Uber (or other ride share) Driving

[scubasteveRR]

Been driving for Uber the past couple weeks (also started driving for Lyft yesterday) to make some extra cash as I have loads of free time while my GF is working on her PHd and her part time job.

I was wondering if anyone else here had tried either one of these Apps or thinking about trying one and were curious or had questions...

It's been really great, been making an hourly rate that I'm sort of astonished of (especially last night on New Year Eve, holy shit balls!) I highly recommend it if you have a good car and are looking to make some extra money.

[FriskyDingo]

I've thought about it as I love to just "drive", but I don't even let all of my friends in my car , so strangers would be

Plus I live out in the boonies so I'd need to head up to airport/city which is 25 miles, hillbillies with no truck(or license) walk or ride their sister/daughters bike

[breakdirt916]

Free $15 on your first ride when you sign up with promo code pon41 !!!!

I've talked to all the drivers and it's better when it's in addition to your day job...not replacing it

Also surge fares in target areas (last night I heard of 7x surge) makes good money

[Not Sure]

Someday robots are going to take over all the Uber driver positions so make your money while you can OP.

[R7]

I've used the service, not sure how they really make money on it..unless it's a high surcharge area. I was in NYC 3 weeks ago, called for a car, took them 10 minutes to get there, we were in the car for 12 minutes and charged 1.5x rate and it cost me $8.00. Second one was also in NYC, charged 1.5X, we were in the car for 20 minutes and it was $16. Not sure at the end, what the driver receives, but it can't be the full amount? Great service for the consumer, but fuel, time, wear and tear on your car, insurance, etc...doesn't hardly seem worth it to me

[scubasteveRR]

Free $15 on your first ride when you sign up with promo code pon41 !!!!

I've talked to all the drivers and it's better when it's in addition to your day job...not replacing it

Also surge fares in target areas (last night I heard of 7x surge) makes good money

I concur on the second job thing, I made a bunch of 8.7x fares New Years Eve on South Boston, total for New Years was $344.00 in 3.5 hours. though I made $240 of that in the hour and a half I worked after midnight.

Someday robots are going to take over all the Uber driver positions so make your money while you can OP.

1,000,000% true.... Audi will be the first to test that service here in Somerville! Robots are gonna take everyone's jobs eventually, everyone better make their money whilst they can.
watch this >>>>Humans Need Not Apply

This car will park itself: Somerville, Audi prepare to test self-driving tech | BetaBoston

I've used the service, not sure how they really make money on it..unless it's a high surcharge area. I was in NYC 3 weeks ago, called for a car, took them 10 minutes to get there, we were in the car for 12 minutes and charged 1.5x rate and it cost me $8.00. Second one was also in NYC, charged 1.5X, we were in the car for 20 minutes and it was $16. Not sure at the end, what the driver receives, but it can't be the full amount? Great service for the consumer, but fuel, time, wear and tear on your car, insurance, etc...doesn't hardly seem worth it to me

You make 80% of the fare here in Boston. Not sure how the NYC market works.

I do it like 13 hours a week and pull in an extra $400 ... minus the 28% i'm putting aside for taxes (which I do understand is a bit high)

[breakdirt916]

I vaguely remember hearing that uber was not being allowed in Vegas by the local taxi company/mob, so I just took a taxi between the airport and the south end of the strip (the luxor...ugh) and it was a whopping $26.xx + tip

Heard from the driver that uber is live and well in the city of sin, so I turned on the app and took it back to the airport for $10...no tip required. I heard that the aiport has a designated uber stop for drivers to get passengers instead of clogging the other pickup/drop spots

Love Uber!

[South of Heaven]

I concur on the second job thing, I made a bunch of 8.7x fares New Years Eve on South Boston, total for New Years was $344.00 in 3.5 hours. though I made $240 of that in the hour and a half I worked after midnight.




1,000,000% true.... Audi will be the first to test that service here in Somerville! Robots are gonna take everyone's jobs eventually, everyone better make their money whilst they can.
watch this >>>>Humans Need Not Apply

This car will park itself: Somerville, Audi prepare to test self-driving tech | BetaBoston



You make 80% of the fare here in Boston. Not sure how the NYC market works.

I do it like 13 hours a week and pull in an extra $400 ... minus the 28% i'm putting aside for taxes (which I do understand is a bit high)

It's good that you're being mindful of the taxes you will owe. . It's all on record and taxes will need to be paid. I read an article about Uber drivers and that was one of their gripes. They'd rather be normal employees and have Uber do the deductions for them.

[Falko]

How does it work for insurance? Your normal policy does not cover commercial driving operations. Do you carry additional binders or just wing it and hope for the best?

