# Personal power zones?



## Uber1111uber (Oct 21, 2017)

Lyft switched me to personal power zones this week. Then I only saw 1 all night at like 11pm on Saturday night. I've always seen lyft prime time during bar close on Saturday night here in cleveland. Now just some stupid red and orange colors with 0 bonus, while uber was "flat rate" surging for a few hours. Anyone else see this too in their area? I hope its bc their ipo os doing so bad and they will go out of business i hate them. I also hate uber too just fyi.


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## welikecamping (Nov 27, 2018)

I get one occasionally. A narrow box about 1 mile by 3 miles covering old town. You gotta watch the times that it's active, for me it's typically an hour. Not really worth any effort (IMHO) to drive to, and difficult to stay in, since pretty much any ride takes me too far away to collect more than once.


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## Aztek98 (Jul 23, 2015)

I randomly get the little box with no real pattern to it. I stay in the pink until it maxes out. At that point it goes grey and sticks and I can drive to my usual spot and get the bonus.




It totally random and I had one yesterday that started out at 10 bucks and moved to 12 at 9 in the morning.

Makes no sense but I'll take it.


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

It's not bad, but condescending and insulting that you have to park and wait and watch the bonus go up $0.03 per second like a bum begging for change and buying a beer with pennies and nickels.

A group of people at Lyft brainstormed this idea and agreed that it was motivational gluten free and vegan. It's clear these round table or idiots never drove or have any concept of making money as a driver, or use the app in the field

This morning I was leaving the airport and got one, and then noticed other drivers on the side of the highway waiting and speculate they were waiting for their.$0.03 per second.

I sometimes wait but after it maxes out I get an uber ride with a $4-$5 on it and accept it


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## Ignatowski (Mar 23, 2019)

Does the PPZ go away if you go offline or decline? This morning, I saw a $37 PPZ a couple miles away (across the busiest pickup area in the metro). I started driving towards it. As I entered the purple zone, I got a "you'll get $5 on your next ride" message. Then I was offered a ping with the $5 bonus. I declined the ping, but as soon as I declined, the $37 PPZ I was driving towards disappeared completely.

Then I got a bunch of no-bonus pings, so I gave up and went offline, and continued driving into where the $37 PPZ was. Once I got there, I went on-line again, and immediately found myself inside a pink zone, but it started at $5 and maxed-out at $8.

What would you do if you saw a $37 PPZ 2 miles away, and knew that you'd get many pings while driving there across the "blue" zone?


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## welikecamping (Nov 27, 2018)

Well, I got a new personal power zone today. Two levels, with the interior zone paying a dollar more per ride. Unfortunately, it was situated over one of the worst traffic areas/construction zones/brain-dead college student regions. Not going there for a dollar more. Hazardous duty pay is what I need.


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## BeansnRice (Aug 13, 2016)

Ignatowski said:


> Does the PPZ go away if you go offline or decline? This morning, I saw a $37 PPZ a couple miles away (across the busiest pickup area in the metro). I started driving towards it. As I entered the purple zone, I got a "you'll get $5 on your next ride" message. Then I was offered a ping with the $5 bonus. I declined the ping, but as soon as I declined, the $37 PPZ I was driving towards disappeared completely.
> 
> Then I got a bunch of no-bonus pings, so I gave up and went offline, and continued driving into where the $37 PPZ was. Once I got there, I went on-line again, and immediately found myself inside a pink zone, but it started at $5 and maxed-out at $8.
> 
> What would you do if you saw a $37 PPZ 2 miles away, and knew that you'd get many pings while driving there across the "blue" zone?


Ha Ha! Classic Lucy and the Football routine bro!

We've all fallen for it.

This is the "just drive" conditioning in order to wean our broke arses off incentives.

Seriously just drive where you are, don't burn expensive gas and your time.

K?


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## No Prisoners (Mar 21, 2019)

Unless is very busy, if you pickup Lyft's sticky surge or whatever they call it, it can be like the kiss of death to a hungry driver. Basically lyft will not send you any pings, rather pings will go to drivers without sticky surge. 
This is one area where uber is actually more fair giving any available driver the pings. 
I've tested Lyft's sticky surge, only do lux, which is double on Lux rides. When I don't have a sticky surge lyft sends me pings in any of the areas I frequent. When I banked a sticky surge they only send me a ping when they don't have a choice. Tested this by standing near other lux drivers and no pings came to me, while everyone else did.


