# "Checking out the roads", driving for the surge, acceptance rates



## Derp Derp (Apr 26, 2015)

SO!

I'm a bit more than a month into this Uber adventure. Looking for feedback on surge strategy.

In reading the span of internet advice here and elsewhere, someone said to me, "Never, never drive on the basic rate. You barely make money and it screws all of us." Taking this to heart (and my being in Los Angeles where there are plenty of riders), I resolved to only take passengers in surge zones. Unfortunately, the only way I know of to find out whether I'm in a surge is to open the app and look, and thus open myself to any local rider requests. I have let a lot of requests go by, and my acceptance rate is hovering around 40%. Naturally, I'm getting warnings that I will be excommunicated if I don't start working for lower wages.

What's worse is the app - maybe it's the latest update - seems to be pretty buggy and the surge notations are blinking in and out randomly. So I end up "checking in", staring at my phone hoping it will resolve, getting a request, letting it pass, getting booted off, logging back on, waiting some more, rinse, repeat... Sometimes I'll take a flat rate ride when they're right next to me, but I've had several "zero minutes away" rides turn out to be ten minutes or more once I start the navigation.

Frankly, if the purpose of the surge is to draw more drivers to the areas that need it, I can't figure why they wouldn't let us see them without being online. If all you can do is be lucky enough to be in a surge, but you have no choice but to take whoever is closest at whatever rate is being offered, it would seem to defeat the purpose. I tried once day of paying no mind to surges, just letting it flow from ride to ride and, naturally, my earnings dropped precipitously.

SO!

1) How seriously should I take the warnings to throw me off the system for low acceptance rates? My rider ratings are almost entirely 5.0. I am making money for this company. If the answer is "very seriously", how low can I go and be above the danger zone?
2) I don't suppose anyone knows a workaround for seeing where the surges are without being online for my location?
3) Does the app just suck donkey balls? I've had pool ride situations with the name of one person, the (incorrect) location of another and no way to know which of them I'm calling when I try to sort it out. Why do the surges disappear? Why are the drive times sometimes utterly wrong?
And finally, 4) is the original advice somewhat moot after the recent rate hike, or is that a drop in the bucket?

Thanks for whatever.
Allen


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## Like...are you my uber? (Jun 11, 2015)

I only pick up surge primarily. If I'm right next to a regular rate customer I pick them up, but I'm definitely not going out of my way. Or if I think that customer is heading to a surging area I will pick them up so I end up in a surging area.
Drivers who are picking up all these regular rate customers are screwing it up for the rest of us because I believe it keeps the surge off.
Also, I think uber is using surge now as a way of distributing cars throughout the area. They turn it on in one area and everybody drives there, then they turn it off. They are shady as F.
Lastly, Open the passenger app if you want to see real time surge info.
Almost forgot, they send me threatening texts every week for months straight. Not sure if it will lead to anything, hope not considering I'm not an employee and they are walking a fine line in that area.


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## Derp Derp (Apr 26, 2015)

Well, I know they don't "turn off" the surges. A surge is just a momentary increase in riders, and most get their rides claimed in just a few minutes. Demand rises and falls very quickly in this biz.

How do I see the surge zones in the passenger app? I can see the locations of Uber cars on the road, and I know if I try to request a ride, they'll tell me if I'm in a surge. Is that what I need to do, start requesting a ride, so they tell me what I'll be paying?


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## Like...are you my uber? (Jun 11, 2015)

Allen Rubinstein said:


> Well, I know they don't "turn off" the surges. A surge is just a momentary increase in riders, and most get their rides claimed in just a few minutes. Demand rises and falls very quickly in this biz.
> 
> How do I see the surge zones in the passenger app? I can see the locations of Uber cars on the road, and I know if I try to request a ride, they'll tell me if I'm in a surge. Is that what I need to do, start requesting a ride, so they tell me what I'll be paying?


The surge zones used to stay on for much longer. Now they flicker on and off, which doesn't seem to make sense. Especially when it is rush hour and surge zones previously stayed fairly constant during those times.

If you turn on your passenger app and place the pin in the area you suspect has surge the app will tell you with the indication of a lightning bolt next to the uberx selection. You can only see the surge for the location you select but if you know the area this shouldn't be hard.


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## Derp Derp (Apr 26, 2015)

Surge flicker is probably more a case of there being an increasing number of drivers. I suppose it's possible that they toggled the algorithms to surge less.

Thanks for the tip on the Uber app. That's going to be very helpful!


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

If you look at the bottom at the little slider where you select which service you want, you'll see a little lightening bolt if there's a surge. If you touch the circle it will tell you what the surge is, don't need to order a ride or get an estimate. Pax app is the only accurate way to see what the surge is, driver app lags for 15-120 seconds behind.


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## Hayden Guerrero (Jun 12, 2015)

Download the surge app! =) You're welcome!!


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