# Had one RIDE in 2 and Half hours, our market is getting bad here. Oh and Uber keeps sending texts



## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

I'm in a hot spot and I have ONLY gotten 1 ride in 2 and half hours. I counted at 5 pm that we had 17 drivers out on a thurs which for 300000 people city is way too many.

Not only that UBER KEEPS SENDING ME TEXTS EVERY SINGLE DAY ANOUT HOW GREAT THIS WEEKEND IS GOING TO BE, they did that for July 4th weekend and it was a HUGE bust.

Yeah Uber tell me how great it was after the weekend, instead of the crap ur trying to sell me during the week. In fact it is quite annoying.


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## Clifford Chong (May 3, 2015)

https://help.uber.com/h/cd4389f8-02a9-4160-ae17-88c9be29825f

You're welcome.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

pbracing33b said:


> I'm in a hot spot and I have ONLY gotten 1 ride in 2 and half hours. I counted at 5 pm that we had 17 drivers out on a thurs which for 300000 people city is way too many.
> 
> Not only that UBER KEEPS SENDING ME TEXTS EVERY SINGLE DAY ANOUT HOW GREAT THIS WEEKEND IS GOING TO BE, they did that for July 4th weekend and it was a HUGE bust.
> 
> ...


What is it that allows them to flood a market with such an excess of cars?


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## Uber Kraus (Jun 10, 2015)

Huberis said:


> What is it that allows them to flood a market with such an excess of cars?


No proper regional and city management. Denver runs the show here in FoCo and they haven't got a clue about our town, culture, behavior patterns or anything else that goes on up here.

Example... CU vs CSU at Mile High Stadium in Denver. Obviously all the college kids from Boulder and Fort Collins are at the game in Denver so FoCo is empty! They offer a game day guarantee stating demand will be off the charts. Blah blah. I drove cause I knew I would have a chance to catch up on email and hopefully get a ride each hour. Mostly grocery store runs that day.

They haven't got a clue what they are doing.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Uber Kraus said:


> No proper regional and city management. Denver runs the show here in FoCo and they haven't got a clue about our town, culture, behavior patterns or anything else that goes on up here.
> 
> Example... CU vs CSU at Mile High Stadium in Denver. Obviously all the college kids from Boulder and Fort Collins are at the game in Denver so FoCo is empty! They offer a game day guarantee stating demand will be off the charts. Blah blah. I drove cause I knew I would have a chance to catch up on email and hopefully get a ride each hour. Mostly grocery store runs that day.
> 
> They haven't got a clue what they are doing.


I would suggest it largely has to do with the fact that Uber does not own the cars themselves and as such, they can afford to be reckless. Their model is structured to meet times of peak demand. Guarantees, from my observation and what I have read seem to be used mostly in new or slightly maturing markets, markets in transition. The guarantees are a kind of hook used to maintain interest as things head south.


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## Old Rocker (Aug 20, 2015)

So that no one has to wait more than three minutes for a ride.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Old Rocker said:


> So that no one has to wait more than three minutes for a ride.


At the driver's expense over time.


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## Uber-Doober (Dec 16, 2014)

pbracing33b said:


> I'm in a hot spot and I have ONLY gotten 1 ride in 2 and half hours. I counted at 5 pm that we had 17 drivers out on a thurs which for 300000 people city is way too many.
> 
> Not only that UBER KEEPS SENDING ME TEXTS EVERY SINGLE DAY ANOUT HOW GREAT THIS WEEKEND IS GOING TO BE, they did that for July 4th weekend and it was a HUGE bust.
> 
> ...


^^^
Just think of the chocolate that you'll have schmeared all over the inside of your car.
Mmmmmmm..... that tootsie roll laying in the puddle of vomit sho do look good.


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## Old Rocker (Aug 20, 2015)

Uber-Doober said:


> ^^^
> Just think of the chocolate that you'll have schmeared all over the inside of your car.
> Mmmmmmm..... that tootsie roll laying in the puddle of vomit sho do look good.


Three second rule?


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## Uber-Doober (Dec 16, 2014)

Old Rocker said:


> Three second rule?


^^^
Haha... yeah!


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

yeah now I'm at home, I'm not moving from here til I get a request its not worth it for me even to go downtown and sit.


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

The thing I don't get is it's Thursday, why do these people think that Thursday is all that great to drive, I mean this is the most drivers out we have had all week. Why they think its a good idea to come out on a Thurs I have no idea, bc its still a work night for most around here and most people still have to go to work tom, prob what will happen is when 11 pm comes around and all of the part timers go to bed is when I'll prob start making my money, but its sad that I have to wait that long, I think I might start looking for something more stable, what Idk. I might just get a part time job and do Uber part time, that way I'm not killing my car or wasting away hours and NOT making ANYTHING, I'd much rather get min wage for 4 hours than get NOTHING at all.


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

btw whats the difference between a Pizza delivery driver and what we do? 

At least being a Pizza Delivery driver they still get a base pay if its slow.


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## Teksaz (Mar 16, 2015)

Same here in Phoenix. Yesterday and today was the worst I've seen it. I couldn't buy a ping either day. 

I'm out AGAIN for the second time as soon as I can find something else. This is the biggest bunch of bullsh*t I've ever been apart of.


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## Uber Kraus (Jun 10, 2015)

pbracing33b said:


> yeah now I'm at home, I'm not moving from here til I get a request its not worth it for me even to go downtown and sit.


That is exactly how I roll these days.


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

Teksaz said:


> Same here in Phoenix. Yesterday and today was the worst I've seen it. I couldn't buy a ping either day.
> 
> I'm out AGAIN for the second time as soon as I can find something else. This is the biggest bunch of bullsh*t I've ever been apart of.


I'm seriously thinking about applying for a pizza delivery driver position, at least I would get PAID for four hours instead of NOTHING with UBER.


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## Uber Kraus (Jun 10, 2015)

pbracing33b said:


> I'm seriously thinking about applying for a pizza delivery driver position, at least I would get PAID for four hours instead of NOTHING with UBER.


I did that in high school. Loved it. Trust me when I tell you people will order pizza and you will deliver them.. You will earn more than You do with Uber and will certainly get used to working a schedule. Good luck!


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

Uber Kraus said:


> I did that in high school. Loved it. Trust me when I tell you people will order pizza and you will deliver them.. You will earn more than You do with Uber and will certainly get used to working a schedule. Good luck!


Well plus at least people will tip you too, instead with uber where people HARDLY ever tip. I've done pizza delivery as well b4 and it wasn't bad, I just didn't have the car for it at the time


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## Uberselectguy (Oct 16, 2015)

Ubers aim, the basis of its business model is over saturation in every market. Plain and simple. They build up a saturated market, and it shuts out the competition. Unfortunately it also means each individual driver gets fewer pings and surge pricing is undone.
I'll keep saying this over and over. If you want to change this monster called Uber, it's going to take forming a local, likely with the teamsters.
Unfortunately, most drivers don't give a sh1t and are in it for themselves.


