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Uber
- Thread starter TXDisney
- Start date
xdan0920
Think for yourselfer
I just want to add something here. Not sure how it's gonna come off, but it's the truth.
Hearing you say this makes me WAY less interested in using Uber or Lyft. The biggest draw for me using Uber is no tip. It takes away all awkwardness from the proceedings. If you all start angling for tips there will be far less Uber users out there.
DManRightHere
Well-Known Member
Still saying it is illegal for taxis to "long haul". I imagine it would be hard to enforce, but easier than ever to verify since so many has gps on phones now.
I always play on the gps when on the Disney busses lol.
Professor_Jason
Active Member
We're planning on using Uber when we go just based on Friends' complaints about the Disney bus system
DManRightHere
Well-Known Member
When and what resort? Some resorts have great buses. iI think most people are just impatient. We plan on 30 minutes to get where we're going, and there are a few resorts I will never stay at again because of the bus service.
Professor_Jason
Active Member
We're gonna be at the Dolphin from March 6 - 13
DManRightHere
Well-Known Member
Yes, Boardwalk is where I will not go back. When we went the same bus picked up boardwalk, yacht club, swan, dolphin, and beach club. The busses were not timely either. Even if they were on time that is way to many locations for people paying deluxe rates.
The best resorts for busses we've had are AKL and Coronado. Port Orleans was very good too.
Minnie1986
Well-Known Member
May I ask what you used Mears for? I booked shuttles to/from Disney/Universal and it was $20 round trip. Is Uber less than that?
xdan0920
Think for yourselfer
Shuttle? As in a bus that picks up from different resorts?
Minnie1986
Well-Known Member
Yes, a shuttle will pick us up at Disney and take us to Universal and vice versa.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
That may very well be the reason in Orlando, but, that doesn't explain the fact that they aren't allowed in the Raleigh/Durham Airport and many others that I have heard about all over the country. We don't have Mears here.
photomatt
Well-Known Member
I understand this position, but there are other issues to consider.
In Orlando the Uber/Lyft rate is 75 cents a mile plus 13 cents a minute. Uber takes 20 percent of that. Let's say you want to go from POFQ to the airport using Uber. Google says it's 20.3 miles or 20.6 miles depending on the route. Let's use the shortest route with the cheapest tolls. The approximate fare would be $1 (safe rides fee) $1 (base fare) + $1.96 (tolls) + (20.3 miles x .75/mile) + (25 minutes x .13/min) = $22.44. The same ride in a taxi would be about $2.40 (initial fee) + ($2.40/mile x 20.3miles) + ($2.25 tolls)= $53.37. Since the taxi meters only increase in increments of 60 cents, the taxi fare would be about $53.25. The reason the tolls are different is because a taxi driver is going to charge you the full toll rate, even though they get a discount. Uber charges you the rate the driver is actually paying.
Using Uber would save you about $30. Can you really claim the "The biggest draw for me using Uber is no tip"? Sure, you can say it, but it's not reasonable to believe this claim. The biggest reason people use Uber is the cost.
Let's take this a little farther. If you took Uber, you would pay about $22.44. Uber would deduct $1 for the safe rides fee, $1.96 for the tolls and then 20 percent of the balance. That means the driver would make $15.58. Since the driver can't pick up at the airport, he/she is going to have to deadhead back to I-drive or Disney. That means they have to pay tolls again, which brings the amount down to $13.62. Now the driver has to deduct gas and wear and tear on their vehicle. If we allow 20 percent for wear and tear and gas, that means the actual net for a run from POFQ to OIA is about $10.90. Since there is usually wait time before a driver gets a ride request, and then a round-trip to and from the airport takes about an hour, that means the driver spent about 90 minutes, on average, to earn $10.90.
So, let's say you don't want to tip, regardless of the level of service you received. That is your choice, and there is nothing wrong with it; but ask yourself this. What kind of driver is going to tear up their personal vehicle for less than $10 an hour? Sure, people do it, but there are no long-term, full-time Uber drivers in Orlando. If there are, they certainly aren't providing 5 star service, and they won't last long because they won't be able to maintain their rating.
I am heavily invested in this issue. I know why people want to drive for Uber in Orlando, and I know why they quit after a few days. I also know the turnover rate and why Uber has to spend so much effort recruiting new drivers. It's because there is very little money to be made doing this. Even a small tip makes a huge difference. Let's say you took this ride from POFQ to the airport and tipped $3, which is 15 percent. That 15 percent is huge to the driver over the course of a day. You would still be paying less than half of the base taxi fare, which still does not include a tip.
