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[QUOTE]Originally posted by smitty195: [QB] Hi Richard, Good questions about Uber. I am an Uber driver now, albeit a new one, and I am learning all about how this whole system works. One thing I learned within the first 20 minutes is that there is no way at all for me or anyone else to explain "the system" in that short amount of time. However, it *IS* possible to get the free Uber app on your smart phone and learn how to call a ride to your location in that amount of time. In that respect, it is very user-friendly. For people who have never used Uber and/or know nothing about it, here are just some very general tips. I've been studying their various web pages and links for a month and I'm probably only halfway done. They have so many different domain names that it's very easy to get confused when you are new. So in the spirit of keeping things easy and "new", here is some random information (if anyone wants more specific information, let me know----chances are, I do have the answer but I'm leaving it out here to avoid confusion, which is very, very easy to do!): -There are actually TWO main Uber apps for smart phones. If you are a user of Uber (meaning you are the one who wants a ride---you do NOT want to drive), then the name of your app is simply "Uber". That Uber app is available for free download at any major smart phone App Store (i.e., Apple, Droid, etc). -The name of the App that most drivers use is something totally different, and it is called "Uber Partner". You can not download this App unless you are an Uber driver who has gone through the whole routine of getting checked out. They did a background investigation on me which took about a week, they received certified copies of my DMV records, I had to go to a designated engine shop to have my car safety inspected in 150 locations (it's free----Uber pays for this inspection), you have to submit your tax information, your photo, your car's current registration, your current insurance, and a whole slew of other things. Once everything is done and approved, they will send you a link that is only good for you. If you send it to someone else, it will not work. The link somehow allows me (and other Uber drivers) to download the "Uber Partner" app from Apple's App Store. It is a completely different installation routine than anything I've ever seen. I'm sure they have done this as part of their security------so that people can't just sneak onto the system and claim to be an Uber driver when they haven't been checked out yet. -This probably won't mean much to users of the Uber system, but just so you know, Uber has "Partners" and Uber has "Drivers". The difference is quite simple. I am an Uber Partner---I am NOT a "Driver". An Uber Partner is what most people are, and that means the two vehicle classifications that I can be called for are Uber X or Uber XL (you make a vehicle choice at the bottom of your Uber app if you are ordering a ride). Uber X is your standard, run of the mill Honda 4 door, Toyota 4 door, Ford 4 door, etc. All Uber X cars will have 4 doors. If you need something larger like an SUV, you can request Uber XL. The vehicle I drive is a luxury SUV (Infiniti JX35), so I get called for any Uber X or Uber XL. Now for those who have seen the app, you're probably saying to yourself, "Wait a minute----I see with my own two eyes at the bottom of this app where it says "Uber SUV". You are right----you are not seeing things! This is where it gets confusing so I will keep this as simple as I can in the next paragraph. -Any vehicle category of Uber SUV or Uber Black is going to be a commercial vehicle with commercial license plates through DMV. So if Joe Blow owns a black Chevy Suburban and he wants to make more money by being an Uber SUV, he has to pay DMV to get the new license plates. He also has to do whatever is required to get a Commercial driver's license. He also needs to pay the State for a "TCP" license that goes in white numbers across the back bumper (just like you see on airport limos). He also has to get an airport sticker that contains a microchip. Any time he drives that vehicle inside the electric but invisible fence line of SFO, OAK, or SJC, "cha-ching", he is charged 10 bucks. There is A LOT of money involved in becoming a commercial driver. I have talked to other Uber drivers who are commercial and they explained everything and told me, "Don't do it! Unless you are going to make this your career, don't do it. You'll never make up the money that you spend on all of these state and local fees constantly". Also, if an Uber passenger specifically orders an Uber SUV or Uber Black, you know that you are getting a commercial vehicle and someone with a commercial license. Not that it matters, except that means you're going to pay more for that ride. The irony in all of this is that when people put in their app that they need an Uber XL and I show up, they'll say stuff like, "Are you Uber Black or Uber SUV because we only paid for Uber XL?'