Ep. #174 Ep. #174 Uber CEO in hot water, Delay pay on DoorDash and snack basket had condoms.

Have you ever wondered about the behind-the-scenes life of a gig worker? Join us for an enriching discussion with our guest, Larry, who replaces Jesper for this episode. We touch upon a diverse range of topics, from personal anecdotes from the road, to some worthwhile tips on how to maximize profits, and the latest updates in the gig industry. Larry shares his experience as a rideshare driver and how building connections with passengers has been immensely rewarding.

Did you hear about the news article alleging the Uber CEO concealed driver pay cuts to bolster profits, only for it to mysteriously vanish from the internet? We delve into this controversy and its implications on the gig economy.

As we say our goodbyes, we wish you a joyous holiday season and leave you with a simple yet powerful reminder to stay authentic. Tune in for an episode that is sure to provide you with some great insights and a few laughs.

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Transcript

Speaker 2: 0:25

Hi guys, welcome to the gig economy podcast. Episode 100 is in 74. Tonight we have lifting with Larry subbing in because Jesper is in the sunny state of Florida sunny state of Florida.

Speaker 3: 0:43

Yeah, Well, actually I can't say it's too cold here yeah.

Speaker 2: 0:49

I just realized that this is a long song. I didn't put a fade in and out on it, so it's gonna be really abrupt.

Speaker 3: 0:56

There we go, Boom Boom.

Speaker 2: 0:59

I was like rip it off like a band like the other ones pre programmed and I like already edit it to like slowly fade out. I was just realizing as I was playing it. So thank you guys, so much for joining us Larry's here tonight. Like I said, leo, leo, I just read Leo's name. Hi, leo, jesper is on vacation. You see, we have our Santa hats on. We'll see how long this lasts. I can already feel a little extra warm under these lights.

Speaker 3: 1:29

And.

Speaker 2: 1:29

Gary's down in Florida, janet says we're gorgeous, damn Janet, nice. So, yeah, this is the last episode for 2023. And so I'm so glad that I get to end the year with Larry, who is like my friend and a supporter of the show, and it really means a lot that you came on.

Speaker 3: 1:54

I appreciate it, Always, happy to. It's always. I get very excited anytime y'all ask me to. Yeah, my wife asks me every day. She's like you're excited about the podcast. She knows how excited I get when I come down from doing the podcast. She always like you're energized. You're so energized when you come out of doing a podcast. So, yeah, I enjoy it Good.

Speaker 2: 2:12

I'm taking a leave from January through March, so you're going to we got you, man, we got you, we got you covered and you're gonna fill in. If you could go to gigakindymesshowcom to sign up for our newsletter that we send out periodically and then you also know when a new episode comes out, which is pretty much every Monday. But just in case you forget, you can go to gigakindymesshowcom. We've kind of revamped the site a little bit. Kind of our mentor of websites, steve from RideShare Rodeo. He puts a lot of news on there, so we started doing that as well. I would go to his site first, though it's probably better, and then come to ours, but you can find everything on there that you need.

Speaker 2: 2:53

I want to mention our Patreon members Larry, of course, from Bowling Green probably the longest Patreon member we've had, I think you are and then Samson from Grand Rapids, steve from Colorado, bud Dickman from North Carolina, omar from Detroit, deliverycats from Michigan, jamie from Tennessee, frank from Philly, joe from Grand Rapids, nate from Florida and John from California. I'd love for you to join the Patreon. You can join at a $5 tier or $10 tier. It just supports us. I'm not saying it's groundbreaking content that we give, but you do get extra content. You get a pre-show banter of us just talking shit. And then we try once a month to either get somebody on or Jesper and I just kind of we talk gig work, but sometimes it goes off the rails. So you'll just have to check it out.

Speaker 3: 3:43

It's worth it, though. The Patreon is worth it. The pre-show banner you never know when you might learn something like Jason's wifi password or something.

Speaker 2: 3:52

Yeah, the last couple of pre-shows have been pretty epic. The last one, I actually created my own song and it actually must have been catchy, because towards the end of the pre-show, which was probably like six minutes, jesper started singing it and it insulted Jesper of all things the song did, and it was so catchy he started insulting himself. So there you go Patreoncom slash the gig, econ podcast or just search Patreoncom. And then, of course, the Telegram group. We had a new person join, didn't we Larry? We did we did.

