Joined
·
23,341 Posts
That truly is the question...imho. I completely understand how so many Drivers on here want to find a way to earn fair wages for their time and costs. However, I do not believe waiting for surges is the way to do it. And here is why. Whenever there is a surge my ping rate slows to 3-5 minutes, whereas with low (1.2) to no surge I get pinged on Friday & Saturday nights in Los Angeles every 20 - 30 seconds. The exception to that would be midnight to 2am when the bars are closing and people just want to get home - then even 1.5 - 2.0 surge and I am pinged in under a minute. What we have to put up with during those hours a surge is imperative.
Yes driving at regular X rates is just barely minimum wage, but sitting and waiting for a surge can be even worse if one is skipping everything but a surge fare. And, even if there is a surge it might be $7 trip that took, with driving to pick up and waiting for the surge, 20 - 30 minutes.
I gross $20 - $30 an hour on Friday & Saturday nights (5pm - 3am) with 150 to 200 miles total driving (20 to 30 trips) I accept every trip that pings me. Of course if it is 12-15 minutes away (quite rare in L.A.) I will call the Rider and let them know that if they cancel me they will probably get a Ride quicker. If they say they can wait, I will keep the match and pick them up.
I believe Riders skip the surge pure and simple. When Uber is surging I turn on my Lyft App and get a fare pretty quick. Which is ironic because Lyft non-surge rates are the same as Uber at 1.2x surge. And Lyft is not as blatant about their surge. Never had a Lyft pax complain about their surge.
For certain I consistently earn the most on long trips (20-30 miles) and I get 3-4 of those a night by not waiting for a surge...because most pax are not going to take that long of a trip on surge; I wouldn't.
Lastly, I know for certain that Riders ding our Driver Rating with 1 Star when they are hit with a high surge fare. And, just like some Drivers cancel low rated pax, I do not want the hassle of starting my ride up, pulling away from my sweet waiting place, or changing direction, only to get cancelled. I rarely get that and don't like those couple o times a night when it happens.
I had a 2.2x trip @ 2am from DTLA to San Bernardino one night = $151. Warned the App holder's gf that it was going to be expensive, she was like It's okay my bf wants me with him. My Rating fell the next day. Similar one from Hollywood to Costa Mesa on a 1.9 - rating fell the next day.
Yes driving at regular X rates is just barely minimum wage, but sitting and waiting for a surge can be even worse if one is skipping everything but a surge fare. And, even if there is a surge it might be $7 trip that took, with driving to pick up and waiting for the surge, 20 - 30 minutes.
I gross $20 - $30 an hour on Friday & Saturday nights (5pm - 3am) with 150 to 200 miles total driving (20 to 30 trips) I accept every trip that pings me. Of course if it is 12-15 minutes away (quite rare in L.A.) I will call the Rider and let them know that if they cancel me they will probably get a Ride quicker. If they say they can wait, I will keep the match and pick them up.
I believe Riders skip the surge pure and simple. When Uber is surging I turn on my Lyft App and get a fare pretty quick. Which is ironic because Lyft non-surge rates are the same as Uber at 1.2x surge. And Lyft is not as blatant about their surge. Never had a Lyft pax complain about their surge.
For certain I consistently earn the most on long trips (20-30 miles) and I get 3-4 of those a night by not waiting for a surge...because most pax are not going to take that long of a trip on surge; I wouldn't.
Lastly, I know for certain that Riders ding our Driver Rating with 1 Star when they are hit with a high surge fare. And, just like some Drivers cancel low rated pax, I do not want the hassle of starting my ride up, pulling away from my sweet waiting place, or changing direction, only to get cancelled. I rarely get that and don't like those couple o times a night when it happens.
I had a 2.2x trip @ 2am from DTLA to San Bernardino one night = $151. Warned the App holder's gf that it was going to be expensive, she was like It's okay my bf wants me with him. My Rating fell the next day. Similar one from Hollywood to Costa Mesa on a 1.9 - rating fell the next day.
