[jeffel]

So last night I got a long trip request. I thought, "Great. I'll drive them an hour or so away, make a killing, and then be home in time to get a good night's sleep." Boy was I wrong. The pax was going from my home area in northern Delaware down to the DC suburbs. Uber said this was a 2 hour trip. On a normal day, that's about right. But anyone who lives on the East coast knows that last night a storm rolled in that blew down any loose tree and knocked out power to 100s of thousands. My passenger was completely unaware of this.

I checked Google to get a better estimate of the time. I had heard that I-95 was closed, and Google confirmed this. But it also said that this would only add about half an hour to the trip. So we were off. Google was wrong. Everything went smoothly for the first half hour, though we were constantly being rerouted around downed trees. Then we hit traffic. This was the worst traffic I have ever been in. We moved 3 miles in three hours. My passenger could barely speak English and could not comprehend why I wasn't taking the interstate. I mentioned wind and downed trees, but it didn't help.

As we drove, Google kept increasing the ETA. Every time I would tell her how long it was going to take, she seemed to think it was funny. I don't mind driving for long periods, but this was more like 30 minutes of idling followed by moving a tenth of a mile, or less. Truckers were pulling off to the side and sleeping. I contemplated telling her that I was calling it quits and taking her back, but then I had no idea how that would work. I thought about possible refunds and her complaining. With her not understanding English, I wondered if she would tell Uber that I just took a bad route and then didn't even complete the trip. I didn't want to have wasted hours of time and gas for 0 profit. I felt like a prisoner in my own car.

Uber ended the trip after 4 hours and only 30 miles. But I couldn't leave her on the side of route 40, so we kept going. After another hour, we finally got past the traffic and began the last 90 minutes of real driving. She slept. I tried not to. All in all we spent 6 and a half hours driving about 100 miles, and then I had to turn around and go home. I got home at 7AM. Not exactly my idea of an awesome all-nighter.

 

[YukonDew]

Wow, I thought I had some sh***y luck with a few of my "one more pax" line ups.... you, my friend, have set the bar to a new level that I hope never to experience!

 

[mark_mark]

So last night I got a long trip request. I thought, "Great. I'll drive them an hour or so away, make a killing, and then be home in time to get a good night's sleep." Boy was I wrong. The pax was going from my home area in northern Delaware down to the DC suburbs. Uber said this was a 2 hour trip. On a normal day, that's about right. But anyone who lives on the East coast knows that last night a storm rolled in that blew down any loose tree and knocked out power to 100s of thousands. My passenger was completely unaware of this.

I checked Google to get a better estimate of the time. I had heard that I-95 was closed, and Google confirmed this. But it also said that this would only add about half an hour to the trip. So we were off. Google was wrong. Everything went smoothly for the first half hour, though we were constantly being rerouted around downed trees. Then we hit traffic. This was the worst traffic I have ever been in. We moved 3 miles in three hours. My passenger could barely speak English and could not comprehend why I wasn't taking the interstate. I mentioned wind and downed trees, but it didn't help.

As we drove, Google kept increasing the ETA. Every time I would tell her how long it was going to take, she seemed to think it was funny. I don't mind driving for long periods, but this was more like 30 minutes of idling followed by moving a tenth of a mile, or less. Truckers were pulling off to the side and sleeping. I contemplated telling her that I was calling it quits and taking her back, but then I had no idea how that would work. I thought about possible refunds and her complaining. With her not understanding English, I wondered if she would tell Uber that I just took a bad route and then didn't even complete the trip. I didn't want to have wasted hours of time and gas for 0 profit. I felt like a prisoner in my own car.

Uber ended the trip after 4 hours and only 30 miles. But I couldn't leave her on the side of route 40, so we kept going. After another hour, we finally got past the traffic and began the last 90 minutes of real driving. She slept. I tried not to. All in all we spent 6 and a half hours driving about 100 miles, and then I had to turn around and go home. I got home at 7AM. Not exactly my idea of an awesome all-nighter.

good stoomy story! contact Uber to get rest of your ride

 

[nickd8775]

Was there a surge?

 

[jeffel]

Was there a surge?

