# Go through a GeoFence or cross county line - preferences and ride types reset. WHY???



## Chocoholic (Aug 7, 2018)

I've noticed that whenever I pass into and out of a geofenced area, a couple changes happen. Going in, the ride type may change - usually something is removed because "you're not supposed to wait there." That's fine. Here's my problem. Whenever I then leave that geofenced area, my driving preferences are NOT returned to what they were. Instead, everything is set back to every type of ride on and other preferences are set to the defaults when the driver app is installed. 

I pass through a very small geofenced area frequently - a pickup area at Disneyland on Harbor Blvd. I don't go into the area, but have to pass by it on the way to hotels, or doing other rides in the area. Similarly, if I have a dropoff at an airport, I clearly enter a geofenced area, causing changes. Same thing happens when I cross between LA and Orange counties in either direction.

Specifically, I usually run with UberX and Select on and Deliveries turned off. I pass by the Disneyland pickup area and it goes from those settings to Deliveries Only, and 100 feet later, Deliveries, UberX and Select - all three classes that I am eligible for. 

Also, I have the speed limit alerts turned on and set for 7 and 15 mph. I pass through a geofence or a county line and they get reset to 5 and 10. 

The app knows what these settings are before entering the geofence. There is absolutely no reason that they can't be recovered after leaving the geofenced area. I've been a computer programmer and database engineer for years. This is an afternoon's worth of effort to fix, test, and validate. All that needs to be done is to retrieve the saved state of the app instead of the default settings. 

Why do this? Three reasons. 

First, there are a LOT of declined or canceled deliveries or other rides because the ping goes to the driver for something he doesn't want to do. 

Second, it's irritating as ^&*() to for the driver to do this, go into the settings and make the changes, and get everything set back to their preferences. Fixing this would make drivers much happier than dealing with this constantly.

Third, SAFETY! It happens frequently enough that drivers are resetting things while driving. How many accidents and close calls have happened because of this? I can see a driver hitting a mob of a hundred pedestrians in a crosswalk near Disneyland at closing time because he was ticked off while resetting all those items yet again!

Uber Development, please fix this! It's a simple fix, would increase safety, and make drivers a little happier! It might also make response times on some deliveries and rides quicker and make Uber some money $$$$ in the process!


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## Uber's Guber (Oct 22, 2017)

Chocoholic said:


> Uber Development, please fix this! It's a simple fix


Simple fix?..... 
This is Uber we're talking about, right?......


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## Chocoholic (Aug 7, 2018)

Uber's Guber said:


> Simple fix?.....
> This is Uber we're talking about, right?......


I said it was a simple fix. Since the app knows how to make changes going in and out of a geofence area, almost all of the pieces are already there. It just needs to pull from the previously set driver preferences (which should be saved somewhere) instead of preprogrammed defaults. I could go on, but ....

I never said anything about Uber's decision process to actually decide to fix it.


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## xgamrgeekx (Dec 1, 2018)

I just want to know how to opt out of the airport queue, since you mention the geofencing thing. I only drive UberX, so the preference changes are obviously unnoticed. But, unlike Lyft, I can't opt out of that queue. Or does it even matter? It seemed like I got a ping pretty quick, but it was back to the airport lol


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## Chocoholic (Aug 7, 2018)

xgamrgeekx said:


> I just want to know how to opt out of the airport queue, since you mention the geofencing thing. I only drive UberX, so the preference changes are obviously unnoticed. But, unlike Lyft, I can't opt out of that queue. Or does it even matter? It seemed like I got a ping pretty quick, but it was back to the airport lol


Opting out of the airport queue(s) is a bit more complicated, but not by much. It'd be a seperate fix, but that's another one I'd like to see - an option to select NO AIRPORT / AIRPORT ONLY / BOTH.

EVERYONE, please post whether you're having these same issues and whether you want these changes too!!!!


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## xgamrgeekx (Dec 1, 2018)

Chocoholic said:


> Opting out of the airport queue(s) is a bit more complicated, but not by much. It'd be a seperate fix, but that's another one I'd like to see - an option to select NO AIRPORT / AIRPORT ONLY / BOTH.
> 
> EVERYONE, please post whether you're having these same issues and whether you want these changes too!!!!


I guess I mis-stated what I meant. I meant just leave the queue not opt out altogether. 1/3 to half of the drop offs at the airport I make result in a pick up from the airport, kicking me ahead of the usually 45-50 people sitting in the lot (sorry, business is business). Lyft, however, once I'm out of the airport property, but still within the geofence for the queue, let's me tap an X to leave. It gives me a warning that I can't get back in for 15 minutes, but I rarely have had more than one off a day, if that. Weirdly I had 3 airport drop offs today, all Uber, and I couldn't easily find an option like that on Uber's app, to just leave the queue while still in the geofence. That's why I ask if it even mattered because I still got a ping for a pickup outside the geofence.


