# Uber Drivers Take Riders the Long Way—at Uber’s Expense



## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

Longhauling' is among tactics used by ride-hailing drivers to maximize the fare in the battle over pay

When ferrying passengers to and from Phoenix's airport, Uber driver Michelle Blandy had a decision to make: Go the short way or take the longer route.
"If they were from out of town, I would take advantage of it by going the longer route," said Ms. Blandy, who drove for Uber for about two years before moving to Harrisburg, Pa., earlier this year. "It's the only way I could get what I was owed".

In a modern twist on an age-old practice from the yellow cab industry, many drivers like Ms. Blandy are employing a practice known as longhauling-taking an unnecessarily longer route to a destination in order to drive up a fare. But unlike with taxis where passengers "get taken for a ride," it's ride-hailing companies like Uber Technologies Inc. that are responsible for covering the bigger bill.
Longhauling is among the tactics used by some drivers of Uber and Lyft Inc. to maximize their take, reflecting the strained relationship between the contract workers and the companies over pay.

Passengers aren't on the hook for the higher fare because they pay a fixed upfront price based on the app's estimate of the ideal route. And while drivers are encouraged to go the most direct route, they can choose to ignore their digital navigators for a route that tacks on extra miles. The drivers' pay is determined by the actual trip's mileage and time, which can vary based on traffic conditions or diversions.










Uber and Lyft typically take a 25% commission from a fare, and drivers generally take the rest, not including fees and taxes. The companies are grappling with constant driver turnover, and Uber last year unleashed a series of benefits to improve relations, including extra payments for lengthy wait times and in-app tipping.
Those benefits haven't satisfied some drivers, who complain about fare cuts in some cities, and what they say are a glut of drivers on the road, fewer incentive payments to pick up passengers and rising costs to operate their vehicles, such as fuel and insurance.

An Uber spokesman said the company estimates longhauling occurs on less than 1% of trips in the U.S. "This type of behavior-while unacceptable-is exceedingly rare," he said. Uber doesn't disclose how many rides it completed last year in the U.S., but it registered four billion rides globally last year and is doing about 15 million rides per day this year. Lyft, which declined to comment, completed 375 million rides in the U.S. last year.

How much drivers can make an hour is greatly disputed. Some studies put it at below minimum wage in several big U.S. markets, with others above that amount. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology study calculated median pay at $8.55 an hour after expenses, a reassessment after Uber pushed back on its initial finding of $3.37 per hour. The New York City Council last week passed a bill allowing the city to set a minimum hourly wage for drivers, among other measures.

Longhauling emerged after Uber and Lyft began implementing "upfront pricing" in 2016, replacing a system that calculated the fare for both passengers and drivers at the end of a trip, like a traditional yellow taxi meter. Upfront pricing continues to be controversial; thousands of Australian Uber drivers logged off their apps simultaneously earlier this month to protest its introduction there.

With upfront pricing, the companies charge customers' credit cards a fixed price at the start of a trip, based on the software's estimate of time and distance to a destination, as well as other fees and promotions.

"At the end of the ride you can see what the passenger paid and what you're paid," said Ms. Blandy, 47 years old. "So we can see that huge discrepancy; the only way you can beat that is by longhauling."

Ms. Blandy, like other drivers who discussed longhauling, said she rests easy because the companies, not the riders, pay more, and because she chooses routes that add minimal extra time and may even be faster. Many drivers discussed longhauling and other techniques only on background for fear of reprisal from Uber or Lyft.

Uber and Lyft declined to explain how they detect longhauling, beyond customer complaints. The companies can deactivate a driver for violating their service terms by choosing excessively long routes.

Sophisticated routing software in Uber and Lyft apps is meant to direct drivers along the fastest route to a destination. But that can mean fewer miles traveled, prompting drivers to use other apps like Waze that provide multiple route options.
For example, a midday trip from the Gateway Arch in St. Louis to Lambert International Airport using the most direct route would stretch 14 miles and take about 20 minutes, according to Google Maps, for a driver fare of $21.64 using Uber's rate of $1.26 per mile and 20 cents per minute. A longer route of 19 miles adds just five minutes to the trip, but results in a $28.94 fare, not including booking, service and other fees. The longer route would net a driver an extra $5.48, compared with Uber's suggested route.

