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Newport police pulling over Uber drivers

4K views 21 replies 9 participants last post by  Uberdeshi 
#1 ·
While I was driving my taxi Saturday night in Newport I noticed the Newport police pulling over Uber drivers and shutting them down.

A group of six girls ran across four lanes of traffic to flag me down. They stated they had gotten into an Uber and a cop pulled the car over and told the passengers to get out.

It was EXTREMELY busy after last call at 1am and America's Cup Ave was packed with people trying to flag down a cab. It got to the point where the dispatcher gave up assigning cabs jobso in rotation, telling any and all available taxis to just go downtown and pickup whoever.

Usually Newport is DEAD after about 1:45am and most of the drivers start gassing up and going home but it was so busy those that usually drivers who are gone by 2am ended up staying to almost 4th. I did my 12 hours from 10pm to 10am and never stayed still for longer than 10 minutes. I got over $100 in tips and 36.40 in extras since I did 24 jobs and tranported a total of 66 passengers.

I was wondering if the Newport police pulling Uber drivers over had anything with the surge. We are almost always busy any Saturday night between May and the end of October, but this was a great deal busier than usual. Any comments from anyone driving in Newport this weekend?
 
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#2 ·
Ive been in Newport every weekend and I havent seen this. I even went to the police station and had an officer get a passenger out of my car because he was passed out and no address for him. There was probably something wrong with his car or paperwork. I've even stood on the side of Thames Street talking to the officers there. They aren't pulling anyone over for no reason
 
#11 ·
Lol. If we all follow the rules there is no reason we can't all profit. The only thing that really ticks me off is when a customer calls a cab for a pickup a long distance away and agree to the wait time as its longer during busy weekend nights. The driver drives all the way there (usually Newport to Narragansett or South Kingstown) and is told upon arrival "oh I'm sorry but I just called Uber". I'm not mad they called Uber, they have every right to do so. But you would think if they had any courtesy whatsoever they would call back and cancel the cab? That driver just wasted gas and time plus lost money since that hour round trip cost them local jobs they could have gotten. I understand it's one of the perils of driving a cab, but it is nonetheless frustrating. Years ago if two or more different cabs from different companies showed up at the same address, THEY ALL LEFT and no one got a ride. Too bad this is no longer followed...
 
#15 ·
I've been driving with Uber for a month on the weekends (about 300 fares), all in the Newport area. I've also had two conversations with the Newport police - one in person and one by phone, and lived here on the island for more than 30 years.

Random thoughts about driving in Newport:
  • Some cops don't mind Uber, some seem to have something against us. Doesn't seem to be any consensus as a department though.
  • Some Uber drivers drive like COMPLETE idiots, and I'm sure that's making all of us look bad in their eyes.
  • Cops have some really simple expectations: follow the traffic laws, particularly yielding to pedestrians (whether they're in crosswalks or not,) don't do stupid things like making that posted illegal left or u-turn from America's Cup Ave. at Market Square.
  • Don't stop in the flow of traffic (especially on main drags like Thames, America's Cup Ave., and Spring)
  • Don't pickup/drop Pax on main drags (see above). I pull off on the closest intersection and alert them, unless the road is completely clear behind me, which is rare.
  • Don't even think about driving on Bannister's wharf. Technically you're allowed, but it's much easier (and quicker) to drop off at Market Square and note to your pax they are connected. Police specifically asked me not to drive on Bannister's between 12:30am-1:30am, which seems like common sense.
  • The jug handle at Memorial and Thames is your friend. Use it!
  • The intersection of Dearborn and Perry at Spring St, which is a one way road. technically requires you to drive slightly contra-flow, but I've had two different Newport cops tell me this is OK and something people have been doing their entire careers. It's about a 10' offset to the right. Uber's map will show it as a valid path. Google Maps will drive you around the long way.
  • If you're picking up on Thames (say from One Pelham East) pull over closest to the parked vehicles on the left. Let traffic continue to flow to your right so the line can still go left on America's Cup Ave, or right on Mill St.
  • The pedicab drivers will USUALLY yield to the side as soon as they get an opportunity. Most conscientiously share the road, so I try to do the same.
  • The top and bottom parking lots at Castle Hill Inn are connected, so after you drop in front of the valet area, don't make a three-point-turn, just drive down the end of the lot and through the orange cones.
  • Gooseberry (though smallest) also seems to be the strictest about where TNC's can pickup/dropoff.
  • When dropping off at Second Beach, always pull beyond the main entrance and then onto the side of the road, so it doesn't confuse the usual long line of cars heading into the lot.
 
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