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The best thing that could have happened

3K views 37 replies 20 participants last post by  badratings 
#1 ·
The one time I try to put in a day shift, a minnesota decides to smooch my prius.



The idea that day driving is safer is bullshit. Sober day drivers aren't that much better than night time drunk drivers, but there are so many more of them trying to give you a bad day.
I handle the crash, call the police, uber and insurance company. Pretty obviously the other person's fault, and I have the video to prove it.
A few days after James Rivers calls to interrogate me, I get permanently deactivated.
I send emails and phone calls, then I bring the video to the GLH. The rep watches the video, then tells me she wouldn't help me even if she could because I wasn't defensive driving.

It sucks because my ratings were on a steady upward trajectory, I brought it from the brink of deactivation to 4.7+ and now its for nothing.
My car was totaled and I got a decent payout. The insurance company let me keep my car for a very cheap salvage price. My car is still perfectly usable as a personal car, just not suitable for rideshare.
Rideshare was in many ways a distraction from training for my career, so I hope this means I will put more effort into completing it.
For the moment, I am freed from being abused by rideshare companies and pax, at least until I start doing deliveries or get a replacement car to do Lyft.
 
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#3 ·
The one time I try to put in a day shift, a minnesota decides to smooch my prius.



The idea that day driving is safer is bullshit. Sober day drivers aren't that much better than night time drunk drivers, but there are so many more of them trying to give you a bad day.
I handle the crash, call the police, uber and insurance company. Pretty obviously the other person's fault, and I have the video to prove it.
A few days after James Rivers calls to interrogate me, I get permanently deactivated.
I send emails and phone calls, then I bring the video to the GLH. The rep watches the video, then tells me she wouldn't help me even if she could because I wasn't defensive driving.

It sucks because my ratings were on a steady upward trajectory, I brought it from the brink of deactivation to 4.7+ and now its for nothing.
My car was totaled and I got a decent payout. The insurance company let me keep my car for a very cheap salvage price. My car is still perfectly usable as a personal car, just not suitable for rideshare.
Rideshare was in many ways a distraction from training for my career, so I hope this means I will put more effort into completing it.
For the moment, I am freed from being abused by rideshare companies and pax, at least until I start doing deliveries or get a replacement car to do Lyft.
4.7 IS the brink of deactivation.
It sucks you got hit but the
dashcam proves you werent at fault
Hopefully you'll make out..
 
#7 ·
4.7 IS the brink of deactivation.
It sucks you got hit but the
dashcam proves you werent at fault
Hopefully you'll make out..
I was 7x 1 stars away from 4.6, the deactivation threshold where I drive. Brink is being at 4.5X and getting a warning message in the app.

Your car was totaled from that? What make/model is it?
My car is an '08. repair estimate came in at $4k
 
#9 · (Edited)
If it was my car, I'd buy a same colored door(s) / fender from a wrecker and replace them myself. If the rear quarter panel is crunched I'd just leave it as is, you can probably still rideshare with a dented rear quarter. Fender and doors just bolt on.

I doubt there is any structural damage that would require frame bending.

OTH, now that it is a salvage title, you can't rideshare with it anyway.

Pics of damage?
-----------------

Regarding the accident, your car was hidden from his view from the parked trucks. He inched out slowly in case someone was coming.

Your reaction time was really bad and it seems like you made a false assumption that he could see you or that he wouldn't dare merge into your lane. As there was another lane to the left you could have swerved to avoid.

At least you appeared to be going the speed limit (unless its a 15mph), but the video shows that you were not really paying attention.

On any given day, I have to avoid a handful of situations like that.
 
#15 ·
Regarding the accident, your car was hidden from his view from the parked trucks. He inched out slowly in case someone was coming.

Your reaction time was really bad and it seems like you made a false assumption that he could see you or that he wouldn't dare merge into your lane. As there was another lane to the left you could have swerved to avoid.

At least you appeared to be going the speed limit (unless its a 15mph), but the video shows that you were not really paying attention.

On any given day, I have to avoid a handful of situations like that.
I saw that car coming way early. I understand the driver did not stop and look for oncoming cars...perhaps absolving you of at fault. But, seriously, in Vegas, I drive as if that sort of thing can happen at any moment. All drivers should...if you like your car.
I can see why Uber deactivated you. You didn't seem to slow down much or swerve away. Always be proactive, defensively and be ready to be super quick...there are plenty of idiot drivers on the road like the one you collided with. It seems their favorite things to do are ignore blind spots and tailgate within a few feet. Out of 8,300 rides, I've had to take serious evasive action about four times...so, it's gonna' happen...always be aware.
All drivers should Google search the Smith 5 point driving advisories...it's mainly for truckers, but applies to all drivers as well. It's excellent info.
This is a discussion I wanted to have so I'm glad you brought it up. I will make my case here as I did with the GLH person:

I did make an assumption, because the SUV didn't look like someone about to barge into my lane. You say yourself that he looked like someone who was inching out slowly in case someone was coming. You don't do that without looking in the direction of approaching traffic. Up until 00:04.99, the suv is just someone carefully crawling forward in a limited visibility situation, checking for traffic, who has seen me and will stop without entering my lane.

