# How do customers know the car that stops is their Uber ride? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 1, 2019, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832 "2019-04-01T00:45:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/41 "2019-04-02T16:47:19Z")
> [@Falchion](#): > > Is there any way to opt out of a ride that is too far away? For example, I saw a story this morning about a baseball player who got called up last night and hopped in an Uber for a ride from Scranton, PA to Yankee Stadium. It’s a fun story, but you could imagine a Scranton uber driver who might not want to make a three hour drive to the Bronx. Is he just stuck with it? The rideshare company is supposed to let you know if you are going out of state because you are not allowed to accept rides in another state due to insurance issues. Still I might take a ride like that just for the story. I gots lots of rideshare stories. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/42 "2019-04-02T16:58:03Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Yes, so the drivers can’t cherry pick sweet rides or decline sucky ones. I can understand a driver not wanting to drive anyone to the Shitty Part Of Town. But it doesn’t make sense to compel a driver who’s just cruising to his local coffee shop to accept a 50-mile drive to the airport without first knowing the passenger’s destination. Why would anyone drive for Uber on those terms? ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/43 "2019-04-02T17:10:14Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > I admit I haven’t looked at that thread, but could you clarify: Is this an officially approved way that the drivers know the destination in advance, and can they know the destination before they accept the ride? (Or before they pick up?) > > When I was driving a taxi in L.A., this was (and I’m sure it still is), a fundamental principle L.A. Department of Transportation regulations. Drivers were never to know the destination of the rides offered on the dispatch, and drivers can never refuse to take a passenger after learning of the destination–precisely to prevent the cherry picking which **jnglmassiv** mentions. > > I have the same question as **Colibri** about Uber drivers accepting an order and then bailing out at the last minute. Could it be that they have discovered the destination and don’t want the ride? This happened to me once. I was with a group of friends going to Santa Monica for a concert, and Obama was in town (so traffic was a nightmare). Uber driver arrived, learned where we were going & said we’d have to request another Uber because he had to work at 6 (we called around 4 & I presume he had another job). On another note, the college student who was killed was apparently trapped inside the car once she got in & shut the door, as the killer had the child locks on. I wonder at what point she realized that he was not there to drive her to her destination & if she tried to escape or call 911. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/44 "2019-04-02T17:55:56Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I can understand a driver not wanting to drive anyone to the Shitty Part Of Town. But it doesn’t make sense to compel a driver who’s just cruising to his local coffee shop to accept a 50-mile drive to the airport without first knowing the passenger’s destination. Why would anyone drive for Uber on those terms? They do have an option of setting up the app so it only gives you rides to a certain location. So if you do end up at the airport you can sit there and wait for a ride going towards your area. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/45 "2019-04-03T12:06:10Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Good to know. > > Maybe someone can explain something that has happened to me a few times. I’ll have accepted a ride, and the driver is heading my way. But after a few minutes, that driver may drop out, and some other driver now is shown for the ride. (One time this happened to me when I was heading to the airport early in the morning. The switch caused an apparent delay in getting picked up of 10-15 minutes, which could have been serious.) What was going on there? Did the first driver cancel for some reason? He could have to go to the bathroom or get gas. Knowing he would be late to pick you up he cancelled. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/46 "2019-04-03T14:20:34Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I can understand a driver not wanting to drive anyone to the Shitty Part Of Town. But it doesn’t make sense to compel a driver who’s just cruising to his local coffee shop to accept a 50-mile drive to the airport without first knowing the passenger’s destination. Why would anyone drive for Uber on those terms? I’m not sure I get this question. Uber/Lyft are essentially taxi services (regardless of what they want to say). The vast majority of drivers aren’t just picking up a ride to go along with them to get coffee. They’re out there for hours at a time. They do have a “going my way” function which I’ve heard some Lyft drivers talk about, but that’s primarily something to use at the end of your shift, to pick up a ride heading back towards your home. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/47 "2019-04-03T15:23:32Z")
