# Partners Shadowing other Partners :(



## Black_Koga (Jul 1, 2015)

While Driving last night I noticed a vehicle following me.  At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but while parked on the street the same car pulled up in front of me in a no parking zone. What was weird was the person kept looking in their rear view mirror and then looking at the phone. So I exited my vehicle to see what was going on and I noticed this person had the passenger app and the driver app up at the same time. Do Uber partners do this so can they steal potential fares?


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

Black_Koga said:


> I noticed this person had the passenger app and the driver app up at the same time. Do Uber partners do this so can they steal potential fares?


I'm sure it's possible; however, for that person to get the fare before you ... they'd have to have a higher rating than you. I'd address this issue with your local Uber staff. *alternatively, if you feel that it might be a safety issue ... you can just call the cops and tell them some strange car is following you ... stalking you ... and you don't feel safe  ... I'm sure that a visit from the boys in blue will get that person to stop following you


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Some drivers will position themselves in a more likely place to gain fares than other drivers. No reason to be right on top of or following you though, unless it's some new driver trying to learn the hot spots or something.


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## Tim In Cleveland (Jul 28, 2014)

Ziggy said:


> I'm sure it's possible; however, for that person to get the fare before you ... they'd have to have a higher rating than you. I'd address this issue with your local Uber staff. *alternatively, if you feel that it might be a safety issue ... you can just call the cops and tell them some strange car is following you ... stalking you ... and you don't feel safe  ... I'm sure that a visit from the boys in blue will get that person to stop following you


When did ratings become a factor in getting pings? It's proximity only. The other driver is following a tactic to increase his proximity to potential customers. By getting close to you, he gets all the pings on his side of you. I've watched drivers pull this rude crap on me even to the point of two drivers being on both sides of me so that I don't have ANY territory and they are parked in low demand areas so they aren't "just happening to position in a busy area". It's nasty tactic b.s.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Tim In Cleveland said:


> When did ratings become a factor in getting pings?


It's one of those Urban myths that some drivers believe.



> It's proximity only. The other driver is following a tactic to increase his proximity to potential customers. By getting close to you, he gets all the pings on his side of you. I've watched drivers pull this rude crap on me even to the point of two drivers being on both sides of me so that I don't have ANY territory and they are parked in low demand areas so they aren't "just happening to position in a busy area". It's nasty tactic b.s.


If it's busy you might still get a ping shortly, but they do this on a slow day and I just move away from the pack.


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

Tim In Cleveland said:


> When did ratings become a factor in getting pings? It's proximity only


I doubt that it's proximity only ... we've seen multiple instances* where drivers with new profiles (hence 5*) will get a ping to pickup pax before we do even though we are closer and had been in the area longer. Additionally, when standing next to a friend with 4.81; he got pinged before me with 4.8. Maybe it's just a SXSW anomaly; but driver rating did factor in to the trip distribution.

*several times ... multiple locations ... same results


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Tim In Cleveland said:


> When did ratings become a factor in getting pings? It's proximity only. The other driver is following a tactic to increase his proximity to potential customers. By getting close to you, he gets all the pings on his side of you. I've watched drivers pull this rude crap on me even to the point of two drivers being on both sides of me so that I don't have ANY territory and they are parked in low demand areas so they aren't "just happening to position in a busy area". It's nasty tactic b.s.


This guy is in a town where nobody is more than three minutes from anywhere: within the downtown.


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## limepro (Mar 7, 2015)

Some days a friend and I will stand next to each other to BS while waiting for a ride and he would always get the first ping as he was new and had a higher rating. No clue if rating had anything to do with it but it did happen that way.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

limepro said:


> Some days a friend and I will stand next to each other to BS while waiting for a ride and he would always get the first ping as he was new and had a higher rating. No clue if rating had anything to do with it but it did happen that way.


Could they have physically dropped before you? Is it possible that they dropped around the corner, out of sight, before you, driven and parked next to you? You follow? Just a thought. If that were taxi protocol, If I had been sitting in a lot and a car pulled up behind me to bs. I am up first in that lot, because I was there. If that guy behind me dropped ahead of me elsewhere in town, well, it's a small town, he would be first up if the call was around the corner and out of sight.

