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I cannot believe it- my pax got STOLEN by another Uber driver!

2K views 20 replies 12 participants last post by  Red Dodge 
#1 ·
So- I was pretty much done for the night as of 10 pm when all the surges ended. I live out in Courthouse, so I'm really close to the Clarendon bars. I'm doing homework online, so I decided to check at 1:45 pm on the rates. I see Adams Morgan is surging as of 1:30 pm- nah! At 1:50 pm, Clarendon starts to surge hard. So I said to myself "why not?" and jump in my car. I checked the surge in three different apps- it's surging as high as 3x. So, as soon as I get to the Clarendon vicinity, my pings go crazy. First two were non-surge... I'm not crazy, I say no way, Jose! But the third one is a nice 2.6X. I accept that and swing over there asap. About 45 seconds later, I pull up and call the pax. I tell him I'm right outside. That's when he says "Oh- ummmmm.... I got another Uber. Sorry!", then hangs up on me. What???!!!! So, I thought about just sitting there and letting it time out, but that's a fool's game. There are surely other 2.6X pax out there, so I canceled him and said he was a no-show.

I get a second pax and that is at 2.1X, so I take that one. I literally pull around the corner to that one, and I get a phone call from that pax. I say "Hello?" like in Adele style, and the guy says hello back... then nothing. I hear him talking to someone, and then silence. Another Uber driver stole another fare of mine!!!!!

I don't blame the pax as much as I blame the drivers- what kind of souless, scum sucking, bottom feeding piece of $h*t steals another Uber driver's pax? I mean, we're all in this together!

The next ping comes much slower- and it's 1.5X. I check the app... no more rates out there higher than 1.5, so I take it. I get two chicks- one with mascara rimmed eyes telling me "we're not going too far- just Ballston". Effin' Ballston!!!!!

The worst part? After I drop the two pax, I see Adams Morgan and Foggy Bottom are still surging. That's like a 6 minute hop from where I was, so I decided to try and salvage the night and head up there. As soon as I arrive in Foggy Bottom, the surge ends, and it's in LeDroit Park and Columbia Heights. At that point, I sit there for a few, then drive back to E Street Expressway and head home. 7 minutes later, I'm stepping out of my car, and just as I do, I look at the damn app, and Foggy Bottom/Adams Morgan has the same, crazy surge I just missed out on. Crap.

GRRRRRRRRR.....

What was the way to handle the pax stealing?

koffee
 
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#3 ·
So- I was pretty much done for the night as of 10 pm when all the surges ended. I live out in Courthouse, so I'm really close to the Clarendon bars. I'm doing homework online, so I decided to check at 1:45 pm on the rates. I see Adams Morgan is surging as of 1:30 pm- nah! At 1:50 pm, Clarendon starts to surge hard. So I said to myself "why not?" and jump in my car. I checked the surge in three different apps- it's surging as high as 3x. So, as soon as I get to the Clarendon vicinity, my pings go crazy. First two were non-surge... I'm not crazy, I say no way, Jose! But the third one is a nice 2.6X. I accept that and swing over there asap. About 45 seconds later, I pull up and call the pax. I tell him I'm right outside. That's when he says "Oh- ummmmm.... I got another Uber. Sorry!", then hangs up on me. What???!!!! So, I thought about just sitting there and letting it time out, but that's a fool's game. There are surely other 2.6X pax out there, so I canceled him and said he was a no-show.

I get a second pax and that is at 2.1X, so I take that one. I literally pull around the corner to that one, and I get a phone call from that pax. I say "Hello?" like in Adele style, and the guy says hello back... then nothing. I hear him talking to someone, and then silence. Another Uber driver stole another fare of mine!!!!!

I don't blame the pax as much as I blame the drivers- what kind of souless, scum sucking, bottom feeding piece of $h*t steals another Uber driver's pax? I mean, we're all in this together!

The next ping comes much slower- and it's 1.5X. I check the app... no more rates out there higher than 1.5, so I take it. I get two chicks- one with mascara rimmed eyes telling me "we're not going too far- just Ballston". Effin' Ballston!!!!!

The worst part? After I drop the two pax, I see Adams Morgan and Foggy Bottom are still surging. That's like a 6 minute hop from where I was, so I decided to try and salvage the night and head up there. As soon as I arrive in Foggy Bottom, the surge ends, and it's in LeDroit Park and Columbia Heights. At that point, I sit there for a few, then drive back to E Street Expressway and head home. 7 minutes later, I'm stepping out of my car, and just as I do, I look at the damn app, and Foggy Bottom/Adams Morgan has the same, crazy surge I just missed out on. Crap.

GRRRRRRRRR.....