I wish. There was 4x surge in a close by area, but not at the pick up point. Definitely would have made it feel a little less like wasted time had there been.

 

[1.5xorbust]

I hate to ask if there was a tip because I know there wasn’t. I’m glad you made it home safely.

 

[jeffel]

I hate to ask if there was a tip because I know there wasn't. I'm glad you made it home safely.

Yeah. No tip. I think I can consider myself lucky that she offered to pay me cash rather than making me fight with Uber for the rest of the fare. I honestly have no idea if/when I would have gotten that.

 

[Pawtism]

Yeah. No tip. I think I can consider myself lucky that she offered to pay me cash rather than making me fight with Uber for the rest of the fare. I honestly have no idea if/when I would have gotten that.

Glad to hear she got you taken care of at least. As that storm was certainly something Uber would have been aware of (and you can prove the highway was closed, and as you said what were you supposed to do, leave her on the side of the road?) , I think you would have been able to get it, eventually. But it's better that you don't have to have that process, it likely would have been a fight to get it.

 

[Mars Troll Number 4]

Once you hit the 4 hour mark find the nearest 711 and give them the boot.

It's not safe to drive the customer with no insurance. And spending 9 months battleing James River arguing that the customer was still in the car, that's not same as being insured.

Yes... insurance DOES stay on until the customer leaves the car.

BUT.. and this is a big huge fat but,

That's a several week long to a several month long argument with James River/uber to win that. And you might still lose.


And losing an argument over the existence of a customer in your car?

I've lost that argument before.

 

[Bozzy]

My passenger could barely speak English and could not comprehend why I wasn't taking the interstate.

This is why I downloaded Google Translate. I've only had to use it once but it saved a huge headache even though the translations were a bit broken we were able to understand each-other.

 

[ImSkittles]

Once you hit the 4 hour mark find the nearest 711 and give them the boot.

It's not safe to drive the customer with no insurance. And spending 9 months battleing James River arguing that the customer was still in the car, that's not same as being insured.

Yes... insurance DOES stay on until the customer leaves the car.

BUT.. and this is a big huge fat but,

That's a several week long to a several month long argument with James River/uber to win that. And you might still lose.

And losing an argument over the existence of a customer in your car?

I've lost that argument before.

I'm a bit confused why some people say the drivers have no insurance when an incident like this happens. Aren't the drivers required to carry their own insurance also? I've seen other posters mention they have State Farm. Doesn't State Farm cover passengers in your car?

It seems to me that this would be a fight between the two insurance companies as to which one will take on the responsibility. Drivers should be off the hook... Isn't that why they have the insurance to begin with?

I would think the passenger is either an Uber paying customer (James River problem) or a passenger (State Farm problem). Either way, it shouldn't be the drivers problem... that's why s/he pays the premiums. At least that's how I see it, I may be missing something here.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

I picked up a pax at 4:00 AM on Saturday in the DC area at a transit station.
He said he got on the bus from NYC at 6:00 that evening!
Lots of trouble on I-95 Friday night.

It's not safe to drive the customer with no insurance. And spending 9 months battleing James River arguing that the customer was still in the car, that's not same as being insured.

James River is supposed to be your secondary insurance, and it doesn't even cover everything.
You are supposed to (legally, too, I believe) carry your own (e.g. commercial) insurance policy.
Mine is from GEICO. About $150/month (also includes personal use).

 

[upyouruber]

So last night I got a long trip request. I thought, "Great. I'll drive them an hour or so away, make a killing, and then be home in time to get a good night's sleep." Boy was I wrong. The pax was going from my home area in northern Delaware down to the DC suburbs. Uber said this was a 2 hour trip. On a normal day, that's about right. But anyone who lives on the East coast knows that last night a storm rolled in that blew down any loose tree and knocked out power to 100s of thousands. My passenger was completely unaware of this.

I checked Google to get a better estimate of the time. I had heard that I-95 was closed, and Google confirmed this. But it also said that this would only add about half an hour to the trip. So we were off. Google was wrong. Everything went smoothly for the first half hour, though we were constantly being rerouted around downed trees. Then we hit traffic. This was the worst traffic I have ever been in. We moved 3 miles in three hours. My passenger could barely speak English and could not comprehend why I wasn't taking the interstate. I mentioned wind and downed trees, but it didn't help.

