My First Uber Experience

[ccap41]

So this past weekend I finally got to experience the whole "Uber" thing and to put it simply, it's awesome. The gf and I met at a friends apartment in STL(Soulard area for anybody who may have been this way before or Frisky because he is in the area) and then we all needed to get to where we were meeting more friends to eat. Simply put, the parking is atrocious where we were heading or it would be fairly easy if you were willing to walk a mile.. no thanks. Our friends who live in the area go to bars and Uber all of the time so they're used to it. It's actually crazy how simple it is. 

Step 1: Open app

Step 2: Choose destination(and pickup but it has a map and a little dot where you are and you just select "select pickup location" and that's automatically the address you're at)

Step 3: Wait a couple minutes for the pickup(in our case he was less than a minute away - literally. He was out front before we had time to walk out front)

Step 4: Get dropped off.

 

Both trips to and from where we went the drivers were nice, talkative, and laid back. We talked to them as to not make it awkward but I BS'd with the second drive on just how the heck it works from his end. 

 

He said you can literally be a driver any time you want or don't want to. He said he just turns on his app when he wants to drive and waits for a request and whenever he feels like not driving he just turns it off. No mandatory hours or time or anything. ONLY when he wants to drive. He said he makes 80% of the commission but he thinks he's grandfathered in as he thinks the newest drivers are only 75%. Both drivers we had this was a second job for them literally just making extra money. The one guy was an English professor at a local college and the other guy had his own business with his brother setting up conferences or something. The second guy said it's just extra money that he's never touched in the 8 months he's been driving. I thought that was a GREAT idea. Drive a handful of random hours a week, save a few bucks, and either save it for retirement or something like that. The college professor as just gotten back from a 9 day trip in Europe and wanted to recoup what he just spend lol. 

 

Both were Kias also... a Soul and an Optima. For what that's worth. 

 

I'm sure I missed something but here is what the transaction looks like on my phone. I also thought that was really cool and you can rate your driver. Oh, also, because this was my first trip they gave me $15 worth of free ride. That is why I wasn't charged anything. Also, because everything is like this (the pic) there is no awkward tipping scenario. It's just what you're charged and nothing more. Super simple and quite frankly, awesome. I believe there are different size "ubers" that would be like a 5 or 8 seaters that cost more but we didn't need one so I don't exactly know about the process of selecting a larger vehicle.

[G. David Felt]

Very cool, glad you had such an Uber Excellent Experience!

[Robert Hall]

I've used Uber a few times....twice in San Francisco when I was there for a conference w/ 4 others---we took Uber Suburbans from the airport to the hotel, etc.   Also used it in Denver last year to go to and from the airport and the football stadium when I day tripped for a Broncos game...no problems..

[ccap41]

Very cool, glad you had such an Uber Excellent Experience!

Thanks!

 

Deinitely worth giving it a shot if you're on vacation or somewhere where you don't have access to your vehicle...or just feel like going out and having one, two, or 15 beers. 

I've used Uber a few times....twice in San Francisco when I was there for a conference w/ 4 others---we took Uber Suburbans from the airport to the hotel, etc.   Also used it in Denver last year to go to and from the airport and the football stadium when I day tripped for a Broncos game...no problems..

It's amazingly convenient, if you ask me. 

 

I actually wish I lived in a town where I could be a driver and make a little side cash by driving for a few hours a week. 

[Drew Dowdell]

I use Uber a lot to get myself to and from the airport here in Pittsburgh. I much prefer it over taxis.

 

I signed up to drive for Uber last year and I did it a a couple days a week for a few weeks with the Encore.  After running the numbers, I'm not sure how anyone is making enough money from it in Pittsburgh unless they are pulling 12 hour days.  It's simply not worth it unless there is surge pricing going on. It might be different in a bigger city.  If the rates are too low, all you're really doing is trading your vehicle's equity for cash... you're not "making" anything.

[ccap41]

I use Uber a lot to get myself to and from the airport here in Pittsburgh. I much prefer it over taxis.

 

I signed up to drive for Uber last year and I did it a a couple days a week for a few weeks with the Encore.  After running the numbers, I'm not sure how anyone is making enough money from it in Pittsburgh unless they are pulling 12 hour days.  It's simply not worth it unless there is surge pricing going on. It might be different in a bigger city.  If the rates are too low, all you're really doing is trading your vehicle's equity for cash... you're not "making" anything.

See, I don't think a lot of the drivers are thinking about the maintenance/value of their car. They just see a quick 20-60 bucks. 

