Returning valuable personal items left behind by Paxs

The best solution proposed was to have the pax to request a ride with the pickup location being the Drivers location, and the destination address being the Paxs location.
This was solution was derived many months back, before the latest round of fare cuts. Now I’m disinclined to offer it as a solution since Uber will get the SRF + 20% out of the transaction. Perhaps a prearranged charge of $2.50/mile is a viable alternative. Otherwise the personals could be dropped off at the nearest Police Station.

Or simply thrown out and never discussed again. (aka, denying they were left in the car.)
The police station drop-off is an OK plan except that it ends up being an uncompensated trip. And I’m just genuinely uncomfortable moving my car at all for a pax’s benefit without getting paid for it.

I get what you’re saying and understand why you may hold that position. I just can’t go there. I refuse to do any “job” which destroys my sense of ethics, or makes me choose between ethics and groceries. If I could shut it off like that, I suppose I could go be a criminal defense lawyer

Their anti-driver(including black car business owners) policies and mindset are why we never signed on with them. It was perfectly clear that they had no idea how a car company is run, what drivers must endure, what loyal customers and drivers expect and deserve, etc

I truly do not understand how they manage to hold onto so many of you.
Some say it is because there are no other jobs, but I don’t believe that, there are plenty of crappy jobs out there. Maybe it is a crappy job in which a driver feels (s)he is in charge, but I don’t see that. This model actually splits crappy management three way: Uber, pax, driver.

Uber has a policy that states we drivers cannot charge for returning pax’s items. However, I have a personal policy that says I do not move my car even one foot on a pax’s behalf without compensation.

I just know many states have laws about how to report, return, secure. Just saying it is you, not Uber who is legally responsible, as Uber articulates in many, many cases. Like every time something bad happens…lol

TNC companies did not dodge a local requirement to keep a staffed open office 12 miles from the state admin. office. I thought that was a little stringent myself. 12 miles? Why not 60 or 100 or some reasonable location. I can only imagine what legislation like that does to property prices in that circle.

I don’t drive for our livery company, so I can only speak from my imagination. If I was not drawn to suit/tie chauffeur work, I think I would rather drive for a cab company than Uber. At least, in most cities, you may have laws on your side. At least you have the right for appeal in case of charges, etc.

Drivers need to keep their heads screwed on with some of these matters. There are laws that govern such matters. It is generally in the drivers best interests to get lost items either to authorities, Uber or pax.

In addition there are a gazillion online reporters and blogosphere expose’ writers on the street beat just itching to toss TNC/drivers under the public bus over the pettiest things. Or EVEN to set them up to see what happens and document it.

TNC could do a LOT better in this arena. Of course to do so would add costs and systems, so it’s unlikely to happen and the window toss of items (where the driver steals such items in reality) remains an option.

I don’t think the police are required to track down the owner, you can simply say it was found in my car. The objective is to have a secure place for the item. If the passenger manages to track you down and ask for his item, you can truthfully say it was secured at the police station

But how do I get compensated for my trip to the police station? Making that trip is a violation of my policy about moving my car on pax’s behalf without compensation.

That email posted here said “no way to return items under the uber app” (paraphrasing). So that implies they want to be out of the loop unless we bring it to them. But they also elsewhere say not to charge.

Just because you are an employee does not mean you have to be reimbursed for miles. Delivering pizza you often get a per delivery fee but it does not come close to the IRS mileage deduction in most markets. Dominos by me now pays 27 cents per mile figured out by their computer. Often wrong and again not up to IRS deduction. You do have to get minimum wage but that is separate ftom mileage.

A man has to be realistic with his time and resources. And a reasonable man gives away neither. The foolish man cares not. It truly is that simple.