I reacted exactly when I wanted to. 00:05.00, the suv becomes unlikely to stop, so I initiate a lane change. The move extended the suv's opportunity to stop without colliding, which increased the chance of averting a crash without hard maneuvering. Even if the driver wasn't looking my way, my position in the driver's field of vision would be improved, increasing the chance he would see me and stop without crashing. It didn't pay off but it could have.
At that point, the alternative would be to not swerve and slam on the brakes, which was the safer thing to do.

So far, consensus seems to be to slow down as soon as you see the suv. Maybe that's what it takes to never crash. It seems, to me, also like a good way to never get anywhere. Slow car? He might not stop, better slow down. Decelerating car? He might let off the brake, better slow down. Stopped car? he might start moving, better slow down. There is a line where some assumptions are reasonable, and some risk is acceptable.
 
#11 ·
I saw that car coming way early. I understand the driver did not stop and look for oncoming cars...perhaps absolving you of at fault. But, seriously, in Vegas, I drive as if that sort of thing can happen at any moment. All drivers should...if you like your car.
I can see why Uber deactivated you. You didn't seem to slow down much or swerve away. Always be proactive, defensively and be ready to be super quick...there are plenty of idiot drivers on the road like the one you collided with. It seems their favorite things to do are ignore blind spots and tailgate within a few feet. Out of 8,300 rides, I've had to take serious evasive action about four times...so, it's gonna' happen...always be aware.
All drivers should Google search the Smith 5 point driving advisories...it's mainly for truckers, but applies to all drivers as well. It's excellent info.
 
#25 · (Edited)
I saw that car coming way early.
Due to the way that the cars were parked, you could see nothing, at first. There was a gap, through which you could see the SUV's approaching the intersection. Then the parked cars obscured vision.

I am assuming that you saw the SUV when I did: through the gap in the parked cars.

I understand the driver did not stop and look for oncoming cars...perhaps absolving you of at fault. But, seriously, in Vegas, I drive as if that sort of thing can happen at any moment. All drivers should...if you like your car.
As long as he told it the right way to the constable, Massachusetts law absolves him of fault. That road looks familiar. There is no mistaking where he is for anything but Massachusetts. I checked Original Poster's profile page and it verified my suspicions.

You didn't seem to slow down much or swerve away.
He did change lanes, but did not slow. I would have changed the lanes, as did he, but, I would at least have let off the throttle.

It could be an economic total, meaning the repairs are worth more than the vehicle is valued at.
He said it was an 08.
People think "total" means that you so totally like wrecked it, man, like it was totalled, Jack. No, "total" means that it is a "total" loss. You must learn your insurance jive, here. In case of a loss caused by the insured, the insurer is obliged only to restore the person who suffered the loss to the state in which he was before the occurrence that resulted in said loss. In dollars and cents, this means that the insurance company is on the hook for the value of the vehicle. In most states, this is the Actual Cash Value of the vehicle. There are methods to determine the ACV. The ACV is almost always far less than the replacement value (RV). If the cost of repairs is, say, six thousand five hundred dollars, but, the ACV of the vehicle is only five thousand, the vehicle is by definition a "total loss", thus the insurance company is on the hook only for the five thousand dollars. This would be the same if you or the other guy is at fault. If you are at fault and are carrying "collision" coverage, your insurer is on the hook only for the ACV, unless you purchase Replacement Value insurance.

limited visibility situation,
It was limited visibility both for you and the other guy. You could see him only for a moment as you passed between the parked cars. He might have been able to see you between the parked cars; he might not have.

I initiate a lane change.
You only half did your job. In addition, you should have laid off the throttle and had your foot poised over the brake pedal.

So far, consensus seems to be to slow down as soon as you see the suv.
While you might not have had to go to the brakes, at least do not maintain speed.

Maybe that's what it takes to never crash. It seems, to me, also like a good way to never get anywhere.
Stepping on the brake is a good way to get nowhere. Coasting for a minute is a good way to avoid a collision.

some risk is acceptable.
.......and you took a risk that you did not have to take and got burned for it.

Dude why weren't you anticipating that? You can see the SUV approaching between the parked cars on the right.
(emphasis added)

The emphasised part is precisely why this collision could have been avoided. Original Poster was right; he could have been dead right.

I personally would have taken a moment to see if they would stop. The parked cars make that a place where you would want to be doing about 15mph since it's blind.
I do not know if I would have slowed that much, but, I would have taken my foot off the throttle and coasted, at least.

This occurrence demonstrates why there is more to this job than simply turning the key, taking off the brake and putting the car in gear. You learn the proper way to handle something like this from experience driving. I could have avoided this had I been either party.

Had I been driving the Prius, I would have been watching for the side streets. If this is a neighbourhood that I know, I would be keeping in mind where the side streets are. This is one place where the cab driver's knowledge is valuable and where a GPS can not help you. This shows just how full of it the Boston Globe is when it says that the GPS has made my knowledge obsolete or superfluous......how ironic that this occurrence was in Massachusetts......................