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2015)

Uberselectguy said:


> Ubers aim, the basis of its business model is over saturation in every market. Plain and simple. They build up a saturated market, and it shuts out the competition. Unfortunately it also means each individual driver gets fewer pings and surge pricing is undone.
> I'll keep saying this over and over. If you want to change this monster called Uber, it's going to take forming a local, likely with the teamsters.
> Unfortunately, most drivers don't give a sh1t and are in it for themselves.


I agree whole heartily, but what would happen if uber started to deactivate drivers for erroneous reasons. I have seen it happen with big corporations, so part of it may be fear based.


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

I started at 4:30 pm est and it is now 10:47 pm and I still have had ONLY ONE RIDE OVER 6 hours and only one fare that was 17.60 cents, I'm makes slave wages lol.


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

Daisy S. said:


> I agree whole heartily, but what would happen if uber started to deactivate drivers for erroneous reasons. I have seen it happen with big corporations, so part of it may be fear based.


I agree, I too have the same concern as well.


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## SECOTIME (Sep 18, 2015)

I usually have shotty Thursdays but tonight I'm on a roll. Made twice my goal and decided to head home which is 20 miles east of where I go.. Got a damn ride towards my house and that never happens. Home by 11 and paid to get there.. So weird

Ive had nights like you've had pbrracing but I hope tomorrow is better for ya, much better.


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

SECOTIME said:


> I usually have shotty Thursdays but tonight I'm on a roll. Made twice my goal and decided to head home which is 20 miles east of where I go.. Got a damn ride towards my house and that never happens. Home by 11 and paid to get there.. So weird
> 
> Ive had nights like you've had pbrracing but I hope tomorrow is better for ya, much better.


Yeah but when ur fightng with 20 other cars just to get a ride, it makes it deploorable. I just keep hoping that the others just give up so I can start making money again. But who knows those people live out of their cars and do this 20 hours out of the day, so they don't have much costs.


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## SECOTIME (Sep 18, 2015)

I put in very minimal effort and in past 40 days I've made $2400 and its all saved for rainy day. I don't want to do this much longer so I'm thinking this Halloween weekend might be it for me.


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## Teksaz (Mar 16, 2015)

This is how bad it's gotten in my market. Maricopa barely qualifies as a town as it's nothing but farms and daires, and it's out in the middle of nowhere and there's five cars out there? Drivers are desperate it appears. lol









Then on the other hand this is the kind of sh*t Uber is pulling. I must have let four or five pings expire or I ACROed them like these. WTF Uber, are you kidding me?? I'm soooo frustrated right now.


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## The_One (Sep 9, 2015)

Huberis said:


> What is it that allows them to flood a market with such an excess of cars?


Newsflash, this problem holds true in every city, Uber does not care about the drivers, never has and never will, they want every car to become an uber car, more uber cars= more fares for uber not the individual driver, able to serve more people during a given time period, more cars and more fares= more money for uber, it's called volume.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

The_One said:


> Newsflash, this problem holds true in every city, Uber does not care about the drivers, never has and never will, they want every car to become an uber car, more uber cars= more fares for uber not the individual driver, able to serve more people during a given time period, more cars and more fares= more money for uber, it's called volume.


Hard to argue that when drivers carry 100% of the burden of owning the car and zero agency regarding their ability to make decisions other than when to log on or off.


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## The_One (Sep 9, 2015)

We are all just a little red "used to be black" car on the map, that's all we are to Uber, like a video game, they could care any less if there was a dog behind the wheel "and I love dogs, nothing against them".


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

I think there are too many people out of jobs or really desperate to make a couple of extra bucks that they think they can do this, when prob about 90% never really do the math to see if its profitable. Btw my comment about foreign people is true and potentially a probably will eventually create a prob sometime sooner or later. I just don't see how they are not getting rated bad.


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## BuberXL (Oct 2, 2015)

Yeah but when ur fightng with 20 other cars just to get a ride, it makes it deploorable.[/QUOTE]

Welcome to the land of opportunity. Just think how the Taxi Drivers feel, for both other taxi drivers and now with Ubers.


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## Hazeces (Jun 30, 2015)

pbracing33b said:


> I'm in a hot spot and I have ONLY gotten 1 ride in 2 and half hours. I counted at 5 pm that we had 17 drivers out on a thurs which for 300000 people city is way too many.
> 
> Not only that UBER KEEPS SENDING ME TEXTS EVERY SINGLE DAY ANOUT HOW GREAT THIS WEEKEND IS GOING TO BE, they did that for July 4th weekend and it was a HUGE bust.
> 
> ...


Uber is getting worse and worse everywhere. In North NJ I use to make 600-900 a week back in May. Now I barley bring in 400 a week, and if I do I got lucky. Too many drivers, and the miles are terrible, most of what I make goes out on gas and toll, and washing my car. So I'm basically making making less than minimum wage and working to feed my car only. Smh. Wished I would have never leased a car if I knew it was going to get this bad.


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## Hazeces (Jun 30, 2015)

Daisy S. said:


> I agree whole heartily, but what would happen if uber started to deactivate drivers for erroneous reasons. I have seen it happen with big corporations, so part of it may be fear based.


I herd a lot of people got deactivated during that weekend they were striking. Most of the Uber drivers who did not work those 3 days got deactivated, so they say... I have no idea if its true.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Uber makes zero reference towards recognizing that drivers incur a cost to log on and drive. There is no recognition such costs exist. There is need for some new kind of covenant ( I like the ring of that here though I tend to shy away from words which sound biblical) between Uber and driver which formally recognizes drivers incur real costs do run their business.

Have you noticed that most drivers organizing sem to suggest rates should collectively be bargained (indy contractors are barred from this) and set across the country not to be below a certain $/mile with the hope the rate falls about 3/4 that of local taxi companies. That is too simple in my mind. It may be worthwhile to have the newly formed associations fight for drivers to be able to set their rates according to their costs within a set range. Rates could surge from there.

Such a system could help curb people with disposable income with expensive cars who largely treat driving for Uber as a hobby. That ability needs to be addressed and reigned in a bit in all probability.

If Uber owned the cars and was held accountable for their maintenance, they wouldn't be able to allow them to be used so casually. I believe from a consumer perspective Uber is very convenient, but that convenience comes at the expense of efficiency. This thread is proof of that by my logic anyway. By not owning the cars or sharing the burden of maintenance, Uber is free to establish a system by which pax are booking idle cars, there is zero queueing of calls. That is fabulous for pax but very costly and the way it is paid for is only evident if you drive in a mature market or you are concerned and go looking for the consequences.

