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1K views 19 replies 4 participants last post by  jfinks 
#1 ·
When I see Kansas City International airport as a drop off location, it used to be exciting. Not anymore. Now days I don't even want to take riders that far and come back empty. Unless I have to wait there minimum for two hours there is no way I would pick up anyone back to the city. I feel like I am giving ride for half the price with already low fare.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Yep, that works. I think we should all just boycott the airport collectively until we can use the Cell Phone lot again. Give rides there, but never go and wait.

I say that then next time I go to airport what do I do? Go to lot C. :) Really during peak airport traffic hours I've never waited more than 20-30 minutes or so no matter how many were in queue.
 
#5 ·
You won't drive back empty. After an airport run:

I usually drive to Barry Road and wait.

If within 10 minutes I don't get a ping, then I drive over towards Briarcliff and hang out there.

If within 10 minutes I don't get a ping, then then North Kansas City and wait off of MO9 somewhere.

Only in the rarest of circumstances do I have to actually go into KC to get a ping. Maybe 10% of the time do I make it that far. 60-70% of the time I'm busy from a ping near Barry Road.

[NG]Owner
 
#6 ·
Yep, the north can be quite busy on Friday/Sat nights. It is a lot like OP/Leawood. People up there go into the city for entertainment.

I never go up north except if a ride takes me there. Once I am there I stay busy. Just watch pickup distances, a lot are a long ways away, even further north. Don't accept stacked pings since they don't give much info on pickup location/rider.
 
#7 ·
I don't want to sound negative but after all these expenses there is not much here to gain. Only riders are getting the best of this rideshare thing. Uber-Lyft will not increase the rate anytime soon. We drivers need to exchange ideas to help each other. Thank you for sharing.
 
#8 ·
There is money to be made, in a solid 8 hours with a break in the middle you can do well over $150 with no surge. Add some surge and tips in there and you'd push $200. Now this is on a Fri/Sat night. It wont happen on a week day/night. Ya if you take expenses like $20 in gas and some accelerated wear and tear it would eat into that, but you do get refunded about most of that cost. You just have to weather out the year and wait until tax season.

There is money to be made, in a solid 8 hours with a break in the middle you can do well over $150 with no surge. Add some surge and tips in there and you'd push $200. Now this is on a Fri/Sat night. It wont happen on a week day/night. Ya if you take expenses like $20 in gas and some accelerated wear and tear it would eat into that, but you do get refunded about most of that cost. You just have to weather out the year and wait until tax season.
It is a 3rd shift job for sure most of the time on Uber X.
 
#10 ·
It isn't 10 hours at the grind like you would be flipping burgers. 10 hours online is maybe 5-6 hours real work, with pax in tow.

You are only out the 10 hours where you could be doing something else you like to do. But if I'm going to be laying on the couch watching TV making nothing, I'd rather be out making something, at least part of the time.
 
#12 ·
I guess it depends on what vehicle and your expenses. I'm driving a fully depreciated vehicle. It does the job and a lot of people say it is much nicer than some other newer smaller cars they have had.

I agree the base rate should be higher and I blast Uber every time when they give me that little survey. But the low per mile rate makes sense when it surges. There is still money to be made even at the about 80c per mile when you include time. In 160 miles I am going to burn through less than $20 in gas. Those are your hard right now costs. I make that in tips most nights.
 
#13 ·
In my opinion if the rate goes up just a little bit there will be the same number of riders and drivers in the system. People are not using Uber or Lyft because it is cheap rather it is convenient and much better than Taxis. So if we are paid better it would not hurt riders that much and will keep drivers happier. I just don't get it why Uber can't understand this. I know about the competition but for how long this should go like this?
 
#14 ·
Yep, and it doesn't need to be this cheap. But at the same time the surge needs capped so rates don't get out of hand in high demand times. If the base rate was more reasonable I wouldn't have any problems with the surge getting capped at about 3x. This would mean 1x is normal demand, 2x is high demand and 3x is extreme demand. Even at 3x Uber would be more expensive than a cab, but yes, much more convenient than taxi service.

Though Cab companies are evolving and actually getting better due to Uber/ride share competition. Z trips and 10/10 are decent rides these days.
 
#15 ·
Nowdays I see newer and nice looking Z-Trip cars on the road. Uber cars are becoming older and sometimes not clean.
My car has almost 200k miles on it. Where is that money come from when it is time to replace it? How about you? Are you saving?
 
#17 ·
Nowdays I see newer and nice looking Z-Trip cars on the road. Uber cars are becoming older and sometimes not clean.
My car has almost 200k miles on it. Where is that money come from when it is time to replace it? How about you? Are you saving?
I got a buddy that goes to dealer auctions. Gotta hit him up for decent ride. My car is about 10 years old but only has about 70k on it so I am 3-4 years away from any car issues at the rate I drive.
 
#16 ·
I think it all depends on how you look at Uber. I drive a newer car, but I got the car for me/family not for Uber. I also have some silly bumper to bumper service plan that covers literally everything included things like oil and lights on it. I didn't get any of this for Uber. So yeah, def adding some miles and ware and tare to the car, but I don't put a lot of miles on it for work. I also will second Jfinks... Uber sure beats working at McDonalds. I do about $14-15 an hour after gas with tips and stuff, I'm not going to pretend like theres a good way to factor in actual wear and tare on the car. Because of the way taxes work I also don't really pay hardly any taxes at all on that after deductions. Factor this against lets say some easy to get part time job thats going to pay me maybe $9? but also make me work a set schedule and lets be fair, as someone who worked Mickey d's it kind of sucks no offense if anyone on here works there now, but I'll take Uber any day over it, plus it pays almost twice as much after taxes and stuff. Its no dream job and its nothing like Uber sells it as, but it is what it is, part time money for not exactly back breaking labor.
 
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