What was the way to handle the pax stealing?

koffee
It was a shitty move from the other driver. I always check that I have the right passenger before I start the ride.
But, welcome the livery business, where drivers will run over their own mothers for a fare, and with these new rates, this may be the new normal.
 
#4 ·
So- I was pretty much done for the night as of 10 pm when all the surges ended. I live out in Courthouse, so I'm really close to the Clarendon bars. I'm doing homework online, so I decided to check at 1:45 pm on the rates. I see Adams Morgan is surging as of 1:30 pm- nah! At 1:50 pm, Clarendon starts to surge hard. So I said to myself "why not?" and jump in my car. I checked the surge in three different apps- it's surging as high as 3x. So, as soon as I get to the Clarendon vicinity, my pings go crazy. First two were non-surge... I'm not crazy, I say no way, Jose! But the third one is a nice 2.6X. I accept that and swing over there asap. About 45 seconds later, I pull up and call the pax. I tell him I'm right outside. That's when he says "Oh- ummmmm.... I got another Uber. Sorry!", then hangs up on me. What???!!!! So, I thought about just sitting there and letting it time out, but that's a fool's game. There are surely other 2.6X pax out there, so I canceled him and said he was a no-show.

I get a second pax and that is at 2.1X, so I take that one. I literally pull around the corner to that one, and I get a phone call from that pax. I say "Hello?" like in Adele style, and the guy says hello back... then nothing. I hear him talking to someone, and then silence. Another Uber driver stole another fare of mine!!!!!

I don't blame the pax as much as I blame the drivers- what kind of souless, scum sucking, bottom feeding piece of $h*t steals another Uber driver's pax? I mean, we're all in this together!

The next ping comes much slower- and it's 1.5X. I check the app... no more rates out there higher than 1.5, so I take it. I get two chicks- one with mascara rimmed eyes telling me "we're not going too far- just Ballston". Effin' Ballston!!!!!

The worst part? After I drop the two pax, I see Adams Morgan and Foggy Bottom are still surging. That's like a 6 minute hop from where I was, so I decided to try and salvage the night and head up there. As soon as I arrive in Foggy Bottom, the surge ends, and it's in LeDroit Park and Columbia Heights. At that point, I sit there for a few, then drive back to E Street Expressway and head home. 7 minutes later, I'm stepping out of my car, and just as I do, I look at the damn app, and Foggy Bottom/Adams Morgan has the same, crazy surge I just missed out on. Crap.

GRRRRRRRRR.....

What was the way to handle the pax stealing?

koffee
If you pick up the wrong Pax you make the run for free.
 
#9 ·
This is something that has plagued the dispatch sector of the cab business for years.

Drivers hear an address go out to another driver and try to beat him to the address to snatch the trip. The use of electronic call assignment largely has put an end to this.

People call a cab and jump into the first thing that shows up. This happens at hotels and restaurants frequently. The people have the desk clerk or the hostess call a cab. The doorman will have the desk clerk call a cab if none are at the hotel taxi stand (usually late at night). In these cases, the people do not know what cab that the employees called, so, when one shows up, they assume that it is theirs.

There are those who will call when they can not hail anything, just to make sure that something is coming for them. Meanwhile, if they can wave down something, they take it.

The hotels are the worst offenders. The only time the people are still there is if they are going somewhere that no driver wants to go.

If you pick up the wrong Pax you make the run for free.
If you pick up the wrong people on Uber, Uber does not pay you. If you snatch someone's trip, Uber will not pay. To be sure, some of these drivers will demand cash. Some might have a Square, or something, as well. This is a dog-eat-dog business. When I hacked in Arlington, for most of the time, I drove for the stepchild company. It had the same ownership as the #1 company, it was simply treated worse than the ownership treated the #1 company. As rents were high and I had to make rent, gasolene and a profit, I hustled everything. If I got a trip from say, Crystal City out to Bailey's, I would come back down Columbia Pike and stick my nose into every place that the #1 company had a hotline (I knew where all of them were). While driving back, between Carlin Springs Road and the Sheraton National, if all that I managed to snag was one local, that paid for the gasolene for the round trip, at least. Anything else that I got was a bonus.

4 people all call for an uber then take the first that arrives. So long as there's a driver close they can cancel within 5 mins so no skin off their nose.
Most likely gypsy cabs. Anyone can print the U logo and glue it to the window.
Either of the above could explain it. In addition, as other posters have stated, several keep putting in requests, especially if there is a surge. Onc e someone hits a non-surge, they go with that. Either that, or they will keep the surge request active and if the surged ride arrives and the non-surged is too far, they simply go with the surged. Then, there is the possibility that they take the lowest surge factor ride.
 