These are huge issues. I personally believe as a long time taxi driver, what is happening is by design. TO simply raise the rates is kind of playing a bit of a shell game..... The basement rates, the streets flooded with drivers are a symptoms of real structural issues.

Travis hints at it himself. Has anyone here easy access to the link posted, by probably chi1cabby, where Travis talks about Uber's need to develop driverless technology in an effort to avoid disruption? It is on topic.

Found it: http://www.businessinsider.com/uber...utm_source=linkedinticker&utm_medium=referral


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Hazeces said:


> Smh. Wished I would have never leased a car if I knew it was going to get this bad.


Good luck with that. Spread the word of your experience to those you meet who are thinking of doing the same, slow down the machine, disrupt the disruptor.


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

Huberis said:


> Uber makes zero reference towards recognizing that drivers incur a cost to log on and drive. There is no recognition such costs exist. There is need for some new kind of covenant ( I like the ring of that here though I tend to shy away from words which sound biblical) between Uber and driver which formally recognizes drivers incur real costs do run their business.
> 
> Have you noticed that most drivers organizing sem to suggest rates should collectively be bargained (indy contractors are barred from this) and set across the country not to be below a certain $/mile with the hope the rate falls about 3/4 that of local taxi companies. That is too simple in my mind. It may be worthwhile to have the newly formed associations fight for drivers to be able to set their rates according to their costs within a set range. Rates could surge from there.
> 
> ...


Yeah I seen it, and I think it is years away, plus if some of those cars were to go into some parts of our city they probably wouldn't come back. I'm being serious about that too, people would take those things apart just to make money off of it. I truly believe they wouldn't last at all here, I bet anything they would be stripped down faster than they could build them, and who is going to stop them, the cops here have way more important things to deal with than that.


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## The_One (Sep 9, 2015)

Hazeces said:


> Uber is getting worse and worse everywhere. In North NJ I use to make 600-900 a week back in May. Now I barley bring in 400 a week, and if I do I got lucky. Too many drivers, and the miles are terrible, most of what I make goes out on gas and toll, and washing my car. So I'm basically making making less than minimum wage and working to feed my car only. Smh. Wished I would have never leased a car if I knew it was going to get this bad.


There was plenty of posts here warning you and all the rest. Uber throws a lot of work to new drivers to get them hooked "same thing what drug dealers do to addicts", then you say wow this is great, let me go finance a car, and that's where the trouble starts. Uber doesn't and never did care about the drivers, to them we are just another car on the map "it could be driven by a dog for all they care", Uber's objective is volume, more uber cars on the road= more money for uber and it's venture capitalists billionaires, more cars on the road means less fares for each individual driver "only so many fares to go around", this is about supply and demand, they need to supply the demand at all times, which means there is a car for each pax when they need one, but there is only so many pax during each time period.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

The_One said:


> There was plenty of posts here warning you and all the rest. Uber throws a lot of work to new drivers to get them hooked "same thing what drug dealers do to addicts", then you day wow this is great, let me go finance a car, and that's where the trouble starts. Uber doesn't and never did care about the drivers, to them we are just another car in the map "it could be driven by a dog for all they care", Uber's objective is volume, more uber cars on the road= more money for uber and it's venture capitalists billionaires, more cars on the road means less fares for each individual driver "only so many fares to go around", this is about supply and demand, they need to supply the demand at all times, which means there is a car for each pax when they need one, but there is only so many pax during each time period.


I reference it only as an example of Uber's perspective of disruption while being a primary source of disruption. Drivers are not immune to the effects of Uber as a disruptive force and Uber policy is mostly geared toward protecting themselves from disruption into the future.

It is the motivation behind the research program which I find intriguing and informative.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

The_One said:


> There was plenty of posts here warning you and all the rest. Uber throws a lot of work to new drivers to get them hooked "same thing what drug dealers do to addicts", then you say wow this is great, let me go finance a car, and that's where the trouble starts. Uber doesn't and never did care about the drivers, to them we are just another car on the map "it could be driven by a dog for all they care", Uber's objective is volume, more uber cars on the road= more money for uber and it's venture capitalists billionaires, more cars on the road means less fares for each individual driver "only so many fares to go around", this is about supply and demand, they need to supply the demand at all times, which means there is a car for each pax when they need one, but there is only so many pax during each time period.


They turn reality on its head. The fleet is designed for peak demand and the drivers must figure out how to make the rest of the time workout or be damned. Every aspect of the protocol should be held suspect, it all adds up to far too many drivers and basement prices. The system guarantees it. The only way they can modulate the number of drivers on the road is to make it unprofitable for the chosen few for certain periods of the day. The system rewards wealty hobbyist and not real workers in my opinion.

The problem is the structure which leads to the rates being set as they are. Given the status quo it is likely unavoidable.


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## Old Rocker (Aug 20, 2015)

Uberselectguy said:


> Ubers aim, the basis of its business model is over saturation in every market. Plain and simple. They build up a saturated market, and it shuts out the competition. Unfortunately it also means each individual driver gets fewer pings and surge pricing is undone.
> I'll keep saying this over and over. If you want to change this monster called Uber, it's going to take forming a local, likely with the teamsters.
> Unfortunately, most drivers don't give a sh1t and are in it for themselves.


The Teamsters? As in the most corrupt union there is? Drivers will work according to seniority? To become a member, you have to be an employee. You want to start a rideshare company and encourage your employees to unionize so they can dictate pay and benefits to you?

Most taxi drivers are ICs.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Old Rocker said:


> Most taxi drivers are ICs.


The entire state of PA has one taxi company which employs drivers. That is it. Attempts to unionize the taxi industry are recent and with limited success.

As far as employee status, the taxi company I driver for needs to prove every year to Workmen's Comp that the drivers are ICs. If the drivers were determined to be employees, we would be shut down instantly due to the associated costs. That said, Uber drivers are in a kind of liminal space. They are declared independent contractors, but given that they own their own cars, they don't have much say in return. Reform is in dire need.


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## Uberselectguy (Oct 16, 2015)

Clifford Chong said:


> I had a rider with a 4.0 rating tip me once. That was because it was their second ride and the driver before me gave them a 4 since they came back from a game, drunk.
> 
> I trust a 4.0/4.5 more than a 4.4-4.1. I always give the benefit of the doubt when it comes to clean numbered ratings and assume that this person must be fairly new.
> 
> I will never call my pax everytime I accept a request. I've done this a few times via text message and was given a below average rating as a result. Even as a passenger, I think it's annoying when they call me right after requesting a ride just to confirm if I am at my location. It's the same as the passenger doing the same to me as a driver.





Old Rocker said:


> The Teamsters? As in the most corrupt union there is? Drivers will work according to seniority? To become a member, you have to be an employee. You want to start a rideshare company and encourage your employees to unionize so they can dictate pay and benefits to you?
> 
> Most taxi drivers are ICs.


