# The Closest Driver Doesn't Always Get The Ping!



## UberDude2 (Nov 19, 2014)

I prematurely ended a ride before we even left the location but the PAX was understanding enough to resend a new request for a ride. After sending the request again he received a call from another driver trying to verify his location. The PAX told him he was sitting in the back seat of my car and that he didn't need another car. I was showing online and available at the time but i didn't get the call even with the PAX sitting in my back seat!! The PAX sent the request again and i got the ping that time. WHEW! I almost lost a $105 fare that i needed so badly to end my week with.
Makes me think that there is some kind of rotation with the calls to the cars in the local area. Anyone have thoughts or experience with this?
I was under the impression it was always closest car but that's not true.


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## Frank Martin (Nov 12, 2014)

Interesting...


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

The only time I've had this happen the other driver was right in front of me, so, while the passenger was in my vehicle, the other driver may have been legitimately closer to the dropped pin than I was. Fortunately I had several passengers and they sent out multiple simultaneous requests so that one would reach me.

In my case I was supposed to be stopping at that bar to pick up one of their friends. That friend changed their mind about leaving that bar and at one point the group said they were all getting out there, so I ended the trip. Of course they changed their minds again and that's how I ended up in that situation.


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## Brady (Oct 6, 2014)

Uber continues to play around with its request algorithm, so there's no way to answer this accurately as we don't know what the current formula is. In general, the closest driver should get the rider. But that's not always the case. It's been reported on the RideShareGuy blog that when a driver goes on-line, they start with a narrow radius, perhaps 2 minutes. The longer they are on-line waiting for a ride the greater that radius becomes. So, it is often the case that a driver who has been waiting for a ride longer, perhaps one with a 10 minute radius is going to get a rider 8 minutes away when another driver, who only has a 3 minute radius and is 5 minutes away from the rider is actually closer.

I've also noticed, only recently, that when I sign off to pick up a friend and then go on-line to have them request me, that the request will go to another driver if I've just signed on. I suspect Uber may have a newer 10-30 second delay. This also occurs if I've let a ride request go unfulfilled within the past minute. We can only guess at what the reason for the delay is. But your experience isn't unique. I've noticed it too. 

On Monday morning this week, I arrived at a friend's house to drive them to the airport. I signed on while they were in the car opening the app. Shortly after, I got a ride request which I ignored. A few seconds after I let it expire, I told them to request me. They did and it went to another driver 1/2 mile away. I then had them cancel, confirm their pin was in the correct location (it was) and had them request again. At that point, it went to me.


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## Oc_DriverX (Apr 29, 2014)

Brady said:


> Uber continues to play around with its request algorithm, so there's no way to answer this accurately as we don't know what the current formula is. In general, the closest driver should get the rider. But that's not always the case. It's been reported on the RideShareGuy blog that when a driver goes on-line, they start with a narrow radius, perhaps 2 minutes. The longer they are on-line waiting for a ride the greater that radius becomes. So, it is often the case that a driver who has been waiting for a ride longer, perhaps one with a 10 minute radius is going to get a rider 8 minutes away when another driver, who only has a 3 minute radius and is 5 minutes away from the rider is actually closer.
> 
> I've also noticed, only recently, that when I sign off to pick up a friend and then go on-line to have them request me, that the request will go to another driver if I've just signed on. I suspect Uber may have a newer 10-30 second delay. This also occurs if I've let a ride request go unfulfilled within the past minute. We can only guess at what the reason for the delay is. But your experience isn't unique. I've noticed it too.
> 
> On Monday morning this week, I arrived at a friend's house to drive them to the airport. I signed on while they were in the car opening the app. Shortly after, I got a ride request which I ignored. A few seconds after I let it expire, I told them to request me. They did and it went to another driver 1/2 mile away. I then had them cancel, confirm their pin was in the correct location (it was) and had them request again. At that point, it went to me.


The expanding radius situation sounds like something from the Lyft world.

I would think that since Uber often has a lag in displaying your car in the correct place, that the same lag may apply when turning the app on. It may take 30-50 seconds for you to really register as being online and available. I had a lady request a ride standing at my car window and it went to someone else. Since I had just gone online, I think the lag theory would explain why I did not get the ride.


