Ok....I just don't get it - Uber. So I'm open to being educated and looking for actual experiences. First, if you get a ride using Uber, is it REALLY cheaper, faster service than a regular cab? I frankly just don't know if I want to be riding with just "anyone"... what's their driving record, etc? At least with a cab company, I am expecting some level of vetting, skills, insurance, etc. I keep hearing more and more of them on the news and through their advertising - anybody here actually *drive* for Uber? Can you really make enough to be worthwhile? This is one of those new industries born out of tech and I just don't get it....so school me!
I have many friends who use Uber and just rave about the ride and price. We have two Members who are Uber drivers, in their spare time.....Hat6 and Steve. I will ask Hat6 to respond. Sherry
I believe he is tired of the elementary tactics. lol You know he likes a schoolyard tumble, but calling others moron, idiot and re-My Friend over and over again will get to almost anyone. Sherry
After riding in a Newark NJ cab, you might not worry about riding with anyone ...... the squeak of what used to be brakes turns into a squeal of Biblical proportions if the brake pedal is touched and that was a good cab.
Yep, I Uber. I started out as a rider, and found that getting to and from the areas around RTP were less expensive, the pickup response was faster, the drivers were pleasant, the cars well maintained than the average taxi services we used. With Uber, I was offered clean rides with courteous drivers. The cost is about 75% of a taxi. So, I became a driver. In spare time, I enjoy this as the people I've met are usually business people who have had much experience with Ubers. In order to become a rider, you have to register with Uber and be approved. Uber riders use an app to request pickup. Uber then sends out an message to Uber driver's nearest the rider who are online with the app that they have a request. It's a blanket announcement and the first driver who responds gets the trip. After the ride, riders 'grade' the driver with a star rating from 1-5 stars. Drivers under a 4.6 average are subject to being removed as drivers. Drivers also rate the riders from 1-5 stars. Important to note. If you get a bad score as a rider, you get dropped from Uber. So, if you're a PITA, it'll be over for you. If you are riding in my car and become belligerent or do anything to make me feel unsafe, I can end the ride at that point. To become a driver, one has to have a 2005 or newer 4 door vehicle. You have to provide proof of insurance and your DL. Uber does perform a background check. If approved, then Uber contacts you to set up the app. Obviously, the more the business demand, the more drivers there are available, and the higher the price for a ride goes. For instance, there are always high demands for rides to and from significant events..performances, etc at Redhat, Walnut Creek...and the pay to drivers is increased. There is a higher demand downtown Raleigh than there is in 4042. So, a driver can go downtown and do several trips a day, possibly or be available in the outskirts. It all depends on the demand. I made a considerable amount for the Stone's concert. The demand for rides after these events is pretty high as well, but I do not do the after event rides as I really don't wanna be up and out that late, or take a chance on riders who may have hoisted a few with a possibility of someone 'upchucking' in the car. Uber requires you to proviide them with your backing information for payment which is generally the week after your drives. IIRC, it stops Sunday midnight and the pay is in the bank by Tuesday am. Here's the kicker. Uber keeps 20% for their fee. And you don't know as a driver how far the rider will need to be taken. Like I said, I drove from RTP to Fearington for a pick up, then to Brier Creek. FWIW, I will drive to Atlantic Beach, or the Morehead City area; Wilmington, and consider the OBX, depending on the time. The smallest fee I've gotten was for a Uber ride from Amtrak to a bank downtown. My most memorable was a group of folks heading to the Stone's concert. I was able to get them and their cooler real close to their meetup point with their friends, after having waited for them for longer than I usually would have (Uber allows a time factor at which point you can kill the ride for a no show). Riders are free to tip or not. The largest fee I've gotten was driving someone from the Fearington area to Brier Creek. I do have a code for anyone who would like to try an Uber ride good for up to 20 bucks off their first ride. I'll post that with Webbie's permission. If I'm in the RTP area with free time, I Uber.
I'm thinking that they can, given a driver's unique ID number and the driver's availability. If the driver isn't available, I would surmise that the offer go to the nearest available driver instead. FWIW, I do have a set number of clients who seek me out. But, then again, I have a background in sales and CSR, so I do the extras that my riders seem to appreciate.
I guess your apologies don't mean squat. Typical blowhards who can't back up their talk and want to drag the pit in here. Smooth move hypocrites.
Thanks Hatteras6! Appreciate the detail. When you say, as a rider, you have to register with Uber and be approved....what is needed for approval? Also, a standard taxi has a mileage meter - how is the distance tracked with a Uber driver?
The simple process for becoming a rider is that you have to register with them and provide a valid credit card. They bill your credit card for the ride, once completed. As for calculation, I'm not exactly sure. I would venture the guess that they utilize a maps program, possibly google, to track the route and expected time, as they adjust the cost to rider/pay to driver even if stuck in traffic for an exceptional amount of travel time due to traffic jams. Uber calculates the payout, prior to their 20% retention. They are modifying the system often, to upgrade rider and driver information and capabilities. If anyone is interested, feel free to PM me.
It kind of sounds like an updated version of ride sharing. I wonder what it would cost to go from my home to wake med Raleigh both ways. I wonder if it would be cheaper than gas and maintenance on my vehicle
Sorry for all the questions...I'm just trying to get all the details straight in my mind. So I get the app, register with a credit card, request a ride and at my destination....do I know how much the ride cost at that time, or, does it just show up as a credit card charge on my end of month statement?
The charge is given once you have arrived at the destination. And, pm me for a discount code for your first ride. Can save up to 20 bucks, which might come in handy for a ride to RDU.
My son, who travels all over the United States for work loves Uber, uses it wherever he goes, i've heard nothing but rave reviews from him.
I agree with the previous posts. I love Uber. Faster, cheaper, and my experiences have all been pleasant. And I love that I don't have to deal with nasty cabs or making it very clear to the taxi driver that I'm paying with a credit card even if his machine magically breaks right when we get to my destination. Uber makes it super easy, the drivers are pleasant, cars are clean, and the price is (usually) right. Be careful about prime pricing (or whatever they call it). But the app makes it really easy to know when there's a premium. Seriously, I've been in so many cabs that smelled like urine or actually had it sloshing around on the floors. I've stood in the queue at the airport with my fingers crossed hoping not to get the nasty looking Buick that clearly has no air conditioning, or the driver that says they have no GPS or just doesn't want to drive me wherever it is I want to go because the fare isn't enough or they're not familiar with the area. But my Uber experiences have been nothing buy positive. That being said, I don't use Uber late a night or when I'm drunk and alone.
Alone is no problem. Drunk is my concern. Ain't gonna tolerate an obnoxious or vomity or noxious rider..lol
I was in NYC this past weekend with my mother and sister and we used Uber to get to and from the airport (Laguardia) at the beginning and end of our trip. There was a coupon code I used when I registered which was worth $30, so the ride from where we stayed back to the airport only cost me about $15. Our drivers were quick to pick us up and very pleasant to be around. We were told by many people that the cost for Uber was cheaper than getting a taxi to the city. They do offer a ride-share program that you can request. They'll pick someone else up along your route and you can split the cost with the 2nd rider.