 

The two drivers I talked to(granted..minute sample size) this was a second "job" on the side. They enjoyed it and it was just extra spending money. They both drove Kias so they probably didn't give a crap about their cars like us. My biggest worry would be people flopping around getting in or out. If they scratched or scuffed anything I'd be really pissed but I couldn't do anything about it either.

[Drew Dowdell]

 

I use Uber a lot to get myself to and from the airport here in Pittsburgh. I much prefer it over taxis.

 

I signed up to drive for Uber last year and I did it a a couple days a week for a few weeks with the Encore.  After running the numbers, I'm not sure how anyone is making enough money from it in Pittsburgh unless they are pulling 12 hour days.  It's simply not worth it unless there is surge pricing going on. It might be different in a bigger city.  If the rates are too low, all you're really doing is trading your vehicle's equity for cash... you're not "making" anything.

See, I don't think a lot of the drivers are thinking about the maintenance/value of their car. They just see a quick 20-60 bucks. 

 

The two drivers I talked to(granted..minute sample size) this was a second "job" on the side. They enjoyed it and it was just extra spending money. They both drove Kias so they probably didn't give a crap about their cars like us. My biggest worry would be people flopping around getting in or out. If they scratched or scuffed anything I'd be really pissed but I couldn't do anything about it either.

 

 

It certainly wasn't worth it with my car, but if you pick up a low mileage, used Pruis, for cheap... maybe on a rebuilt title... that you don't care about and intend to run it till it heads to the crusher, then I could see it working out financially.  I see people Ubering with expensive trucks and BMWs and Benzes and I shake my head.  The absolute worst vehicle to Uber with is something new that depreciates rapidly. 

[Drew Dowdell]

I've had an Uber in a used Chevy Volt.  Talked to the guy for a while about it. We made it from my house to the airport on Electric alone.  He says he usually parks on one of the local college campuses and plugs in at one of the free chargers until he gets a ping.  He's gotta have the lowest fuel costs of any uber driver out there.

[oldshurst442]

wear and tear on the vehicle...

 

It seems very few people factor that in...

 

But then again, we are living in the leasing era, leasing cars  badges on the front of the car way beyond what we are supposed to be affording.

We justify that by conveniently calculating our budgets on a monthly basis and we fool ourselves in thinking to squeeze  in the payments based on a monthly calculation.

Then we try to find secondary sources of income to fuel our make-belief dreams that we are richer than we actually are to prove to our closest friends, family and neighbors that we have made it...

 

Here is another rant I did on UBER.

https://www.cheersandgears.com/topic/87102-industry-news-hertz-makes-deals-with-lyft-and-uber/

 

 

If you cant tell...I HATE UBER!

 

Listen...I aint denying that it may be convenient or fast or cheap or easy to use...

[Drew Dowdell]

I don't hate Uber... and as I've explained above, I think it can work if you've got the right car and financial setup.. in the right city.... 

 

but the idea that you'll be making boatloads of cash being a jitney driver just doesn't make sense for me. 

[ccap41]

wear and tear on the vehicle...

 

It seems very few people factor that in...

 

But then again, we are living in the leasing era, leasing cars  badges on the front of the car way beyond what we are supposed to be affording.

We justify that by conveniently calculating our budgets on a monthly basis and we fool ourselves in thinking to squeeze  in the payments based on a monthly calculation.

Then we try to find secondary sources of income to fuel our make-belief dreams that we are richer than we actually are to prove to our closest friends, family and neighbors that we have made it...

 

Here is another rant I did on UBER.

https://www.cheersandgears.com/topic/87102-industry-news-hertz-makes-deals-with-lyft-and-uber/

 

 

If you cant tell...I HATE UBER!

 

Listen...I aint denying that it may be convenient or fast or cheap or easy to use...

The app thing is way more convenient than a phone call and an awkward tipping situation though. Money is never discussed and it's all paid for through the app and your selected method of payment(bank account or PayPal). 

 

I completely agree with your assessment on how people lease vehicle and "buy" cars that are out of their price range. Heck there are 84 month loans out for cars now. EIGHTY FOUR MONTHS?!?!? A brand new car is worth jack after 84 months. You better be prepared to keep it forever to get what you paid in interest worth out of it. 

[oldshurst442]

Paypal...

 

Yeah....lets laugh at Elon...(another rant that should be directed at another area in this website...)

 

(I gotta go...doctor's appointment...but Id like to continue this rant with you....Im having fun....)

 

PS...Im listening and actually agreeing to everything you and Drew are saying...I just hate UBER!