I am a DC uberX driver since 2013 and have SEEN IT ALL...so please, AMA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://nyti.ms/22OytVg

Thoughts, OP?

This is uber corporate propaganda. That hypothetical scenario in the story was the most efficient streak of pool rides ever. They are never this way in real life. Also, rates in San Francisco rates are higher. Here are current DC pool rates:


DC is also running a discount on pool, up to 40% off uberX rates:


Driving at discounts like these is the same as driving for free. A 3-mile, 10 minute, single passenger uberX ride always nets $5. A 3-mile, 2-stop pool ride takes 15 minutes and can pay less than $3 net total. It's a losing proposition. At regular rates I think I could game pool enough to make it worth my time, but never at these discounted ones.

And the idea is great, I get it. uberPOOL is good for the environment and takes a lot of cars off the road. But until uber sets pool rates at a reasonable level, it'll be impossible to get good drivers who are in-the-know to accept pool rides, and then the quality of the service will suffer (as we already see) because only the inexperienced will accept pool rides since they don't know better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey Op,
So you say you're interested in buying a sfh in Arlington. I know you want to do all cash, but maybe you should consider going ahead and moving forward on that while interest rates are low.
I live in south Arlington ( so not the most desirable part) and homes in my hood are going well above 600k now. These are older homes on small lots. If you want new - it's around 1 mil. The market can always slow down, but it might not... Just a thought.
Ps - you seem nice

I'm ok with waiting. I'm not leaving DC for the next 20 foreseeable years, so I have nothing but time. I also know the area really well and know lots of neighborhoods/streets that I'd be happy with. I'm not adverse to a mortgage either, it's only that I qualify on my day job W-2 earnings, and not on my wildly variable uberX "income" that doesn't count. And that's ok, I don't want to get overextended anyways. And between now and when I'm ready, I'll still be working on that mountain of cash for a huge downpayment.

Ps - thanks, always the Golden Rule

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you report a driver? I believe the man who assaulted me is an Uber driver.

Did this happen on an Uber ride? Did you call the police?

If this happened on a ride, report it thru the app. History > Ride > Need Help? > I Had An Issue With My Driver > Report a serious incident with a driver:


If you believe this man happens to work for uber, let the police know, and then follow-up with them that they contacted uber.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a middle aged business lady with a 4.95 rating. Recently it seems as though all of my drivers are just not very good - not paying attention, swerving into lanes and almost creating a crash etc.

Is there a way to specifically request top drivers? I have tried using black car which is usually better. I would be willing to pay extra for UberX if I knew I was getting a top driver.

I asked this upthread (for a DD living off campus at an urban college). Basically, no.

The downward trending quality of your recent drivers is due to many (sometimes good/great) drivers quitting to go get a real job as the economy is steadily improving across the area. The dirt-cheap rates are crushing lots of drivers out of the game, both good and bad. Many people are driving uberX nowadays because it's only the only job they're qualified enough to do. It takes practically zero skills...be alive and follow GPS commands safely, and safely is a struggle for some.

When requesting, it's luck-of-the-draw with the closest driver getting it. It's been debated on whether or not "power" uber users (10+ rides per week) get better drivers/cars when one is conveniently available, but the jury is still out on that. Feel free to be choosy when requesting and cancel immediately on cars you don't like or drivers with ratings below 4.8, and then try again. And yes, an uberBLACK is just going to be a better ride almost guaranteed...you get what you pay for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I've always been jealous at the number of folks in DC who are into the bar/hip restaurant scene well into mid-life.

Fixed it for you.

There are two types of folks in the age 40s-50s dinner/evening crowd. Parents/couples who are obviously happy to be out of the house on a date night and then single people, couples, and groups that all have obvious drinking problems. It's really amazing how many people I take home who are totally sloshed at 8pm on a weekday. I wouldn't say that second group is the majority, but it's definitely a scene in DC.

[Anonymous]

Hey op, did you see this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzpAn2EvE0s

Ashton Kutcher on Jimmy Kimmel talking about tipping Uber (he's an investor). Jimmy's a tipper! I thought of this thread when I watched it.

[Anonymous]

Can you explain the pool rides more? Do I have to do them if I'm a driver and if so how do you get around it? You seem to have a nice system going. I'm in LA, is uber good to drive out here as well?

[Anonymous]

PP again- If I want to drive, should I stick to fri/sat nights? I have a FT job.

[Anonymous]

Would you ever drive when it's not surge?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey Op,
So you say you're interested in buying a sfh in Arlington. I know you want to do all cash, but maybe you should consider going ahead and moving forward on that while interest rates are low.
I live in south Arlington ( so not the most desirable part) and homes in my hood are going well above 600k now. These are older homes on small lots. If you want new - it's around 1 mil. The market can always slow down, but it might not... Just a thought.
Ps - you seem nice

I'm ok with waiting. I'm not leaving DC for the next 20 foreseeable years, so I have nothing but time. I also know the area really well and know lots of neighborhoods/streets that I'd be happy with. I'm not adverse to a mortgage either, it's only that I qualify on my day job W-2 earnings, and not on my wildly variable uberX "income" that doesn't count. And that's ok, I don't want to get overextended anyways. And between now and when I'm ready, I'll still be working on that mountain of cash for a huge downpayment.

Ps - thanks, always the Golden Rule

You are a boglehead so you probably already know, but I really recommend buying at the best real estate timing possible not when you feel most ready, esp when rates are still low. Price rising can eat up savings. Anecdotally, we didn't buy any of these 650k houses in fall of 2010 in Mclean because even though we had more than 20% down, we wanted a smaller mortgage. We saved another 100k by 2014. We started looking again in the fall of 2014. But by then, those same houses were going for 850k. We looked for a bargain for a year but still ended up paying 850k in 2015.

[Anonymous]

Can you drive on the 395 HOV lanes during restrictions even when there's only 2 people? I know cabs can do this (I see them on there at 8am and 5pm all the time), curious if Uber is the same.
I've thought about getting an Uber home from work (downtown to Braddock Rd) but scared we'd get stuck in traffic on regular 395.
Thanks for the terrific thread OP! I hope you are my driver some day. PS I always tip, whether it's Uber, Instacart, Postmates, etc.

[Anonymous]

Ugh. My last 3 UberBlack rides have all been Suburbans -- so I'm guaranteed to arrive for dinner in DC headachy and green with carsickness. And worse, last night the app said driver was 8 minutes away but he arrived 25 minutes later. No tip for that $75 ride. Do UberBlack drivers more expect a tip because I'm already over paying for the ride? I want to be able to select my car and driver.

[Anonymous]

If a rider asks you if you are the DCUM UberX poster would you tell the truth?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you report a driver? I believe the man who assaulted me is an Uber driver.

Did this happen on an Uber ride? Did you call the police?

If this happened on a ride, report it thru the app. History > Ride > Need Help? > I Had An Issue With My Driver > Report a serious incident with a driver:


If you believe this man happens to work for uber, let the police know, and then follow-up with them that they contacted uber.

Got to disagree. If your driver physically or sexually assaults you, you report it through 911, not through the Uber app.

[Anonymous]

Op is all about bragging about himself but not about answering any questions when someone wants help to become a driver. "AMA, but only if I can blow my own horn".