[scubasteveRR]

I vaguely remember hearing that uber was not being allowed in Vegas by the local taxi company/mob, so I just took a taxi between the airport and the south end of the strip (the luxor...ugh) and it was a whopping $26.xx + tip

Heard from the driver that uber is live and well in the city of sin, so I turned on the app and took it back to the airport for $10...no tip required. I heard that the aiport has a designated uber stop for drivers to get passengers instead of clogging the other pickup/drop spots

Love Uber!

I hear so many stories like this, paid more than double to take a taxi somewhere then someone recommended Uber for the ride home and it was less than half.

How does it work for insurance? Your normal policy does not cover commercial driving operations. Do you carry additional binders or just wing it and hope for the best?

I was very curious about the insurance implications as well. Uber provides insurance while you're on a ride and in between rides when your app is on.
This is why you never pick up passengers not requested on the app because if something happens you're screwed

[breakdirt916]

you guys find uber all over MA or just around Beantown?

heading back to Westborough train stop...hoping to get an uber the rest of the way home since my flight lands at 5:53am...but checking uberfarecalculator shows a 14 min wait at around 6pm...wonder if people drive at 8am?

[scubasteveRR]

people will be driving at 8am.

[breakdirt916]

I might've missed the rush or the area doesn't have drivers...flight was delayed and I got off the train at 9:50am at Westborough and there were no drivers...oh well

[lobsta3]

Todays Sunday Boston Globe has a story about Uber and Lift etc, getting in on MBTA Ride program.
Cha Ching!

[scubasteveRR]

Westborough is a hard area

yeah we'll see what happen with all these regulations coming too. I've been dog sitting a lot and going to the gym almost everyday so I haven't drove in a few weeks but i'll be back at it after this next week.

[Garandman]

The T doesn't start til after 5 am so I called Uber at 4am to go to the airport. Several cars were showing. Basically they were home asleep and I wound up calling a cab at 4:20 who arrived at 4:27. An Uber driver called me at 4:40 and was still home in the North End. I deleted the app.

It probably works great during the day and early evening.

[breakdirt916]

It works great in socal (LA and OC)...any hour of the day...I usually don't wait more than 8 mins and only pay surge at 2:30am ish

[breakdirt916]

arghhh...why didn't I think of something like this?

Here's Why Women Everywhere Will Delete Uber On April 19 - Dose - Stories Worth Sharing

wondering if there will be the 1st case of assault from woman-to-woman

[TheIglu]

I wonder if people would pay extra to get a ride in a tricked out turbo miata. (of course with full knowledge that I'm not on Grinder)

[e30addict]

I wonder if people would pay extra to get a ride in a tricked out turbo miata. (of course with full knowledge that I'm not on Grinder)

Yet you know what Grindr is

Edit: You'll have better luck on Growlr.

[TheIglu]

Hey, a guys gotta get it where he can.

We're still talkin about big sandwiches, right?

[e30addict]

Hey, a guys gotta get it where he can.

We're still talkin about big sandwiches, right?

Ocassionally there are foot longs involved, but they're like Subways claims and slightly exagerrated.

[aldend123]

arghhh...why didn't I think of something like this?

Here's Why Women Everywhere Will Delete Uber On April 19 - Dose - Stories Worth Sharing

wondering if there will be the 1st case of assault from woman-to-woman

It's interesting, but I wonder if solution Uber/Lyft could use instead is a 'panic button' in the app. The customer gets in the back seat, keeps the phone open and panic button is always available to press. App already has geo-tracking, and the driver's personal info. Flag all that data to be stored, and then auto-dial 911. I guess that doesn't entirely eliminate the risk, because some really impulsive driver could still commit the crime knowing they'll surely be caught. But I wonder if that would be sufficient?

I had my first Uber experiences last week. Pretty smooth after figuring out how the app worked. The first time I wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen or how it would work. I expected this awkward searching for 'is this the car?' but that's solved by the app providing a picture of the car, in it's color, and the license plate. I'd use it again in the city. A less populated area, I can see how I wouldn't want to count on a driver being available.

One driver talked about a recent trip with a female passenger in the back, and stopping to pick up another customer who was a drunk guy. The drunk guy kept insisting on getting in the back with the girl. I'm not sure what the driver didn't like about the scenario, but he insisted the drunk guy ride up front. I guess it wasn't love at first sight. The driver's suspicions were confirmed when the drunk guy was an ass about it insisting he ride in the back, so he refused to drive him anywhere. It's fascinating and frustrating that someone could be such an asshole. But I'm guessing not all drivers are as helpful - and willing to lose out on a fare.