[Hamface]

TLDR; They don't surge when they should, so I sit in my car working on my laptop instead of driving a million miles for $4.

I sit in a quiet part of town where the work is surprisingly local. I work on my own stuff between jobs.

I get sent requests ~10 minute drive time away again and again.

I use the Uber customer app - yep there aren't any other drivers around.

I don't pick up the job. I guess they send it to another UberX.

Why don't they surge?

I've done the maths, its better for me to sit and wait for something near me. Better for the customer that's miles away, too.

Another thing I've noticed is that I get a stack of far away jobs at once, then I get bumped offline. It's like they are trying to bump me offline. Maybe they just offer me more jobs because I'm a new 25% fee driver.

It would be better if they let me set a filter on to only pickup <5 mins away and not have me display on the customers screen.

 

[Graham J]

Answer to your question, yes!

 

[joffie]

I started a thread on this a few weeks ago. I suggest you read it. Its called "something is going on".

Basically UBER are killing surge by changing the pick up radius from 12 minutes to 30 minutes.

Today I did a pick up 15 minutes away... #$#@$ schoolkid of course going a few miles up the road (destination filter).

Furthermore, you can be dead centre in a surge zone and will be sent jobs 15 minutes away out of the surge zone. It appears from what I am reading here now failure to accept 3rd ping in a row and they will log you off.

Employees or contractors???

 

[UXDriver]

No logging off in melb yet

 

[Graham J]

I don't work Sundays, only day time through the week and Saturdays from about 3pm until 10pm. Look at my statistics for the past six weeks or so with zero surging on Tuesday and Wednesday. I have always found it too stressful to chase the surge but since the introduction of the heat map surge has declined significantly and as joffie has commented there are longer and longer ping times. Longer ping times come from the fact that there are far less drivers on the road during the week because Uber cut our rates and there is little or no surge but Uber will not invoke Surge in fear of pushing the business users back to taxis so the mugs who are still left are accepting stupid ping times

 

[LevelX]

Another thing I've noticed is that I get a stack of far away jobs at once, then I get bumped offline. It's like they are trying to bump me offline.

Correct, three jobs not accepted in a row, regardless of the time 'period' equals a 2 min ban from any new jobs. Could be punishment, could be just incase you're away from your phone/car to stop them pinging you.

They don't surge when they should,

Correct, the ping times have gotten larger and larger.... Uber is trying to flatten out the surge for the paxs etc by bring in uber drivers from far and wide!

Furthermore, you can be dead centre in a surge zone and will be sent jobs 15 minutes away out of the surge zone.

Had this MANY times before......

Today, Ringwood was a 2x surge at 9am. I'm like what!? So I jumped online, and the surge disappeared. Looked at the pax app, no cars around the area, fair enough. Guessed why it was surging. But also no jobs! Once I came online, the surge went within a min, and no jobs. So no paxs waiting for the surge to end! I was the only car in about 10-15mins in all directions. (hence the surge to start with).

So surge area doesn't always mean you'll get surge jobs!

Also surge areas come and go so fast, its not funny anymore!

It appears from what I am reading here now failure to accept 3rd ping in a row and they will log you off.

Not logged off..... Just 'banned' for getting new job requests for 2 mins. If you do log off, you won't be able to log back on until the 2 mins is up. This is a way to test if you're in a mini ban period from not accepting if you want to.

so the mugs who are still left are accepting stupid ping times

Agreed with everything you say, but my daytime limit for non surge is <10 mins. Normally its about 5-8 mins.

I would take a 15min job if it was surging or Uber cut its fee to 10% on that job, but nooooo Uber won't do that!

 

[Graham J]

When I started this caper I promised myself that I would never reject a ping, nor would I complain about the length of the ride. I also always thought that surge is largely, as Hammy would put it, pure bullshit. However I'm starting to reevaluate things now because ping times approaching 30 minutes are plain ridiculous. Are Uber hell-bent on chasing us away from their business?

 

[LevelX]

Agreed Graham J I had the same rules. But I have changed that as well, with these crazy long pings for possible 'short' trips in the burbs. Drive from Ringwood out to Lilydale (gasp near that speed camera again), to take someone to the train station!? Hell no!

I don't chase surges, but if they are around or very close by ie a few mins at most, I've started to go offline and wonder over to them, to reappear online. Sadly I find I'm often sitting in a surge area and not seeing much action or getting pings 15 mins away for non surge jobs (then getting locked out for 2 mins for not accepting them!). But as soon as the surge goes, bam, requests from everywhere!!

Paxs have woken up that surges come and go so quick now and that the pax app lies when it says the surge will last for 10mins.