Drivers will never benefit from being considered Independent Contractors, ever. This employment restriction skirts every possible fair employment practice at the states and federal levels. In the real world, Independent Contractors are able to establish their own, profitable rate structures. Example being the trucking industry. Independent Contractors are able to dictate the conditions of their contracts, take for instance the Electrical Contractors working for a General Contractor.
Certainly, the Teamsters may not be the Union of choice. But not unlike the Plumbers Union, Electrical Contractors Union or the various Livery Unions, a collective voice coupled with powerful lobbying and political ties insure fair treatment of the workforce, whether they be independents or employees.

What the average Uber ( Rideshare ) driver lacks is foresight of how the Rideshare model is evolving. It is just a matter of time before wages are further decimated and operating costs increase so that the bulk of you will work for break even or loss. Uber counts on your ignorance of foresight to fortify its revenue picture, and go into a successful IPO. Beyond that you as drivers will face the ugly forces of shareholders.

Forming a union is your only way to make the Rideshare concept viable employment. Otherwise, welcome to poverty.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Uberselectguy said:


> Plumbers Union, Electrical Contractors Union


These unions offer their members educational opportunities which is a real benefit. Reforming the Uber driver relationship would be huge, a game changer. My guess is Uber, with Kalanick at the helm would not be up to proper reform, their model is as designed and reform equates to disruption which can not be allowed to happen to beyond their own terms.


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## Uberselectguy (Oct 16, 2015)

Huberis said:


> These unions offer their members educational opportunities which is a real benefit. Reforming the Uber driver relationship would be huge, a game changer. My guess is Uber, with Kalanick at the helm would not be up to proper reform, their model is as designed and reform equates to disruption which can not be allowed to happen to beyond their own terms.


You are correct in your points, a miss however in Uber and its tolerance. An organized collective of drivers will force Ubers and Lyfts hand to negotiate, or else they will face an organized shut down with only scab drivers left. Scab drivers are the worst image that Uber would want for the public. An organized front would also hit Uber in its most vulnerable and that is revenue stream. In a weeks time, Ubers valuation would fall in terms of billions of dollars. It would also demonize uber, falling out of favor politically and in the public eyes.

An organized front, structured correctly would be the only tool to make driving for a decent wage possible.


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## Uberx Vegas (Oct 27, 2015)

pbracing33b said:


> The thing I don't get is it's Thursday, why do these people think that Thursday is all that great to drive, I mean this is the most drivers out we have had all week. Why they think its a good idea to come out on a Thurs I have no idea, bc its still a work night for most around here and most people still have to go to work tom, prob what will happen is when 11 pm comes around and all of the part timers go to bed is when I'll prob start making my money, but its sad that I have to wait that long, I think I might start looking for something more stable, what Idk. I might just get a part time job and do Uber part time, that way I'm not killing my car or wasting away hours and NOT making ANYTHING, I'd much rather get min wage for 4 hours than get NOTHING at all.


 To me Thursday night is like Monday not that Monday that everybody hates after they are off weekend. I love my Thursday ....I drive at night .....Thursday -Sunday .If it gets slow I just head to Caesars Palace and hang out there and help riders how to get to "uber pick up zone" .....LOL.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Uberselectguy said:


> You are correct in your points, a miss however in Uber and its tolerance. An organized collective of drivers will force Ubers and Lyfts hand to negotiate, or else they will face an organized shut down with only scab drivers left. Scab drivers are the worst image that Uber would want for the public. An organized front would also hit Uber in its most vulnerable and that is revenue stream. In a weeks time, Ubers valuation would fall in terms of billions of dollars. It would also demonize uber, falling out of favor politically and in the public eyes.
> 
> An organized front, structured correctly would be the only tool to make driving for a decent wage possible.


I do not believe Uber is tolerant of anything.

Not sure what a scab driver is within this context for the reason that it is such a terraced environment. rates are terraced, differing from market to market. Driver's needs and commitment are terraced too. I'm not sure what a scab would be in the sense that scabs are usually brought from outside to replace striking workers....... I have problems with using the language relating to labor strikes here for several reasons. My own pet word is a driver who drive Uber as a hobby.

All that being said, the structure is designed to make organizing difficult. Drivers are isolated. They are in competition with each other whether they realize it or not, surely in the sense that given the number of drivers, there isn't enough to go around over the long haul.... That terracing of rates combined with so many drivers willing to simply cherry pick - those who can afford to.

It will be very difficult to organize but it is well worth the effort. In my opinion, drivers need to associate for many reasons. Their isolated nature is used against them. They could associate in a way to provide education, compliance, they could create standards which would make drivers within the association attractive to driving platforms which may come down the pike.

I gotta run, I would have liked to put more thought into this.


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## Uberselectguy (Oct 16, 2015)

Drivers organizing would be done market by market. Maybe the San Fran market first for publicity.

A scab driver is someone who is in it for himself at the cost of others. You see them from time to time, theyvarecthe ones breaking the rules at the airports trying to hustle riders, they are the ones double parked illegally barking for riders, so on. They have zero ethics or morals, it's all about every nickel.


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## EcoSLC (Sep 24, 2015)

pbracing33b said:


> btw whats the difference between a Pizza delivery driver and what we do?
> 
> At least being a Pizza Delivery driver they still get a base pay if its slow.


Which is why I spend more hours per week delivering pizza than Ubering.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Uberselectguy said:


> Drivers organizing would be done market by market. Maybe the San Fran market first for publicity.
> 
> A scab driver is someone who is in it for himself at the cost of others. You see them from time to time, theyvarecthe ones breaking the rules at the airports trying to hustle riders, they are the ones double parked illegally barking for riders, so on. They have zero ethics or morals, it's all about every nickel.


Mercenary drivers. Understandable.

"someone who is in it for himself at the cost of others." Most drivers are going to tend to be in it for themselves. Uber cultivates that. Surge pricing is an example. Uber encourages drivers not to disclose the activity to personal insurance providers which makes it easier to keep a driver under their thumb. It also cultivates the the prospects for the latter half of that statement to be a real issue. There are lots of examples. Uber is still on its honeymoon.


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## Old Rocker (Aug 20, 2015)

There already are rideshare driver's organizations. In Cali and NYC.


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## wrb82 (Oct 30, 2015)

Had the same issue here in Burlington Vermont. Uber was sending me multiple emails and texts about the potential to make upwards of 500/day from wednesday through saturday. I waited lastnight nearly 2 hours just for them to cancel when I was literally at their driveway. I made pennies lastnight. Worked from 9pm to 230am. Lost money instead of making money.