Any ride over 45 min duration will notify the driver before accepting in my market. usually I will call the rider to confirm destination and attempt to negotiate a return fee as its rare that an inter-city run will get a passenger on the way back. driving back empty is not cost effective even in my 2018 Chevrolet Volt PHEV. Example from this weekend: im in Fresno, CA. I get a rider who wants to go to Visalia, CA approximately 40 miles south of my main stomping grounds. I call to confirm and ask for $30 on top of ubers fee, he agrees. I pick him up, he gives me the cash, off we go. (I make around $25/hr figuring an hour back, round up a bit.) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/48 "2019-04-03T15:42:34Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > He could have canceled or the Uber app could have seen there was a closer driver available for you and a closer passenger available for him. I could see that the new driver wasn’t closer, and as I mentioned, the pickup actually was considerably delayed, so the cancellation or switch wasn’t for my benefit. > [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > He could have to go to the bathroom or get gas. Knowing he would be late to pick you up he cancelled. Unlikely here in Panama. Actually, not worrying about the driver having to stop and get gas is one of the benefits of taking Uber here. Many regular cabbies buy gas $2 at a time (I am not exaggerating) and often tell me they have to stop for gas immediately after picking me up. Most Uber drivers stay gassed up, have enough credit on their toll pass, etc. (This said, one one occasion I did have an Uber driver say he had to stop for the bathroom on the way back from the airport. Even Uber drivers will probably pick you up first rather than lose a fare because they have to stop.) ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/49 "2019-04-03T15:44:54Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Maybe someone can explain something that has happened to me a few times. I’ll have accepted a ride, and the driver is heading my way. But after a few minutes, that driver may drop out, and some other driver now is shown for the ride. (One time this happened to me when I was heading to the airport early in the morning. The switch caused an apparent delay in getting picked up of 10-15 minutes, which could have been serious.) What was going on there? Did the first driver cancel for some reason? How far away was the first driver? In my area the standard wisdom is what we call the 3/7 rule. 3 miles or 7 minutes. if its further away, decline the call. This helps avoid spending more time/effort/fuel chasing calls that will not generate sufficient fares to be worthwhile. Some of us sit down with excel and a few drivers trip histories and figure out the average rides for our area. Formulas for optimal rides vary for every market and can be fine tuned for every driver. I for example do 5mi/10min but I have a plug in hybrid that can run for 60 miles on battery alone and access to free public chargers a 7 minute walk from home (Chevrolet Volt) I average about 60mpg with batteries blended in. Another common issue is multiple rideshare platforms. if a more lucrative looking call pops up on Uber, a driver may cancel on a lyft pickup or vice versa. We actually had a situation where a driver locally physically removed a passenger from his vehicle to chase a high value surge on uber rather than finishing his current passenger on lyft. It didnt go well, that driver is in jail awaiting trial for Assault/battery/etc. it was new years eve, At that time lyft rates were about +50% where uber was surging at 4-5x for several hours (a $10 ride is going for $40-50). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/50 "2019-04-03T16:50:18Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > How far away was the first driver? It was a while back, so I’m not sure exactly. It could have been more than 7 minutes. But he was even farther away when he accepted it, and seemed to be heading in my direction. But maybe he saw a closer fare. There were only 4-5 Ubers visible near me. He probably wouldn’t have canceled if he knew I was going to the airport, since that’s probably the longest common trip around here. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/51 "2019-04-03T21:00:50Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Video of her getting into the car at bottom of page: [Samantha Josephson: Cause of death of USC student revealed](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/04/01/samantha-josephson-video-shows-her-entering-car-accused-killer/3329523002/) > > I notice the car doesn’t have a front license plate (SC doesn’t require front plates). I’d imagine this tends to encourage a lot of Uber/Lyft riders in rear-plate-only states to not check and just assume a car that pulls up next to them that resembles what’s on their app is their ride. I really wish that Uber/Lyft required their drivers to display a front license plate. There are just too many maroon or silver Hyundai sedans out there that you can assume it’s yours, so we’ve had to walk around the car to see the back plate. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/52 "2019-04-03T21:04:22Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > I really wish that Uber/Lyft required their drivers to display a front license plate. There are just too many maroon or silver Hyundai sedans out there that you can assume it’s yours, so we’ve had to walk around the car to see the back plate. Or you could just ask his name and see if it matches the driver’s name listed in the app. And ask him to tell you your name (also from the app). ---
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/53 "2019-04-03T21:40:35Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Or you could just ask his name and see if it matches the driver’s name listed in the app. And ask him to tell you your name (also from the app). This will get you with the correct driver, but you still want to verify the car is physically the correct one. It’s unusual but still happens that a driver improperly uses a different car, or worse, lets one of their friends drive under their account. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/54 "2019-04-04T12:44:37Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > I really wish that Uber/Lyft required their drivers to display a front license plate. There are just too many maroon or silver Hyundai sedans out there that you can assume it’s yours, so we’ve had to walk around the car to see the back plate. Is it possible to get front license plates in one-plate states? I know that in Michigan, it’s not possible to get a duplicate plate for the front of the vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2019, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/55 "2019-04-05T12:20:39Z")
