Over time, the two basic strategies yield approximately the same results (busy area and lots of little trips, versus return to base and take fewer longer trips). The tip for those busy area dwellers to stay put if they get called far out of the area, is also helpful. One’s personal experience is not going to alter the significance of the results over time. Perceptions will lie to you, because you are only able to consider your own behavior. You cannot see what you just missed by being inconsistent. The computer can. So we should all understand and learn from the data how to conduct our driving for optimum results!
Park and trun off your car, then strategize your next move. If you are driving evening hours, go to the closest area where there are restaurants and try and snag some fares from people finishing there dinner and going home.
You gotta think about where people will be needing rides for the time of day, but don’t drive very far looking for the area. Use your map apps to locate the nearest TGIFridays or whatever and go hang out in that shopping center.
I see cabbies lined up like 20 deep in front of the train station or in this huge que at the airport. How the they think that is profitable is beyond me. I think that your standard cab driver doesn’t think very hard about what they are doing and is willing to work an insane amount of hours and burn tons of gas just to make a profit.
Hard to say… There is so much in the books that doesn’t appear in the movies and vice versa. I will say that I appreciate Tolkien’s writing a lot more now in my thirties.
Stop at a bar and have a few drinks. lol just kidding. you can get another devise like a tablet and watch movies. I usually go in if i go more than 15 min but keep the rider app on to see if things pick up.
Oh a newbie here! The reason why is because you and all the other newbie drivers keep the app on while driving to the hot part of that surge area. If you are going to chase a surge (and most of the time I don’t even bother unless I know they really need drivers for high demand), turn off the app and only turn it on when you are where you want ie. bar area.
But I have not experienced a major problem of long waiting times between calls. I did go to a certain area and waited 45 minutes one time and was surprised not to get a call so I headed home (and got a call 1.5 miles from home). You will learn where the busy spots are, and at what times- it comes with experience.
All the other times I have waited 25 minutes or less for a call. I update my mileage records, do minor cleaning in the car, drink spring water to be well hydrated, pray, read. I would not get in a habit of eating during these times because of the odors, garbage, chances to stain your clothes or the car, etc. Go offline and take a lunch break.
Generally Fri/Sat nights are known for very low wait times, but full timers don’t have the luxury of only working Fri/Sat night, so they have to put up with some wait times…depending on the market, time of year, where they do their last drop off, et cetera.
I’m sure in the south that makes sense to you. Follow your instinct and do what you think is correct. That’s the best advice I’d give anyone in any situation.
Just start to, like you’re getting out to go toward the PAX door. They’ll always say something like “oh it’s ok I’ll get it”
They don’t want anyone to make a fuss and if all you do is look like you are about to open their door, that counts the same as if you had.
Park in front of a taxi stand, get out of your car and introduce yourself to all of the cab drivers. Since you are an Uber driver, and everyone there shares the thrill of driving around the general public, you will all become instant friends.
Guaranteed as soon as the key hits the lock, you’ll get a ping and have to walk back to the car and drive 10 miles back where you just came from for a $3 ride to take Miss Priss home. She will spend the entire ride crying because some guy told her what she didn’t want to hear.
When I first started I would always dash into areas that were surging. I ALWAYS missed the surge. Now when an adjacent area is surging I sit tight, and wait for the new guys to go chase that cheese. Maybe it’s just because I am in a smaller market, but it seems the surging areas always stop surging when I enter them.
I have watched movies on Netflix while waiting for my next ping. Best thing to do is find a decent parking spot that is in a good area to get pings. Get the ping do the drive and head back to that area. With the State Fair going on I would think you all would be busy in Columbus.