That kind of thing possible?


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

Black_Koga said:


> While Driving last night I noticed a vehicle following me.  At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but while parked on the street the same car pulled up in front of me in a no parking zone. What was weird was the person kept looking in their rear view mirror and then looking at the phone. So I exited my vehicle to see what was going on and I noticed this person had the passenger app and the driver app up at the same time. Do Uber partners do this so can they steal potential fares?


Maybe s/he just wanted to say hello.


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

Ziggy said:


> I doubt that it's proximity only ... we've seen multiple instances* where drivers with new profiles (hence 5*) will get a ping to pickup pax before we do even though we are closer and had been in the area longer. Additionally, when standing next to a friend with 4.81; he got pinged before me with 4.8. Maybe it's just a SXSW anomaly; but driver rating did factor in to the trip distribution.
> 
> *several times ... multiple locations ... same results


Some swear elevation has something to do with it. That is, if you're holding the phone higher, you get a stronger signal.


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## LA#1x3 (Jul 9, 2015)

The closer u r to the rider u will get the call first ur rating or anything elese dos not matter


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Martin818 said:


> The closer u r to the rider u will get the call first ur rating or anything elese dos not matter


What is the resolution of that estimate? Do they give 30 second time estimates versus minute estimates? If a call is close enough, to two cars, the time estimate should be almost the same. I doubt they are looking at one car being thirty feet east of the other and therefore closer to the call. Maybe they are? Shitty protocol.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Huberis said:


> What is the resolution of that estimate? Do they give 30 second time estimates versus minute estimates? If a call is close enough, to two cars, the time estimate should be almost the same. I doubt they are looking at one car being thirty feet east of the other and therefore closer to the call. Maybe they are? Shitty protocol.


It's not based on actual pick up times at all but straight distance between two GPS coordinates. So yes, a driver a couple feet closer will get the call, happens all the time at our airport here.

Note that Uber's estimated pick up times have traditionally been based on the exact same thing, no account for traffic, lack of bridges, or anything of the like.


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## limepro (Mar 7, 2015)

Huberis said:


> Could they have physically dropped before you? Is it possible that they dropped around the corner, out of sight, before you, driven and parked next to you? You follow? Just a thought. If that were taxi protocol, If I had been sitting in a lot and a car pulled up behind me to bs. I am up first in that lot, because I was there. If that guy behind me dropped ahead of me elsewhere in town, well, it's a small town, he would be first up if the call was around the corner and out of sight.
> 
> That kind of thing possible?


We will be sitting in the same car talking and he will get the ping first.


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

Huberis said:


> What is the resolution of that estimate? Do they give 30 second time estimates versus minute estimates? If a call is close enough, to two cars, the time estimate should be almost the same. I doubt they are looking at one car being thirty feet east of the other and therefore closer to the call. Maybe they are? Shitty protocol.


Well ... something wasn't right with Uber ping process ... me (A = 4.8*); my friend (B = 4.81*) ... C-E (5* new profile drivers during SXSW). On several occasions we saw cars C-E get pinged before A & B ... all going to pickup pax at same location (see below) ... and even though I was a few inches closer to pax (B) went before (A). But most definitely the farther cars (C,D,E) were called up before A or B ... go figure


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Fauxknight said:


> It's not based on actual pick up times at all but straight distance between two GPS coordinates. So yes, a driver a couple feet closer will get the call, happens all the time at our airport here.
> 
> Note that Uber's estimated pick up times have traditionally been based on the exact same thing, no account for traffic, lack of bridges, or anything of the like.


What a shit show. Probably an example of why Uber would prefer drivers remain strangers. If this kind of protocol rules the day - this should be as big an issue or bigger as being run ten minutes to pick up pax.

That is beyond stupid. In the taxi, hell even the taxi company in town which use an app now: They can switch between proximity or time since last drop depending on how busy things are and how the calls are coming in.