"It definitely makes a difference. Why should drivers end up with less while doing the hard work?" said Kurt Wagner, 35, who formerly drove for Uber in San Francisco. He said he only took a longer-mileage route when a passenger authorized it.
On web forums, drivers discuss the merits of longhauling, as well as other tricks, with some bragging about particularly profitable fares. Such tricks include inducing a customer to cancel to get a $5 fee in place of a very short trip, or even faking photos of customer damage to their vehicles.
"I've done this haul so much, that it has a nickname..the Z haul," wrote a Los Angeles-area driver, showing a screenshot of a roundabout trip from a Disneyland-area hotel to central Hollywood that approximates the shape of the letter. "My excuse is always construction on the 5," he wrote, referring to Interstate 5, which runs a straight line between the two sites.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/uber-drivers-take-riders-the-long-wayat-ubers-expense-1534152602


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## BurgerTiime (Jun 22, 2015)




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## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

The nerve of those long haul drivers. Long hauling is like putting a band aid on a severed artery.


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

It's unfortunate that even the WSJ doesn't really get it. They say _"Uber and Lyft typically take a 25% commission from a fare, and drivers generally take the rest, not including fees and taxes." _but that's obviously misleading or incorrect depending on how you define things. They mention upfront pricing but don't really explain that drivers are upset because they are charging much higher rates and then keeping it. What do you have to do to get an honest and accurate article written about these companies?


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## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

jocker12 said:


> Longhauling' is among tactics used by ride-hailing drivers to maximize the fare in the battle over pay
> 
> When ferrying passengers to and from Phoenix's airport, Uber driver Michelle Blandy had a decision to make: Go the short way or take the longer route.
> "If they were from out of town, I would take advantage of it by going the longer route," said Ms. Blandy, who drove for Uber for about two years before moving to Harrisburg, Pa., earlier this year. "It's the only way I could get what I was owed".
> ...


This WSJ article is wrong on several points. Uber does not take 25%. Uber fares to pax are not based on mileage. Uber has taken over 70% the f the fare on occasion. Even longhauling pax Uber nets 30% or more. The writer did no research, just took Uber's word for it.


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## Atom guy (Jul 27, 2016)

Rat said:


> This WSJ article is wrong on several points. Uber does not take 25%. Uber fares to pax are not based on mileage. Uber has taken over 70% the f the fare on occasion. Even longhauling pax Uber nets 30% or more. The writer did no research, just took Uber's word for it.


The writer even talked to drivers, yet ended up with a very poor understanding of Upfront Pricing and how it affects drivers.


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## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

Atom guy said:


> The writer even talked to drivers, yet ended up with a very poor understanding of Upfront Pricing and how it affects drivers.


The WSJ has severely declined in quality in the last couple years.


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## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

Yes, all of you are correct, but WSJ sees where their stories are getting linked, blogs or forums, and I hope they’ll see our comments, because if you want to comment on their website, you need to get through a Paywall, which I bypassed and and copy - paste the entire article here.

The more we talk about it, like we talked about tipping, the more chances are the journalists will understand the problem they are incapable to see now.


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## #professoruber (Feb 19, 2018)

Just wait until everyone has the new surge. That is when it will get fun. Rider enters car: how much were you quoted? $30. Cancel the ride and I will do it for $20 off the app. 

That is when Uber and Lyft are going to lose even more money.


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## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

#professoruber said:


> Just wait until everyone has the new surge. That is when it will get fun. Rider enters car: how much were you quoted? $30. Cancel the ride and I will do it for $20 off the app.
> 
> That is when Uber and Lyft are going to lose even more money.


That'll be the choice between cheaper vs. no insurance coverage at all. It's a lose lose situation for what? 10 bucks?


