When I first started I made note of the surge areas, logging on and off before I got a ping. Twice I planned to make a run to Super in Boston and got a ping on the way. One I cancelled since it was going the wrong direction, the other I took since they were headed to Boston. Follow the money, the cabs know where to go. The fancy hotels or places where cabs wait is easy money.
I guess I just need to get to know my home base a little better. I’m in an upscale suburb about 35 minutes from the city. I really like my airport rides and trips into the city. those are by far my most lucrative fares. Just wish I could pinpoint THOSE better.
I wanted to get an idea of where to go since Boston covers a large area and was not interested in Supering at the time, just getting the intel on where to go. Definitely stay logged in if you’re ready to go.
Once I was about ten minutes from Cambridge and I got a ping for the center of Cambridge. I’m like there has to be a taxi or another Super that is closer to the pax than where I was. I picked the pax up but thought that was nuts.
But don’t try to mingle with the cabbies. They have no time for U/L drivers. But I’m quite a bit bigger than the vast majority of those foreigners so I do have fun once in awhile struttin’ by with my cold drink and no body odor.
In the taxi business deadheading means taking somebody way out of the normal area and driving back – deadheading back–without a fair, or you get a call way out of the normal area and you’re deadhead out there to pick them up. But the dead miles between fares around the normal area I never refer to that as deadheading.
Don’t waste gas driving around. It took me some time when I started to find my perfect spot. When I started it was on a major college game day and wow it was crazy. I wasn’t ready for that at all.
So I drove to different spots and would sit there for about 20 minutes. No ping, I drive to a different area and repeated that until I finally got my spot. I usually get a ping before I get there, but sometimes not.
I have never had to wait more than 30 minutes before my 1st ping. I listen to music or read. I’ve seen others say they have their laptop computer on their side door & watch Netflix movies until they get a ping. Everyone is different. I love to people watch and since I’m in a large shopping area I watch people mostly.
The best place to wait is anywhere you can easily park for free that’s near where you currently are, unless you’re in an area where you don’t want to pick up people. Driving around endlessly while waiting for pings is just a waste of gas, since you could be driving away from the next rider rather than toward them.
Yes, I mean people. They are funny characters walking around with funky hair, walking attitudes and body language, not to mention some folks obviously don’t own a mirror. I find it amusing is all.
On occasion I’ll open the rider app while I’m parked and check the location of any cars around me. You’ll be surprised sometimes to see several cars right in your vicinity and you may want to relocate to put yourself in a better position.
It also depends on the time of day. At 4:30am I know just where to head to wait for a 30 mile airport trip. At 9:00pm there’s a steak house on the other side of town that I can usually count on for at least one good ride.
I generally find a free parking spot in the shade and Ingress a bit. My best times are 0400 - 0630. In that time, I’ve got people going to the airport, bakers going home, a few odds and sods. And not much competition. Best spot to be is around high density dormitory suburbs a good ride away from the airport.
Remember that the ping comes to your phone, wherever your phone might be, and not to your car. Instead of driving around aimlessly burning up gas, or sitting in a hot parked car, I hang out in coffee shops, fast food restaurants, or a gym that I am a member of. I’ve received lots of pings while on the treadmill at the gym.