payment should be mandatory.
> As for a supplamental income, I am still happy with the rideshare experience.
> And for those who have 5000+ rides... go drive a semi over the road for a big company. You think driving for money sucks? Go drive the streets of san fran as a courier. I am new to Uber but have been doing rideshare for longer than Uber has existed. I drove otr tractor trailer. I am not new to how this works. So I am not really ready to go back on my original opinion that there are a lot of unfounded complaints. But still a lot of well founded complaints.
> I am a Tool and Die maker and if any of you are under the impression that businesses other than ride share are totally into taking care of their employees with fair shares and so on, wake up.
> The business of any successful business is the business of making money at the least cost. I am also a college graduate with 16 credits in marketing and finance alone. I wish you all the best and if this all falls through it will have been slightly worth it, in my opinion. For the majority of you who think relying on an unreliable source of income as a living is going to benefit you in the long run, there are still a lot of lessons you need to learn in life, and these are just the beginning of your problems.


I'm sorry, but the fact that your drove a tractor trailer or whatever in rice a roni town does not make you smarter/more experienced at Uber or personal vehicle depreciation than somebody who has done 5000+ rides. Nobody here cares what you use to do. Uber is a whole different animal.

As far as ratings go, the best course of action is to not care at all about them. They will eventually even out between 4.7 and 4.8 after a few hundred rides.


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2016)

Ok... nobody cares what I used to do and that is fine. Here is what I am telling you... Uber is the same thing. Like it or not it is the same freaking thing. Pick up and delivery. How do you think it is different in any way?
Here is another thing... it is easy. If any of you were trying to make a living, you would have a real job. Uber is side money. Get a real job if its not making enough for the bills... unless, of course, you live with your parents, have no education, have no real ambitions, are lazy and just like to complain.
I am done with this site. I am happy with the Uber driving experience. Its fun, makes a few extra bucks, etc. Most of the complaints I see from people here are due almost solely to a lack of education and a lack of understanding how business works. Keep worrying about depreciation. Haha... good luck to you all


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## MKEUber (Aug 20, 2014)

rsheehan79 said:


> Ok... nobody cares what I used to do and that is fine. Here is what I am telling you... Uber is the same thing. *Like it or not it is the same freaking thing*. Pick up and delivery. How do you think it is different in any way?


Negative. In those other jobs you wern't supplying the vehicles and shouldering 100% of the costs of operation. Uber you do, and that is what makes it a different animal. New drivers usually are very ignorant (such as yourself) on how your vehicle depreciates driving for Uber. Don't worry, you'll start noticing it in a few months. There is no escaping it.



rsheehan79 said:


> *Keep worrying about depreciation. Haha...* good luck to you all


sigh, another new Uber driver who doesn't believe in "depreciation". lol, those billionaire Uber execs just love people like you.


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2016)

I don't have any interest in selling or trading my cars. I buy my cars and use them until they are ready for the scrap yard. I do my own work on my cars. I don't care about depreciation because the value of the car has nothing to do with how much I could sell it for if I wanted to. I won't ever sign the title over for a loan or to buy a new car, etc. As long as it is running it is as good as new to me. Miles don't mean squat to me. My first car is still in my garage. It is a 1994 lincoln towncar signiture I bought in 1999. It has almost 275,000 miles on it and still runs and drives awesome. It still looks amazing. And it was my first car. I could care less about how much it has depreciated over time and use. What difference does it make when I will keep it until it isn't worth fixing.
AND I supplied my own vehicles as a courier and paid a lease on my tractor trailer
you have no idea what you are talking about. You think your uber experience gives you an upper hand in logistics. LOL. And your failing at being an uber driver. It is a mindless job. The app... the company you have such a problem with does all of the work for you. And you want more? Why? What have you done to deserve it? Use your own car? Ridiculous!. Pathetic. What makes you think this is the bad side of logistics? Because they cut rates? It is how supply and demand work. It would be very interesting to see all of the whining if uber instead cut drivers instead of rates. Would probably be for the better. I would.
Tell you what... when you learn a little more about how the world works then try selling a pity potty. Otherwise, just as nobody cares about what I used to do, what I know, and what I do now, nobody cares about your problems or how you feel cheated. Drive and make it work or go get a real job. Watch that depreciating vehicle. Might cause the world to be ripped out from under you.


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2016)

I have been working for a long time. Have a nice life and have been lucky. Through a 4 year degree and a 2 year technical diploma and 20 years of work experience I can tell you one thing I know for sure...
No matter how much you argue the point and whatever counter you come up with, nobody I have ever seen in my life has ever come out ahead by whining or complaining. People tend to find it annoying.
Here is a piece of advice I got from a wealthy man, my dad... There are three types of people in this world. 1. Those who make it happen. 2. Those who watch it happen. 3. And then the rest who just wonder what happened. What type are you?