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## jdo1 (Jul 30, 2018)

#professoruber said:


> Just wait until everyone has the new surge. That is when it will get fun. Rider enters car: how much were you quoted? $30. Cancel the ride and I will do it for $20 off the app.
> 
> That is when Uber and Lyft are going to lose even more money.


What you going to do if you do it for cash and they end up throwing up or making a mess? Fraudulently report someone else?


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## #professoruber (Feb 19, 2018)

jdo1 said:


> What you going to do if you do it for cash and they end up throwing up or making a mess? Fraudulently report someone else?


Logically I would have commercial insurance and be covered.


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## nickd8775 (Jul 12, 2015)

Less than 1% go the long way consistently, according to Uber. Somehow I doubt it, but I feel proud to be the 1% that does that. 
My own data shows that Uber has only kept 17% of my fares as the service fee. If I haven't been deactivated by now I should have been


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## Demon (Dec 6, 2014)

#professoruber said:


> Logically I would have commercial insurance and be covered.


I'm no insurance agent, but I'm fairly certain commercial insurance doesn't cover you if someone vomits in your car.


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## heynow321 (Sep 3, 2015)

nickd8775 said:


> Less than 1% go the long way consistently, according to Uber. Somehow I doubt it, but I feel proud to be the 1% that does that.
> My own data shows that Uber has only kept 17% of my fares as the service fee. If I haven't been deactivated by now I should have been


 I get the sense that that is an empty threat from Boober. Often times the "long way "it's just the route that Uber is actually charging the passenger


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## #professoruber (Feb 19, 2018)

Demon said:


> I'm no insurance agent, but I'm fairly certain commercial insurance doesn't cover you if someone vomits in your car.


In the last year I have driven bar close maybe 5 times. I know how to manage my rides and am not desperate to take a ride for some measly surge ride.

3 pukers in 6k rides. The last 4000 have been puke free. I don't allow drunk idiots in my car.


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## New2This (Dec 27, 2015)

I advocate Longhauling heavily on the D.C. Board. I have a system using DF that gets me nice long trips that I can Longhaul the fornicate out of.

The reporter actually contacted me about Longhauling for this story back in May. I sent him an email outlining Longhauling and why we do it.

He could've basically cut and pasted and had a more accurate story written for him.

Here's the email I sent him. Sorry for the length.
__________________________________________________
"Hi Greg,

You can call me 'Troy' AKA New2This on UPNet. I've been Ubering for a little over 2 years. I currently have over 500 trips and a 4.94 rating if that makes a difference. Here's my take on Longhauling.

When I first signed up to drive Uber (Lyft in the last few days updated their TOS, so they do the exact same thing, so when I say Uber I mwean Lyft as well), it was fairly simple. They charged the rider a per mile/per minute rate for a trip, and charged Surge in times of extreme demand. They took a percentage of that trip (20%-25% depending on when you started driving for Uber) and gave the driver the rest. It was pretty straightforward.

Riders got some nasty surprises because when it was surging it wouldn't say "your ride that's normally 12 dollars is going to be $40, it just said "Your ride will be a 3.2X Surge" and it was up to the rider to do the math. This was especially difficult if they'd had a few drinks, not uncommon for late night Uber users.

Uber implemented their Upfront Pricing model, which told the rider "your ride will be $40, click here to accept". It made for better transparency of fares and less nasty "morning after" surprises. If Uber had left it at this, it would've been fine. Passengers would be happy because they'd know what they'd be paying ahead of time.

Uber also started charging the riders more. They no longer just charged for time/distance. They'd base the Upfront Price estimated based on taking the longest possible route. They also started doing several other things I'd consider shady and ripping off the rider, such as

*charging riders more based on where they're coming or going from: http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-controversial-pricing-charging-more-based-on-neighborhood-2017-5

*charging based on ride history i.e. if you paid $20 for a $12 ride, they know that and will charge you $20 again and again

When Uber started doing this, they also changed the driver contract. No longer would Uber just take 20%-25% of the fare. They now would pay us for time/distance of the trip, and charge the rider the Upfront Price. Uber encourages/hopes drivers will take the shortest most direct route (most direct is NOT always the fastest) and collect the overage/difference. The term Longhauling came about out of frustration with being taken advantage of by Uber. We were basically told "here are the new terms, we're going to take more, deal with it or do something else". I, like many other people, like Uber in some respects (the flexibility and meeting people), so we grudgingly accepted the new terms.

