# Who Thinks The Surge is Half B.S.?



## GR34 (Dec 13, 2015)

Hi all,

New driver here. Been at it for a little under a week. One thing that has annoyed me is the lower level surges. I almost never chase surges, unless it's like in the 4 or 5 range. Then I might be willing to make a run for it.

However, I have been right next to an area that began to surge (we're talking 1.5, so not a huge one) and never gotten a fair from the surge. I drove to the center of the area and waited briefly. I didn't get a fair, so I spent several minutes circling within the boundaries, and never got a fair before the surge ended.

This seems ridiculous to me. An area surging should mean there is more demand than there are available drivers. I don't think you should be able to spend any significant amount of time (as in a few minutes) in an area that is surging and not receive a fare. I should mention that this area could be driven from one side to the other within ten minutes. Not a large area.

Isn't Uber just hurting all of us, including themselves if they are inticing us to go to an area that we don't get a fare from? This has happened to me on many occasions in areas with lower level surges. I get that it's not a HUGE demand, but it should still mean that there are more riders than drivers. I think if you get to an area like that and don't get a request in the first couple minutes, then it shouldn't be surging in the first place, because the needs of all the riders have obviously been met.

I'm sure being new, I am still naive about certain things, but does this happen to you guys? Anyone feel the same? Curious to hear your thoughts.


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## afrojoe824 (Oct 21, 2015)

Never chase surge man. Surge is there to mean one thing - flock all the sheep to one area. And sometimes when you're in a surge area and you don't get a request, it's because the riders figured out to just wait out the surge before requesting a ride. Only time surge will actually go through is if a rider needs to be somewhere at a certain time or a business man/woman's company will reimburse the fare.


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## Skinny1 (Sep 24, 2015)

I luckily had a 3.5 X XL surge yesterday. I was just about to switch and run X thinking BS..and it happened.
Luck really.. But yeah don't chase it....happens to best of us though as I still will shut down drive a few blocks to surge.


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## ATL2SD (Aug 16, 2015)

Meh, I consistently get surge fares @ bar close, special concerts/events & holidays. Not every time but Id say 80-90%% of the time. You need to know where the demand is coming from within the surge area. There's simply too many driver's out here to just mosey on into a surge area & expect a big payday. That surge is often coming from a concentrated area within the red shaded area on the map. You need to be within a few blocks or less to guarantee you pick up that surge fare. Now this isn't the case all the time, as I've notice certain areas here in San Diego really do have an equal demand within the surge zone, but more times than not, it's a concentrated demand. Learn when/where your city consistently surges. Get in that area before it surges & find exactly where the riders are coming from & you'll greatly increase your chance's for a surge fare.

In hindsight you can throw all this out the window. The new Uber app shows more like the Lyft heat map. It's shows you exactly where the demand is anyway, just as I described. No more giant surge zones, you'll see demand down to a few blocks. Now every driver will know exactly where to drive for surge fares. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Lmao. Smh.


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## rocksteady (Mar 19, 2015)

It's a carrot on a stick. Assume it's never going to work out for you and when it does, it's a pleasant surprise.


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## FrankMartin (Nov 27, 2015)

Of the few times I happened to be in a surge zone when it was happening - I got pings from outside the surge. What's up with that!? To keep a high acceptance rate you can accept then cancel and hope for a surge ping but I echo your amazement - where all de surge pings if its surging!?


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## ATX 22 (Jun 17, 2015)

Only half BS?


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## ATL2SD (Aug 16, 2015)

Ask glados, he'll be happy to answer your question.


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## FlDriver (Oct 16, 2015)

A surge is not a guarantee that you will get a ping.


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## GR34 (Dec 13, 2015)

ATX 22 said:


> Only half BS?


Lol


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## [email protected] (Dec 4, 2015)

/Full Bullshit!


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## Jufkii (Sep 17, 2015)

Surge?.What's a Surge?I've done close to 200 rides now and have gotten a whopping grand total of 1 surge rides. 
Still getting $1.35 base for now but otherwise my area stinks for making any kind of decent money.


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## duke (Dec 12, 2015)

The only time I have done a surge fare is because I happened to be in the surge area. That's the only way I think it works really


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## 58756 (May 30, 2016)

duke said:


> The only time I have done a surge fare is because I happened to be in the surge area. That's the only way I think it works really


True, driving towards the surge isn't efficient and the surge will keep receding away from you to the red hot center it came from. I also just let nonsurge pings go thru as I don't want to drive for rates that cabbies and limos laugh out hard at. Geez no wonder why the cabbies an limos don't fight with is, its cuz they know Uber and lyfy has high turnover rate.


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## Fishchris (Aug 31, 2016)

Half BS ??? How about (for all intents and purposes) non-existent !

I've made two recent posts about the surge pay now meaning absolutely nothing in the San Francisco Bay Area....
This seems absolutely huge to me, yet I am getting no replies, either to completely agree with me or completely bash me for being wrong ?

I see so much shit talking on this forum, yet I mention how surge pay has basically been done away with and nobody has any further shit to talk ??? I don't get it....

Plz, tell me I'm wrong and that there is actually still a way to get paid surge pay....


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