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Uber drivers gang up to cause surge pricing, research says

telegraph.co.uk

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Re: Uber drivers gang up to cause surge pricing, research says

#91

Post by avn2109 »

jbob2000 wrote: post #89
cpsempek wrote: post #75

During a fare, an uber driver told me that when he goes to an area with lots of drivers, he will turn off his app for a minute or so to artificially decrease the number of drivers in the area. If this is practiced by multiple drivers repeatedly, the result can cause a surge. He told me that he does this, and, that he holds training sessions where he teaches this practice to other drivers, among other things. I do not…

This is easy for Uber to fix. The surge (or the calculation of drivers) just needs to be delayed by 15mins or so. He can still turn off his app, but now he'll have to do it for more than 15mins, thus potentially losing 1 or 2 rides.

Uber presumably takes a fixed cut of the fare, so they have at least some incentive to look the other way during surge collusion. If the drivers do it simultaneously to both Lyft and Uber then both companies will be happy to see this going on.

Re: Uber drivers gang up to cause surge pricing, research says

#92

Post by frandroid »

CodeWriter23 wrote: post #30
aianus wrote: post #9

The first guy to log back in (or the guy who doesn't log off at all) wins the game to the detriment of the others, limiting the extent of this practice. You can't have a successful oligopoly when there's no barrier to entry.

It takes more than one ride dispatch to quell the surge. I've watched bar/club closings stay in surge for 30 minutes while cars stream in to pick up riders. I personally have given 5 surge rides in a row, albeit short rides, just by picking up at a particular hot spot, getting a local, drop them off, go offline, return to hot spot, wash, rinse, repeat.

> go offline

So you're priming the surge pump, so to speak, since you know where the ride requests will be anyway.

Re: Uber drivers gang up to cause surge pricing, research says

#93

Post by 1vn »

PinguTS wrote: post #11

People game the system. Always. Have learned that for years when it comes to safety systems. Even uneducated people become very intelligent when it comes to gaming the system to their advantage. It is always a cat and rat game between technical adjustments and when people find a way to game the system again.

Adversarial networks but real life, expensive to run as well.

Re: Uber drivers gang up to cause surge pricing, research says

#95

Post by sokoloff »

ajmurmann wrote: post #68
bbarn wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I'm mostly not a fan, now that we're a few years in. Waves of people inexperienced, untrained in shuttling people around a major metro have resulted in downtown Chicago being an utter mess compared to only a few years ago. Chicago forced cab drivers to go through a training and certification course that at least forced them to understand the major routes and grid system we're on, and every time I've been in an…

I've had the occasional Lyft driver who could have made better choices. However, the one thing I've only had with taxis is a driver who is actively malicious and makes one turns clearly on purpose to drive up the bill. Lyft cars also have been consistently much cleaner. The skankyness of some taxis I've been in is just without competition.

I've literally had cab drivers on airport pickups ask me "Do you know the best way?" I can only assume that's an overt sizing up to determine whether I know anything about the city or whether they can take me for a figurative ride.

Those cab drivers can't get starved out of business fast enough as far as I'm concerned.

Re: Uber drivers gang up to cause surge pricing, research says

#96

Post by qq66 »

CodeWriter23 wrote: post #34

I saw scrawled on the wall in one of the port-a-potties in the LAX TNC lot, "No Surge, No Drive". Uber went on a campaign of hiring cabbies. I guess the fact that cabbies congregate and organize completely eluded Uber management.

Not to mention, cabbies are often socially, ethnically, and even often genetically connected with each other, making the penalties for noncompliance high. If you're spotted driving when you're supposed to be boycotting for a surge, you may find yourself getting dirty looks from your roommates, your friends, and even your family.

Re: Uber drivers gang up to cause surge pricing, research says

#97

Post by Paul-ish »

sokoloff wrote: post #95
ajmurmann wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've had the occasional Lyft driver who could have made better choices. However, the one thing I've only had with taxis is a driver who is actively malicious and makes one turns clearly on purpose to drive up the bill. Lyft cars also have been consistently much cleaner. The skankyness of some taxis I've been in is just without competition.

I've literally had cab drivers on airport pickups ask me "Do you know the best way?" I can only assume that's an overt sizing up to determine whether I know anything about the city or whether they can take me for a figurative ride. Those cab drivers can't get starved out of business fast enough as far as I'm concerned.

I am so naive. I've been asked that before by a Taxi driver in NYC I believe on my way to the airport and just said "Uh, shouldn't you?" I never realized what they were up to.

Re: Uber drivers gang up to cause surge pricing, research says

#98

Post by exhilaration »

whipoodle wrote: post #78
cpsempek wrote: post #75

During a fare, an uber driver told me that when he goes to an area with lots of drivers, he will turn off his app for a minute or so to artificially decrease the number of drivers in the area. If this is practiced by multiple drivers repeatedly, the result can cause a surge. He told me that he does this, and, that he holds training sessions where he teaches this practice to other drivers, among other things. I do not…

It would be pretty easy to build a service to coordinate this. (And of course Uber would whine about it even though that's exactly the kind of thing they do all the time)

I would think a Whatsapp group should be sufficient.

Re: Uber drivers gang up to cause surge pricing, research says

#99

Post by Obi_Juan_Kenobi »

jbob2000 wrote: post #89
cpsempek wrote: post #75

During a fare, an uber driver told me that when he goes to an area with lots of drivers, he will turn off his app for a minute or so to artificially decrease the number of drivers in the area. If this is practiced by multiple drivers repeatedly, the result can cause a surge. He told me that he does this, and, that he holds training sessions where he teaches this practice to other drivers, among other things. I do not…

This is easy for Uber to fix. The surge (or the calculation of drivers) just needs to be delayed by 15mins or so. He can still turn off his app, but now he'll have to do it for more than 15mins, thus potentially losing 1 or 2 rides.

Increasing the latency with which you respond to conditions seems like it comes with real downsides. They should just figure out a way to punish this practice.

Re: Uber drivers gang up to cause surge pricing, research says

#100

Post by copperx »

Obi_Juan_Kenobi wrote: post #99
jbob2000 wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is easy for Uber to fix. The surge (or the calculation of drivers) just needs to be delayed by 15mins or so. He can still turn off his app, but now he'll have to do it for more than 15mins, thus potentially losing 1 or 2 rides.

Increasing the latency with which you respond to conditions seems like it comes with real downsides. They should just figure out a way to punish this practice.

Or they could, you know, give them fair wages.
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