Uber now showed us what the rider paid for a trip, and a breakdown of what Uber got. It wasn't uncommon to see Uber receive sometimes 50% or more of a trip, especially if you used Uber's navigation (you have the option of using Waze, Google Maps or Uber's Navigation).

In the past I would generally take the most direct route from Point A to B because the longer the route, the higher the bill for the rider. With upfront Pricing, no matter what route (within reason) we take, their trip cost won't change.

In my market there are multiple ways to get to a destination. From downtown D.C. near the Capital One Arena to Silver Spring MD you can go through town and hit traffic light after traffic light (D.C. lights seem to be timed so that when your light turns green, the next light just begins to turn red). It can easily take 40 minutes. You can also go 695 to B.W. Parkway to 495 and be in Silver Spring t roughly the same time, with much less stress as a driver, as well as better ride for the passenger. It is longer mileage so it's much more profitable as a driver.

The latter example is "Longhauling" as drivers talk about it. It's not defrauding the passenger, as their price for the trip hasn't changed and the length of time for the trip is roughly the same. They would pay the same rate no matter which way we took. Uber takes less of a profit on the trip, but that's the system they set up when they forced us into the new agreement.

Not meaning to be redundant but Longhauling doesn't adversely affect the rider at all. The drivers aren't taking advantage of the riders. Uber is with their Upfront Pricing and other schemes. On many rides Uber's taking over 50%. Longhauling is just a way for drivers to make a little more on a ride.

If Uber had kept their original agreement in place, I'd just drive Point A to B in the most direct route possible. Now I look for ways to "Longhaul" whenever possible.

Upfront Pricing is especially galling because for years Uber's said they can't raise rates (when they shared rate increases with drivers) because rate increases would scare riders away. Now they're raising rates to the passengers, but pocketing the increase and basically screwing the drivers.

The way for riders to minimize being overcharged by Uber: When ordering a long trip, order a half mile trip. Once the trip has started, then change the destination to wherever they want to go. This triggers them to be charged time/distance, so they only pay what the trip should legitimately cost, not what Uber thinks they'll pay. Note- doesn't work on Pool trips since you can't change the destination of those.

Like many drivers, I do this part time. I enjoy the flexibility of doing it when I want, and I have a system down to maximize the times I drive. I do have other sources of income, and no one's holding a gun to my head to drive. If it gets appreciably worse I will probably find something else to do nights and weekends.

Keys to emphasize for your article:

*Longhauling, if done right, doesn't increase the time for the rider's trip

*Longhauling doesn't add additional charges to the rider's bill.

*Uber's gouging riders on their trip charges in many instances

*Longhauling, if the driver takes highway VS through the city, means much less wear and tear on their vehicle and allows him to get better gas mileage (especially important since gas has increased dramatically yet Uber's done nothing to help with that).

I hope this helps. I'm happy to provide more information if you'd like it

Troy"
__________________________________________________

If any other reporters are interested in Longhauling, there's most of your story.

If you guys aren't Longhauling, you're putting money into Uber's pocket and taking it out of yours.


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## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

#professoruber said:


> In the last year I have driven bar close maybe 5 times. I know how to manage my rides and am not desperate to take a ride for some measly surge ride.
> 
> 3 pukers in 6k rides. The last 4000 have been puke free. I don't allow drunk idiots in my car.


I know you followed the thread of "puking riders report", but taking rides for cash is not about that. This article from March 3rd, 2016, about Las Vegas market says "_Agreeing to take a customer on the spot, rather than booking through an app, is called an off-platform transaction. It's illegal, and the practice denies Lyft and Uber their cut of the fares. Off-platform rides also create a safety issue - cash customers aren't covered by Uber or Lyft driver insurance_." I will add, off-platform rides are not covered by a commercial insurance either, because a driver has no individual permit to commercially operate under a third party TNC. Any untraceable rider to driver cash transaction could be considered fraud by insurance providers, reason to deny any possible insurance claims in case of an accident.