Let me say this again. You should never give a tip if the service is not worth it, but you should not be afraid to tip an Uber or Lyft driver. The tip goes a long way to keep drivers on the road, which means you will be able to get an Uber or Lyft when you request one. Remember, I also have driven a taxi, and I can drive a taxi whenever I want. The subject of Uber comes up frequently. I can give you numerous examples of a person who got into my taxi because there were no Uber or Lyft vehicles available. The next time you are in Orlando and try to request an Uber and you get the message, "No Uber available," you will know why. It's because there aren't enough drivers willing to tear up their cars for so little money.
If more people tipped when it was warranted, the number and quality of drivers would greatly increase.
It's your choice whether or not to tip. I understand that. Just remember, though, that your choice not to tip might affect your ability (and the ability of others) to get an Uber at a later date.
If Uber raised the rates even a little, from 75 cents to 95 cents, the tipping issue would become much less relevant.
One last thing. When I first started driving for Uber in December the rates were $1.50/mile. I constantly refused tips. Constantly. At 75 cents a mile I will no longer refuse a tip. The only purpose for my original post was to let potential riders know that they can tip if they think the service justifies it.
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photomatt
Well-Known Member
It is illegal, but it happens all the time. The reason it happens so frequently is because riders rarely complain. Not one person who told me they were long-hauled has ever wanted to report the driver. They just don't want to take the effort.
photomatt
Well-Known Member
People using Uber to go from one hotel to the other is the vast majority of what I do when I Uber on Disney property. The second most common trip is to Walmart, or a similar store. The third most common run is to Universal. Going to the airport is rare because of DME.
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photomatt
Well-Known Member
The Dolphin does not have a regular taxi stand. Mears operates the taxi concession, but they use luxury vehicles such as Towncars and other Lincoln crossovers and SUV's. The luxury vehicles charge flat rates based on zones, and their rates are easily 50 percent higher than taxi rates. You can get a regular taxi if you ask the bellman, you just have to be specific.
There is a gas station across from the Boardwalk where Ubers wait for fares. It's a busy location because so many people at the Dolphin and Swan request Ubers to avoid paying the luxury vehicle rates. You will usually have little or no wait if you request an Uber while you are at the Dolphin.
ninjaprincesst
Well-Known Member
All I know is I know someone who is an Uber driverand from this I do not believe it to be safe or reliable. This person has two DWI and multiple assulat charges and was still hired by Uber. Obviously they will hire anyone.
photomatt
Well-Known Member
Let's say you want to take Uber from the Grand Floridian to Universal. The Grand Floridian is one of the hotels farthest away from Universal, so let's use that as an example.
Google says the distance is 14.5 miles and the travel time is 17 minutes. Using the formula above, that means the approximate Uber one-way fare is $15.09.
photomatt
Well-Known Member
Uber claims they can only go back 7 years in their background checks. In Florida, this is not the case. Mears uses Lexis/Nexis to get every address you ever had, and then they request a background search based on those addresses. The background check covers federal records, state records and county records. They also do a National Sex Offender Registry search. Uber does the same searches except the county search, and they only go back 7 years.
Yes, there is no question that Uber and Lyft could improve on this. The only way to do a true, accurate background check is to fingerprint the applicant to verify identity. Uber and Lyft don't want this because it complicates the application process. They want new drivers out on the road as quickly as possible.
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jloucks
Well-Known Member
I actually signed up as an Uber driver. I normally drive a very nice sedan, so when it was $1.00 a mile, it was almost a break even proposition. They just recently dropped it to $.80 a mile and priced me right out of the market. Uber included some bull about 'you will have more rides so you will make more $$$'. But like you said, wear and tear is a factor, and the wear and tear will increase. Uber thinks its drivers don't count wear and tear into their profit margins? (Lol, most probably don't.) Anything that increases miles and decreases payment is no bueno.
Uber really isn't a good deal for any driver with a sedan worth more than $10,000. It is an exploitive scheme and the only winners are the riders and Uber. The 'no tips' directive only further exemplifies my point.
However, free market as it is, some people will always drive for peanuts, and that makes it ok capitalistically speaking.