#10 ·
It happened to me once... I was pinged in a surge... Probably around 3-4x, arrive quickly to the destination as the ping was about 1-2 minute away. I wait, probably close to the 5 minute mark, but continue to wait. I see another Uber pull-up, they're closer to the establishment. I believe they were likely arriving for a PAX. Two girls come out, you see them approach the Uber vehicle, some hesitation talk like they got the wrong person, but they get in the vehicle... 1 minute later, the rider cancels.
So, in this scenario, either 1) They were aware of the surge, but were aware if the 2nd person requested the ride, it would be cheaper. Original requester canceled after 2nd person request was accepted. -- Can't fault the passengers for remaining cost-effective (The surge was still there, but much less). 2) The other Uber had trade-dresses, but I don't rock them, so they may not have seen me or thought I was even there. So they took their first available ride and took the obvious Uber (If this is the case, my bad for not rocking recognition that I'm Uber).
So, maybe the ride that brought the other Uber to their destination canceled... Maybe they waited it out, to see if they'd re-ping and headed to the direction anyways?? No idea... Either way, I felt like I got snatched from. But, as a frequent rider..... I recall the car (make/model, etc.) They'll get theirs w/ a 1* :) Karma....
Side note: later that evening I had my best fare of my entire time driving.... Crazy high surge...
 
#12 ·
So- I was pretty much done for the night as of 10 pm when all the surges ended. I live out in Courthouse, so I'm really close to the Clarendon bars. I'm doing homework online, so I decided to check at 1:45 pm on the rates. I see Adams Morgan is surging as of 1:30 pm- nah! At 1:50 pm, Clarendon starts to surge hard. So I said to myself "why not?" and jump in my car. I checked the surge in three different apps- it's surging as high as 3x. So, as soon as I get to the Clarendon vicinity, my pings go crazy. First two were non-surge... I'm not crazy, I say no way, Jose! But the third one is a nice 2.6X. I accept that and swing over there asap. About 45 seconds later, I pull up and call the pax. I tell him I'm right outside. That's when he says "Oh- ummmmm.... I got another Uber. Sorry!", then hangs up on me. What???!!!! So, I thought about just sitting there and letting it time out, but that's a fool's game. There are surely other 2.6X pax out there, so I canceled him and said he was a no-show.

I get a second pax and that is at 2.1X, so I take that one. I literally pull around the corner to that one, and I get a phone call from that pax. I say "Hello?" like in Adele style, and the guy says hello back... then nothing. I hear him talking to someone, and then silence. Another Uber driver stole another fare of mine!!!!!

I don't blame the pax as much as I blame the drivers- what kind of souless, scum sucking, bottom feeding piece of $h*t steals another Uber driver's pax? I mean, we're all in this together!

The next ping comes much slower- and it's 1.5X. I check the app... no more rates out there higher than 1.5, so I take it. I get two chicks- one with mascara rimmed eyes telling me "we're not going too far- just Ballston". Effin' Ballston!!!!!

The worst part? After I drop the two pax, I see Adams Morgan and Foggy Bottom are still surging. That's like a 6 minute hop from where I was, so I decided to try and salvage the night and head up there. As soon as I arrive in Foggy Bottom, the surge ends, and it's in LeDroit Park and Columbia Heights. At that point, I sit there for a few, then drive back to E Street Expressway and head home. 7 minutes later, I'm stepping out of my car, and just as I do, I look at the damn app, and Foggy Bottom/Adams Morgan has the same, crazy surge I just missed out on. Crap.

GRRRRRRRRR.....

What was the way to handle the pax stealing?

koffee
Checked all 3 apps... What 3? Partner app, rider app and what?
 
#15 ·
I told people about it. It's called SurgeApp. It tells you where all the surges are and what the surges are. It's very accurate. Even when we don't see the surge, that app shows every surge when you click on their map and how much it's surging.
 
#14 ·
There's a limited amount of time for the surge- we know that. Waiting for 5 minutes to cancel so I can get 5bucks and then miss the surge wouldn't be worth it. :-/ Better to let it go and see if I can catch another fare- which I did, except that pax got stolen away from me as well. It was a crazy night. Unbelievable.
 
#19 ·
4 people all call for an uber then take the first that arrives. So long as there's a driver close they can cancel within 5 mins so no skin off their nose.
This actually happened to me tonight. Got a request at 1.5x surge and as I know the U Street Corridor well, I got there very quickly. Two guys get in and I verify him, but he had an extremely common name. In the middle of the trip, the other passenger gets a call from Uber. I freaked out thinking I didn't vet the passenger properly, but the passenger told me that they both requested Ubers trying to get the first one who got there.
 
#20 ·
I had two separate pick-ups in one night for the same "girl name." The timing wasn't too far apart, but it would have been possible for that mistake to have happened... But, one should try to confirm destination addresses when possible as that should help avoid those mistakes.
 
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