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## Chocoholic (Aug 7, 2018)

xgamrgeekx said:


> I guess I mis-stated what I meant. I meant just leave the queue not opt out altogether. 1/3 to half of the drop offs at the airport I make result in a pick up from the airport, kicking me ahead of the usually 45-50 people sitting in the lot (sorry, business is business). Lyft, however, once I'm out of the airport property, but still within the geofence for the queue, let's me tap an X to leave. It gives me a warning that I can't get back in for 15 minutes, but I rarely have had more than one off a day, if that. Weirdly I had 3 airport drop offs today, all Uber, and I couldn't easily find an option like that on Uber's app, to just leave the queue while still in the geofence. That's why I ask if it even mattered because I still got a ping for a pickup outside the geofence.


I thought I understood that, but now I'm not sure. When I listed "NO AIRPORT" as a choice, I meant that to mean " let me be inside the geofence area but not in the actual airport queue for rides ORIGINATING at the airport - just pings that are in the area but not airport pings. I'll still take nearby pings that END at the airport." That's what I want. Is that what you meant?

Also, AIRPORT ONLY meant "Only give me pings that originate at the airport, and none that are close by, even inside the geofence." It's a pain to be in the queue and then get bumped by a couple riders at the corner gas station or even a hotel.


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## xgamrgeekx (Dec 1, 2018)

Right, I don’t want to be part of the queue, but I still want to be able to do airport pick ups should I be doing a drop off. Like I said, sometimes that happens and I don’t mind those fares, they’re sometimes a good long ride.

I dunno, I’ve been driving Lyft 3 months compared to a week with Uber. Got used to going into the area, and X-ing out to leave the queue if I didn’t get a pickup. But again, I usually only ended up dropping off there a few times a week as a full time driver in the Salt Lake market. However, I got way more Uber pings yesterday than Lyft, three of them were airport drop offs, and it annoyed me to see that I was still in the queue on Uber even though I could exit on Lyft and still get airport pick up on a drop off because I’m now ‘closest driver.’

Mainly because Uber keeps telling me to go to the pit. You know like ‘You’re I a busy area, expect a ride request soon’ bullspit.


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## Amsoil Uber Connect (Jan 14, 2015)

Highly doubt they will fix anything. All the matters to them is Acceptance of the trip.

A death will have to happen at a driver expense b4 they will do any thing.


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## Chocoholic (Aug 7, 2018)

Well, there's a new release out yesterday. 4.112.1002 for iOS. Let's see if they fixed it. Not holding my breath.


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## Chocoholic (Aug 7, 2018)

OK, they fixed part of it. Now, app preferences are restored/unaffected by passing through a geofenced area. I checked my speed limit alerts and now, they remain unchanged. Good for them on that.

Unfortunately, they felt the need to add a totally useless and space wasting message on the home screen, "Preferences On". We expect them to be on! There's absolutely no need for that message!!!! So, this part is a half-fail!

But the problem with the ping types remains. If you have something turned off, like delivery, when you pass into a geofenced area, it'll turn off everything except delivery, and will turn delivery on. Next, when you pass out of the geofenced area, it turns everything on!

UBER, IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO FIX THIS!

Pseudocode:

1. create a memory location to store current driver settings (not necessarily permanent preferences or app settings)
2. Every time driver changes state of ping types (delivery, x/pool, select, xl, black, etc.) store those settings.
3, when exiting geofence area or crossing county line, use stored setting.

I don't even know why crossing a county line would change the kind of rides you'd accept. Nobody would want them to change *automatically* just because they drove over an imaginary line. If anyone wants to change the type of ping, they'd change it *MANUALLY!!!!* I turn off x/pool in certain areas manually for various reasons, but would never want it automatically changed!

We all get why geofenced areas turn off ride types automatically, like at Disneyland's pickup loop. There's no space for drivers to just sit there waiting for a ping. We get that. But why make it painful just because we drive past???


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## Freeflyingbutterfly (Feb 11, 2019)

Oh my goodness.... You just totally described my headache tonight, and now I know why. I too drive around Disneyland a lot. Three times tonight in the matter of a few minutes I had to decline deliveries (delivery setting had been off), checked my settings and they showed off, then the next thing I know is I am getting another delivery ping. Once I was in the process of turning it back off when it pinged again! Super frustrating!


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## Chocoholic (Aug 7, 2018)

Oh, it gets worse. About a week ago, they "adjusted" the geofence around the Downtown Disney pickup area. Instead of just the parking lot, it now includes Disnelyland Drive from the overpass just north of Grand California Hotel all the way past Magic Way Rd (don't know how far past yet) and includes Magic Way from the Disneyland Hotel entrance road to Disneyland Drive. If you're on those stretches of road, all pickups except deliveries are turned off. 

To me, this is pointless! There's nowhere on those two streets to stop, you can't park there, and there's no reason to disable pickups as you're driving by!


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## Freeflyingbutterfly (Feb 11, 2019)

Oh that explains a lot! I remember seeing on my app (was probably in that zone now that I think about it) when I looked at my preferences and it said I was only eligible for deliveries!
The geofence that needs to change is a decrease in the fence around the 15 min Harbor lot... Was triggering riders while I was still across the street well before I could u-turn!