Uber could easily make at least an adjustment based on call volume to drivers on line. I know the taxi company using their app also allows for the dispatcher to manually override the apps assignments.

Pretty damn simple.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Ziggy said:


> Well ... something wasn't right with Uber ping process ... me (A = 4.8*); my friend (B = 4.81*) ... C-E (5* new profile drivers during SXSW). On several occasions we saw cars C-E get pinged before A & B ... all going to pickup pax at same location (see below) ... and even though I was a few inches closer to pax (B) went before (A). But most definitely the farther cars (C,D,E) were called up before A or B ... go figure


It was your comments which led me to assume there was consideration to time of drop.

"Something wasn't right" - Every Uber driver.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Some airports use FIFO (first in first out).

Some passengers ping from the Tarmac instead of the terminal, and get the closest driver to the ping instead of the terminal 

Some drivers are impatient and decide to circle through the terminal to increase their odds of getting a request...which actually works here, except that you burn gas/mileage every pass.


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## KevRyde (Jan 27, 2015)

Fauxknight said:


> It's one of those Urban myths that some drivers believe.


Agreed.


Fauxknight said:


> It's not based on actual pick up times at all but straight distance between two GPS coordinates.


Agreed.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Fauxknight said:


> Some airports use FIFO (first in first out).
> 
> Some passengers ping from the Tarmac instead of the terminal, and get the closest driver to the ping instead of the terminal
> 
> Some drivers are impatient and decide to circle through the terminal to increase their odds of getting a request...which actually works here, except that you burn gas/mileage every pass.


I have seen a guy circling town repeatedly. I assumed is was partly out of boredom and partly an attempt to be everywhere at once and thus closest to the next ping. It may work for him to some degree, he seems to move more than other drivers..... Maybe.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Huberis said:


> I have seen a guy circling town repeatedly. I assumed is was partly out of boredom and partly an attempt to be everywhere at once and thus closest to the next ping. It may work for him to some degree, he seems to move more than other drivers..... Maybe.


Also another option Uber has is to show cars that are parked in lots to be randomly wandering up and down the road. So not all cars showing moving around are actually doing so, on top of the fact that some might be ghost cars. Makes it hell at the airport to figure out where other drivers are parked, unless you can physically eyeball them.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Fauxknight said:


> Also another option Uber has is to show cars that are parked in lots to be randomly wandering up and down the road. So not all cars showing moving around are actually doing so, on top of the fact that some might be ghost cars. Makes it hell at the airport to figure out where other drivers are parked, unless you can physically eyeball them.


I know people who have witnessed the wandering car, ghost car syndrome. Sometimes they report seeing cars on pax app driving against raffic on a one way street for example.

When I talk about a driver cruising town, I am referring to a car I see routinely with my one eye. He is in an easy to spot car. He is on the forum, though seldom. I asked him on here as to why he bothers and didn't get a response which seemed understandable given I drive taxi.


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## Lando74 (Nov 23, 2014)

Ziggy said:


> Well ... something wasn't right with Uber ping process ... me (A = 4.8*); my friend (B = 4.81*) ... C-E (5* new profile drivers during SXSW). On several occasions we saw cars C-E get pinged before A & B ... all going to pickup pax at same location (see below) ... and even though I was a few inches closer to pax (B) went before (A). But most definitely the farther cars (C,D,E) were called up before A or B ... go figure


Where the pin drops and where the pickup occurs is not always the same thing. Hence the pax could've dropped their pin closer to car C but car C picked them up at their actual location, leading you to believe you got skipped.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Lando74 said:


> Where the pin drops and where the pickup occurs is not always the same thing. Hence the pax could've dropped their pin closer to car C but car C picked them up at their actual location, leading you to believe you got skipped.


Can one driver tell by way of the driver app where another driver is being sent? I would assume that isn't the case. It would have to be a pickup spot within the line of sight, or they follow the driver.


