# Avoiding surge, boost?!



## TedInTampa (Apr 5, 2017)

I think I want to avoid surge/boost. Here is why:

Every time, it is a big event letting out, and pedestrians and cars are flooding the streets. Last night, I was dropping someone off within sight of the arena as a concert was letting out. Cones prevented me from making a normally legal turn, and a cop yelled at me to come from my left. After 10 minutes of traffic, I was back. I took them less than a mile, and the 1.3 boost was $0.96. Got another pickup at 1.6 surge (higher than the boost in the same area.) 15 minutes moving 2 blocks, and my pax got in 4 blocks away from the pick up location, so we could get out.

If I was in a different, steady area, I could have had 1-3 more trips.

Traffic sucks, and the cops made it worse.


----------



## aflexdriver (Jul 15, 2016)

Surge isn't worth it depending on the traffic. That's why I gave up on the evening rush hour.


----------



## pegasimotors (Apr 13, 2017)

Since we basically get paid per mile, I always set the destination filter to a popular area at least 10 miles out during surge. It's hit or miss though.


----------



## JimKE (Oct 28, 2016)

TedInTampa said:


> I think I want to avoid surge/boost. Here is why:
> 
> Every time, it is a big event letting out, and pedestrians and cars are flooding the streets. Last night, I was dropping someone off within sight of the arena as a concert was letting out. Cones prevented me from making a normally legal turn, and a cop yelled at me to come from my left. After 10 minutes of traffic, I was back. I took them less than a mile, and the 1.3 boost was $0.96. Got another pickup at 1.6 surge (higher than the boost in the same area.) 15 minutes moving 2 blocks, and my pax got in 4 blocks away from the pick up location, so we could get out.
> 
> ...


It depends on the event. Here in Miami, we have surge/boost/guarantees that are good...and some that are awful. There is also a big difference between an event with a start/end time (concert, game, etc) vs. a big festival which goes on all day and night.

In general, I prefer boost because it covers ALL rides in an area and the areas are usually large enough that I can avoid traffic jams. Also, boosts tend to be for longer periods, so you can go to an area and have good likelihood of multiple rides at the boost rates. And if the surge is higher for a particular ride, you get the surge.


----------



## TedInTampa (Apr 5, 2017)

Our past few boosts have been within 2 blocks of a stadium, for 30 minutes or an hour...at the expected let out time. Friday I caught near city wide surges, which are nice. If surge is huge, drivers find themselves already in it, and don't flock to it.

As for destination filters, I have found I sometimes get to go 1.5 miles the wrong way for pickup, then 1.9 the right way... less than half a mile closer...so, a popular destination miles out, you may still find someone going 1/3 of the way there.


----------



## ExtraMoneyUber (Oct 25, 2017)

I've decided if there is traffic, it isn't worth it to me. I'd rather drive in the middle of the night with no surge, assuming pickups are consistent. If we're stuck in traffic, the pax are unhappy, I'm unhappy, and there's no money.


----------



## aflexdriver (Jul 15, 2016)

ExtraMoneyUber said:


> I've decided if there is traffic, it isn't worth it to me. I'd rather drive in the middle of the night with no surge, assuming pickups are consistent. If we're stuck in traffic, the pax are unhappy, I'm unhappy, and there's no money.


Indeed. PM rush hour isn't worth it bc of the traffic.


----------