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## UberDude2 (Nov 19, 2014)

Oc_DriverX said:


> The expanding radius situation sounds like something from the Lyft world.
> 
> I would think that since Uber often has a lag in displaying your car in the correct place, that the same lag may apply when turning the app on. It may take 30-50 seconds for you to really register as being online and available. I had a lady request a ride standing at my car window and it went to someone else. Since I had just gone online, I think the lag theory would explain why I did not get the ride.


I hope Brady's theory is correct as far as the bigger radius the longer i'm logged on. Since i live in a low traffic area i often go online for a couple of hours before i actually leave my house and i never get a call before then. But as soon as i hit an area that has active Uber riders i seem to get a call soon there after. 
The reason i go online is to see which areas are active (with yellow, orange, red) so when i leave my house i know if i want to head East or West.


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## Uber Driver 007 (Jun 17, 2014)

You didn't get the ping because the rider re-requested too quickly before you were Online in Uber's queue ( not just on your driver app) There's no mystery here.


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## UberxOCdriver (Nov 11, 2014)

UberDude2 said:


> I prematurely ended a ride before we even left the location but the PAX was understanding enough to resend a new request for a ride. After sending the request again he received a call from another driver trying to verify his location. The PAX told him he was sitting in the back seat of my car and that he didn't need another car. I was showing online and available at the time but i didn't get the call even with the PAX sitting in my back seat!! The PAX sent the request again and i got the ping that time. WHEW! I almost lost a $105 fare that i needed so badly to end my week with.
> Makes me think that there is some kind of rotation with the calls to the cars in the local area. Anyone have thoughts or experience with this?
> I was under the impression it was always closest car but that's not true.


My advice 1 sign up for square 
2. You already know the fare just tell the cust pay me the same on the way back with cash or cc
3 done


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## cocoa (Oct 30, 2014)

It's been awhile since this has happened but I have turned on the app at home and been pinged immediately. Even so I think there's some merit to the radius theory. Also on busy nights it seems like I get into a rhythm if I am logged in for longer periods of time and have a high acceptance rate. The pings seem to come more frequently and the pick-up locations tend to be closer. May just be my imagination.


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## Uber Roanoke Robert (Aug 31, 2014)

Keep in mind, theres a 30-60 second delay between your actual location and where the passenger app reports your location.

If you ever switch locations and start the passenger app, you can watch your icon move/park after you've stopped. I've done it.

Once I also saw my car icon disapoear and 10 seconds later, got the request.

I've had the same happen with people requesting from in my car. I just didn't let the locator catch up.


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## getemtheresafely (Jul 1, 2014)

^^^ditto..... you beat me to the punch


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## UberDude2 (Nov 19, 2014)

getemtheresafely said:


> ^^^ditto..... you beat me to the punch


Beat you to the punch? LMAO that post is almost two months old!!


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## getemtheresafely (Jul 1, 2014)

UberDude2 said:


> Beat you to the punch? LMAO that post is almost two months old!!


It was in response to uber raonoke Robert one minute before mine


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## UberDude2 (Nov 19, 2014)

...........But his response was to a 2 month old post which makes your response two months and 1 minute later ..........so what you're saying is he beat you to the two month old post............


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## getemtheresafely (Jul 1, 2014)

What I'm saying is I agree with the "delay" that occurs .... Therefore not always being the closest driver


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## Oh My (Dec 26, 2014)

I got a ping tonight, accepted and sped around the UberX driver directly in front of me. I saw his device clear as day and he was still waiting for a ride request. 

Maybe the riders were car or ethnicity shopping on their iPhone. I know this is occurring.


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## Markbrla (Oct 16, 2014)

On several occasions I have received a ping when I was 5 miles away and others drivers were 1 to 2 miles away; but, as the bird flies I was closest. Maybe Uber is creating imaginary highways for me.


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## Just_in (Jun 29, 2014)

A 44 billion dollar company with a .10 cent dispatching system. Who would have thought that?


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## Uber SUCKS for drivers! (Jan 1, 2015)

Markbrla said:


> On several occasions I have received a ping when I was 5 miles away and others drivers were 1 to 2 miles away; but, as the bird flies I was closest. Maybe Uber is creating imaginary highways for me.


"Closest guy Gps" is "as the crow flies", nothing to do with roads or routes to get to a pax.


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