# When is the "SCREW THE DRIVER" mentality going to end?



## ScreenwriterSam (May 5, 2014)

This has got to come to an end!! I just got my pay statement and I just barely made minimum wage last week given the gas expense and the mileage on my car. I don't know what we have to do but it calls for something drastic. Maybe flood their partnersla email with complaints. Uber is constantly coming up with ways to make us work longer and longer for less and less money. Their unbridled greed is going to cost us all an opportunity to make decent money. Probably 2/3rds of the riders ask me "How do you like driving for Uber?" I'm going to start telling them just exactly what is going on, how their bait-and-switch tactics are STEALING FROM THE DRIVERS. The riders need to understand that the "good deal" they are getting is coming at the expense of the drivers and it won't last if the "Uber-greeders" don't wake up and realize that 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing. I suggest we start cancelling rides that aren't within 1/2 a mile of where we are when we get them. The big thing that costs me is driving 2 miles or more to pick up someone for a $4 trip (correction: $3 trip after they deduct the $1 rider fee that they are still charging the rider but deducting from our fare)


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## Tommyo (Aug 18, 2014)

right after the mushroom treatment ceases.....


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## Guber (Aug 29, 2014)

ScreenwriterSam said:


> This has got to come to an end!! I just got my pay statement and I just barely made minimum wage last week given the gas expense and the mileage on my car. I don't know what we have to do but it calls for something drastic. Uber is constantly coming up with ways to make us work longer and longer for less and less money. Their unbridled greed is going to cost us all an opportunity to make decent money. Probably 2/3rds of the riders ask me "How do you like driving for Uber?" I'm going to start telling them just exactly what is going on, how their bait-and-switch tactics are STEALING FROM THE DRIVERS. The drivers need to understand that the "good deal" they are getting is coming at the expense of the drivers and it won't last if the "Uber-greeders" don't wake up and realize that 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing.


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## Former Yellow Driver (Sep 5, 2014)

Why would Uber fix something that is working for them? If it's not working for you then you need to make a change either by leaving Uber or changing the "way" you work within the Uber system. 
No one knows how long it's going to take for Uber to be adversely affected by their partner policies/pricing. Some will (and have) argue that they already are feeling the effects. One thing is very likely true......with their money they can afford to out last most drivers.


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## CJ ASLAN (Sep 13, 2014)

ScreenwriterSam said:


> This has got to come to an end!! I just got my pay statement and I just barely made minimum wage last week given the gas expense and the mileage on my car. I don't know what we have to do but it calls for something drastic. Uber is constantly coming up with ways to make us work longer and longer for less and less money. Their unbridled greed is going to cost us all an opportunity to make decent money. Probably 2/3rds of the riders ask me "How do you like driving for Uber?" I'm going to start telling them just exactly what is going on, how their bait-and-switch tactics are STEALING FROM THE DRIVERS. The drivers need to understand that the "good deal" they are getting is coming at the expense of the drivers and it won't last if the "Uber-greeders" don't wake up and realize that 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing.


I'm making at least $375 (net) in about 15hrs a week. What area are you working?


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## CJ ASLAN (Sep 13, 2014)

I've noticed that the best hot spots in Los Angeles are Venice/Santa Monica -- West Hollywood -- Manhattan Beach/Redondo/Hermosa ...lately, Downtown LA has been pretty hot as well. Some people say just sit around and wait for pings, I personally don't agree with that. I've noticed sometimes the more I sit around even during surge hours, the less pings I get. I sometimes just circle the immediate area of where I am idling and almost always get a ride within a minute or two. Friday (start at 10pm and work til 3am) ...you can easily make $250+, Saturday try 8pm - whenever you get tired. I usually like working til after clubs/bars close as well, this makes for some nice surge pickups and you're almost always guaranteed to stay grinding the whole night. 
Surge on Saturdays in LA start usually around 8-10pm and then once again around 1:30-2:30. I almost always have a nice long 1.75-2.50x surge rides between 1:30-2:30am, since people want to go home from Hollywood area...Just take notes on busy times, surge hours, etc..you'll find yourself dong a lot more smart driving. I've only been driving for 2 weeks and am happy with what I am earning with the amount of hours I actually put in. I work a regular 4pm-12am swing shift in post production, this is just my spend frivolously money.