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## MKEUber (Aug 20, 2014)

There is no getting through to this stooge. You're keeping the dream alive, for those Uber execs, while you trade the equity in your vehicles for instant cash.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

rsheehan79 said:


> I don't have any interest in selling or trading my cars. I buy my cars and use them until they are ready for the scrap yard. I do my own work on my cars. I don't care about depreciation because the value of the car has nothing to do with how much I could sell it for if I wanted to. I won't ever sign the title over for a loan or to buy a new car, etc. As long as it is running it is as good as new to me. Miles don't mean squat to me. My first car is still in my garage. It is a 1994 lincoln towncar signiture I bought in 1999. It has almost 275,000 miles on it and still runs and drives awesome. It still looks amazing. And it was my first car. I could care less about how much it has depreciated over time and use. What difference does it make when I will keep it until it isn't worth fixing.
> AND I supplied my own vehicles as a courier and paid a lease on my tractor trailer
> you have no idea what you are talking about. You think your uber experience gives you an upper hand in logistics. LOL. And your failing at being an uber driver. It is a mindless job. The app... the company you have such a problem with does all of the work for you. And you want more? Why? What have you done to deserve it? Use your own car? Ridiculous!. Pathetic. What makes you think this is the bad side of logistics? Because they cut rates? It is how supply and demand work. It would be very interesting to see all of the whining if uber instead cut drivers instead of rates. Would probably be for the better. I would.
> Tell you what... when you learn a little more about how the world works then try selling a pity potty. Otherwise, just as nobody cares about what I used to do, what I know, and what I do now, nobody cares about your problems or how you feel cheated. Drive and make it work or go get a real job. Watch that depreciating vehicle. Might cause the world to be ripped out from under you.


You may not have depreciation as much of a factor in a car that is already worth very little. But you do have maintenance and repair costs.

You say you do that yourself and that WILL lower the costs but you should STILL take into account that you are putting in time and effort to do that. Time that you could be making money. So that's part of the equation.

And a Honda civic is very dependable but one of the people I work with who delivered pizza in hers finally got tired of fixing it and bought another car. No car is perfect. It's just a matter of time when you're driving in unfamiliar territory (maybe your town has perfect roads?)

I stand by what I said. And yes I have higher costs for my car, which is not surprising since its actually fairly new (I did NOT buy it to Uber btw). But not 10 cents per mile.

Show me the figures and I'll believe it.

Oh and there are plenty of people on this forum with degrees and experience. Doesn't mean sh** these days.


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## Davetripd (Dec 14, 2015)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> You may not have depreciation as much of a factor in a car that is already worth very little. But you do have maintenance and repair costs.
> 
> You say you do that yourself and that WILL lower the costs but you should STILL take into account that you are putting in time and effort to do that. Time that you could be making money. So that's part of the equation.
> 
> ...


I drive a Honda civic for 10 cents a mile. The math is the same for any car that gets good gas mileage and is almost fully depreciated. I can drive it another 50k miles and lose maybe $500 to depreciation.

I can put a new engine in my car and only add $0.04 per mile over those 50k miles.

It's the best way to make decent side money driving Uber. I'm possibly buying a used car for my wife, if I were to drive that it would change my cost per mile quite a bit but nowhere close to what people think ($0.57?)


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## oscarsd (Jul 19, 2015)

Lololololol spoke too soon OP! Spoke too soon. 

Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal.


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## UberCemetery (Sep 4, 2014)

Whos Happy driving Uber?


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## Horsebm (Jul 21, 2015)

UberCemetery said:


> Whos Happy driving Uber?


How could anyone be happy with, sweat shop wages ? Not only are the wages, sub par it's the way Partner Drivers are treated in general by Uber.
Uder drivers are the foundation for Uber and it's high time they start repairing the cracks in that foundation.


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## UberCemetery (Sep 4, 2014)

I agree - Below minimum wage for sure.


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## UberCemetery (Sep 4, 2014)

Uber drivers - Just holding on hoping it will get better?


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

rsheehan79 said:


> I am just wondering what I am missing here.
> I am brand new to uber. New years eve was my first night driving and in a city I am not very familiar with. I have 12 hours of driving and 40 trips. My payout is incredible at this point. But a lot of my driving has been off times (other than new years eve night) and I am still averaging a high hour average payout and have only used about $35 in gas.
> With the tire and service discounts, the cell phone discounts, auto parts discounts, etc that we get I feel like this is actually a great way to scoop up some extra cash whenever one needs or wants it.
> I see so many gripes involving lawsuits, people complaining about the money Uber takes for its share, etc. I was a delivery driver for a pizza place from high school through college and that was a job where nobody helped in any way with auto expenses. You just had to be savvy about how you operated and had to treat it like a business.
> ...


Just want to tell you that I love driving. This time of year in the Phoenix area is incredible. We have so many very large events. Fiesta Bowl, Nat'l Championship Games, Super Bowls, Barrett/Jackson Auto Auction, Phoenix Waste Management Open, Arabian Horse Show, Spring Training, Canadiens coming here by the hundreds. Money Money Money. The only difference between myself and almost everyone else on this forum is that in my 8+ years of "for hire" driving, I've never driven an Uber passenger. P.S. read my very 1st post from Dec.


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## UberCemetery (Sep 4, 2014)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> I've never driven an Uber passenger.


Like


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## UberCemetery (Sep 4, 2014)

Driving Livery - Like


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

UberCemetery said:


> Driving Livery - Like


Yes, our company started 14 years ago. And the original owner did it right. All on customer service and good knowledge of area and events. Very proud to say we have a 98% satisfaction rate for charters and 100% for on time airport pickups. 47 reviews on Yelp, all 5 stars


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## Oscar Levant (Aug 15, 2014)

I drive UberSUV, and the average trip is $50, so I'm pretty much okay with the gig.


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