# Experiment: Only Surge Trips



## MadTownUberD

With the prospect of my wife about to land a PT job and my disaffection with using my BMW as an ATM, I am less motivated to drive ~30 hours per week on top of my 45 hour per week professional day job.

I am tempted to accept ONLY surge trips for like a month and see what Uber Support says to me. I know some pretty reliable surge times and I don't really "need" the money, so why not?

Has anyone else tried this tactic?


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## Dredrummond

MadTownUberD said:


> With the prospect of my wife about to land a PT job and my disaffection with using my BMW as an ATM, I am less motivated to drive ~30 hours per week on top of my 45 hour per week professional day job.
> 
> I am tempted to accept ONLY surge trips for like a month and see what Uber Support says to me. I know some pretty reliable surge times and I don't really "need" the money, so why not?
> 
> Has anyone else tried this tactic?


That's the only time I drive I'm off weeekends

Friday's are trash besides in the middle of the day usually and Saturday is trash besides after 10 here

It's literally no reason for me to drive any other time right now

I work midnights so I would get rides when I got off it's slowed down can't even get a reg ride so o don't worry about it


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## aflexdriver

I do only surge rides. Every weekday morning and evening rush hours.
I average $200 per day in a 8-hour shift and about 10 rides/day.


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## MadTownUberD

There aren't enough of them here for that unfortunately.


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## Leo1983

aflexdriver said:


> I do only surge rides. Every weekday morning and evening rush hours.
> I average $200 per day in a 8-hour shift and about 10 rides/day.


Here in Los Angeles lyft and uber have all but killed the sure/primetime.


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## aflexdriver

Leo1983 said:


> Here in Los Angeles lyft and uber have all but killed the sure/primetime.


That sucks, they're trying to do the same here in Seattle. Both were giving boosts at rush hours.


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## Leo1983

aflexdriver said:


> That sucks, they're trying to do the same here in Seattle. Both were giving boosts at rush hours.


Soon lyft will be doing power zones one block at a time. The spots are getting tinier and tinier. To the point I was at USC with my friend and litteraly 80-85 percent of the cars passing by were lyft. I'm not exadurating. I feel so bad for these poor suckers.


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## ebrain

No surges here in Dallas market. We used to get lots of surges, them some and now ... none!


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## Leo1983

Yup. Same here in La. so unless they offer a promo that's as good as 2x I don't drive. I refuse to do any rides under 2x lol. If they want me that's my rate till then I have better options.


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## aflexdriver

No surges this week in Seattle also... it's Thursday already and I didn't pay my Xchange Leasing yet.


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## MissEeee

Dredrummond said:


> That's the only time I drive I'm off weeekends
> 
> Friday's are trash besides in the middle of the day usually and Saturday is trash besides after 10 here
> 
> It's literally no reason for me to drive any other time right now
> 
> I work midnights so I would get rides when I got off it's slowed down can't even get a reg ride so o don't worry about it


Where are you?



aflexdriver said:


> No surges this week in Seattle also... it's Thursday already and I didn't pay my Xchange Leasing yet.


Right? Dang.



aflexdriver said:


> I do only surge rides. Every weekday morning and evening rush hours.
> I average $200 per day in a 8-hour shift and about 10 rides/day.


Dang! I'm moving to Seattle! Ok. Prolly not. Unless I get a job there.


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## aflexdriver

MissEeee said:


> Dang! I'm moving to Seattle! Ok. Prolly not. Unless I get a job there.


I don't know where you are but never plan to move here to do Uber and Lyft only. They've been killing Surge/PT since last month. It's probably getting saturated soon.


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## Cableguynoe

Leo1983 said:


> I refuse to do any rides under 2x lol.


Why is that funny?
Are you joking about doing surge rides?


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## heynow321

MadTownUberD said:


> With the prospect of my wife about to land a PT job and my disaffection with using my BMW as an ATM, I am less motivated to drive ~30 hours per week on top of my 45 hour per week professional day job.
> 
> I am tempted to accept ONLY surge trips for like a month and see what Uber Support says to me. I know some pretty reliable surge times and I don't really "need" the money, so why not?
> 
> Has anyone else tried this tactic?


that is almost exclusively how I drive as I'm fortunate enough to live very close to a major employer. I just wait at home with the app on and wait until a surge run comes through to my liking, usually used in tandem with a DF.

they won't say shit. acceptance rates don't matter. we're IC, they can't tell us which "jobs" to accept or not. **** em.


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## Dredrummond

MissEeee said:


> Where are you?
> 
> Right? Dang.
> 
> Dang! I'm moving to Seattle! Ok. Prolly not. Unless I get a job there.


Detroit


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## Trafficat

MadTownUberD said:


> There aren't enough of them here for that unfortunately.