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## Lando74 (Nov 23, 2014)

Huberis said:


> Can one driver tell by way of the driver app where another driver is being sent? I would assume that isn't the case. It would have to be a pickup spot within the line of sight, or they follow the driver.


No way to tell on the rider app, you have to watch them drive to the pickup spot. This stuff happens all the time at a bar district here. I can be sitting in front of the door at the biggest bar and watch other cars come to pick up pax. Then I'll get a ping from the middle of a field a block away, but it's actually for the bar I'm at. So really sometimes it's just a crapshoot. It's not about being closest to the pax, it's about being closest to wherever they decide to drop their pin.

I've long since learned to always sit just outside of an Uber pack. Not only do you get the mis-placed pins but also any other random pings from a greater radius.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Lando74 said:


> No way to tell on the rider app, you have to watch them drive to the pickup spot. This stuff happens all the time at a bar district here. I can be sitting in front of the door at the biggest bar and watch other cars come to pick up pax. Then I'll get a ping from the middle of a field a block away, but it's actually for the bar I'm at. So really sometimes it's just a crapshoot. It's not about being closest to the pax, it's about being closest to wherever they decide to drop their pin.
> 
> I've long since learned to always sit just outside of an Uber pack. Not only do you get the mis-placed pins but also any other random pings from a greater radius.


I would question the resolution they have with respect to where you actually are. I worked for a surveyor years ago briefly. GPS has come a long way since then. We had to beable to resolve a straight line over x number of miles to a particular measure of accuracy.

If the weather was poor, there was tree cover, our accuracy would go down. I find it hard to believe that if Uber has two cars parked with in 15 feet of one another they could resolve that difference. Maybe- but they could never be sure. That is my assumption.

I could be wrong...... How close is the visual representation on the driver app to where you actually are?


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## Lando74 (Nov 23, 2014)

It's fine on the app, but sometimes people ever so slightly touch the screen and move the pin without realizing it. Or sometimes they put in a new address that's not on the map so the app tries to guess where it is. Or they put in a business name and the pin isn't exactly where they would get picked up. And sometimes the app defaults to the previous pickup location. There's a number of reasons for inaccuracy.


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## LA#1x3 (Jul 9, 2015)

If 2 or 3 cars are parked next to eatchother most likely if u get a call it's just pure luck in my opinion it's not gona sit there and estimate the inch difference it just gona randomly choose a driver closest


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## Adbam (Jun 25, 2015)

I've had a pax in the car after his buddy got out and we tried to start a new trip and it went to a driver 5 min away 2 times before I got the trip. It was a busy night though. I'm leaning more towards the new driver theory because I'm a 4.91 and not even new drivers can beat that rating for long. 

I'm an avid pax app watcher and most of the time it's position. That's why I hate it when other Uber ******s box me out. Especially on slow nights. I try to respect other drivers space. When I go to a spot away from downtown and see a driver there I will go somewhere else. I'm to nice I know.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Adbam said:


> I've had a pax in the car after his buddy got out and we tried to start a new trip and it went to a driver 5 min away 2 times before I got the trip. It was a busy night though. I'm leaning more towards the new driver theory because I'm a 4.91 and not even new drivers can beat that rating for long.
> 
> I'm an avid pax app watcher and most of the time it's position. That's why I hate it when other Uber ******s box me out. Especially on slow nights. I try to respect other drivers space. When I go to a spot away from downtown and see a driver there I will go somewhere else. I'm to nice I know.


I never put much thought into the way Uber dishes out calls under close quarters. Just one more needles and perfectly avoidable issue.

Unreal. This should not be a concern given how easy it should be to avoid. I see Uber drivers dropping on calls at the airport (6.5 miles away) leaving the port only to then watch an different Uber pull in two minutes later to pick up a pax. If that happen in taxi land - heads would roll. That kind of shit and what you describe is that kind of shit must happen more than I guessed.

Not cool. Worse than pax canceling on you en route in my opinion because it is obvious.


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

Fauxknight said:


> Some airports use FIFO (first in first out).