> [@Cleophus](#): > > This will get you with the correct driver, but you still want to verify the car is physically the correct one. It’s unusual but still happens that a driver improperly uses a different car, or worse, lets one of their friends drive under their account. Uber and Lyft periodically has a driver stop and confirm their identity by having them do a live action photo of their face. Driving incorrect cars is not unheard of because they may have an older car that could not pass inspection and do not want to put miles on the good car. Also their car may be in the shop because of all the abuse from driving in a city all day. There are ways to switch cars but it involves getting both cars to pass a safety inspection. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2019, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/56 "2019-04-05T12:44:53Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Is it possible to get front license plates in one-plate states? I know that in Michigan, it’s not possible to get a duplicate plate for the front of the vehicle. :dubious: I have a personalized Michigan plate that was damaged in a crash a few years ago. I went to the secretary of state (what we call the DMV in Michigan) and ordered/paid for a replacement, and they sent it to me no questions asked. They didn’t ask to see or confiscate the crash-damaged plate. IOW, it is possible to get a duplicate plate in Michigan (at least not if you are dealing with a personalized plate). ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2019, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/57 "2019-04-05T13:40:28Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Really? I enter the destination when I am requesting the ride. If it’s near the end of your workday, how do you know that the destination isn’t an hour away, and farther than you want to go? Do Uber drivers have to accept calls at random, without knowing the destination? > [@Falchion](#): > > Is there any way to opt out of a ride that is too far away? For example, I saw a story this morning about a baseball player who got called up last night and hopped in an Uber for a ride from Scranton, PA to Yankee Stadium. It’s a fun story, but you could imagine a Scranton uber driver who might not want to make a three hour drive to the Bronx. Is he just stuck with it? I got a little disturbed when I found out about this policy, because I’ve used Uber for some long trips, once out of state. And I’m considerate to a fault and always assumed that the driver knew he was going to be taking me from NYC to central Connecticut or the east end of Long Island before he picked me up. Then I found out about this policy. So, what I do now is as soon as they tell me my ride is on the way, I text the driver and tell him where I’m heading. If I’m understanding correctly, this gives him the opportunity to cancel (though they may penalize drivers that cancel too often). I also tell him if I’m transporting anything other than my person to any non-airport destination, ( ie…I have several large parcels). Then one day I got the driver that was THRILLED when he found out I was going to Long Island, it was his last ride of the day and he lived there. It made me feel better about the process, ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/58 "2019-04-05T14:02:30Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > I got a little disturbed when I found out about this policy, because I’ve used Uber for some long trips, once out of state. And I’m considerate to a fault and always assumed that the driver knew he was going to be taking me from NYC to central Connecticut or the east end of Long Island before he picked me up. Then I found out about this policy. I just found out about it in this thread. It’s apparently not a huge problem, since there is no shortage of people willing to be Uber drivers. But I can’t imagine myself being an Uber driver and accepting a request for a ride without knowing (in advance of acceptance) exactly what the destination is. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2019, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/59 "2019-04-05T14:32:19Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I just found out about it in this thread. It’s apparently not a huge problem, since there is no shortage of people willing to be Uber drivers. But I can’t imagine myself being an Uber driver and accepting a request for a ride without knowing (in advance of acceptance) exactly what the destination is. I think the reason it works is because it’s very rarely a drive to Connecticut or the Eastern end of Long Island or from Scranton to Yankee Stadium. That ride from Scranton to Yankee Stadium was $170 and the actual travel time wasn’t much different than taking a much less expensive train or bus. It kind of makes sense if you find out at 6 pm that you need to get there as soon as possible, but it makes much less sense to do it if you have enough notice to take the train. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2019, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832/60 "2019-04-05T14:51:00Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I just found out about it in this thread. It’s apparently not a huge problem, since there is no shortage of people willing to be Uber drivers. But I can’t imagine myself being an Uber driver and accepting a request for a ride without knowing (in advance of acceptance) exactly what the destination is. Regular cabbies don’t know that either until they ask “Where to, Mac?” (Here in Panama if I use a yellow cab at rush hour I tell them the destination before I get in, because some drivers will refuse to go to an area that has traffic jams,. This is less of an issue for Uber drivers since they are paid for time as well as distance. Yellow cabs putatively use a Zone system but basically make up the fare when you get in. There is a recognized “gringo surcharge,” but since I know what the approximate fare should be I can mostly avoid it.;)) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-customers-know-the-car-that-stops-is-their-uber-ride/831832.md?page=4)