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## chi1cabby (May 28, 2014)

ScreenwriterSam said:


> This has got to come to an end!! I just got my pay statement and I just barely made minimum wage last week given the gas expense and the mileage on my car. I don't know what we have to do but it calls for something drastic. Maybe flood their partnersla email with complaints. Uber is constantly coming up with ways to make us work longer and longer for less and less money. Their unbridled greed is going to cost us all an opportunity to make decent money. Probably 2/3rds of the riders ask me "How do you like driving for Uber?" I'm going to start telling them just exactly what is going on, how their bait-and-switch tactics are STEALING FROM THE DRIVERS. The riders need to understand that the "good deal" they are getting is coming at the expense of the drivers and it won't last if the "Uber-greeders" don't wake up and realize that 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing. I suggest we start cancelling rides that aren't within 1/2 a mile of where we are when we get them. The big thing that costs me is driving 2 miles or more to pick up someone for a $4 trip (correction: $3 trip after they deduct the $1 rider fee that they are still charging the rider but deducting from our fare)


Hi @ScreenwriterSam ! Welcome to the forum! 

There is a lot going on this little forum of ours. Take some of it in...make yourself feel at home. Sorry that your debut post elicited multiple negative responses!


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## ScreenwriterSam (May 5, 2014)

Former Yellow Driver said:


> Why would Uber fix something that is working for them? If it's not working for you then you need to make a change either by leaving Uber or changing the "way" you work within the Uber system.
> No one knows how long it's going to take for Uber to be adversely affected by their partner policies/pricing. Some will (and have) argue that they already are feeling the effects. One thing is very likely true......with their money they can afford to out last most drivers.


I'm working the same areas at the same time I've always been working, Hollywood, the beach areas etc. I live in Burbank so I can't drive 25 miles to get to the beach area just because it's showing to be in surge pricing. It's just I'm getting a lot less money for the same effort I was putting in 3 weeks ago. I'm not seeing the "surge" pricing I used to see. Some days are better than others. It's going to hit you, too, sooner or later. If you sit still for their greed, that's exactly what they want.


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## Jeeves (Apr 10, 2014)

chi1cabby said:


> Hi @ScreenwriterSam ! Welcome to the forum!
> 
> There is a lot going on this little forum of ours. Take some of it in...make yourself feel at home. Sorry that your debut post elicited multiple negative responses!


ScreenwriterSam has been here for months, maybe just hasn't spoken his mind in awhile..


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## ScreenwriterSam (May 5, 2014)

CJ ASLAN said:


> I've noticed that the best hot spots in Los Angeles are Venice/Santa Monica -- West Hollywood -- Manhattan Beach/Redondo/Hermosa ...lately, Downtown LA has been pretty hot as well. Some people say just sit around and wait for pings, I personally don't agree with that. I've noticed sometimes the more I sit around even during surge hours, the less pings I get. I sometimes just circle the immediate area of where I am idling and almost always get a ride within a minute or two. Friday (start at 10pm and work til 3am) ...you can easily make $250+, Saturday try 8pm - whenever you get tired. I usually like working til after clubs/bars close as well, this makes for some nice surge pickups and you're almost always guaranteed to stay grinding the whole night.
> Surge on Saturdays in LA start usually around 8-10pm and then once again around 1:30-2:30. I almost always have a nice long 1.75-2.50x surge rides between 1:30-2:30am, since people want to go home from Hollywood area...Just take notes on busy times, surge hours, etc..you'll find yourself dong a lot more smart driving. I've only been driving for 2 weeks and am happy with what I am earning with the amount of hours I actually put in. I work a regular 4pm-12am swing shift in post production, this is just my spend frivolously money.