As we drove, Google kept increasing the ETA. Every time I would tell her how long it was going to take, she seemed to think it was funny. I don't mind driving for long periods, but this was more like 30 minutes of idling followed by moving a tenth of a mile, or less. Truckers were pulling off to the side and sleeping. I contemplated telling her that I was calling it quits and taking her back, but then I had no idea how that would work. I thought about possible refunds and her complaining. With her not understanding English, I wondered if she would tell Uber that I just took a bad route and then didn't even complete the trip. I didn't want to have wasted hours of time and gas for 0 profit. I felt like a prisoner in my own car.

Uber ended the trip after 4 hours and only 30 miles. But I couldn't leave her on the side of route 40, so we kept going. After another hour, we finally got past the traffic and began the last 90 minutes of real driving. She slept. I tried not to. All in all we spent 6 and a half hours driving about 100 miles, and then I had to turn around and go home. I got home at 7AM. Not exactly my idea of an awesome all-nighter.

Holy cow, what a nightmare trip!

 

[jeffel]

Once you hit the 4 hour mark find the nearest 711 and give them the boot.

It's not safe to drive the customer with no insurance. And spending 9 months battleing James River arguing that the customer was still in the car, that's not same as being insured.

Yes... insurance DOES stay on until the customer leaves the car.

BUT.. and this is a big huge fat but,

That's a several week long to a several month long argument with James River/uber to win that. And you might still lose.

And losing an argument over the existence of a customer in your car?

I've lost that argument before.

While I understand this in principle, in practice it is much more complicated. It took another hour after the trip ended before we had even moved far enough to see businesses. And then we were in some random town in central Maryland. With the traffic situation, the chance of her being able to get another Uber was next to none. So essentially I would have been stranding her in the cold in an unknown place without any transportation. Had she complained about this to Uber, I could see it not only leading to deactivation, but even to a lawsuit. Plus, it just wouldn't be the right thing to do.

 

[Another Uber Driver]

From what the premier news station in The Capital of Your Nation, Dubba'-Tea-0WE-Pea, was saying, there were several tractor-trailers that the wind blew onto their sides on the Susquehanna River Bridge (I think that Maryland calls it the "Tydings Bridge", but I do not know if they named it after Joseph or Millard). There are signs on both sides that warn motorists : "Bridge subject to crosswinds", or something to that effect.. I wonder if Maryland has managed to pick up those trucks, yet.

Sorry to learn that you had a horror trip.

 

[Veju]

Making a killing on Uber never happens.

 

[jeffel]

Making a killing on Uber never happens.

IDK. If I had completed that trip in 2 hours as I would have in normal traffic, I would have gotten about $140. Take out $40 for expenses, and that's still $50 an hour. Not too bad.

 

[Veju]

Assuming you drive 140 miles for that $140 which is generous, you still have to trek back another 140 . That's 280mi x .52/mi= $145. So you would have paid the Rider $5 for the luxury of driving them to DC .

$40 in expenses is what, gas and a coffee?

 

[jeffel]

Assuming you drive 140 miles for that $140 which is generous, you still have to trek back another 140 . That's 280mi x .52/mi= $145. So you would have paid the Rider $5 for the luxury of driving them to DC .

$40 in expenses is what, gas and a coffee?

I know that $0.52 a mile is the standard deduction for mileage, but is that honestly a realistic cost of operation for a typical car? Seems like that's adjusted up to account for heavy vehicles like tow trucks etc. that cost a lot more to operate.

 

[Cableguynoe]

Assuming you drive 140 miles for that $140 which is generous, you still have to trek back another 140 . That's 280mi x .52/mi= $145. So you would have paid the Rider $5 for the luxury of driving them to DC .

Some of you try too hard to prove that drivers don't make money that you start talking nonsense.

How did he pay rider $5?
Rider probably paid $250 for a trip where driver made $140.

And even if they paid $140, they're still out the money.

What riders pay has no relation to our profit/loss