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## Steve Joseph (Oct 21, 2015)

When I started in an area close to where I leave I was overwhelmed by how many pings I would get. Some hit as I was trying to go offline and others when I was leaving a rating for a pax I had just dropped off. This was consistent for about a week and I tried various hours. A week later I could idle in the same area, same time frame and it would take 15 minute intervals or longer to get a ping. I saw this coming though. I have never seen more TLC's from NYC in these areas than I have in the last week or so and I have seen way more UBER drivers on the road.


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## BostonTaxiDriver (Nov 23, 2014)

pbracing33b said:


> btw whats the difference between a Pizza delivery driver and what we do?
> 
> At least being a Pizza Delivery driver they still get a base pay if its slow.


Uber is COOL to many pax; pizza delivery is not.

But with pizza delivery, drivers get discount, or sometimes free slices. Uber drivers get none of that, but sometimes some vomit to clean.


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

BostonTaxiDriver said:


> Uber is COOL to many pax; pizza delivery is not.
> 
> But with pizza delivery, drivers get discount, or sometimes free slices. Uber drivers get none of that, but sometimes some vomit to clean.


At least a pizza delivery guy can make money and STILL GET TIPS.


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

wrb82 said:


> Had the same issue here in Burlington Vermont. Uber was sending me multiple emails and texts about the potential to make upwards of 500/day from wednesday through saturday. I waited lastnight nearly 2 hours just for them to cancel when I was literally at their driveway. I made pennies lastnight. Worked from 9pm to 230am. Lost money instead of making money.


A friend of mine posted this thread on the campus page. I wonder if any of them will read it or even care.


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## BostonTaxiDriver (Nov 23, 2014)

Friday, and it's a very slow taxi night in Boston, if that makes any of you feel better. And... it's Halloween Eve! 
Just chillin' in the airport pool. Easy work but not lucrative.

Thought it would be decent. Too many taxis, too many Ubers. Plain and simple.

Now if Halloween night is slow, then it's officially oversatured, my friends.


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## BostonTaxiDriver (Nov 23, 2014)

pbracing33b said:


> At least a pizza delivery guy can make money and STILL GET TIPS.


AND, select pizza delivery jobs provide health insurance and such, according to past searches in various Craigslist cities.

Then, it's not a bad gig even when killing your car. Seems pizza delivery puts fewer miles on your car vs. Uber?


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## BostonTaxiDriver (Nov 23, 2014)

Oh, AND as I'm reading this thread, ANOTHER radio ad for Lyft, claiming up to $1,500 weekly using "your" car. It's aired for weeks on a Boston station that had been raping listeners with Uber ads for months.


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

BostonTaxiDriver said:


> Friday, and it's a very slow taxi night in Boston, if that makes any of you feel better. And... it's Halloween Eve!
> Just chillin' in the airport pool. Easy work but not lucrative.
> 
> Thought it would be decent. Too many taxis, too many Ubers. Plain and simple.
> ...


Its slow here too there are 31 drivers out tonight, the only thing that is going to save me is a 2 hours drive to the cavs game, if it wasn't for that I wouldn't have even made 50 bucks


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

Yea uber doesn't care about how many cars are on the road, nor do they care about the driver its all about their bottom line. I feel like uber is taking advantage of desparate people who are looking for work. When I first started I made a grand a week, now Im lucky to make 4~5 hundred a week and if I make over that then it has been a really good week. But I figure sooner or later people will quit driving for uber, especially if they are only doing this part time, but some will still to try and make it work, but until that happens its going to suck for awhile. I'm honestly probably will start looking to find some pt gigs, to fill in the gaps.


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## Dan L (Sep 15, 2015)

I have the same issue. Bought into the hype tonight as well. Went online around 8:30pm, took about an hour before my first ping and it was 20 minutes (15 miles) away. I didn't accept because dead miles to me, and would be worse if they only needed to go a few miles away.

Went back online, and didn't get anything for about and hour and 10 minutes. Once again, about 15 minutes away... close to 10+ miles. I do live in an area where stuff is spread out a bit but surely there's more action than this around here.

I actually made $100+ sitting at home, selling TWO items I do not need online. This is actually more than I ever made in one night with Uber. Strongly reconsidering this gig now.


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## Steve Joseph (Oct 21, 2015)

BostonTaxiDriver said:


> AND, select pizza delivery jobs provide health insurance and such, according to past searches in various Craigslist cities.
> 
> Then, it's not a bad gig even when killing your car. Seems pizza delivery puts fewer miles on your car vs. Uber?


Absolutely puts fewer miles on your car. Pizza delivery guys work grids or specific zones and don't go past them. How many times have any of us called X pizza only to be told "we don't service your area. Please call..." At least for the bigger chains. Even smaller pizzerias don't deliver beyond a few miles and those that do will charge you extra for coming out your way. A passenger with UBER can ask you to take them anywhere for pennies on the dollar when absolutely everything is considered.

While some drivers might like longer trips those have been the worst to me personally because 9 times out of 10 it's in an area where absolutely no one wants an UBER. You have to understand the way New Jersey is built to get that I'm not over exaggerating or doing anything wrong. The number of times I've driven pax to NYC. Can't pickup there so have to drive back and depending on what bridge you've taken back there are tolls in NJ. UBER doesn't cover those. So then there goes the money you made for gas in getting back from any of these locations. I suspect that the UBER tests and examples they gave were done in very small and concentrated pockets to maximize potential fully well knowing most of America is not laid out like this.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Hazeces said:


> I herd a lot of people got deactivated during that weekend they were striking. Most of the Uber drivers who did not work those 3 days got deactivated, so they say... I have no idea if its true.


Who is "they"? I and my SO didn't work and we didn't get deactivated. Actually I haven't worked since the Thursday before the strike and I didn't work the weekend before it either.

My SO is only taking a,trip here and there to stay active right now.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Steve Joseph said:


> Absolutely puts fewer miles on your car. Pizza delivery guys work grids or specific zones and don't go past them. How many times have any of us called X pizza only to be told "we don't service your area. Please call..." At least for the bigger chains. Even smaller pizzerias don't deliver beyond a few miles and those that do will charge you extra for coming out your way. A passenger with UBER can ask you to take them anywhere for pennies on the dollar when absolutely everything is considered.
> 
> While some drivers might like longer trips those have been the worst to me personally because 9 times out of 10 it's in an area where absolutely no one wants an UBER. You have to understand the way New Jersey is built to get that I'm not over exaggerating or doing anything wrong. The number of times I've driven pax to NYC. Can't pickup there so have to drive back and depending on what bridge you've taken back there are tolls in NJ. UBER doesn't cover those. So then there goes the money you made for gas in getting back from any of these locations. I suspect that the UBER tests and examples they gave were done in very small and concentrated pockets to maximize potential fully well knowing most of America is not laid out like this.