Uber has a section about this on their website.

"_All legitimate payments on Uber take place through our app. If a Rider messages you outside of the Uber platform and asks you to contact them off-site to arrange a trip, be very suspicious of this behaviour. Riders use Uber as an on-demand service and call the closest car for the best experience. Riders who pre-arrange trips can sometimes have other intentions, such as using fake rider accounts or stolen credit card details. If you take part in pre-arranging trips with these sorts of riders, Uber may have to adjust the trip fare to zero and take action against both you and the rider. This can be considered fraud through collusion between the Rider and Driver

We do understand that there may be fraudulent trips/riders that as the Driver, you are not aware of and have no control over. Our intention is not to make Drivers nervous about doing trips but to rather encourage them to report suspicious behaviour and avoid taking part in fraudulent trips. When a Driver pre-arranges a trip they open yourself up to this risk._"



New2This said:


> *charging riders more based on where they're coming or going from: http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-controversial-pricing-charging-more-based-on-neighborhood-2017-5
> 
> *charging based on ride history i.e. if you paid $20 for a $12 ride, they know that and will charge you $20 again and again


Uber will also have the liberty to slowly increase ride charges based on "*in app tipping*" rider history. Their algorithms are capable of adding small increments from a ride to another to riders that are tipping their best experiences inside the Uber app. Few days ago I've talked to 2 marketers that said the medical insurance companies do the same thing, increasing bill payments by 3 or 4 cents at the time.

The "in app tipping" shows the rider is obviously open to spending more money for that specific ride, indicating how a relatively small increase will be easily tolerated or not even noticed.

On top of that, by agreeing to upfront pricing rates, the rider DOES NOT make an informed decision based on ride estimated distance and duration, and local mile and minute rates, all these details being hidden inside the app, not very easy to find even by many experienced riders.

All that Uber is taking advantage off is the convenience of the service and the relatively easy ride requesting process riders love in comparison to the annoying taxi cab routine.


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

jocker12 said:


> I know you followed the thread of "puking riders report", but taking rides for cash is not about that. This article from March 3rd, 2016, about Las Vegas market says "_Agreeing to take a customer on the spot, rather than booking through an app, is called an off-platform transaction. It's illegal, and the practice denies Lyft and Uber their cut of the fares. Off-platform rides also create a safety issue - cash customers aren't covered by Uber or Lyft driver insurance_." I will add, off-platform rides are not covered by a commercial insurance either, because a driver has no individual permit to commercially operate under a third party TNC. Any untraceable rider to driver cash transaction could be considered fraud by insurance providers, reason to deny any possible insurance claims in case of an accident.
> 
> Uber has a section about this on their website.
> 
> ...


I will add that doing trips for cash is considered "livery" for purposes of auto insurance and if the insurance company finds out they will deny coverage because every auto insurance has a clause in the contract that denies coverage for any accident while doing livery.


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## KenLV (Jun 23, 2017)

Atom guy said:


> The writer even talked to drivers, yet ended up with a very poor understanding of Upfront Pricing and how it affects drivers.


Ha! What does them talking to drivers have to do with getting this right?

Sadly, many (most?) drivers don't understand how upfront pricing works.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if the drivers they spoke to are ignorant on what/how they are paid and what/how the rider is charged.

I've taken 2 Uber rides in my life, both were pool and neither driver knew that they were only getting paid for one rider at a time.

I got out with neither one having taken my advice to turn off new requests. SMH


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## Koolbreze (Feb 13, 2017)

Disgusted Driver said:


> It's unfortunate that even the WSJ doesn't really get it. They say _"Uber and Lyft typically take a 25% commission from a fare, and drivers generally take the rest, not including fees and taxes." _but that's obviously misleading or incorrect depending on how you define things. They mention upfront pricing but don't really explain that drivers are upset because they are charging much higher rates and then keeping it. What do you have to do to get an honest and accurate article written about these companies?