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## Chocoholic (Aug 7, 2018)

Don't tell me, tell Uber! FEEDBACK! A source tells me there's actually a team that looks at feedback suggestions. The good news is that they're in the US, not the Philippines.


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## Freeflyingbutterfly (Feb 11, 2019)

Oh I did tell Uber! But could have fooled me with the people I talked to yesterday - two of them I couldn't even pronounce their names!


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## Chocoholic (Aug 7, 2018)

Freeflyingbutterfly said:


> Oh I did tell Uber! But could have fooled me with the people I talked to yesterday - two of them I couldn't even pronounce their names!


That's why you need to use the written feedback selection in the help menu on the app. This may be the only channel that goes to US teams. If you call Uber, you get the subcontractors in the Philippines, and we all know that if it's not in a prepared script, they just get a dumb look on their face and read something that looks like it might fit.


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## Freeflyingbutterfly (Feb 11, 2019)

Oh I have submitted written feedback to them too.... Got the typical canned response back that they can't guarantee they will fix it.


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## Chocoholic (Aug 7, 2018)

Freeflyingbutterfly said:


> Oh I have submitted written feedback to them too.... Got the typical canned response back that they can't guarantee they will fix it.


True, feedback rarely gets a reply other than that canned response (from a computer), but the US teams actually look at them and forward them to the appropriate (development) teams.

For example, nav problems like closed streets, unlawful turns suggested by the nav, etc., should always go here.


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## Freeflyingbutterfly (Feb 11, 2019)

Oh, I have also submitted screenshots where I wrote on the map where the navigation was taking me and where I actually had to go (hotels immediately south of Disney).


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## hrswartz (Jan 4, 2019)

SAFETY! It happens frequently enough that drivers are resetting things while driving. How many accidents and close calls have happened because of this? I can see a driver hitting a mob of a hundred pedestrians in a crosswalk near Disneyland at closing time because he was ticked off while resetting all those items yet again!

And just WHEN was the last time that scenario occurred? A bit of exaggeration me thinks... Come on guys.


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## Freeflyingbutterfly (Feb 11, 2019)

Highly possible when driving down Harbor Blvd after fireworks get done. The crosswalks are completely full for the entire countdown of the crossing.


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## hrswartz (Jan 4, 2019)

Sheesh...


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## Chocoholic (Aug 7, 2018)

hrswartz said:


> SAFETY! It happens frequently enough that drivers are resetting things while driving. How many accidents and close calls have happened because of this? I can see a driver hitting a mob of a hundred pedestrians in a crosswalk near Disneyland at closing time because he was ticked off while resetting all those items yet again!
> 
> And just WHEN was the last time that scenario occurred? A bit of exaggeration me thinks... Come on guys.


Since you quoted me, I'll respond. Yes, this scenario could easily happen. As was mentioned, Disneyland literally empties out fast after the fireworks with thousands of pedestrians in the immediate area. If you've never seen it, you probably wouldn't understand. If you want to see it, go stand at Harbor Blvd. and Katella between 9:40 and 10:30 pm on a fireworks night.

Crosswalks can literally have over a hundred people crossing together at that time. Now picture one driver distracted because they're resetting the pickup types for the 10th time that night because of the geofence problem, and they fail to stop when approaching one of these crosswalks. Yes, it could happen.


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## hrswartz (Jan 4, 2019)

THE QUESTION WAS... WHEN was the last time that scenario occurred? Please don't waste our time with "WHAT IF'S"... just sayin'


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## Chocoholic (Aug 7, 2018)

hrswartz said:


> THE QUESTION WAS... WHEN was the last time that scenario occurred? Please don't waste our time with "WHAT IF'S"... just sayin'


Does a predictable catastrophe really have to happen before a likely cause needs to be fixed? Thankfully, it hasn't happened yet.

How about this one - "What if it's too cold for the rubber seals on the shuttle Challenger's Solid Rocket Boosters? Should we launch?" I knew the guy that said "Don't launch!"


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## hrswartz (Jan 4, 2019)

Yes, Yes it does... I don't live in what if land... What if I was born rich instead of good looking... I certainly wouldn't be sparring with you now would I? ... just sayin'


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## Chocoholic (Aug 7, 2018)

hrswartz said:


> Yes, Yes it does... I don't live in what if land... What if I was born rich instead of good looking... I certainly wouldn't be sparring with you now would I? ... just sayin'


Well, fortunately the rest of us live in the real world where "what if" predicts and prevents a lot of catastrophes. It's called risk assessment and is exercised by just about every company in the world.


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## hrswartz (Jan 4, 2019)

you win... I don't GAF!


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## Chocoholic (Aug 7, 2018)

OK, so the app is still turning accepted ride types on and off. UBER HAS TURNED A DEAF EAR TO THIS ONE. 

So, my solution? I called support and had DELIVERY removed from my account. ugh. I can live with uberX being turned on, but delivery was just too annoying.


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