Many pizza places are not even allowed to go outside their zones. MI e is a corporate store but we are surrounded by franchise stores. Since there is a contract with those stores to have the business in a certain area if one of our drivers is caught delivering there the store can be fined $5000 which directly affects the managers bonus.

I made $70 in tips working 5-9pm this Wednesday plus my hourly pay. I drove 32 miles. Now that was a nice Wednesday but pretty typical for me Fri or Sat. I prefer Uber because I need some flexibility right now but there is better and more consistent money at the moment with pizza. When I started uber was more profitable despite the extra mileage.


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## wrb82 (Oct 30, 2015)

pbracing33b said:


> A friend of mine posted this thread on the campus page. I wonder if any of them will read it or even care.


They dont care. It dosnt effect them. Seems like uber and a lot of pax are in line with the theory that if it dosnt effect them then why care? Plain and simple.


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## Steve Joseph (Oct 21, 2015)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> Who is "they"? I and my SO didn't work and we didn't get deactivated. Actually I haven't worked since the Thursday before the strike and I didn't work the weekend before it either.
> 
> My SO is only taking a,trip here and there to stay active right now.


Extremely valid question. Similar terms and words like "they" are often used to exaggerate a situation. Since the few cases t


wrb82 said:


> They dont care. It dosnt effect them. Seems like uber and a lot of pax are in line with the theory that if it dosnt effect them then why care? Plain and simple.


It's not a theory but a cultural norm and result of American culture on a whole. Latinos, Asians, persons from various parts of Africa and the Middle East generally do not have these issues, even in America and why there is such a bond and sense of community to be found in those ethnicities. I can give you a list of foreign countries and islands to move to for a year and you will understand first hand how other people view community or a sense of belonging to something greater than the "I" or "me" syndrome. Social media has made this even worse in America. As a freelancer who has worked and lived in most every major US city, most people do not care about community. That's a fact.

Most foreigners I have conversations with cannot wait to return to their countries for this simple reason. It's why some are always on the phone. It's not that they're trying to be purposely rude, it's that they simply feel lost here and truly miss the bond they shared with family and friends abroad. Most Americans in asking questions about your day or weekend aren't really trying to start a conversation with you and after 26 years in this country on and off I still catch people off guard daily by genuinely being interested in their lives when I ask certain questions. Some start endlessly talking as if they were just waiting for someone to realize they're a human also and have a story to tell. That's truly sad.


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## Hazeces (Jun 30, 2015)

pbracing33b said:


> Yea uber doesn't care about how many cars are on the road, nor do they care about the driver its all about their bottom line. I feel like uber is taking advantage of desparate people who are looking for work. When I first started I made a grand a week, now Im lucky to make 4~5 hundred a week and if I make over that then it has been a really good week. But I figure sooner or later people will quit driving for uber, especially if they are only doing this part time, but some will still to try and make it work, but until that happens its going to suck for awhile. I'm honestly probably will start looking to find some pt gigs, to fill in the gaps.


That's what I been doing. Looking for Pt or Ft work. I just can't deal with the fact of how many miles I'm driving deaily all for a silly wage.


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## vesolehome (Aug 2, 2015)

I bought into the hype last night too. It was a slow Friday night. I had both Uber and Lyft running. Not one request from Lyft. I'm not sure I'm even going to head out tonight.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Worst two day combo I had in two weeks.
Keep in mind it's the end of the month.
I think people are saving money for tonight, gonna blow their load buying jello shots for chicks in devil costumes.

Not me- I'll be trick or treating with my 5 year old twins


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## The_One (Sep 9, 2015)




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## Hazeces (Jun 30, 2015)

Steve Joseph said:


> Absolutely puts fewer miles on your car. Pizza delivery guys work grids or specific zones and don't go past them. How many times have any of us called X pizza only to be told "we don't service your area. Please call..." At least for the bigger chains. Even smaller pizzerias don't deliver beyond a few miles and those that do will charge you extra for coming out your way. A passenger with UBER can ask you to take them anywhere for pennies on the dollar when absolutely everything is considered.
> 
> While some drivers might like longer trips those have been the worst to me personally because 9 times out of 10 it's in an area where absolutely no one wants an UBER. You have to understand the way New Jersey is built to get that I'm not over exaggerating or doing anything wrong. The number of times I've driven pax to NYC. Can't pickup there so have to drive back and depending on what bridge you've taken back there are tolls in NJ. UBER doesn't cover those. So then there goes the money you made for gas in getting back from any of these locations. I suspect that the UBER tests and examples they gave were done in very small and concentrated pockets to maximize potential fully well knowing most of America is not laid out like this.


Dude you are so right. Going to NyC is a gift and a curse. Yea, ppl think it's great, but can you imagine going to the city or airport and sitting on traffic for almost 1hr and 45minutes or more, just to make 55, or 60 bucks? Then you have to drive back by yourself and traffic is worse than ever, and if you set your gos through no toll, your day will be over in just that one rise plus the amount of gas and how much your car suffered through all those pot holes.
Yesterday I saw in the turnpike for about 2 hrs. Picked up pax at 5 45 all to get to EWR at 736pm for a lousy 45 bucks, and then having to go back home locally with traffic like never before just to save toll money. Its not profitable, and god knows how long I can wait to find a job and stop doing this.


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## grams777 (Jun 13, 2014)

vesolehome said:


> I bought into the hype last night too. It was a slow Friday night. I had both Uber and Lyft running. Not one request from Lyft. I'm not sure I'm even going to head out tonight.


Last year the night before Halloween was way over hyped and a bust, at least in Nashville. It wasn't just saturation, but I hardly saw any pax out that night at the normal hot spots.

It did pickup on Halloween night itself though, up to about 5x surge at times. It was above the normal 3 - 4x surge cap here. Lyft may be tough because of the guarantee making it hard to get any rides. Uber could be the counter play if it's surging while Lyft is saturated.


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## Hazeces (Jun 30, 2015)

The_One said:


>


Wow that's so crazy. I didn't think anyone made a video on why Uber is horrible and is the new modern day opt in or out slavery. Lol


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## Steve Joseph (Oct 21, 2015)

Hazeces said:


> Dude you are so right. Going to NyC is a gift and a curse. Yea, ppl think it's great, but can you imagine going to the city or airport and sitting on traffic for almost 1hr and 45minutes or more, just to make 55, or 60 bucks? Then you have to drive back by yourself and traffic is worse than ever, and if you set your gos through no toll, your day will be over in just that one rise plus the amount of gas and how much your car suffered through all those pot holes.
> Yesterday I saw in the turnpike for about 2 hrs. Picked up pax at 5 45 all to get to EWR at 736pm for a lousy 45 bucks, and then having to go back home locally with traffic like never before just to save toll money. Its not profitable, and god knows how long I can wait to find a job and stop doing this.


Absolutely man, absolutely. I feel your pain and you're spot on in your response.