When will drivers actually drive a pax honestly.


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

Koolbreze said:


> When will drivers actually drive a pax honestly.


I do. I have simply changed what I optimize for. I used to do my best to keep the fare down when pax were paying by the mile, shortest route was usually the cheapest since miles cost much more than minutes. Now I optimize for time, get the pax to their destination as quickly as possible. If that means going a longer way to be on the highway at 70 mph I'm all for it. Pax is happy because they got there quickly and I make more.


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## njn (Jan 23, 2016)

Koolbreze said:


> When will drivers actually drive a pax honestly.


Don't worry, only 1% of the trips are milked according to uber.


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## New2This (Dec 27, 2015)

njn said:


> Don't worry, only 1% of the trips are milked according to uber.


I knew I was in the top 1% of something.

Sadly it's Uber Drivers


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## New2This (Dec 27, 2015)

Koolbreze said:


> When will drivers actually drive a pax honestly.


When Uber pays honestly again


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

#professoruber said:


> Just wait until everyone has the new surge. That is when it will get fun. Rider enters car: how much were you quoted? $30. Cancel the ride and I will do it for $20 off the app.
> 
> That is when Uber and Lyft are going to lose even more money.


That's very bad advice unless you want to get deactivated.


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## nickd8775 (Jul 12, 2015)

goneubering said:


> That's very bad advice unless you want to get deactivated.


I'd only do that for the long trips at high surge. 50% off!


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## #professoruber (Feb 19, 2018)

goneubering said:


> That's very bad advice unless you want to get deactivated.


Lolz. This is not advice. This is what I think will happen as desperate people do desperate things. Similar to vomit fraud and long routing.

I was at a baseball game last night and watched regular drivers working cash rides all night long. I saw at least 5 rides go out without the app. A couple months ago, I was at a game and the Uber employee was directing riders to drivers that were doing cash rides. None of my business as I know that is the risk they are taking. Uber doesn't care or doesn't have the resources to figure out who is doing cash rides.


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## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

#professoruber said:


> Lolz. This is not advice. This is what I think will happen as desperate people do desperate things. Similar to vomit fraud and long routing.
> 
> I was at a baseball game last night and watched regular drivers working cash rides all night long. I saw at least 5 rides go out without the app. A couple months ago, I was at a game and the Uber employee was directing riders to drivers that were doing cash rides. None of my business as I know that is the risk they are taking. Uber doesn't care or doesn't have the resources to figure out who is doing cash rides.


You are correct. Uber is useless and doesn't care because the drivers don't work FOR them, work WITH them. But insurance companies do care, as well as the local police.


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## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

In my comment #18 I've linked this article -
Private investigators catch ride-hailing drivers accepting illegal rides for cash - VIDEO


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## MoreTips (Feb 13, 2017)

New2This said:


> I advocate Longhauling heavily on the D.C. Board. I have a system using DF that gets me nice long trips that I can Longhaul the fornicate out of.
> 
> The reporter actually contacted me about Longhauling for this story back in May. I sent him an email outlining Longhauling and why we do it.
> 
> ...


Absolutely the best true explanation of long hauling and up front pricing. This would have been so much more educational for the readers. Not the "half the fact right" story that was printed.


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## UberBeemer (Oct 23, 2015)

New2This said:


> *Longhauling, if done right, doesn't increase the time for the rider's trip


Well written letter. However, I disagree with the text I quoted above. If you longhaul, you are taking the longer route, and increasing the duration of the trip in most situations. What you stated seems to contradict how you described the system basing the rider's fare on the longest route, but showing you the shorter path.


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## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

UberBeemer said:


> Well written letter. However, I disagree with the text I quoted above. If you longhaul, you are taking the longer route, and increasing the duration of the trip in most situations. What you stated seems to contradict how you described the system basing the rider's fare on the longest route, but showing you the shorter path.