Yep .. I know that some airports use FIFO ... I wish we had FIFO in Austin; but we don't. Frankly, FIFO is one of the fairest methodologies for distributing trips to us app drivers .. I wish they'd make all airport FIFO


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

Lando74 said:


> Where the pin drops and where the pickup occurs is not always the same thing. Hence the pax could've dropped their pin closer to car C but car C picked them up at their actual location, leading you to believe you got skipped.


actually in this case ... all the p/u are at a fixed spot ... and if you saw my map ... there's no way that cars C,D,E could be closer to the pax than cars A & B


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

Martin818 said:


> If 2 or 3 cars are parked next to eatchother most likely if u get a call it's just pure luck in my opinion it's not gona sit there and estimate the inch difference it just gona randomly choose a driver closest


But my map showed 3 cars (C,D,E) that were at least 300 yds further away from pax than cars (A&B) ... cars (C,D,E = 5* rating) ... cars (A,B = 4.8*)


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## uberdriver (Aug 4, 2014)

LAndreas said:


> With the exception of satellite phones, gps in mobile handsets is still based on cell towers and the local network.


You must live in a time capsule. And that capsule must currently be stuck around the beginning of the millenium, like circa 2002.

In 2015, most, if not almost all, smart phones have a GPS receiver. And the Uber driver app will not let you log on if you don't have the GPS connection active. The Uber rider app on the other side, will let you make a request without having a GPS connection. And since that rider request will be based on cell tower triangulation and/or Wi-Fi networks location, you bet that in most cases the pin will be dropped at the wrong place.


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## UberXTampa (Nov 20, 2014)

There are at least 3 algorithms:
1. New driver gets a lot of rides so he is happy and feels he is smarter than the other veteran idiots observing his success... He concludes he is doing everything right and hence he gets best trips.

2. Guaranteed minimum earnings algorithm. In this situation, uber fills up drivers in a zone based on how much they might end up paying them if they didn't fill them up. This can also be called throttling. Essentially uber treats you as a $10 or $15 an hour contractor and if you have averaged more due to a few good runs, you are now bypassed until others make more money so uber doesn't end up paying them.

3. Uber VIP: some matchmaking of best long term riders with better/newer cars with higher rated drivers. 

We are all THE experiment. At different times we have been in at least 3 of the possible experiments I have observed. There might not be any favoritism but I doubt that. If uber could, it would favor some of us over others. And we know uber can do it. It is not too difficult to alternate between different modes of operational modes to maximize uber's earnings.

By the way, I almost forgot... The new tiered rates introduced in certain markets that exempt senior drivers but require new ones to complete certain number of trips to become eligible for lower commission rates... What does that setup look like? Isn't it another way of divide and conquer to make sure uber makes even more profits... This clearly is not fair to anyone. New drivers might be getting a lot of trips so they don't complain why paying these high commissions. Senior drivers might be getting the scraps.


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## uberdriver (Aug 4, 2014)

UberXTampa said:


> What does that setup look like? Isn't it another way of divide and conquer to make sure uber makes even more profits... This clearly is not fair to anyone.


Agree. But since when was Uber trying to be fair to drivers ? Always the opposite, the more that drivers can be screwed, the merrier.


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## Hazeces (Jun 30, 2015)

Black_Koga said:


> While Driving last night I noticed a vehicle following me.  At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but while parked on the street the same car pulled up in front of me in a no parking zone. What was weird was the person kept looking in their rear view mirror and then looking at the phone. So I exited my vehicle to see what was going on and I noticed this person had the passenger app and the driver app up at the same time. Do Uber partners do this so can they steal potential fares?


Haha, I wrote about this as well. Yes, a lot of drivers shadow other drivers. I usually move. Sometimes I catch them and stare right at them. While I'm driving away. Lol


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## Realityshark (Sep 22, 2014)

I like to follow and park near taxis. It really pisses them off. Sometimes I park in a taxi line on the side of hotels....that really gets them steamed. I always get a ping and pull off as they sit there looking angry.