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## The Texan (Mar 1, 2019)

??, don't think it happens like this in Milwaukee?

AND, I'm partial to Fubar, and cringe even more when I have to accept a Gryft ping. Just saying


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## No Prisoners (Mar 21, 2019)

The only advantage of lyft to Uber in my area is Lyft's has more lux pings and better passengers.


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## 2015NissanVersa (Sep 24, 2018)

Personal Power Zones are a scam and I refuse to participate. Lyft switched me to PPZ on 4/15. Now that I'm on PPZ, I don't do drunk hours. I don't do events. I longhaul without a care in the world.

Check the passenger app before you accept a ride with a ~*generous*~ $1.27 added to it. Pax are likely paying 50-100%+ PT. They'll assume you're making great money on the ride, so nO nEeD tO TiP. At this point, I approach this job as if I'm solely working for tips. I'm more likely to get a nice tip on a base ride that the passenger is also paying base on.

And if they don't tip? 1 star, babe.


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## New2This (Dec 27, 2015)

Sorry if some of you have seen this before but I want as many drivers as possible to see this. If I can get even one to disrupt Lyft's reliability I consider that a win.

Lyft's Personal Power Zones are nothing more than a cash grab. They're legalized theft from drivers.

I have an app that shows PT in areas. It eill show Lyft charging riders PT like this:










Lyft will try drawing drivers in with "High Demand Areas" like this:










Note all the yellow/orange is NOT PT but base rides for drivers.

Here's another example of what Lyft's charging riders:










And they give me life changing money indeed










Yet another example. Lyft charging 150% PT (2.5X Surge in Uber):










And I get pennies










I would recommend drivers boycott Lyft, especially at big events and inclement weather when demand is sky-high.

You're being gouged mightily by Lyft. As shady as Uber is at least sometimes Uber gives a part of the Surge. This is unparalleled greed by Lyft.

You want to send a message to Lyft? Stop driving, or better yet try this: leave your app on and let every ping time out. The full 15 seconds. If 4 drivers do that, it's a full minute. A minute wait when Becca is trying to get to her SoulCycle class is an eternity to the ADHD millenial snowflakes.

More platform unreliability is also going to put downward pressure on Lyft stock. Personally I want it at $3 by the time those assclowns can cash out.


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## RideShareJUNKIE (Jun 23, 2017)

No Prisoners said:


> Unless is very busy, if you pickup Lyft's sticky surge or whatever they call it, it can be like the kiss of death to a hungry driver. Basically lyft will not send you any pings, rather pings will go to drivers without sticky surge.
> This is one area where uber is actually more fair giving any available driver the pings.
> I've tested Lyft's sticky surge, only do lux, which is double on Lux rides. When I don't have a sticky surge lyft sends me pings in any of the areas I frequent. When I banked a sticky surge they only send me a ping when they don't have a choice. Tested this by standing near other lux drivers and no pings came to me, while everyone else did.


This just sounds to me like the way that they dispatch the pings out. I also notice when demand is low, they have to bring in the "driver waiting longest" metric into heavy play. This is usually verified by the dreaded tune of 2 rides per hour. Hence the long wait times. That can get brutal. Regardless, what you are saying is true as well. They just have so many different factors with their complicated AI.

Also another way i look at it is, when the personal power zone is climbing ($amount), i would think that LYFT wants to give you a ping as soon as possible so they dont have to pay you the max out amount for your PPZ. So many variables. All good stuff though. ?


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## Kevinuber (Feb 19, 2017)

Just verifying here, if you go offline or reject a ping while heading to a zone, by are not yet in it, the zone will disappear? This happened to me today. I finished a ride, saw that a zone had appeared about 3 miles away. Start heading towards it but get a request right away that I denied, and the zone is gone. I assumed you’d have to already be in it for these things to cause it to go away, but I guess not. This really does make lyft unusable during busy times unless you’re one of those good ole retirees that “just likes meeting people” even though they don’t want to talk to you.


