I quit: Miseries of an Uber driver • Hacker News Board

Re: I quit: Miseries of an Uber driver

#11

Post by mbrameld » Sun, Nov 30, 2014, 8:25 AM UTC

easytiger wrote: post #9

SyneRyder wrote: post #7

I'm not so sure about the "lousy GPS". In an UberX ride I had the other week, the driver & I were joking about how dodgy GPS can be, and we both agreed to ignore its suggestions... Uber was suggesting we take a tunnel that would take us away from our destination, and it's a tunnel no regular taxi driver has ever used with me when driving to that destination before. Well, after dealing with evening crowds & inner city…

You mean its Navigation Software? I'd hate for GPS to become a synonym for route planning.

It's been a synonym now for a long time.

Re: I quit: Miseries of an Uber driver

#12

Post by martinko » Sun, Nov 30, 2014, 8:37 AM UTC

LeoPanthera wrote: post #3

> Having accepted a rider, the driver has no idea of the destination. Only if you don't enter your destination in the app, which you can totally do.

This is not true, at least according to my limited experience in Prague. The driver will see the destination I put in only after he STARTS the ride, ie after I get in the car (as opposed to seeing it before or after he accepts the ride).

Re: I quit: Miseries of an Uber driver

#13

Post by zzleeper » Sun, Nov 30, 2014, 8:48 AM UTC

LeoPanthera wrote: post #5

I'm surprised she complains about the directions. I was under the impression that it used Google Maps. I'm not an Uber driver but I have used the Google Maps app for driving directions and always found it to be pretty good.

It's really bad. I'm in the triangle (NC) and I've had drivers tell me they use Google Maps from their own android as its much better (I think they use Apple Maps)

Re: I quit: Miseries of an Uber driver

#14

Post by techsupporter » Sun, Nov 30, 2014, 9:09 AM UTC

moonka wrote: post #8

I've used Uber since they showed up in Seattle, and was a big proponent of it. Lately, I've been seeing a lot of issues with the estimated eta being off by 20 minutes or so, which has led me to start using other services (Lyft, sidecar, & crown car), all of which seem to do a better job of giving me an ETA which is within a couple of minutes of them showing up.

My experience with Uber in Seattle hasn't been so hot, but I rarely use taxis or taxi-like services so maybe it's just the luck of the draw. One driver actively campaigned for me to start using Lyft and another decided that downtown to Ballard (as in just outside University Street tunnel station to 15th and Market) needed to go via the Fremont bridge.

It's easier for me to just take Metro and use car2Go to fill in the gaps.

Re: I quit: Miseries of an Uber driver

#15

Post by wyclif » Sun, Nov 30, 2014, 9:24 AM UTC

easytiger wrote: post #9

SyneRyder wrote: post #7

I'm not so sure about the "lousy GPS". In an UberX ride I had the other week, the driver & I were joking about how dodgy GPS can be, and we both agreed to ignore its suggestions... Uber was suggesting we take a tunnel that would take us away from our destination, and it's a tunnel no regular taxi driver has ever used with me when driving to that destination before. Well, after dealing with evening crowds & inner city…

You mean its Navigation Software? I'd hate for GPS to become a synonym for route planning.

Former land surveyor and GPS/GIS technician here (now a developer). I have a lot of sympathy for your perspective. I remember when consumer GPS became a thing and getting a little Sheldon Cooper on folks who used "GPS" as a synonym for consumer-grade hardware: "don't you mean GPS navigation?"

But that train left the station a long time ago, and I've stopped arguing with people about it because it's a losing battle. Every normal I know, from my parents to my network of friends, refers to Garmin and TomTom auto units as "GPS." They have unfortunately become identified in the common mind with the technology.

Re: I quit: Miseries of an Uber driver

#16

Post by jess23 » Sun, Nov 30, 2014, 9:26 AM UTC

moonka wrote: post #8

I've used Uber since they showed up in Seattle, and was a big proponent of it. Lately, I've been seeing a lot of issues with the estimated eta being off by 20 minutes or so, which has led me to start using other services (Lyft, sidecar, & crown car), all of which seem to do a better job of giving me an ETA which is within a couple of minutes of them showing up.

I have also seen the GPS estimates degrade over time -- which begs the question: shouldn't those estimate be improving over time, unless something shady is going on?

Re: I quit: Miseries of an Uber driver

#17

Post by rifung » Sun, Nov 30, 2014, 9:33 AM UTC

LeoPanthera wrote: post #5

I'm surprised she complains about the directions. I was under the impression that it used Google Maps. I'm not an Uber driver but I have used the Google Maps app for driving directions and always found it to be pretty good.

This probably depends on where you live? I use Google Maps and when I was living in California it was completely awesome. However, having moved to Seattle recently, it definitely is not as reliable as it used to be. This might have to do with the roads here being much more complicated though.

Re: I quit: Miseries of an Uber driver

#18

Post by microtonal » Sun, Nov 30, 2014, 9:40 AM UTC

mbrameld wrote: post #11

easytiger wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You mean its Navigation Software? I'd hate for GPS to become a synonym for route planning.

It's been a synonym now for a long time.

That does not mean one can't protest it ;). You need a way to refer to an actual lousy GPS as well (long fix time, inaccurate). Lumping everything together makes it hard to be precise (like using 'begging the question' wrongly somewhere else in these comments ;)).

Re: I quit: Miseries of an Uber driver

#19

Post by pyrophane » Sun, Nov 30, 2014, 9:40 AM UTC

Does Uber use Apple Maps for its drivers? I would assume so, if they are on iOS. That could certainly explain why several comments in this thread mention Uber's direction finding services getting worse. My rather subjective experience with Apple Maps is that they haven't caught up with Google yet.

Re: I quit: Miseries of an Uber driver

#20

Post by butwhy » Sun, Nov 30, 2014, 9:48 AM UTC

hagope wrote: post #2

I've had only awesome experiences as an Uber rider (in the Boston area and Bay Area) and all the drivers I talked to seem pretty happy (especially ex-taxi drivers). I agree the software is a bit shotty, but I'd bet they are aware of and working out all the kinks.

I've had the opposite experience. Over the Uber rides I have taken, I've always brought up what the driver thinks of the company and most drivers have spoken poorly about it. They usually give the same spiel about how they hate that the rates have come down and that they are not making enough money.