Driving for Uber/Lyft

[inkman]

6 minutes ago, KD in CA said:

 

Boy, I sure do miss the high level of convenience, excellent customer service, friendly/courteous drivers, and clean cars of the old regulated cab industry!  

This is a great point. Especially here in the 585.  Getting a cab is almost useless. Between the 45-60 min wait, the wonderful disposition of the drivers and the exorbitant costs, the taxi industry in Rochester was a non-factor in this town.

 

Speaking with multitudes of riders over the years, ride sharing has been a revelation in Rochester. We were a drunk driving town for all of my adult life minus the last two years.  I have countless peers with DWIs due to this period of time. 

 

We're all glad there are options now. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

17 minutes ago, KD in CA said:

 

Boy, I sure do miss the high level of convenience, excellent customer service, friendly/courteous drivers, and clean cars of the old regulated cab industry!  

As I wave my hand in front of face: "It's all about me!"

 

Yeah... But pollute the world going the private contractor root. The world is your dumpster over your time, & convenience. You'll be dead, you won't see the consequences because Jim "Iggy" Ignatowski isn't driving you with a company cab and placard.  Hope you don't get smeared, end up a parapalegic.

 

??

9 minutes ago, inkman said:

This is a great point. Especially here in the 585.  Getting a cab is almost useless. Between the 45-60 min wait, the wonderful disposition of the drivers and the exorbitant costs, the taxi industry in Rochester was a non-factor in this town.

 

Speaking with multitudes of riders over the years, ride sharing has been a revelation in Rochester. We were a drunk driving town for all of my adult life minus the last two years.  I have countless peers with DWIs due to this period of time. 

 

We're all glad there are options now. 

Don't get me wrong.  That's great... But it's the in between to full automation. Then what are we going do when the $$$$ ends up in less and less hands of the individual?

 

Maybe we will be dead.  But the end game isn't pretty.

 

We gotta an engineer.  Probably degreed... Moonlighting.  What's next?

[apuszczalowski]

1 hour ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Why don't you just pick people up on way to and from work, to store, anytime you go out.  You know... The way it was invented.

 

When did Uber turn into driving a cab?

Hasn't it always been driving a cab? The only difference is can drivers work for a cab company that provides then the vehicle, have way more licencing required for the business, and the driver's don't usually get to just pick if and when they want to work. Uber/Lyft removed the overhead of having to own fleet vehicles and full time drivers, by letting you chose if and when you want to work using your own vehicle.

[ExiledInIllinois]

5 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

Hasn't it always been driving a cab? The only difference is can drivers work for a cab company that provides then the vehicle, have way more licencing required for the business, and the driver's don't usually get to just pick if and when they want to work. Uber/Lyft removed the overhead of having to own fleet vehicles and full time drivers, by letting you chose if and when you want to work using your own vehicle.

You can rent/lease a vehicle from Uber.  Even get a phone.  From what I hear... The system is even more parasitic than the old cab companies.  I'd rather take my chances with a dispatcher like Louie and mechanic named Latka than 3 guys leasing a vehicle and doing zero maintenance.  Heck who knows if that "clean" car @KD in CA is jumping into w/his wife and kids even has decent brakes.

Edited November 14, 2019 by ExiledInIllinois

[apuszczalowski]

28 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

 

??

Don't get me wrong.  That's great... But it's the in between to full automation. Then what are we going do when the $$$$ ends up in less and less hands of the individual?

 

Maybe we will be dead.  But the end game isn't pretty.

 

We gotta an engineer.  Probably degreed... Moonlighting.  What's next?

I bet most of the people who love and support ride sharing hate using self checkouts at the stores and want to use the regular checkouts cause they don't want to put people out of work going automated, but have no problem putting a full time can driver out of work......

[ExiledInIllinois]

4 hours ago, Captain Hindsight said:

My family has had some unforeseen expenses that are going to require some extra income for a few months so I've been trying to find some side gigs. I work as an engineer so my days are pretty full and its our busy time of year so I'm not sure I could meet the demands (hours) of a traditional retail job. That leaves Uber/Lyft. I've taken these plenty of times, but I don't know anyone that has driven for Uber. 

 

Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it worth getting into?

Do you have enough $$$$$ to keep your brakes up, oil changed and that pesky Check Engine Light off?

[apuszczalowski]

1 minute ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

You can rent/lease a vehicle from Uber.  Even get a phone.  From what I hear... The system is even more parasitic than the old cab companies.  I'd rather take my chances with a dispatcher like Louie and mechanic named Latka than 3 guys leasing a vehicle and doing zero maintenance.  Heck who knows if that "clean" car @KD in CA is jumping into w/his wife and kids even has decent brakes.

I think it evolved to now being able to lease card from them, it started as having to use your own.

[ExiledInIllinois]

1 minute ago, apuszczalowski said:

I bet most of the people who love and support ride sharing hate using self checkouts at the stores and want to use the regular checkouts cause they don't want to put people out of work going automated, but have no problem putting a full time can driver out of work......

I think with self checkouts... It's 4:1.  There is still an overseer working 4+ registers... You're just helping them.

1 minute ago, apuszczalowski said:

I think it evolved to now being able to lease card from them, it started as having to use your own.

Yup.  And I hear it's very parasitic.  You gotta hustle.  I respect the hustle.

 

Yet... Once again, wages in this country still lag 8% behind production.  That ain't right.

 

Go all self check... People will rip off left and right.  In my Hood, they actually tore them out.  LMAO...

[Just Jack]

1 hour ago, apuszczalowski said:

I bet most of the people who love and support ride sharing hate using self checkouts at the stores and want to use the regular checkouts cause they don't want to put people out of work going automated, but have no problem putting a full time can driver out of work......

