Off Topic Driving for Lyft/Uber

[darksabre]

Who's doing it? I know Chz is. I think ink mentioned it?
 

I'm starting to come around on the idea. I have a car that is perfect for it and I like the idea of being able to just fire the app up when I'm bored and take a couple fares. 

Has it been worthwhile or a waste of time?

[sabills]

A friend of my wifes used to do it out near San Fran (she still might, haven't talked to her in a year). She loved it. 

 

I thought about it, but I can't keep my car clean enough for that...

[darksabre]

A friend of my wifes used to do it out near San Fran (she still might, haven't talked to her in a year). She loved it.

 

I thought about it, but I can't keep my car clean enough for that...

Yeahhhhh I know you :p

[Stoner]

What's the appeal of it? How many people who do it or want to do it wanted to be cabbies in a previous life?

[sabills]

What's the appeal of it? How many people who do it or want to do it wanted to be cabbies in a previous life?

 

I think the appeal is pretty simple; I have a free hour, I don't mind driving, I can hop on the app and make 10-20 bucks. The friend I referenced also enjoyed talking to and meeting new people. 

[Stoner]

I wonder how people like it the first time someone pukes or takes a leak in your car.

Edited December 8, 2017 by PAnnySabreFan

[darksabre]

What's the appeal of it? How many people who do it or want to do it wanted to be cabbies in a previous life?

I think it's the flexibility. You aren't beholden to a schedule or some company to get your hours. Your can do as much or as little as you want.

[miles]

I wonder how people like it the first time someone pukes or takes a leak in your car.

 

that is the ONLY reason i havent done it. i would love to make some extra cash, but i cant get past this

[darksabre]

I wonder how people like it the first time someone pukes or takes a leak in your car.

You can reject fares. If you show up and the guy looks drunk or dirty you can just pass. Sucks for them, but cabbies can do the same thing.

I figure where I am in Williamsville most of my fares on weeknights would be people going to the airport. I'm not picking someone up at 2am in Allentown.

[MattPie]

What are the insurance implications? I know when you sign up for auto insurance, they make a big deal out of not using the car for business and explicitly for it not being a car for hire.

[darksabre]

What are the insurance implications? I know when you sign up for auto insurance, they make a big deal out of not using the car for business and explicitly for it not being a car for hire.

That's a good question.

[inkman]

What are the insurance implications? I know when you sign up for auto insurance, they make a big deal out of not using the car for business and explicitly for it not being a car for hire.

No insurance implications as far as I can tell. They independently insure you.

[MattPie]

No insurance implications as far as I can tell. They independently insure you.

 

Uber does? Cool. I figured it had to be something like that.

[inkman]

I wonder how people like it the first time someone pukes or takes a leak in your car.

Probably the same as getting a $200 bill for doing so. There is a process that takes care of it.

[josie]

that is the ONLY reason i havent done it. i would love to make some extra cash, but i cant get past this

Same. That and I don't want to deal with creepers. 

[inkman]

Who's doing it? I know Chz is. I think ink mentioned it?

 

I'm starting to come around on the idea. I have a car that is perfect for it and I like the idea of being able to just fire the app up when I'm bored and take a couple fares.

 

Has it been worthwhile or a waste of time?

Tons of good info on YouTube and Uber forums. Mainly this: drive when it's busy. It doesn't pay to just be trolling about looking for riders. I limit myself mostly to rush hour and 9pm-1am. I know you have an affinity for late 80s hoop ties. That won't cut it. Can't remember what your new whip is. Make sure it's fuel efficient. For every $100 I make I use $30 in gas as I have an 8 cylinder Grand Cherokee.

 

As far as the riders go. I definitely take a lot of riders in the hood. Most of those Suck. Usually less than $5 for me as they are under 3 miles. The other large contingent I get are college girls from Naz and fisher. Every sentence ends with a question and they over share constantly. Two girls had indicated they were victims of sexual assault with their girlfriends in the car. I'm just your Uber driver, not your therapist.

 

And you can expect close encounters of the flirty kind. One woman asked me to come inside for the tip as she didn't have cash. I politely declined and told her I was married. Another woman I helped her get her garage door open and I had to get out of there fast because things got weird quick.

 

It's been weird and interesting. I make about $200 a week with somewhere in the neighborhood of 20-30 rides. Most riders don't tip, I'd say 1 out of every 10. Buffalo would be great. This morning it was lit up like a xmas tree. The app screen changes colors where driver demand is heavy and you get surge pricing anywhere from 1.5 - 4 times the normal rates. If you can limit yourself to those times, booku bucks will follow.

[josie]

Tons of good info on YouTube and Uber forums. Mainly this: drive when it's busy. It doesn't pay to just be trolling about looking for riders. I limit myself mostly to rush hour and 9pm-1am. I know you have an affinity for late 80s hoop ties. That won't cut it. Can't remember what your new whip is. Make sure it's fuel efficient. For every $100 I make I use $30 in gas as I have an 8 cylinder Grand Cherokee.

 

As far as the riders go. I definitely take a lot of riders in the hood. Most of those Suck. Usually less than $5 for me as they are under 3 miles. The other large contingent I get are college girls from Naz and fisher. Every sentence ends with a question and they over share constantly. Two girls had indicated they were victims of sexual assault with their girlfriends in the car. I'm just your Uber driver, not your therapist.

 

And you can expect close encounters of the flirty kind. One woman asked me to come inside for the tip as she didn't have cash. I politely declined and told her I was married. Another woman I helped her get her garage door open and I had to get out of there fast because things got weird quick.