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## Lyfted13 (Jul 26, 2017)

Kevinuber said:


> Just verifying here, if you go offline or reject a ping while heading to a zone, by are not yet in it, the zone will disappear? This happened to me today. I finished a ride, saw that a zone had appeared about 3 miles away. Start heading towards it but get a request right away that I denied, and the zone is gone. I assumed you'd have to already be in it for these things to cause it to go away, but I guess not. This really does make lyft unusable during busy times unless you're one of those good ole retirees that "just likes meeting people" even though they don't want to talk to you.


I always go offline until I get into the red area now then go back online and it has always still been available. Before I used to stay online while I drove that direction, but a couple times I rejected pings and it went away before I got there.


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## Kevinuber (Feb 19, 2017)

Lyfted13 said:


> I always go offline until I get into the red area now then go back online and it has always still been available. Before I used to stay online while I drove that direction, but a couple times I rejected pings and it went away before I got there.


Oh alright I'll have to try that. Good thing they took all the guesswork out


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## BeansnRice (Aug 13, 2016)

Kevinuber said:


> Oh alright I'll have to try that. Good thing they took all the guesswork out


Tip: you will be wasting your time. Pickup pax where ever you find them. Drive with a good pace. Get another quickly. Most often this is your best be unless you are within a mile.


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

Kevinuber said:


> Just verifying here, if you go offline or reject a ping while heading to a zone, by are not yet in it, the zone will disappear? This happened to me today. I finished a ride, saw that a zone had appeared about 3 miles away. Start heading towards it but get a request right away that I denied, and the zone is gone. I assumed you'd have to already be in it for these things to cause it to go away, but I guess not. This really does make lyft unusable during busy times unless you're one of those good ole retirees that "just likes meeting people" even though they don't want to talk to you.


If you go offline or decline a 20 min away ride it goes away.

But if a rider cancels, you still get it


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## RideShareJUNKIE (Jun 23, 2017)

Kevinuber said:


> Just verifying here, if you go offline or reject a ping while heading to a zone, by are not yet in it, the zone will disappear? This happened to me today. I finished a ride, saw that a zone had appeared about 3 miles away. Start heading towards it but get a request right away that I denied, and the zone is gone. I assumed you'd have to already be in it for these things to cause it to go away, but I guess not. This really does make lyft unusable during busy times unless you're one of those good ole retirees that "just likes meeting people" even though they don't want to talk to you.


You could also force close the app for the short duration and pop it back on when youre near. This only works for a short duration so if your forced close too long, it will log you off and poof goes your PPZ...........
Its a win win for them cause they have you online and working for them and they didnt have to pay a penny more. Remember nothing gets under LYFTs skin more than them having to PAY. Play their game, sometimes. Speak their language, always! I learned one thing in particular from LYFT and its interactions with me. Everything they say is the exact opposite of what they actually do. Naturally, I ran with that lesson, and reminded myself that from that moment on, I will do exactly the opposite of what is asked or suggested to me by LYFT. Their ongoing treatment of drivers is constant proof of this slave-a-tory relationship. sorry for the rant.:redface::roflmao::wink:



BeansnRice said:


> Tip: you will be wasting your time. Pickup pax where ever you find them. Drive with a good pace. Get another quickly. Most often this is your best be unless you are within a mile.


This is the soundest advice imo.


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## Kevinuber (Feb 19, 2017)

BeansnRice said:


> Tip: you will be wasting your time. Pickup pax where ever you find them. Drive with a good pace. Get another quickly. Most often this is your best be unless you are within a mile.


I would never drive in the opposite direction that I otherwise would just for a ppz, but in this case I was already going to be heading directly for the zone anyway. Although I don't agree with the accept all requests strategy (I know you weren't referring to obviously bad pickups like 20+ minutes away). For example, if I'm trying to avoid the east side and I'm downtown, I'm not going to accept a downtown request as that is far more likely to go east than hopping on the shore way for 5 minutes and getting back on the west side and begin accepting trips again that are more likely to not go further east than downtown. Of course there are always exceptions, but I've been doing it long enough to know these kinds of strategies are true more often than not.


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