. And I will tell them no, even though the vehicle itself COULD be SUV or Black, it's not----and that's because I did not go "commercial". So sometimes, people get a lot of bang for their buck with my vehicle because they're getting both Uber SUV and Uber Black but without paying for it (the higher level or car you request, the more you pay). -As far as what Uber charges, sorry but LOL!!! If you can figure that out, you will win the golden prize! The best way to find out what they charge is to just download the free app, and create a free account. Once you're up and running, you will see how to get an estimate from Point A to Point B. You can do this WITHOUT ordering a ride. Make sure you read their instructions on how to use the app so that you don't accidentally order a car. If you do accidentally order one, you have either 2 minutes or 5 minutes (I forget) to cancel. But that is a TOTAL BUMMER when someone does that. The reason is simple----I have already accepted that ride request and I've been driving for five minutes towards you. It also means I am not available because I'm already on a pickup. But if you cancel and I just missed a great ride like to SFO or something, well, that's how drivers get mad and give passengers bad write-ups. -Write-ups: At the end of every trip, the driver can evaluate the passenger(s) and vice-versa. The part that I dislike very much is that Uber needs you to maintain a 4.6 rating or higher (out of 5). Right now I have 5, so I'm okay. But all it takes is one person to either make a mistake, or be in a grumpy mood, or whatever, and leave you a 4. One 4 rating can sometimes bring you down below 4.6, and guess what happens when you reach 4.6? You get a letter from Uber telling you this is your one chance----shape up, or they will kick you out of the system. VERY VERY unfair. I always thought a 4 was a pretty good score out of 5, but now I know that to Uber, it is not acceptable. We rate passengers as well, and all I do is give out 5s. (Honestly, I don't want to play that little game. Shhhhh....don't tell anyone). -And the last thing before I go to bed: How far can an Uber driver take someone? Well, there is no "set" answer to that. Technically and by our contract, we are supposed to accept every ride they send to us via the app, and take them there. So if someone wants to go from Pleasanton to Lake Tahoe.....well.....I haven't really thought too hard about that one yet, but you know what? If someone wants that, then I'll do it. I'm 3 ½ to 4 hours away. I could always come right back. It would be an entire day (or night) of course, but WOW think of the money I would make from that trip! (by the way, it's impossible to calculate how much it would cost, but just know that out of every trip a driver does, Uber gets the $1 fee right off the top, and on top of that, they take 20%. So it's one dollar plus 20% every time you take someone somewhere). Lots more I could talk about Uber because it's extremely complex how they have it set up. The apps themselves are easy for the users, but now that I know what is going on behind the scenes, it is INCREDIBLE!!!! You've got this Uber app and an Uber Partner app that are on two totally different phones from people you don't even know. Yet they see your car on the map, and they can follow you IN REAL TIME as they drive to you. It gives them a one minute warning automatically, then when I arrive, it tells them I'm there automatically. But it does SO MUCH MORE than that. I'm very impressed by what they put together here. One final not I don't think I mentioned (whoops, maybe I did----sorry if I already did!!), but people like me who are Uber X and Uber XL are called "Partners". I am not a driver. To be an Uber Driver, you have to have your commercial license. Just wanted to mention that-----that's why the app is called Uber Partner and not Uber Driver. Goodnight, and ask anything you'd like ! [QUOTE]Originally posted by yukon11: [qb] I think I exaggerated the bus travel time. It's more like 2 hours on the bus vs. one hour if you drive in your own car. As the Northbound Starlight doesn't get into Martinez until 10:45 PM, do Uber drivers have a "curfew" with regard to how late they drive? Is there a maximum distance they are willing to drive and are there restrictions on how far out, of the home area, Uber is willing to go? Also, as a rough guess, what would a one hour ride, in Uber, cost? Thanks. Richard [/qb][/QUOTE] [/QB][/QUOTE]
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