As I am observing, I would have noted the SUV through the gap. If my seeing the resumption of the row of cars and the concomitant blocking of vision did not occur to me as I looked through the gap and saw the SUV's approaching the intersection, it would have occurred to me as I passed the gap. As soon as I saw that car, I would have changed lanes, as did Original Poster. Further, I would have begun to coast, taken note of anything else surrounding (children, animals, other traffic), then looked to my right to see what that SUV was doing at the soonest possible moment. Fractions of seconds count, here. I would have been mentally prepared both to brake and swerve.

All of this comes as second nature if you drive enough. You do not think about it. Once you are sure that the danger has passed, you simply return to your former state of mind. It just happens.

Had I been driving the SUV, I would have noted the limited visibility. I would have guessed that traffic was moving at least at thirty miles per hour. I would have noted the gap and tried to see if I could see anything on the road through that gap.. If I did, I would have waited until the vehicle that I had seen passed, checked again, and, if I saw nothing, I would turn toward the right and inch forward until I could see that there was nothing competing for the same space that I was. Further, I would have turned right and toward the shoulder.

Especially watch out for them Lyft and Uber ant drivers. They make Taxi drivers look like saints of the road.
I learned how to look out and look ahead of me from driving a cab.

EDITORIAL NOTES:

I looked at the dashboard camera footage again. Number two had room to duck onto the shoulder of the main road which he could have used had he entered the intersection with any caution.

Original Poster did not initiate the lane change when I thought that he had. He did so only when he was approaching the intersection. Had he noticed the SUV through the gap in the parked cars, he could have and, should have, initiated the lane change then. This is also a good way to avoid a collision on a freeway. If you are on the freeway, as you approach the ON ramp, you give to the left, if possible. If you can not, you take your foot off the throttle. Yes, you have the right of way, but, you must assume that the car that is trying to merge is going to violate your right of way. It almost always does.
 
#17 ·
I avoid a potential accident at least once a day. Defensive driving is key. Assume that every other driver is an idiot who has no idea what they're doing and never assume that somebody can see you or will stop when they're supposed to.
Regardless, I'm glad everything ended up working out for you. Keep up that positive attitude ?
 
#22 ·
I avoid a potential accident at least once a day. Defensive driving is key. Assume that every other driver is an idiot who has no idea what they're doing and never assume that somebody can see you or will stop when they're supposed to.
Regardless, I'm glad everything ended up working out for you. Keep up that positive attitude ?
^^^ !!
Everyone
is a freak of nature driver to me on the road lol
 
#18 ·
It doesn't look good. From our after-the-fact Monday Morning QB perspective it looks like you simply failed to notice the large white SUV that the rest of us can see approaching the corner before you even cleared those parked cars. And then, when the rest of us can see the car is going to hit you, you didn't react. This video does show a lack of defensive driving skills - at that particular moment in time. Thanks goodness you're okay. I hope your insurance makes you whole again. Accidents happen. It could be any of us here explaining why we did or did not do what we did or did not do.

I also find daytime driving far more dangerous than night driving.
 
#20 ·
Dude why weren't you anticipating that? You can see the SUV approaching between the parked cars on the right. I personally would have taken a moment to see if they would stop.

The parked cars make that a place where you would want to be doing about 15mph since it's blind.

We all know that every American worker is the authority on their job and how to do it, so good luck I guess.
 
#29 ·
If you’re driving Uber full time, your chances of an accident are increase exponentially. I drive slower, more cautiously, and with more awareness, to try and counteract the increased risk. I’m always asking myself: do I feel safe now? Do I feel safe now? Other drivers are more of a risk than the pax.
 
#30 ·
If you're driving Uber full time, your chances of an accident are increase exponentially.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Your insurer will ask you how much you drive; if you drive a car to work and how far your job is. The more miles that you drive, the higher the likelihood of your getting into a collision. If you are hauling passengers or goods for compensation, you drive more miles, thus, there is a higher chance of a loss. This is why your insurer wants to know if you are doing TNC work and it makes you pay for a TNC endorsement/policy. This is why your insurer will drop you if you do TNC work and you do not purchase the endorsement/policy.

Even though Uber and Lyft provide a policy that covers you when you are working, your own insurer has no way of knowing when that loss will occur. It could occur while you are signed on to the application, thus Uber's or Lyft's company would be on the hook. It could occur when you have signed out of the application and are on your way home. It could occur when you are making a brew run. It could occur when you are on your way to your regular job. In all of those cases, your insurer could be on the hook.

Your insurer is taking on an added risk, thus it charges you for that.
 
#38 ·
I've given this crash some more thought
For regular drivers, a low speed crash that causes no injuries where you have right of way is just not a big deal, and totally worth not slowing down for every car creeping toward a stop sign. If this crash didn't occur during a uber ride, all it would have caused me was a moderate amount of inconvenience.
On a uber ride, there are additional costs, but they are mostly economic costs. Hence it is disingenuous of uber to deactivate me for "safety" reasons, since the true reason is economic and has very little to do with safety.
 
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