Speaker 2: 4:27

Let me see. Oops, I'm in the wrong chat Yesterday.

Speaker 3: 4:30

I think Yesterday, yeah, let me.

Speaker 2: 4:32

Jonathan Rexford. I don't know where. I didn't see if where he was from, but I appreciate, jonathan for joining. You can go to our description, click on the link and you can join the Telegram group. People all over the country, and, jonathan, if you're listening, I'd love to know where you're from, what market you drive in and if you drive full time and all that stuff.

Speaker 3: 4:51

So and what gigs do you?

Speaker 2: 4:53

do yeah, there's so many out there now so many.

Speaker 3: 4:56

There's so many.

Speaker 2: 4:58

So many OK stories from the road. This is where we talk about any adventures we have. If you're new to the show, I am a part time gig worker. I do it actually probably a little bit more now since I became a bus driver, but I'd usually drive every other weekend, whether it be Amazon Flex or Uber, lyft or whatever. And, larry, I'm not quite sure the amount of hours you're putting in the past. I'm pretty well doing full time pretty much now. Yeah, ok, yeah, in the past you were part time, but yeah, but yeah, definitely driving.

Speaker 3: 5:30

Yeah, I'd say I put in a good 40 hours at least, wow.

Speaker 2: 5:33

Are you just doing a?

Speaker 3: 5:35

ride share Mainly ride share when it's slow, like now. The students are gone for the semester. For the Christmas break I'll probably start doing a little bit of food delivery, ok, and but I haven't done anything like Spark or anything in a long time.

Speaker 2: 5:52

OK, well, just a tip on Spark. You should sign in, do one order every couple months, because they'll deactivate you. Now, it doesn't mean you can't get back on if you care, but I know that I got deactivated. I called them, they reactivated me, but if they're still full, if they're full you might not be able to get back on, so.

Speaker 3: 6:14

Yeah, I probably need to do one this weekend. I can't even remember how long it's been. I might already beat the X-ray Well.

Speaker 2: 6:19

I mean, maybe they've changed it. But I know I still get the emails, but yeah, yeah, gary, damn it, I'm not going to do a Spark order this month.

Speaker 5: 6:28

I mean they have changed it.

Speaker 2: 6:29

I usually just log in every couple of months and do an order. So stories from the road, this is. I'm going to not say the names of all these people, just to keep. Well, I don't really care about them, I just don't want to get hate back Because this is local in our group. Yeah, so I've done a couple of Amazon Flex lately, you would think.

Speaker 2: 6:53

On a completely side note, there have not been Christmas surges for Amazon Flex. I'm not sure what's going on right now, but I mean we're talking $30 an hour and I mean you can get that in the middle of summer. So I don't know what is going on if they hire too many people or what, but anyways, so there's a couple of gentlemen at one of the warehouses that like to. They just like to kiss butt. Well, I'll just put it that way. So they're kissing butt to the station managers. So you ask, why would that be important? Well, when we get there, we scan our license and there's just carts there, right, you don't get to pick, you, just you get what you get and you take it.

Speaker 2: 7:41

Don't throw a fit. You could throw a fit, but you don't have to take it. But I just saw this comment, gary, such a long intro, damn it. You bitch. And so sometimes you get screwed. Sometimes you get great routes. You just never know.

Speaker 2: 7:59

Well, this individual really kisses butt and we're acquaintances. I mean, he recognized me in line, so I'm standing in line right Getting my license scan. You get your license scan. They give you a cart. Six, seven people in line.

Speaker 2: 8:15

He's over to the left and I watched him bring up a Starbucks bag and gave it to one of the station managers. Turns to me and he says oh yeah, there's booze in there. I was like okay, so I didn't say anything. And so he's standing over there talking to the station manager and I'm getting checked in. And right when I get checked in, that station manager had gone to the back of the warehouse and brought a cart up.

Speaker 2: 8:39

So in my head I just thought it was mine. I grabbed it and he goes oh no, that's mine. I go what do you mean? That's yours? He's like oh, he got it for me. I said oh, you get special treatment. And he said yep, and so, whatever, he got his cart and started walking away. Mind you, he's right behind me in the warehouse, like we're in a line. He's right parked right behind me and I was like you know, that's against the rules, right? And he's like, yep, and he just loaded his stuff and left, so it's just, it sucks, right, because no one likes to get a shitty route and it's a luck of the draw and everyone should be treated fairly. I mean, that's just how it should be.