I would think of a carpool lane on a slightly longer route, car pool lane that is invisible to navigation software. That carpool lane can take you through slow traffic much faster than a shorter route with multiple stop lights. I don't know if that is the case, but I know if asked, any rider will choose the carpool lane slightly longer but quicker route to a stop and go stop lights hitting route.


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## grayspinner (Sep 8, 2015)

There are lots of routes that are longer in miles that take shorter time. 

When picking up at our airport and driving to a particular popular cluster of hotels, there are two different routes - the highway, which is longer but faster & a smoother ride than the direct route that has a bunch of traffic lights, horrible traffic and a bunch of potholes. 

Uber's navigation directs drivers down that direct route. Passengers certainly don't prefer that route. And enough drivers take Uber's crap route that regular travelers are grateful when they get those of us who don't. 

Call it longhauling - but I'm taking the best route for both the pax & myself. It's the only sensible route anyway.


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

UberBeemer said:


> Well written letter. However, I disagree with the text I quoted above. If you longhaul, you are taking the longer route, and increasing the duration of the trip in most situations. What you stated seems to contradict how you described the system basing the rider's fare on the longest route, but showing you the shorter path.


Here in CA a longer route can also be the quickest route. Uber's navigation seems to be getting worse in recent weeks so I use my expertise to figure out the best way.


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## New2This (Dec 27, 2015)

UberBeemer said:


> Well written letter. However, I disagree with the text I quoted above. If you longhaul, you are taking the longer route, and increasing the duration of the trip in most situations. What you stated seems to contradict how you described the system basing the rider's fare on the longest route, but showing you the shorter path.


It may depend on your market. Here in the D.C. area we have our Beltway, which allows you to hit highway as opposed to going through town.

Here's an example from the Boost Zones days:










This was on a Sunday morning so traffic was negligible. Almost all highway miles.

This was an alternate route going through town hitting every goddamn mistimed light.










Basically same amount of time, 14 more miles. At a 1.7X Boost that adds up quickly.

As an added bonus Uber took it up the bung financially on this one:

















In our area there are several highways that let you Longhaul and keep the trips the same amount of time, or within a few minutes.

I use Google Maps. When you have the main route laid out in blue, there will be several alternate routes shown in grey with ETA shown. Click those and look at the mileage listed. Many times the alternate routes are similar ETA or might say '2 minutes longer' but much higher miles. I always go longer miles.

UberBeemer I see you're in Chicago. You guys have tolls. We don't for the most part so that's not a factor here.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Disgusted Driver said:


> It's unfortunate that even the WSJ doesn't really get it. They say _"Uber and Lyft typically take a 25% commission from a fare, and drivers generally take the rest, not including fees and taxes." _but that's obviously misleading or incorrect depending on how you define things. They mention upfront pricing but don't really explain that drivers are upset because they are charging much higher rates and then keeping it. What do you have to do to get an honest and accurate article written about these companies?


I was a 20% Driver.

Until uber midnite contracts decided to take WHATEVER THEY PLEASE !


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> I was a 20% Driver.
> 
> Until uber midnite contracts decided to take WHATEVER THEY PLEASE !


I hear that brother, once upon a time I was a 20% driver too. Now we are all ky drivers and I ain't talking about Kentucky


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## Bro Olomide (Sep 1, 2017)

Disgusted Driver said:


> I hear that brother, once upon a time I was a 20% driver too. Now we are all ky drivers and I ain't talking about Kentucky


Wrong about the KY part. UBER doesn't lube us prior to you know what.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

jocker12 said:


> Longhauling' is among tactics used by ride-hailing drivers to maximize the fare in the battle over pay
> 
> When ferrying passengers to and from Phoenix's airport, Uber driver Michelle Blandy had a decision to make: Go the short way or take the longer route.
> "If they were from out of town, I would take advantage of it by going the longer route," said Ms. Blandy, who drove for Uber for about two years before moving to Harrisburg, Pa., earlier this year. "It's the only way I could get what I was owed".
> ...


" LOWER RATES MEAN LONGER RIDES "

Tell them " Control" put you in a 
" Holding Pattern". . . .


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