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

Realityshark said:


> I like to follow and park near taxis. It really pisses them off. Sometimes I park in a taxi line on the side of hotels....that really gets them steamed. I always get a ping and pull off as they sit there looking angry.


#sharkweek


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## uberdriver (Aug 4, 2014)

Ok, let's stick to facts and not to baseless name calling.


LAndreas said:


> With the exception of satellite phones, gps in mobile handsets is still based on cell towers and the local network.


 True/False ? False, see next fact.


uberdriver said:


> In 2015, most, if not almost all, smart phones have a GPS receiver.


 True/False? True


uberdriver said:


> And the Uber driver app will not let you log on if you don't have the GPS connection active.


 True/False ? True


uberdriver said:


> The Uber rider app on the other side, will let you make a request without having a GPS connection.


 True/False ? True

And since your previous reply shows that you can't properly read before spitting uncalled for epithets, don't bother answering.


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## uberdriver (Aug 4, 2014)

LAndreas said:


> Only when you are truly outside of cell phone range does the gps chip power up to make a true gps fix on its own, which can also be quite time consuming depending on your position and proximity to obstacles, so it'd be impractical in daily urban operational phone mode.
> 
> And if this weren't so, your cell phone battery would be dead within 10 min every time you turn it on.


That is funny. I always keep my cell phone in "GPS only mode" (having turned off "Use Wi-Fi and mobile networks to estimate location"). I must have a super duper very unique special battery, because it lasts for hours in that mode.

You mention satellite phones. Those do use a lot of power. Because those not only receive a signal FROM satellites, they also beam up a signal TO them. Smartphones only receive. The energy needed to transmit is orders of magnitude higher than to receive.....


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## Verminator (Sep 12, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> Some swear elevation has something to do with it. That is, if you're holding the phone higher, you get a stronger signal.


I modified one of those headband-mounted flashlights, and wear the Uber phone on my forehead.

This raises the unit in elevation about a foot from its previous location on the dashboard. As a result, my pings have increased around 30%.

It is a bit tricky to operate, as it requires viewing in the rear view mirror, rendering all the text and the map backwards. But it's well worth the tradeoff for the extra pings it generates.

I'm currently working on an exterior mount, kind of like the Google Maps vehicle, with the phone to be mounted on a two foot mast above the roof. Haven't worked out how I'll operate it yet.

This is all true.


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## uberdriver (Aug 4, 2014)

Verminator said:


> I modified one of those headband-mounted flashlights, and wear the Uber phone on my forehead.
> 
> This raises the unit in elevation about a foot from its previous location on the dashboard. As a result, my pings have increased around 30%.
> 
> ...


 Please, make multiple mounts and let me be the first in line to buy one of those exterior mounts from you. My guess is that if the headband produces 30% more pings, a mount going up through my sunroof would be at least double that. Whoooaa, 60% more pings !!


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## KevRyde (Jan 27, 2015)

uberdriver said:


> That is funny. I always keep my cell phone in "GPS only mode" (having turned off "Use Wi-Fi and mobile networks to estimate location"). I must have a super duper very unique special battery, because it lasts for hours in that mode.


Me too! This is me sitting inside my apartment holding my Samsung Galaxy S5 about 15 feet from a window. Notice I still get a subsecond *first fix time.*


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## UberXTampa (Nov 20, 2014)

New driving setup with phone higher than rest of the drivers to get you more pings:


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

Fauxknight said:


> It's not based on actual pick up times at all but straight distance between two GPS coordinates. So yes, a driver a couple feet closer will get the call


SORT OF.
You have to remember that consumer GPS is only accurate to within about 30'/10 meters - and in a city with tall buildings interfering with radio and satellite signals, the GPS coordinates are only accurate for 'hand grenades' . Haven't you ever just sat parked, watching your vehicle in the rider app as it seems to move constantly a few feet this way or that or turn around?

If you're parked in a 'hot spot', like outside an area of restaurants, clubs, entertainment places waiting for a ping, get off your butt & out of your car with your phone and mingle with the crowd - you'll be the closest driver from where the pings come from. I couldn't do this all winter because of the cold... but now that the weather is nice, I love it.