Speaker 5: 9:17

Yeah.

Speaker 4: 9:17

I agree so.

Speaker 2: 9:19

I don't know. I don't know what to do about it. I don't know if I should report it or I should just ignore it and just deal with it, which I probably will. It's like does it really affect me? No, but if he's getting routes every day, it affects somebody every single day, not just me. So what?

Speaker 3: 9:39

you need to do, Jason, is you need to bring in a bigger broad, not to get a good route, but to bribe them to give him a shitty route.

Speaker 2: 9:48

I don't know why he told me there was booze in there, Like I he kind of opened himself up Like I wasn't even really gonna say anything. I always had a feeling that that was happening, but I never saw it in person and I'm just like I wasn't even gonna say anything. It's like he couldn't wait to tell me, you know what I mean.

Speaker 2: 10:08

Like I thought it was gonna be cool or something. And you know I'm all for being friendly for people and if it happens to get you something good, well then that's just karma. I wouldn't do it just to get something. I just try to get put out what I want back. And so, yeah, it was a little. I'm not still not sure what to do, but again I'll probably forget about it in a week and just go on with my life. But and it's pretty crummy- though.

Speaker 3: 10:34

Yeah, like you said, it's supposed to be luck of the draw and you know, if you get a good route, you know so we. But that's gonna get equaled out. You're gonna get a crummy route sometimes, but it shouldn't be, shouldn't be? Oh, you know political or shouldn't be? You know this is my buddy, so I'm gonna make sure he gets the good routes, you know.

Speaker 2: 10:49

Yeah, and I'm sure I don't know what they could do, Cause it's not like we're an employee of the warehouse, Like if he was, if somebody on the floor was doing that with him and to get a better position on the floor, then it's like, oh wow, that's a little different. I mean it's still a problem, but it is what it is. It just kind of pissed me off, Cause I'm kind of like it should be equal across. That's that's the fair way to do it, and I know life isn't fair, I get it. Did I cry about it? No, I just fucking took my car and delivered it Like I just was like oh, I got to tell this story cause this shit can't happen.

Speaker 3: 11:23

So I understand.

Speaker 2: 11:25

Yeah, any stories for you at all.

Speaker 3: 11:30

Yeah. So one thing I really work on, since my market is so small and I have a lot of repeat customers, I really try to try to, you know, kind of build relationships and community with, with these passengers that I have over and over, and most of them are college kids, just cause they utilize ride share so much. And so a few weeks ago I pulled up to to pick up a passenger and got there and the timer was almost out, so I called them and I was like, hey, you still need your eye. And she's like, oh, oh, yeah, sorry, I didn't realize you were here. And then she came out and you'll hear we're gonna play some audio clip of it. But it's a passenger that I've had several times and she was just kind of having a bad night and she was just, she said, just made her feel better to have me as her driver. So if you wanna go ahead and we'll play that audio, all right, hey.

Speaker 1: 12:24

Rebecca Larry, how are you? What did you?

Speaker 3: 12:27

do. Did you get a new car? I did my other one. I got caught in the middle of a seven car pile up on my 65.

Speaker 1: 12:34

I heard you. I don't know how happy I am to see you. How are you doing? I'm good I've had the worst night ever, and you just made my whole night better. I don't know, if you could tell. But when you called me I was crying.

Speaker 3: 12:44

What's the matter?

Speaker 1: 12:45

It's just a bad night. I don't wanna talk about it. But Well, it's good we don't have to talk about it. Seeing you just made my whole night better. You got a new car and I'm happy I did get a new car. I got a new car.

Speaker 3: 12:57

I had to.

Speaker 1: 12:58

You needed to. We missed you, everybody missed you.

Speaker 3: 13:02

I was out for like six weeks.

Speaker 1: 13:03

I know, oh my gosh, my whole night is just better now. I'm happy now, but I am, I'll get there. That just made me so much happier than I was before. Ha, ha, ha.

Speaker 3: 13:57

So yeah, she's a buddy. You know she's my buddy and she was having a bad night. I think she was having some boy troubles.

Speaker 4: 14:04

Who doesn't have boy trouble? Exactly.

Speaker 3: 14:07

So her friend was with her, I was taking them over to, I think, a house party and so when they were getting out I was like listen, don't be putting up with no boys, bullshit, okay. And she's like we won't. And then her friends outside, and her friends like yeah, fuck man. And then she was like yeah, fuck all the men except for. Larry, oh, except for Larry.

