# First Day Blues - No Pings



## YourMother (Dec 18, 2014)

Excited to wake up to an active Lyft account.

Took the clean car - turned the app to 'on' - and so far.... 6 hours later - zip, nada, nothing!

I did find an email which directed me to a screen where I chose some hours, including today.

Later, I noticed it only approved hours starting tomorrow.

1st Question: Will I only get pinged during hours I/they approved me to work?

What's the ping sound like.

Waiting with baited breath for my first ping.


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## Samename (Oct 31, 2014)

Welcome. Where were you at in San Diego? Are you sure you had the app in driver mode? You have to open it up and then click the wheel in the top right. Ive never waited over an hour for a ping in SD. Also be sure your bluetooth is off, it can mess with the notification of a request.


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## YourMother (Dec 18, 2014)

I'm in the southbay... Imperial Beach, Coronado, Chula Vista and sometimes Downtown


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## Samename (Oct 31, 2014)

It is less activity down there. Still shouldn't be 6 hours. E-mail Lyft perhaps, they will get back to you within a week. Drive north, to get more action. Why not Uber too? Uber is busier in my experience here in SD.

Are you sure you were in driver mode?


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## YourMother (Dec 18, 2014)

Samename said:


> It is less activity down there. Still shouldn't be 6 hours. E-mail Lyft perhaps, they will get back to you within a week. Drive north, to get more action. Why not Uber too? Uber is busier in my experience here in SD.
> 
> Car's too old for Uber.
> 
> Are you sure you were in driver mode?


I click the steering wheel. It turns pink. It says DRIVE upper left and shows my blue dot on the map.

I did have bluetooth and airplane mode on the first hour - but that's fixed.

What's the ping sound like?


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## Samename (Oct 31, 2014)

Beeping and your screen should show the passenger photo and locale with a countdown.


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## YourMother (Dec 18, 2014)

what about that 'choose your hours' business? it that just a commitment to work at those hours, or do I have to wait until one of these 'approved hours' before I can even get pinged?


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## ChrisInABQ (Oct 21, 2014)

Still not sure what they actually do with the approved hours. You can work whenever you want regardless if you have approved hours or not. I do remember reading that Lyft says they'll give priority to drivers who are working scheduled hours in a saturated market, but I kinda doubt that. There doesn't seem to be any type of penalty either for scheduling hours and then not working them...I've done that a couple times due to poor scheduling. Never heard anything negative regarding it.


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## uberAdam78 (Nov 8, 2014)

i never put hours in and i get pings all the time.


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## YourMother (Dec 18, 2014)

Well - good news. I followed Samename's advice and went north. Got my first ping and first ride on my way to where I was going anyhow.

LOL - I made a rookie mistake though, I think.

Forgot to "Start Ride" so after she left, I pressed Drop Off and they told me I had to start ride first - so I did, and then pressed Drop Off. Fare $9.00 something. Don't know if I got some minimum or if that was the actual legit charge had I started where I was supposed to.

Where I live has bad coverage - apparently, so I may not get many pings if I try to work this from home. We'll see.

I also managed to Butt Dial a Request for a Lyft myself, when I turned the steering wheel off. Fortunately, I canceled in-time (sorry driver in IB.) I have my 'personal use' account and 'driver account' tied to the same app - is that normal?

Thanks everyone for being so helpful.


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## CLAkid (Oct 23, 2014)

YourMother said:


> Well - good news. I followed Samename's advice and went north. Got my first ping and first ride on my way to where I was going anyhow.
> 
> LOL - I made a rookie mistake though, I think.
> 
> ...


Congrats on your first ride. Depending on how far you went, the $9 charge is most likely accurate because Lyft probably saw where the pick up location was and ended it at the drop off point. I wouldn't worry too much about it. As for the accidental request for a Lyft, this happens all the time. I've done it several times. You are definitely safe from the charge as long as you cancel right away.

It may take you several weeks to a month to get a routine down so that you know where more of the rides are and where more of the busier places are for requests.


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## Tommy Tours (Sep 19, 2014)

I put my hours in once and everyday it pings to remind you should be driving. Things come up, it's a pain more then helpful


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## Txchick (Nov 25, 2014)

Tommy Tours said:


> I put my hours in once and everyday it pings to remind you should be driving. Things come up, it's a pain more then helpful


Deactivating my Lyft account after this weekend in Dallas, TX. Don't like the acceptance rate feature when their calls are out 8 minutes & get few pings compared to Uber. Not worth my time!


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## YourMother (Dec 18, 2014)

"Don't like the acceptance rate feature when their calls are out 8 minutes" - Txchick

Can someone explain what that means? 'call are out 8 mins?'


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## good4life (Oct 4, 2014)

You have to drive 8 minutes to pick up your fare.


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