I was happy, too, the first few weeks I worked. Just wait. It'll hit you, too. The bar-closing rides come with a price. You have the people throwing up in your car, doing coke in the back seat, wanting to run your stereo, piling 4 or 5 people in the back seat, giving you crazy directions, saying they want to go one place then when you drop them off the report to Uber that you dropped them off at the wrong place. We deserve better. We need to stand up to them.


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## chi1cabby (May 28, 2014)

Jeeves said:


> ScreenwriterSam has been here for months, maybe just hasn't spoken his mind in awhile..


Well in that case I retract my welcome of @ScreenwriterSam !


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## Jeeves (Apr 10, 2014)

Maybe he should welcome you


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## UL Driver SF (Aug 29, 2014)

Former Yellow Driver said:


> Why would Uber fix something that is working for them? If it's not working for you then you need to make a change either by leaving Uber or changing the "way" you work within the Uber system.
> No one knows how long it's going to take for Uber to be adversely affected by their partner policies/pricing. Some will (and have) argue that they already are feeling the effects. One thing is very likely true......with their money they can afford to out last most drivers.


Pretty much this. They have an endless supply of drivers for the time being.

The lack of driver cohesion work solidly in their favor. Lots of complaining...nothing wrong with that...but no real action behind the words. The recent NYC debacle is a good example of driver faith. Pretty much no one showed up.

Get with the people in your market. As many as possible. I bet they help you out. See where things shake out. Right now it's all we can do.

Oh...and be careful of the cut and paste crabby trolls on here. They will encourage you to do the stupid stuff while they sit back and watch you bare the cost of it.


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## upnetuser (Aug 14, 2014)

Uber does need to be careful in their overzealousness of trying to maximize value and inflate the company for investors and dreams of IPO.

I worked at a tech type company that got all starry eyed about the same thing, lost focus on other things by just putting everything towards maximizing for investors and IPO talk instead of just growing the business at a steady rate. Ended up biting them in the ass when they missed projections big time. I feel Uber is doing the same thing, will be interesting to see if they mess it up.


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## Moofish (Jun 13, 2014)

At this point, the only way I can see Uber growing is if they focused on increasing customers (none of this lower fare crap, price isn't the issue) and making themselves known, there are still a lot of people that don't know what Uber is. Any kind of attempt to increase profit through increased commission will just lead to them losing their workforce (the drivers), any kind of "incentives" are only temporary placebo to help them retain the drivers that they still have, but they will find any excuse not to honor them.


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## Former Yellow Driver (Sep 5, 2014)

As long as Uber can attract customers whose primary interest is cost, and find enough drivers to satisfy those cost focused customers...Uber is unlikely to change their business model. Currently it would seem that there are enough of both for Uber not to be concerned about improving the financial situation for their drivers. In fact the opposite may be true. Uber may very well feel that they can gouge the drivers some MORE and they'll either continue to accept it or Uber will be able to readily recruit replacements.


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## GomesX (Sep 13, 2014)

I'm curious as to what is this one dollar rider fee that people are talking about? On my payout I see that I was deducted a one dollar fee, but then also given a one dollar fee. Seems to even itself out and not included with my trip payments. Unless I'm missing something.

On a side note, it was my first weekend working. I put in roughly 10 hours (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) usually from around 8-12 (minus a two-hour break to watch the Mayweather fight). My take home was $172 which I was happy with considering it was my first week driving and I pretty much wasted most of Thursday in the wrong areas. I also received a whopping seven dollars in tips! Yay! I hope to make more money as I learn the ropes and figure out the best way to work during surge pricing.


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## Former Yellow Driver (Sep 5, 2014)

Good luck GomesX! Hope it continues to work out well for you.


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

ScreenwriterSam said:


> The big thing that costs me is driving 2 miles or more to pick up someone for a $4 trip (correction: $3 trip after they deduct the $1 rider fee that they are still charging the rider but deducting from our fare)


$3 trip? How about $2.20 after Uber's 20% cut off the top?

It only takes ONE 6 mile trip out of downtown in an UberXL vehicle across traffic to haul 3 drunks 1 mile back to their hotel to make you at least CALL to see what their destination is. Working for minimum wage or less is one thing. Paying to work is quite another matter.


