# Tips on How not to be an ANT



## Park Ranger (May 21, 2017)

So I have spent some time reading this forum as I am new. 

Learning some great tips on being profitable. Any tips on oh how not to be an ant or just be good?

I don't want to kill surge or boost and try and keep this profitable for myself others around me.


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## Uberdriver2710 (Jul 15, 2015)

Surge and boost are tools to manipulate drivers. I ignore them.

Screen Screen Screen those pax.

Keep situational awareness as top priority.

Get / make what you need, then get out. Car accidents, are the number 1 cause of deaths, in the United States.

Find a real job if you can, or start your own business.


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

Is this your only source of income?


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## Atom guy (Jul 27, 2016)

You have to learn your area. find out the shift times for factories, school dates, popular night spots, sports events and concerts dates, etc so you can be working at the right times instead of just driving around randomly. Pay attention when you get repeat passengers. People are on schedules, especially during the day, and if you find a good ride, you can try and be in the area to catch it multiple times. Check the passenger app to see where the other drivers are around you. No point being in an area if there are a ton of other drivers right on top of you (unless it is a sports event or concert when there will be tons of ride requests). 

DON'T CHASE SURGE. Driving to a surge area is a big waste of time. By the time you get there the surge will be gone or you will just get a ride request outside of the surge zone. 

As for your money: keep track of ALL your miles while you are logged in, not just those while you have a passenger in the car. Keep up with your car maintenance - oil changes, tire rotations, brake checks etc. The regular maintenance is way cheaper than blowing the motor or warping your brake rotors. Save all your receipts. Even though you can only deduct either the mileage allowance or your actual costs, I save my gas receipts to go along with my mileage log in case I get audited someday. Save the toll receipts too (make sure you get them). DON'T buy a new car to do Uber with. You'll just end up being one of those people crying about how their car is worth way less than they owe because of the miles.


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## Spotscat (May 8, 2017)

Exactly what Atom Guy said above - learn your market!

I generally drive from about 9pm to 2-3am, depending on how the ride requests are. I know that at 1am the bars close here, and all the college kids that have been clubbing downtown are going to want/need rides back home. Surge happens almost every evening at this time, and goes up to as high as 3.1x for about 30 minutes. 

If I can I try to be near downtown at 1am to be in the area for the surge - I make more $$ from 1-3am than I do from 9pm to 1am thanks to surge pricing.


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