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## Steve Joseph (Oct 21, 2015)

To the OP. Yes I have been inundated with texts and emails from both UBER and LYFT to drive for Halloween but I have not responded to a single one and knew well in advance largely in part to this board that I had zero plans of doing so. Both times kids were in my car it did not go well because parents simply refuse to parent their children. Both kids left some type of mess. Halloween involves lots of candy, glitter, feathers, makeup, kids and drunk people. No thanks.


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## Hazeces (Jun 30, 2015)

Steve Joseph said:


> To the OP. Yes I have been inundated with texts and emails from both UBER and LYFT to drive for Halloween but I have not responded to a single one and knew well in advance largely in part to this board that I had zero plans of doing so. Both times kids were in my car it did not go well because parents simply refuse to parent their children. Both kids left some type of mess. Halloween involves lots of candy, glitter, feathers, makeup, kids and drunk people. No thanks.


I hate when I get those parents who talk to their kids like they're grown ups and will listen. I had a kid the other day who would not stay still, kept kicking the back of my chair the whole ride, and the mom wouldn't say shit. I was so pissed off. The kid kept moving around laying on the back seat kicking and was driving me nuts. Yet, the mom wouldn't tell him to be still, that he is kicking the driver seat and it's not nice. I had to one star her.


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## Steve Joseph (Oct 21, 2015)

Hazeces said:


> I hate when I get those parents who talk to their kids like they're grown ups and will listen. I had a kid the other day who would not stay still, kept kicking the back of my chair the whole ride, and the mom wouldn't say shit. I was so pissed off. The kid kept moving around laying on the back seat kicking and was driving me nuts. Yet, the mom wouldn't tell him to be still, that he is kicking the driver seat and it's not nice. I had to one star her.


That's absolutely crazy but to be expected these days sadly enough and I absolutely hate when parents try to talk to children and reason with them like they're adults. There's a reason why some restaurants not desperate for new business prohibited kids at particular hours. Have you ever been in front of a parent letting 2-3 kids under the age of 6 pick donuts with a line of 5 people or more behind them? That's an incredibly painful process.

Did she even apologize to you for her kids behavior? Regardless, I think she earned that one star.


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## Hazeces (Jun 30, 2015)

Steve Joseph said:


> That's absolutely crazy but to be expected these days sadly enough. Did she even apologize to you for her kids behavior? Regardless, I think she earned that one star.


She didn't apologize at all. Usually I had parents who have apologized for their kids behavior, but some parents want to act like a childs best friend and spoil them, so she fit in that category. I mean, how can you ask a 7 year old which iphone 6s they want?


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

The_One said:


>


I think too many people don't care and just want a cheap ride, just like stuff made in China, people don't care, as long as it is something they want they don't care how they get it.


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

Oh my goodness look at what uber just texted here:








Does uber really think we buy into this?

The ONLY people gullible enough to believe them are BRAND NEW people. Heck I wish I made $60 per hour.

Wait I see it they said LAST sat, well heck thats bc we had a huge halloween party on adams street thats the only reason why, but I hardly doubt we made $60/hr


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## wrb82 (Oct 30, 2015)

pbracing33b said:


> Oh my goodness look at what uber just texted here:
> View attachment 17048
> 
> Does uber really think we buy into this?
> ...


I made $210 from 9pm until 3am lastnight. I thought for sure it would have been a bust like the last 2 nights, but thankfully it was ping after ping. And I only had to 1* two people. Normally I have to 1* at least 5 pax on a sat night.


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

Last night I counted up to 40 cars and after that I quit counting, it was crazy then it started raining and all of sudden we were down to like 10, idk y but it seems like some people around here don't like to drive in the rain. I did stay busier the later it got as I was one of the few that was still out early in the mourn


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## Hazeces (Jun 30, 2015)

I


pbracing33b said:


> Last night I counted up to 40 cars and after that I quit counting, it was crazy then it started raining and all of sudden we were down to like 10, idk y but it seems like some people around here don't like to drive in the rain. I did stay busier the later it got as I was one of the few that was still out early in the mourn


 hate drivig in the rain. Ppl mess up your car when its raining.


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## McJuber (Oct 24, 2015)

pbracing33b said:


> btw whats the difference between a Pizza delivery driver and what we do?
> 
> At least being a Pizza Delivery driver they still get a base pay if its slow.


And pizza smells better and don't vomit


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

Hazeces said:


> I
> 
> hate drivig in the rain. Ppl mess up your car when its raining.


I haven't had too many issues except for when the leaves are on the ground and they track them into the car then that really sucks.


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## Horsebm (Jul 21, 2015)

pbracing33b said:


> I haven't had too many issues except for when the leaves are on the ground and they track them into the car then that really sucks.


No leaves, only sand in, San Diego. It requires a lot of time to vacuum sand.


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## pbracing33b (May 18, 2015)

Horsebm said:


> No leaves, only sand in, San Diego. It requires a lot of time to vacuum sand.


yeah that would suck, I can't imagine what sand would do to your interior.


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## yoyodyne (Oct 17, 2015)

Teksaz said:


> This is how bad it's gotten in my market. Maricopa barely qualifies as a town as it's nothing but farms and daires, and it's out in the middle of nowhere and there's five cars out there? Drivers are desperate it appears. lol
> 
> View attachment 16908
> 
> ...


I got one in Sun Lakes the other day that was 22 minutes away from where I was in Chandler. 22 minutes?!?


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## DB2448 (Jun 30, 2015)

pbracing33b said:


> I'm in a hot spot and I have ONLY gotten 1 ride in 2 and half hours. I counted at 5 pm that we had 17 drivers out on a thurs which for 300000 people city is way too many.
> 
> Not only that UBER KEEPS SENDING ME TEXTS EVERY SINGLE DAY ANOUT HOW GREAT THIS WEEKEND IS GOING TO BE, they did that for July 4th weekend and it was a HUGE bust.
> 
> ...


Try texting "STOP" to have Uber leave you alone. Worked for me.


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## FlDriver (Oct 16, 2015)

Uberselectguy said:


> Unfortunately, most drivers don't give a sh1t and are in it for themselves.


Really? I thought most of us joined Uber to fight world hunger and save the whales.

Fun fact: Most people who get a job or start a business are in it for themselves.


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## Uberselectguy (Oct 16, 2015)

FlDriver said:


> Really? I thought most of us joined Uber to fight world hunger and save the whales.
> 
> Fun fact: Most people who get a job or start a business are in it for themselves.


I'd agree to your generalization if it weren't so broad in scope. Take for instance the culture in high tech. Companies have discovered that by having peer to peer discussions about working conditions escalated to a responsive senior management, productivity and retention are improved substantially.
Another example is the independent contractor culture that is evident in the insurance industry. Companies respond to agent input, they also respond positively to enhance agent productivity and profit.