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## RockinEZ (Apr 29, 2015)

Ziggy said:


> I doubt that it's proximity only ... we've seen multiple instances* where drivers with new profiles (hence 5*) will get a ping to pickup pax before we do even though we are closer and had been in the area longer. Additionally, when standing next to a friend with 4.81; he got pinged before me with 4.8. Maybe it's just a SXSW anomaly; but driver rating did factor in to the trip distribution.
> 
> *several times ... multiple locations ... same results


And exactly how did you see this? Special Uber SQL decoder glasses?

I think a lot of Uber drivers think too much. 
Bring a book along to keep your mind focused when not driving.


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## RockinEZ (Apr 29, 2015)

In San Diego you can not have the PAX app and the Driver app running at the same time. 
Why would you go off the driver app to watch imaginary shadow or ghost drivers?

Remember the app was made good enough to be sold by Uber Software Engineering to Uber Management. 

That has nothing to do with the app representing reality. 
Only 8 cars are displayed in any area no matter how many cars are in the area. 
You can't use the PAX app to find ghost cars or shadows simply because all cars are not shown on the app. Just 8......
The PAX app sucks as much as the Driver app.


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## RockinEZ (Apr 29, 2015)

LAndreas said:


> Well, ******, if you want to correct someone make sure you have a clue what you are blabbing about or you make yourself out to be a true asshat.
> 
> I'm sorry you are in fact an asshat on this one, because you clearly have no clue how your cell phone works. Only dedicated satellite phones have an always on connection with the satellite. Your standard modern smartphone has a gps receiver that's low powered in its default state and relies on your cell phone service provider's network to feed it data to pinpoint your location. Effectively, the cell providers network map is overlaid with gps coordinates, and your relative position in the network helps determine your gps position. Only when you are truly outside of cell phone range does the gps chip power up to make a true gps fix on its own, which can also be quite time consuming depending on your position and proximity to obstacles, so it'd be impractical in daily urban operational phone mode.
> 
> ...


Yep, he is correct. You phone gets a fix from the towers first.....


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## UberXpert2020 (Jun 12, 2015)

Black_Koga said:


> While Driving last night I noticed a vehicle following me.  At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but while parked on the street the same car pulled up in front of me in a no parking zone. What was weird was the person kept looking in their rear view mirror and then looking at the phone. So I exited my vehicle to see what was going on and I noticed this person had the passenger app and the driver app up at the same time. Do Uber partners do this so can they steal potential fares?


-- That is weird and creepy! I would probably give that person an ear full. WTF?


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## dandy driver (Jan 28, 2015)

Fauxknight said:


> It's one of those Urban myths that some drivers believe.
> Area 54 in the desert is now surging into the twilight zone. No cars showing up in that area right Now!
> 
> If it's busy you might still get a ping shortly, but they do this on a slow day and I just move away from the pack.


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## dandy driver (Jan 28, 2015)

Huberis said:


> What a shit show. Probably an example of why Uber would prefer drivers remain strangers. If this kind of protocol rules the day - this should be as big an issue or bigger as being run ten minutes to pick up pax.
> 
> That is beyond stupid. In the taxi, hell even the taxi company in town which use an app now: They can switch between proximity or time since last drop depending on how busy things are and how the calls are coming in.
> 
> ...


Get with the new Service App 
Called: POOPER
Check it out on UTUBE.
Spread the newsssheeet....


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## Hazeces (Jun 30, 2015)

RockinEZ said:


> In San Diego you can not have the PAX app and the Driver app running at the same time.
> Why would you go off the driver app to watch imaginary shadow or ghost drivers?
> 
> Remember the app was made good enough to be sold by Uber Software Engineering to Uber Management.
> ...


In NY, NJ you can. I always go on it and I see cars next to me. They come and park right next to me. Sometimes I just stare right at them and move away.