I've been watching the surge maps (have it zoomed out a lot while online) and they come and go so fast its silly for everyone!

Are Uber hell-bent on chasing us away from their business?

It appears so! Wait till the next 'pay cut' comes in!

 

[joffie]

I had a nice 2.3 surge today from Glen Waverley to Burwood Deakin. Cause the Monash was closed took 30 minutes for the trip on Burwood Highway so got $40 before I even started work.

Amazing how many Uber drivers are in Ringwood now

 

[LevelX]

Had a group go there today, exams on today or something.

Lots of drivers live out here, but no drivers in the area! Eta is 10mins for a pickup

 

[joffie]

Yeah its not worth hanging around in that area unless its a sat night and you get a surge trip into city. Did one a few weeks ago got like 95 haha.
But useless during the day as most people have cars.

 

[UXDriver]

Shopping centre requests
Train stations

Cancel unless less than a 2km drive away as they will be min fare trips

 

[joffie]

Correct most train station pickups will be short trips. Usually the cancel fee is more ;-)

And.. school kids... always short trips

Shopping centre - I made the mistake of picking up 2 girls on a 2.3 surge in heavy rain. They loaded the car FULL with shopping from coles for a 3KM trip. I think I got $20 for that trip but hell no would never pick up non surge from shopping centre.

One time I picked up a guy from the same place to his house and he gave me a slice of pizza

 

[TbirdUber]

Correct most train station pickups will be short trips. Usually the cancel fee is more ;-)

And.. school kids... always short trips

Aren't most school kids under 18 and should be accompanied by an adult?

 

[joffie]

Rich asian parents = send kids on UBER from their 2 million dollar home

 

[Graham J]

At the risk of offending all you "surge hounds" I would like to the whole surge thing to disappear! Increase the rates by 15% - 20% and have a peak and offpeak rate. More certainty for us and more certainty for the riders! As many of you have observed most of the smart riders have worked it out so getting a big surge fare is going to become the exception. Through the week, as my graph shows, the surge has almost disappeared.

 

[Graham J]

Oh joffie, you are so right and those rich kids are arrogant, nasty little snots who I would like to give a back-hander to but I don't want to end up like John

 

[malbi]

I like the new dynamic surge. Last night around 5:30pm I decided to go to Coles for some food. I checked Uber as I picked up my keys to find that it was tomato red around the MCG and surrounding suburbs. So online I went and did trip after trip with good surges in many of them. At 9pm I needed a loo break and something to eat. So I went offline, steered home, ate my dinner and then headed out again for some more fun. I finished up with my best day ever (well since January when I started) adding on some great work from the morning. I never did make it to Coles.

No the surges aren't on all the time, but they do what they are meant to do. They got me out driving and I made a good amount of money. An off-peak rate would never have done that.

 

[LevelX]

Correct most train station pickups will be short trips.

Started on Sunday afternoon, hadn't even gotten out the drive and a ping... Hmmm Ringwood Station. Ok not that far away I guess and its something to start the day with, and yes most likely a trip 'home' or down to box hill as the train line was closed that weekend between Ringwood/Box Hill.

Rock up, 4 footy goers, ok a trip to box hill I'm thinking.... They get in.... Nope, a trip to swan st for pre game drinks. WIN!

So this time, not bad, but yes when the trains are running they are all normally bad from stations

And.. school kids... always short trips

There is another thread going I'm in and its in the Uber terms and conditions, that we are not allowed to take under 18 years by themselves. They have to be with the account holder, and a account holder has to be OVER 18.... So it has me wondering how a lot of these 'younger' high school kids are getting Uber accounts. Guessing mummy and daddy are coughing up the credit card for them.

Playing by the rules, we shouldn't be taking little miss or master to school! or those teen things around either.

At the risk of offending all you "surge hounds" I would like to the whole surge thing to disappear! Increase the rates by 15% - 20% and have a peak and offpeak rate.

I would love to see rates raised, and a off peak/peak, basically Mon-Fri off peak and then a peak Fri night -> Sun night. with maybe a bit of peak period in the evening on thur from 6-10pm or something.

It will still bring drivers out, and will help with paxs not having to worry about surges etc. who are the same ones that just wait out the surge now, and with the surge coming and going so FAST, its worth their while to wait 5 mins.... But with this new model, they have no choice.

 

[sporadic]

Well, there was that 60 min ETA that I posted out in the Diggers Rest area yesterday

Wonder why they put on the pax app that the surge rate will change in the next 10 min when it's more like 2 min.

I'd take a 9 min ETA on a gamble for a destination filter non-surge though!