Uber, the culture for drivers is one man for himself. No support, no incentives. High turnover, profits are contained only at the corporate level.

This mentality has proven to be unsuccessful.


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## Minks (Oct 23, 2015)

Teksaz said:


> This is how bad it's gotten in my market. Maricopa barely qualifies as a town as it's nothing but farms and daires, and it's out in the middle of nowhere and there's five cars out there? Drivers are desperate it appears. lol
> 
> View attachment 16908
> 
> ...


Where I live (D/FW) a 17 minute lead time automatically just reads "No UberX Available". What is your auto cap? 20 minutes? That is a bit ridiculous. ....also $1-3 is gas just wasted.


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## SECOTIME (Sep 18, 2015)

I'm the only idiot on d road right now for 10 miles


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

I'll be the first idiot out any second.


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## SECOTIME (Sep 18, 2015)

LBCPriusC said:


> you don't have to be, cut your losses & go home, its cold outside


It's 73 degrees with high humidity.

I'm camping out waiting for a good airport run .. All these hotels here well see what happens.

In a popular area with no cars on road.. Waiting to see red


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## SECOTIME (Sep 18, 2015)

Warming up..


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## negeorgia (Feb 1, 2015)

Uberselectguy said:


> ....Otherwise, welcome to poverty.


By spending choices and borrowing decisions, not lack of income opportunities. There was a day when interest paid on credit cards, car loans and student loans was tax deductible (not just mortgages as today). A greedy government has taught corporate America well. My tax bill is not affected because, I have modified my behavior to avoid interest payment purchasing. Freedom is better than credit score. Unions (or governments) don't tell members 'that's stupid to make that purchase.'


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## negeorgia (Feb 1, 2015)

From what I can tell, the people that don't borrow or over-spend have better lives. I wouldn't last 2 minutes as a union rep. The first thing I would say is that it is stupid to Uber with a car payment or in a leased car. A government or union to make every life soft and cuddly is a joke.


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## EzTripp (Aug 9, 2015)

Uberselectguy said:


> Drivers will never benefit from being considered Independent Contractors, ever. This employment restriction skirts every possible fair employment practice at the states and federal levels. In the real world, Independent Contractors are able to establish their own, profitable rate structures. Example being the trucking industry. Independent Contractors are able to dictate the conditions of their contracts, take for instance the Electrical Contractors working for a General Contractor.
> Certainly, the Teamsters may not be the Union of choice. But not unlike the Plumbers Union, Electrical Contractors Union or the various Livery Unions, a collective voice coupled with powerful lobbying and political ties insure fair treatment of the workforce, whether they be independents or employees.
> 
> What the average Uber ( Rideshare ) driver lacks is foresight of how the Rideshare model is evolving. It is just a matter of time before wages are further decimated and operating costs increase so that the bulk of you will work for break even or loss. Uber counts on your ignorance of foresight to fortify its revenue picture, and go into a successful IPO. Beyond that you as drivers will face the ugly forces of shareholders.
> ...


I don't know about your state but here in Virginia Independent Contractors can't form a Union. Only "employees" can form unions. We as IC are free to quit without notice and the company is free to terminate without notice. That is as far as the employee/employer contract goes if you are IC.


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## Uberselectguy (Oct 16, 2015)

I understand completely the vast opinion that unions are a bad thing, often compared to government as to their inefficiencies and corruption.
Ride share drivers typify why unions exist. If anyone could benefit it would be the drivers because your pay and working conditions are that of decades past when people were exploited at less than minimum wages.
I would advocate unionizing now to meet head on the anticipated changes to rates and fees that will further drive your incomes lower.
I hear a lot of crying in these forums, I see many people who give 120% and receive 25% ... but I have yet to see any moves to course correct, effectively that is.


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## Uberselectguy (Oct 16, 2015)

JSM0713 said:


> Last ride of the night in Ft. Lauderdale.... get a ping that requires I do a u-turn and go back from where I had just come from to pick up a Pax named Caroline. I go back to her location, and just as I arrive at the pick up point, the Pax cancels the call.... What a friggin' Creep!! Is there anything I can do to help prevent that in the future?





negeorgia said:


> From what I can tell, the people that don't borrow or over-spend have better lives. I wouldn't last 2 minutes as a union rep. The first thing I would say is that it is stupid to Uber with a car payment or in a leased car. A government or union to make every life soft and cuddly is a joke.





EzTripp said:


> I don't know about your state but here in Virginia Independent Contractors can't form a Union. Only "employees" can form unions. We as IC are free to quit without notice and the company is free to terminate without notice. That is as far as the employee/employer contract goes if you are IC.


The concept of forming a union would be along the lines of a hybrid Union, or more realistically a Rideshare Drivers Consortium. The consortium would rely heavily on providing legal representation, staging the logistics of strikes, community awareness of unfair Rideshare practices and of course, negotiations with the beast uber.

It's your singular, only hope for earning past minimum wage. The pitiful point is, annual dues from the nation's drivers would be around $10.00. That $10 would carry a lot of weight if you consider the populace of drivers, past present and future.


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## negeorgia (Feb 1, 2015)

Force hiring freezes. Demand higher wages and benefits. Demand my compensation covers the payment on the highest priced vehicle that my credit score allowed me to purchase. Require the government to price fix the gas to operate my car and cheese for my crackers. Or simply, Uber is the Amway of the nineties. Those that financed 'books, tapes, and functions' failed at business 101. Other people's money is not a plan for success. Drive more/earn less because not all Uber hours are created equal. 'Your results may vary' is the fineprint to life and no one likes the fine print.


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## Guest (Nov 11, 2015)

Horsebm said:


> No leaves, only sand in, San Diego. It requires a lot of time to vacuum sand.


Sand also is very irritating in the private parts too! lol I hate sand! lol


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## UberLou (May 5, 2015)

If these spots are known "hot spots" then they are not hot spots when every driver goes there to work. I avoid those areas. Sometimes you need to venture out and do some research in areas around the city. How many people live in other ares? What is the median income? How many restaurants, bars and/or hotels are in the area?

Ill admit in Atlanta there are so many places to go which may not be the case with you but still test other areas you might be surprised.


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## Cocobird (Dec 9, 2015)

Uberselectguy said:


> Ubers aim, the basis of its business model is over saturation in every market. Plain and simple. They build up a saturated market, and it shuts out the competition. Unfortunately it also means each individual driver gets fewer pings and surge pricing is undone.
> I'll keep saying this over and over. If you want to change this monster called Uber, it's going to take forming a local, likely with the teamsters.
> Unfortunately, most drivers don't give a sh1t and are in it for themselves.


More importantly, it allows Uber to cut the rates until the drivers are driving at a loss, hoping they could get a surge to break even, and the stupid drivers think they are making money.


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