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## Randy Shear (Jul 25, 2014)

Former Yellow Driver said:


> Why would Uber fix something that is working for them? If it's not working for you then you need to make a change either by leaving Uber or changing the "way" you work within the Uber system.
> No one knows how long it's going to take for Uber to be adversely affected by their partner policies/pricing. Some will (and have) argue that they already are feeling the effects. One thing is very likely true......with their money they can afford to out last most drivers.


I wholeheartedly agree with you here. I've got right at a year with Uber, in three markets. Sometimes I'm disappointed, most of the time I'm happy. I net on average since day 1, $280 - $300 a week (that is after gas, expenses, and I only work Fri and Sat evenigs). Keep in mind the IRS standard deduction of $0.56/mile, so technically I'm calling my net income short of what it really is. I prefer to be conservative. Many people in the same markets I have worked don't make it, yet I do. Sometimes you have to innovate, and learn to be diverse. Not saying everyone can make it in every market. But in my year, with three markets, and around 1000 rides under my belt, I can speak from my personal experience. I wish you all the best.


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## Crownan (Jul 28, 2014)

Why don't you just drive for Lyft? Zero commission after 50 hours! 10% commission after 30 hours! Why would you continue to drive for Uber? This is the only way Uber will listen.


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## Former Yellow Driver (Sep 5, 2014)

In many markets Lyft doesn't have enough business (yet) for drivers to make a living. In those markets doing Lyft in addition to Uber makes financial sense for some drivers.


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## Crownan (Jul 28, 2014)

The OP was when is Uber going to listen? The answer I provided is switch to Lyft. When riders can't reliably find an Uber (Or the only Uber drivers left are Haitians that barely speak English) they will take a Lyft. If you're serious about your issues with Uber, this is the only way to change the game.


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## Former Yellow Driver (Sep 5, 2014)

Crownan said:


> If you're serious about your issues with Uber, this is the only way to change the game.


While I will agree that leaving Uber may be the only way to HELP change the game....not everyone can financially afford to cut Uber completely loose without a viable financial alternative. Lyft is not that "viable financial alternative" in some markets. There is principle and then there is eating regularly.


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## Crownan (Jul 28, 2014)

In the cities where Lyft is available, the only reason Uber succeeds in the UberX market is because there are always drivers available. I know there are a small percentage of users that actually know the rate structures and pick a service on that fact, but in reality, most people just want to push a button and get picked up in 5 min or less. If Lyft is the only one that offers that, they will chose Lyft.


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## Former Yellow Driver (Sep 5, 2014)

Crownan said:


> In the cities where Lyft is available, the only reason Uber succeeds in the UberX market is because there are always drivers available.


This is the problem with your argument. The ONLY reason Uber succeeds in the UberX market is NOT because there are always drivers available. Yes it is ONE of the reasons, but brand recognition and a larger established customer base are also HUGE factors. In many markets there are plenty of Lyft drivers (also working Uber in many cases) that are AVAILABLE if/when they get a Lyft fare. Do you know of any markets where Lyft is not succeeding because of a lack of drivers? It's a lack of customers that Lyft (unfortunately) is suffering from. I think there are quite a few drivers that would RATHER drive solely for Lyft than Uber if that were feasible.

BTW - lets not heap too much praise on Lyft......it's just currently the lesser of two evils.


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## Crownan (Jul 28, 2014)

Lesser of two evils. No one is forcing you into this market. You may think that your inability to obtain work in the fast food industry is a conspiracy to force you into the ride sharing racket, but that is not the case.

It doesn't matter what company we affiliate with, we still get a better deal than traditional cab drivers. That is if you are using a fully paid for late model used vehicle (2007 Chrysler Town & Country for $4k) and otherwise use common sense.

Lyft is not evil. Neither is Uber. You can send your phone back/deactivate your account at any time of your choosing. If you feel you don't have any options but work for a ride sharing company, well that is not their fault.


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## UPModerator (Jul 14, 2014)

Thread closed because of instigational and confrontational posts.


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