As a side gig I got signed up to drive with uber.com a fairly well known internet/smartphone app based car service. It just opened in my city about a month ago, this was my third weekend and last night was the first night that was not part of the initial promotion (first 6 rides up to $25 each free) and it was fairly busy so it looks like it might survive here.
So now that I am a grizzled vet and know everything I figured i would post here and share my hard earned wisdom with the masses.
Last night $168 +$17 in tips 7pm-2am after ubers cut ($33) and gas ($34) $118 for 7 hours of a really easy job.
As a fun side note…a cab driver attempted to insult me last night… it didnt work. I basically try to play like I am the worlds cheapest limo. I open doors, I have two umbrellas and happily walked folks up to the door of the club in the rain, and generally try to make it a better experience than typical taxi. I think he just didn’t like that we tended to extend those courtesies when the average cab driver does not.
Do you think that using your phone to receive pick up requests leads to distracted driving?
How are Uber drivers screened? Meaning- do they do a background check for DUI convictions for example or make sure you have some idea of what you’re doing?
I don’t know anything about Fresno, CA, but do you think Uber is worth it in cities such as NYC where there are tons of transportation options?
I live in NYC and I’ve had discussions with my friends about Uber and it seems like my only friends who use it are my friends who are heavy drinkers. One of my friends told me it’s nice to have someone waiting outside for them after an all you can drink brunch. I guess if one is totally wasted it may be difficult to hail a regular cab or make it home on the subway.
Completely anecdotal, I don’t want to imply that all Uber drivers are bad drivers, but the only time I’ve ever noticed an Uber driver was a guy who looked like he was trying to do a U-turn on a one way street and everyone was honking at him. Seeing that inspired my question as to whether or not they make sure drivers actually know how to drive and get around the city.
Do you hold some type of commercial driving license? How is what you do different from a typical taxi driver, and are you subject to the same regulations?
I have an iphone provided by uber that is mounted on my dash, all my dispatch and metering is handled by that phone and it only runs their app. I will not touch my personal phone while I have a passenger.
As far as review process, I had to give permission for a criminal background check. There was no driving test or interview. I think they let the rating system weed out the idiots. Drivers who do not consistently rate over 4.6 on a 1-5 scale can be dropped from the service. Currently 4.72 for me.
The nyc thing I do not know as I have never been there and know nothing about the transportation environment there. I get the idea that cabs handle ALOT of heavy drinkers so it makes sense we see alot of it too.
Fundamentally we are taxi drivers from my pov. Just ones who hold ourselves to a little higher standard and drive our own vehicles. I do not have a taxi licence and as I understand it we do not need to as we have no mechanism for “picking up” random clients off the street. I cannot be “hailed” and we have no way to initiate a ride we can only requested via customers smartphone app. I cant run a credit card on my own, etc.
Taxi licences here are just a fee anyway…no specialized testing
We do! I have only seen one customer who was not 5 star rated…(4.1). The whole trip he groused about how obama was destroying the country, and handing it over “to the jews, niggers, wetbacks and everyone but the hard working white folk that made this country great”. I gave him a 5 anyway, I get paid to drive not judge his ideology, and he did tip well.
Had this discussion with my insurance guy thursday. His comment was as long as uber was providing liability coverage that my insurance carrier would most likely still cover me and my vehicle in the event of an accident. My carrier would not touch a liability claim from a paying passenger it would all fall on uber. I am covered for all flavors of driving liability (just not me or my vehicle) by uber from the time I accept a call until the time I drop the customers off.
I love uber - when I was in La Jolla in January - there was no way I would have been able to flag down a taxi at night where I was. It took three minutes one time and I think 7 the other.
I’ve used it other places as well and the Drivers have been better than any cab driver except maybe one or two in London.
I live in the outskirts of my local city - and normally wouldn’t need a cab - but when I’ve checked uber - the availability is hit or miss. It appears that they are using an algo that says:
Check to see if any driver is within 30 minutes of your current location
If so - show x number of drivers within 30 minutes - if not - show nothing available.
Is this how it works (but opposite) from your end?
Can you see people more than 30 minutes away?
You may want to look into Uber’s coverage more closely. Do they offer a high enough level of coverage? I’d want to get in writing from your carrier what they’ll cover you for. Most carriers will not cover you for commercial use of your own vehicle.