 

It's been weird and interesting. I make about $200 a week with somewhere in the neighborhood of 20-30 rides. Most riders don't tip, I'd say 1 out of every 10. Buffalo would be great. This morning it was lit up like a xmas tree. The app screen changes colors where driver demand is heavy and you get surge pricing anywhere from 1.5 - 4 times the normal rates. If you can limit yourself to those times, booku bucks will follow.

ooh yep, creepers. 

 

Ok d4rk, no taking cougars to the Yellow Jaguar, ok? 

[darksabre]

ooh yep, creepers. 

 

Ok d4rk, no taking cougars to the Yellow Jaguar, ok? 

:lol:

Tons of good info on YouTube and Uber forums. Mainly this: drive when it's busy. It doesn't pay to just be trolling about looking for riders. I limit myself mostly to rush hour and 9pm-1am. I know you have an affinity for late 80s hoop ties. That won't cut it. Can't remember what your new whip is. Make sure it's fuel efficient. For every $100 I make I use $30 in gas as I have an 8 cylinder Grand Cherokee.

 

As far as the riders go. I definitely take a lot of riders in the hood. Most of those Suck. Usually less than $5 for me as they are under 3 miles. The other large contingent I get are college girls from Naz and fisher. Every sentence ends with a question and they over share constantly. Two girls had indicated they were victims of sexual assault with their girlfriends in the car. I'm just your Uber driver, not your therapist.

 

And you can expect close encounters of the flirty kind. One woman asked me to come inside for the tip as she didn't have cash. I politely declined and told her I was married. Another woman I helped her get her garage door open and I had to get out of there fast because things got weird quick.

 

It's been weird and interesting. I make about $200 a week with somewhere in the neighborhood of 20-30 rides. Most riders don't tip, I'd say 1 out of every 10. Buffalo would be great. This morning it was lit up like a xmas tree. The app screen changes colors where driver demand is heavy and you get surge pricing anywhere from 1.5 - 4 times the normal rates. If you can limit yourself to those times, booku bucks will follow.

I think the trick is being selective about where you go for your fares. I'm not dying to make a couple hundo a week.

 

I think taking UB students to the airport or the grocery store is probably more likely the kind of thing I'm likely to find. 

 

I mean, I could just sign up and see what the fare landscape looks like. If it turns out to be totally not worth my time then I wont take any fares. 

[inkman]

:lol:

 

I think the trick is being selective about where you go for your fares. I'm not dying to make a couple hundo a week.

 

I think taking UB students to the airport or the grocery store is probably more likely the kind of thing I'm likely to find.

 

I mean, I could just sign up and see what the fare landscape looks like. If it turns out to be totally not worth my time then I wont take any fares.

How far are you from UB? If under 3 miles and their standard locations are more than 5 miles, you'll make out. I live about half way between the colleges and the mall so I go one way or the other depending on time of day. All my college trips are usually worthwhile, it's usually 3-4 kids going to the east end (at least 2 under age clubs there) so for 15 minutes of my time I can grab about 8-9 bucks. Just wash rinse repeat. I'll do that for 4-5 hours on the weekends. It pays to drive late as that's when surge pricing picks up but that is 1 am here and 3 am there.

[darksabre]

How far are you from UB? If under 3 miles and their standard locations are more than 5 miles, you'll make out. I live about half way between the colleges and the mall so I go one way or the other depending on time of day. All my college trips are usually worthwhile, it's usually 3-4 kids going to the east end (at least 2 under age clubs there) so for 15 minutes of my time I can grab about 8-9 bucks. Just wash rinse repeat. I'll do that for 4-5 hours on the weekends. It pays to drive late as that's when surge pricing picks up but that is 1 am here and 3 am there.

I'm a little less than 5 miles from UB North campus and 4 miles from the airport. 

[inkman]

I'm becoming less and less patient with riders. They are constantly getting locations wrong, are hammered and yammer incessantly and tell me I'm going the wrong way when they put the pick up and destination in the app. One thing I've learned or relearned, it doesn't matter what facet of life you are dealing with, people are morons. This ain't hard peeps. Figure it out rather than making snarky jerk hole comments to me.

[ubkev]

I'm becoming less and less patient with riders. They are constantly getting locations wrong, are hammered and yammer incessantly and tell me I'm going the wrong way when they put the pick up and destination in the app. One thing I've learned or relearned, it doesn't matter what facet of life you are dealing with, people are ###### morons. This ###### ain't hard peeps. Figure it out rather than making snarky jerk hole comments to me.

Ah, the joys of working with the public.

 

Some people suck.

[Eleven]

I'm becoming less and less patient with riders. They are constantly getting locations wrong, are hammered and yammer incessantly and tell me I'm going the wrong way when they put the pick up and destination in the app. One thing I've learned or relearned, it doesn't matter what facet of life you are dealing with, people are ###### morons. This ###### ain't hard peeps. Figure it out rather than making snarky jerk hole comments to me.

 

The Uber app that drivers use has no sense of direction at all, at least in Buffalo.  Maybe that's part of the problem?  I am switching to Lyft because of it.

[inkman]

The Uber app that drivers use has no sense of direction at all, at least in Buffalo. Maybe that's part of the problem? I am switching to Lyft because of it.

Oh the navigation blows. Both are Google maps based. You can change navigation, I tries Wayz, that lasted 10 minutes.

[Eleven]

Oh the navigation blows. Both are Google maps based. You can change navigation, I tries Wayz, that lasted 10 minutes.

 

I'm a rider, not a driver.  I can't change anything.  But a guy who drives for both told me yesterday morning that he prefers Lyft's nav system.

 

I will say this:  Even though Uber can't seem to get within two blocks of where I'm leaving or where I'm going without me telling the driver (via phone on pickup or while in the car on drop off), it's a lot more convenient, and often less expensive, than parking when going to events.  I went to the USS Little Rock commissioning yesterday and then the Beauts game, and ride service is a beautiful concept for a day like that.