 

My wife was always about busses/cabs since she doesn't drive. But when Uber/Lyft came to Syracuse, she became a convert after her first ride, because of the cost. It was costing her about half to take an Uber as it did before in a cab.  Some cab companies here are trying to get in the game by offering their own app, or even jumping on Uber/Lyft, but they have had to let drivers go.

 

Side note - I remember hearing on the news when Uber was here interviewing people before they started, of one guy that quit his job, bought a big SUV, just to be a full time Uber driver. I wonder how he's doing now. 

 

Oh, and she will always use the manned checkouts. 

[inkman]

4 hours ago, Just Jack said:

 

My wife was always about busses/cabs since she doesn't drive. But when Uber/Lyft came to Syracuse, she became a convert after her first ride, because of the cost. It was costing her about half to take an Uber as it did before in a cab.  Some cab companies here are trying to get in the game by offering their own app, or even jumping on Uber/Lyft, but they have had to let drivers go.

 

Side note - I remember hearing on the news when Uber was here interviewing people before they started, of one guy that quit his job, bought a big SUV, just to be a full time Uber driver. I wonder how he's doing now. 

 

Oh, and she will always use the manned checkouts. 

If he has half a brian, he's doing fine.  The downside is working until 3 am on weekends.  If he's driving weekend nights and  weekday commutes, he's probably doing well.  Oh and he's not terribly far from NY States little secret.  Ithaca.  Its always surging at ridiculous levels.  Double and Triple normal rates.  I've been tempted to make the 90 minute jaunt down there to pull in serious coin.  

[Just Jack]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

Oh and he's not terribly far from NY States little secret.  Ithaca.  Its always surging at ridiculous levels.  Double and Triple normal rates.  I've been tempted to make the 90 minute jaunt down there to pull in serious coin.  

 

Probably because it's more "environmentally friendly" for all those granolas that live there. Plus parking "downtown", not at the strip malls, is hard to come by. 

[Tierlifer]

6 minutes ago, Just Jack said:

 

Probably because it's more "environmentally friendly" for all those granolas that live there. Plus parking "downtown", not at the strip malls, is hard to come by. 

5 square miles surrounded by reality. 

[RaoulDuke79]

I bare can handle having my own family in my truck,  let alone a stranger.  Good luck. 

[Augie]

I have a good buddy from college who drives for Uber in Cincinnati in his free time. He enjoys it and meets a lot of cool people while finding a bunch of cool destinations. Every time I go up we hit new places. “I picked up some folks here and they raved about it!” 

 

He tries to keep track of what he actually makes, as that was my real concern. What do you REALLY get after gas, depreciation, etc. He pays attention and still drives, and it fits his schedule. I guess it works for him. 

[plenzmd1]

17 hours ago, Just Jack said:

 

My wife was always about busses/cabs since she doesn't drive. But when Uber/Lyft came to Syracuse, she became a convert after her first ride, because of the cost. It was costing her about half to take an Uber as it did before in a cab.  Some cab companies here are trying to get in the game by offering their own app, or even jumping on Uber/Lyft, but they have had to let drivers go.

 

 

Funny, i think sometimes most of us get so caught up in not getting in a cab, we lose the forest for the trees. DC cabs are now, for the most part, clean, comfortable, and with decent drivers. And during surge times, they are actually cheaper, sometimes by as much as 60-70%, than Ubers. 

 

I have no problems now asking how much to my destination to the cab driver just to make sure before i get in. Again, i use uber/lyft 90% of the time, but if you are in good size city during a surge event, cab is prolly better way to go!

[EmotionallyUnstable]

Just rob a bank 

[Wnybricky]

Last time I got insurance on a new vehicle they wanted to know if I was doing any ride sharing. I don’t know what happens if you tell them you are or what happens if you get into an accident and haven’t told them but it is something to think about. I know a few guys that do it and they average about 18 an hour. One guy has a regular route from Charleston to I think Charlotte because it is easier for the client than driving or taking a plane. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

35 minutes ago, Wnybricky said:

Last time I got insurance on a new vehicle they wanted to know if I was doing any ride sharing. I don’t know what happens if you tell them you are or what happens if you get into an accident and haven’t told them but it is something to think about. I know a few guys that do it and they average about 18 an hour. One guy has a regular route from Charleston to I think Charlotte because it is easier for the client than driving or taking a plane. 

Crap... Just adding my 17 year old daughter to policy is costing me and extra $100/month.

[KD in CA]

On 11/14/2019 at 10:52 AM, apuszczalowski said:

I bet most of the people who love and support ride sharing hate using self checkouts at the stores and want to use the regular checkouts cause they don't want to put people out of work going automated, but have no problem putting a full time can driver out of work......

 

Uh....wut?

 

Uber has created thousands and thousands of drivers jobs.  And I choose automated checkout vs human based on number of items I have and length of the respective lines.  If there's no line at self checkout and I have just a couple things, that's easiest.  If it's a full cart, the cashier can bang it out and bag it a lot faster than I can.

[KD in CA]

On 11/14/2019 at 10:21 AM, ExiledInIllinois said:

As I wave my hand in front of face: "It's all about me!"

 

Yeah... But pollute the world going the private contractor root. The world is your dumpster over your time, & convenience. You'll be dead, you won't see the consequences because Jim "Iggy" Ignatowski isn't driving you with a company cab and placard.  Hope you don't get smeared, end up a parapalegic.

 

 

I love when you get all worked up and start spouting nonsensical crap.  Yeah, ***** old cabs being driven by some guy who can't read the road signs in English was not only super safe (oh wait...never mind, he had a placard, the ultimate guarantee of safety!!), but also such a glorious example of equality and the brotherhood of all working men!      And how dare I "pollute the world" by getting a ride in some guy's brand new Prius vs some giant, 20 year old, yellow rust bucket!