# Does the ping always go to the closest driver?



## JMBF831 (Aug 13, 2015)

There is a busy one way street that drivers scout out and from time to time somebody will be behind me and they will get the ping before me. But that makes sense because it depends on where the passenger dropped the pin. Even though the passenger was physically standing closer to me he might have dropped the pin closer to the car behind me so I understand that they would get the ping over me.

However...

Tonight some likely new driver parked directly behind me and he got a ping before me but we weren't on that busy one way street we were kind of in the middle of no where so the person clearly dropped the pin closer to me but the driver behind me got the ping. How do we explain this?


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## UberBone (Aug 31, 2015)

The algorithm isn't perfect. I had a pax sitting in my backseat one time trying to ping me and it went to a driver 5 minutes away. She cancelled immediately and pinged again. Got me on the second try.


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## DocT (Jul 16, 2015)

OR, that driver behind you went offline to make you think they got a ping, and drove away to piss you off.


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## Dontmakemepullauonyou (Oct 13, 2015)

JMBF831 said:


> There is a busy one way street that drivers scout out and from time to time somebody will be behind me and they will get the ping before me. But that makes sense because it depends on where the passenger dropped the pin. Even though the passenger was physically standing closer to me he might have dropped the pin closer to the car behind me so I understand that they would get the ping over me.
> 
> However...
> 
> Tonight some likely new driver parked directly behind me and he got a ping before me but we weren't on that busy one way street we were kind of in the middle of no where so the person clearly dropped the pin closer to me but the driver behind me got the ping. How do we explain this?


No.

Ubers algorithm matches up drivers based on several factors. Location is one but is easily trumped by driver/rider rating, rider destination and if uber(ubers computer bot) determines your account needs the large fare to keep going that night if your earnings are off your hourly average and it depends on if the drivers near them decided to skip the ping and it gave it to you even tho you were not the closest driver.

I've had pings come through literally 15min away, after checking, I saw at least 15-20 drivers between me and the pick up. It was a 45min trip so I figured uber computer algorithm liked my 100% acceptance rate and whatever their internal numbers say, maybe they keep track of a drivers ratings for long trips like 30min plus, like drivers with 5-stars on most of their long trips will get more long trips.


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## nickd8775 (Jul 12, 2015)

Closer drivers may not have accepted the trip, so it goes to you. Plus some cars may be fake


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## nooneyouknowof (Sep 28, 2015)

Dontmakemepullauonyou said:


> No.
> 
> Ubers algorithm matches up drivers based on several factors. Location is one but is easily trumped by driver/rider rating, rider destination and if uber(ubers computer bot) determines your account needs the large fare to keep going that night if your earnings are off your hourly average and it depends on if the drivers near them decided to skip the ping and it gave it to you even tho you were not the closest driver.
> 
> I've had pings come through literally 15min away, after checking, I saw at least 15-20 drivers between me and the pick up. It was a 45min trip so I figured uber computer algorithm liked my 100% acceptance rate and whatever their internal numbers say, maybe they keep track of a drivers ratings for long trips like 30min plus, like drivers with 5-stars on most of their long trips will get more long trips.


I have a feeling you're at least partially correct. Many times I'll be dead with Uber, then ping, ping, ping. My acceptance rate is over 98%. I think they give pings to people who actually work hard and accept rides.


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## JMBF831 (Aug 13, 2015)

nooneyouknowof said:


> I have a feeling you're at least partially correct. Many times I'll be dead with Uber, then ping, ping, ping. My acceptance rate is over 98%. I think they give pings to people who actually work hard and accept rides.


I can get behind that idea, but my acceptance rate is always around 90-95% and my star rating is 4.88 so I'm obviously a highly rated driver. Almost always in the "top drivers" summaries they send us.

It must be some other factor, perhaps the algorithm was off, because as others have said I have seen pings go to me (15 min out) when other drivers appeared closer. Not exactly sure what the deal is. Oh well.


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## JMBF831 (Aug 13, 2015)

UberBone said:


> The algorithm isn't perfect. I had a pax sitting in my backseat one time trying to ping me and it went to a driver 5 minutes away. She cancelled immediately and pinged again. Got me on the second try.


I've had that happen, too. But the pax dropped the pin somewhere else instead of where we actually were (shocking, as they all do this lol). She of course cancelled and pinged me.


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## Dontmakemepullauonyou (Oct 13, 2015)

JMBF831 said:


> I can get behind that idea, but my acceptance rate is always around 90-95% and my star rating is 4.88 so I'm obviously a highly rated driver. Almost always in the "top drivers" summaries they send us.
> 
> It must be some other factor, perhaps the algorithm was off, because as others have said I have seen pings go to me (15 min out) when other drivers appeared closer. Not exactly sure what the deal is. Oh well.


It could be a lot of things. The pax could've complained about an earlier uber ride and then uber system makes sure they get a high rated driver for their next ride. So they don't get 2 bad ones in a row and say **** uber.

Riders when they rate 1-star, 2-star, and 3-star have a window open up for comments/complaints about that trip. Uber CSR are usually quick to reply and figure out what the problem was and if it was a deactivate driver type of problem.


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## Dontmakemepullauonyou (Oct 13, 2015)

UberBone said:


> The algorithm isn't perfect. I had a pax sitting in my backseat one time trying to ping me and it went to a driver 5 minutes away. She cancelled immediately and pinged again. Got me on the second try.


But see the uber system sees everything. The reason that ping didn't get you is because the system saw you just finished the trip and it already might have knew and reserved a trip for you without a ping yet. It could be a trip that someone just cancelled on.

I know some people have said new uber app will let you accept your next ping before you finished dropping off 1st pax. But I've had it happen to me a lot when I just drop off pax and as soon as I slide finish their review, I get the next ping instantly like it almost was already just waiting there in a queue for me.

The uber algorithm is complex but it's not perfect, nothing in this would is perfect.


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## PhoenicianBlind (Aug 31, 2015)

Dontmakemepullauonyou said:


> The uber algorithm is complex but it's not perfect, nothing in this would is perfect.


Except for Sophia Vergaras breasts.


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## Horsebm (Jul 21, 2015)

UberBone said:


> The algorithm isn't perfect. I had a pax sitting in my backseat one time trying to ping me and it went to a driver 5 minutes away. She cancelled immediately and pinged again. Got me on the second try.


 That same scenario has happen to me as well.


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## JMBF831 (Aug 13, 2015)

Horsebm said:


> That same scenario has happen to me as well.


So have I, but that was because the pax didn't drop the pin exactly where we were located at, but 5 minutes up the road lol


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