If I waited for surge rides only, I'd only be able to do a half dozen trips a week at most, they'd all be under 3x surge, and I'd have to drive about 15 miles just to get into a zone that commonly turns surge.


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## negeorgia

MadTownUberD said:


> With the prospect of my wife about to land a PT job and my disaffection with using my BMW as an ATM, I am less motivated to drive ~30 hours per week on top of my 45 hour per week professional day job.
> 
> I am tempted to accept ONLY surge trips for like a month and see what Uber Support says to me. I know some pretty reliable surge times and I don't really "need" the money, so why not?
> 
> Has anyone else tried this tactic?


I did for one day. My birthday, 2016. Awesome results. $424 in 12 hours. I was offline if no surge. That was when my whole work area was 1 surge zone, so high demand in one part made every ping have surge. With the honeycomb surge map now, can't do it.


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## ShinyAndChrome

Trafficat said:


> If I waited for surge rides only, I'd only be able to do a half dozen trips a week at most, they'd all be under 3x surge, and I'd have to drive about 15 miles just to get into a zone that commonly turns surge.


My city more or less doesn't surge. I have yet to see a surge last more than ten minutes and I go days between seeing one. The only area in my region that regularly surges for long periods of time is a smaller city well over an hour away. In this area you could never only do surges. And the boost zones they have now on the weekend are hilariously saturated with drivers.


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## MadTownUberD

ShinyAndChrome said:


> My city more or less doesn't surge. I have yet to see a surge last more than ten minutes and I go days between seeing one. The only area in my region that regularly surges for long periods of time is a smaller city well over an hour away. In this area you could never only do surges. And the boost zones they have now on the weekend are hilariously saturated with drivers.


Rochester MN or Rochester NY?


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## ShinyAndChrome

MadTownUberD said:


> Rochester MN or Rochester NY?


Ny


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## brendon292

MadTownUberD said:


> professional day job.


I like how you had to point out that your job is "professional". I know PAX probably have you feeling worn down by treating you like a minimum wage worker but we're gonna judge you bro. You can just say your "fulltime job" and we'll understand.


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## MadTownUberD

brendon292 said:


> I like how you had to point out that your job is "professional". I know PAX probably have you feeling worn down by treating you like a minimum wage worker but we're gonna judge you bro. You can just say your "fulltime job" and we'll understand.


Good catch....although in another post I stated that I consider myself a "semi-professional driver". I was driving 30-35 hours per week at the time and had several months of experience.


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## GasHealthTimeCosts

aflexdriver said:


> I do only surge rides. Every weekday morning and evening rush hours.
> I average $200 per day in a 8-hour shift and about 10 rides/day.


That would mean it surges for 8 hours a day at least. That's not the case in most places.


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## aflexdriver

GasHealthTimeCosts said:


> That would mean it surges for 8 hours a day at least. That's not the case in most places.


Not even here anymore


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## Dizzy007

MadTownUberD said:


> With the prospect of my wife about to land a PT job and my disaffection with using my BMW as an ATM, I am less motivated to drive ~30 hours per week on top of my 45 hour per week professional day job.
> 
> I am tempted to accept ONLY surge trips for like a month and see what Uber Support says to me. I know some pretty reliable surge times and I don't really "need" the money, so why not?
> 
> Has anyone else tried this tactic?


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## Dizzy007

MadTownUberD said:


> With the prospect of my wife about to land a PT job and my disaffection with using my BMW as an ATM, I am less motivated to drive ~30 hours per week on top of my 45 hour per week professional day job.
> 
> I am tempted to accept ONLY surge trips for like a month and see what Uber Support says to me. I know some pretty reliable surge times and I don't really "need" the money, so why not?
> 
> Has anyone else tried this tactic?


I predominantly work the Surge & Boost hours. I'd say 50%+ of my trips pay more than normal rate. I work a huge university town during the weekend parties & bar rush. I also get very nice tips for doing fun things: Use colorful rope lights on my car, offer amenities, play good music & make fun conversation. I make decent side money for 15 or so Uber hours per week.


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## mhromi611

ShinyAndChrome said:


> My city more or less doesn't surge. I have yet to see a surge last more than ten minutes and I go days between seeing one. The only area in my region that regularly surges for long periods of time is a smaller city well over an hour away. In this area you could never only do surges. And the boost zones they have now on the weekend are hilariously saturated with drivers.


I have the same issue with how frequently I see surges. Many times I'll be busy, but have a moment to glance at the map. Surges everywhere, and deep red. In that moment, my anxiety spikes because I'm already obligated to what I'm doing at that point. When I keep that in mind for the next week, I'll travel out to that area of business, and find myself driving back in disappointment. I seem to have my best luck with trashed college cats on the weekend (even without getting tips). I'd love to be able to learn busy areas during the day, so I don't have to stay awake late every shift i work.


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