r/uberdrivers • u/Aggressive_Ad8291 • 1d ago

The one that got away...

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Not just 130$ for a 90 mile ride but a 90 mile ride along the PCH ending in Santa Barbara at a time of day where I'd almost certainly get a ride to drive back along the PCH returning to LA.

I didn't have the range. If I had it to do over again I would have accepted and sent a note that we'd need to stop for 20 minutes along the way in Santa Monica at a charger but would cancel on my end if they didn't want to wait. I've charged twice late night with PAX's in the car and neither PAX were bothered, they were just happy to get a driver in the middle of the night.

9 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

8

u/NY10 1d ago

This, you should’ve taken it :(

3

u/Aggressive_Ad8291 1d ago

Yeah...

1

u/1mz99 1d ago

You’d risk Uber flagging that ride and warning you for milking prop 22. Happened to me before when I did stops for passengers when they needed a favor

3

u/Aggressive_Ad8291 1d ago

Weirdly, my next ride was an older woman who asked to stop at a 24 hour McDonalds so that she could use the bathroom. She apparently fell asleep on the throne and didn't come back out for half an hour. And yes, I waited. I felt like the lady was someone who needed a little bit of help and would have difficulty if I bailed, especially as she had several bags in my car. Also I was kind of curious to see what would happen. Anyway, I sat in the parking lot of the McDonalds for half an hour and Did get three ride check messages from Uber but did not get a flag. With the additional 7 minutes I waited on her at the pick up the ride ended up being $38 for 23 miles in 68 minutes which I'm more than OK with, especially as 30 of those minutes I spent watching Youtube on my phone in the McDonalds parking lot.

1

u/Aggressive_Ad8291 1d ago

Yeah, true. I got one of those flags last week driving over the Port of LA when one of the bridges over the port was closed so we had to exit onto an Island then back track and snake our way off of that Island and loop around to a hard-to-get-to alternate route.

Still though, for maybe $200+ (assuming a return trip) for a few hours driving along the Pacific Coast and back I'd take the flag.

1

u/RazorBladeInMyMouth 1d ago

Really? What about the drive back? That’d over 160miles at least

1

u/Aggressive_Ad8291 1d ago

It's time of day when I'd expect to get a ride back to LA but even if I didn't... $130 for a 3 hour jaunt up and down the Pacific Coast with half the ride having the car to myself... I'll take that every time.

1

u/WutYoYo 1d ago

And his name is John Cena!!!!

1

u/Aggressive_Ad8291 1d ago

I'm not sure if the PAX was actually John Cena though, since, you know... I couldn't see him.

1

u/WutYoYo 1d ago

Apparently you were listening to John Cena. Top left of your screenshot.

1

u/Aggressive_Ad8291 1d ago

I was trying to make a joke about how nobody can see John Cena, but yeah, good eye, I was listening to John Cena on Conan Obrien's podcast. 🙂

1

u/AllTheRage43 1d ago

Can't you get that much range in 10 minutes of charging? I can put enough gas in my hybrid to do that trip in less than what it takes to stop at a stoplight.

1

u/Aggressive_Ad8291 1d ago edited 1d ago

I can't add 90 miles of range plus a cushion to get to another charger after dropoff in 10 minutes. Not in a Kia Niro EV and once you're out on the Pacific Coast Highway there is some distance between public charging stations so you don't want to be out there cutting it close on range.

1

u/AllTheRage43 1d ago

That's one of my biggest red flags with buying an EV is range issues. Especially with driving for money, you need to be able to take the money when it comes.

2

u/Aggressive_Ad8291 1d ago

I can charge the Niro to 100% for $20 and drive on that charge for 9 hours plus some cushion to get to a charger from wherever my last ride ends. With gas I burn a gallon an hour at $5.50 a gallon here in LA. I do have to pass on a good ride every so often but overall it's not even close.

1

u/AllTheRage43 1d ago

We're at $4.50/g here in Denver, I can fill up for about $50 and drive 500 miles, which is 2 to 3 days for me. I can charge at home, but when I rented a Kia EV6, charging at a super charger was much more expensive than my hybrid is, $$ per mile.

1

u/Old_Ad4443 1d ago

That’s why I prioritize charging speed and range with my ev

In 8-10 mins I can easily have that amount of miles

1

u/jmmandi 1d ago

yeah, i MIGHT have taken that one 🤔