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## tbob1 (Mar 9, 2015)

Black_Koga said:


> While Driving last night I noticed a vehicle following me.  At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but while parked on the street the same car pulled up in front of me in a no parking zone. What was weird was the person kept looking in their rear view mirror and then looking at the phone. So I exited my vehicle to see what was going on and I noticed this person had the passenger app and the driver app up at the same time. Do Uber partners do this so can they steal potential fares?


How did he know you were an Uber driver? Was it the fact that you stopped at every intersection to look at the street signs? Did you stop in the middle of the road to play with your Iphone? Or did you pickup/drop off in the middle of the road? All telltale signs that you are an Uber driver. Personally, I will occasionally pull in front of a driver who is parked and fiddling with his phone so I can get the order when the customer cancels because he can't find them. He ain't heavy and he ain't my brother!


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## Cubgeek (Jun 19, 2015)

If a driver is moving down the road, there is always a lag between where he actually is and where the system thinks he is. Its possible this driver was trying to exploit that by following you down the road. Any ping that comes in from behind you will go to him instead.


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## Cubgeek (Jun 19, 2015)

Also, the other night, I was sitting in the parking lot and opened the passenger app to see if anyone else was around. After a minute or two, it showed a car coming down the street in front of me. Funny thing is, there were no cars on that street and hadn't been for at least five minutes.


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## RockinEZ (Apr 29, 2015)

Uber is not above using their passenger app for marketing purposes. 
If there is a car within 10-15 min. the app will show local cars. 
Marketing, yea. Illegal, no. 
Still faster and cheaper than a cab to the PAX.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Black_Koga said:


> While Driving last night I noticed a vehicle following me.  At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but while parked on the street the same car pulled up in front of me in a no parking zone. What was weird was the person kept looking in their rear view mirror and then looking at the phone. So I exited my vehicle to see what was going on and I noticed this person had the passenger app and the driver app up at the same time. Do Uber partners do this so can they steal potential fares?


I was driving down Beaver avenue last night. I had a lost Uber driver in the lane next to me on the phone with pax.

"Im not from here. I don't know where anything is here. I just plug it into my GPS...... We both picked up at the same place, mine was a flag.

I caught up with him back on Beaver. I asked him at a red light, "How do you not know where Taco Bell is?" The dude laughed, "You heard that? I found it!"

The guy was in from Philly trying out the town. Had no clue. From pax I have talked to, this is common here. The town is small. I would expect Uber drivers to be sitting on each other's laps come a month's time.

I can't believe somebody would need to do six hour roundtrip drive, 360 miles+ just to make a buck. As if it isn't enough that Uber can simply keep signing up new drivers, drivers can show up from their own failed market (perhaps not Philly) and further **** up another.


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## PTB (Feb 3, 2015)

Black_Koga said:


> While Driving last night I noticed a vehicle following me.  At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but while parked on the street the same car pulled up in front of me in a no parking zone. What was weird was the person kept looking in their rear view mirror and then looking at the phone. So I exited my vehicle to see what was going on and I noticed this person had the passenger app and the driver app up at the same time. Do Uber partners do this so can they steal potential fares?


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## Fuber in their faces (Feb 19, 2017)

A few things...


LA#1x3 said:


> The closer u r to the rider u will get the call first ur rating or anything elese dos not matter





Fauxknight said:


> It's not based on actual pick up times at all but straight distance between two GPS coordinates. So yes, a driver a couple feet closer will get the call, happens all the time at our airport here.
> 
> Note that Uber's estimated pick up times have traditionally been based on the exact same thing, no account for traffic, lack of bridges, or anything of the like.


This is a lie. Proximity is not even the first factor considered. I am not writing it again but i tried to get a trip with a buddy of mine like 30 different ways. Once we were 15min from any other drivers. Still went to someone new.



Cubgeek said:


> If a driver is moving down the road, there is always a lag between where he actually is and where the system thinks he is. Its possible this driver was trying to exploit that by following you down the road. Any ping that comes in from behind you will go to him instead.


Is he impervious to this lag? Or just stupid? Flawed logic on someone's part


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