Speaker 2: 14:28

Let's go.

Speaker 5: 14:29

That's amazing.

Speaker 2: 14:30

I'm so glad you're able to make those connections Honestly and maybe you realize this. But like they'll always remember that, Like they're gonna get older, they're gonna get married and have kids and yada yada. But they'll always remember that, especially when their kids get older and they start taking rides here, Cause I mean it's here to stay, Like it's not going anywhere, hopefully, yeah, but they're gonna say you know what? I had this driver once and man, he took care of us when we were in college. Like God, I love that guy. You know what I mean. Like that's so cool. I can't say that I have that connection with any of my passengers.

Speaker 3: 15:07

Yeah, Like I said, I see so many of them over and over again, especially the college kids, and I mean it's been, there's been I don't know a dozen times probably when I've had a passenger, and then we get in and they'll be like oh man, you know, I'm getting ready to graduate, or I just graduated, and I remember when I was a freshman I had you as a freshman and you know I didn't know what I was doing and you know I've watched them go through school and it's I mean, it's almost like watching some of your kids grow up, you know not that I need any more kids for heaven's sake.

Speaker 2: 15:37

but no, let's try to avoid that.

Speaker 3: 15:40

Yeah, that ship has sailed Right Right. So it is needed and I enjoy the fact that I'm in a the kind of small market, you know where, where I do have those repeat customers and you can kind of build a relationship and and the whole, you know, doing the Instagram and taking the pictures with them, that really that really gets them kind of hooked, you know they really enjoy that.

Speaker 2: 16:01

Well, of course, because the kids are like that's what they're all about.

Speaker 3: 16:05

The social media and so yeah. I mean at least twice, two or three times every Thursday night I'll get people in. I'm like oh my God, we've been trying to get you. You know, can we get a picture for the Instagram Of?

Speaker 2: 16:16

course, of course.

Speaker 3: 16:18

It's, it's hilarious, but I enjoy it. It's. It's a lot of fun having that kind of connection with you know, with some of my passengers.

Speaker 2: 16:25

I bet that's, that's, that's a special thing to be able to have that. So I'm going to jump into the news and this is kind of weird, okay, so the first article, like everyone's talking about Uber, ceo hides driver pay to cuts to boost profits. So I read this article two hours ago.

Speaker 3: 16:45

They pulled it down. They took it down. I can't find it. I got it. I can. I can send it to you. I found a redirect for it, Did you? I mean, yeah, I meant to tell you that before the show. I forgot about that.

Speaker 2: 16:59

I mean I literally read it like two hours ago in bed, just like chilling, I'm like catching up on the stories and and I went to go pull it up while you were talking try to be ready. And I'm like it's four or four Like yeah, yeah, they pulled it.

Speaker 3: 17:12

They convinced them to pull it. I don't know what's the best way to send this to you. I can.

Speaker 2: 17:17

Do you have telegram on your computer? I do.

Speaker 3: 17:20

Yeah, you can just send it via telegram.

Speaker 2: 17:23

Meanwhile you're doing that. Yeah, that is a damning article and I was just going to briefly go through it. But I'm reading this I'm like Holy shit, like this is going to be crazy and I don't know why they just pulled it tonight because it's been out for a little bit. I think I was going to see if it would even give me a timestamp. Man, I can't believe they convinced them to pull it down. How much money did they take to do that?

Speaker 3: 17:53

Yeah, I was reading. You know I like I try to read all your articles. You're going to do two just so I can speak somewhat intelligently about them. So I've tried to pull that one up and it kept saying page not found. And then I found somebody who's like OK, they pulled it, but here I've got it. Here's the archive link to it.

Speaker 2: 18:09

I didn't even know there was a site for that, so you just got it.

Speaker 3: 18:14

I don't know how they did this, so I really don't know.

Speaker 2: 18:17

Well, you know what it is it looks like where I rip YouTube like a site like that.

Speaker 5: 18:22

You know what I mean.

Speaker 2: 18:23

Sometimes they're up for six months and they just get shut down. I have a site that I go for TikToks. I mean, it's not like it's not illegal, but it's like they frown upon it. So, but yeah, that's what looks like the site is so. So anyways, this wasn't posted as long ago as I thought it was December 11th. It's the 13th of day, so it's been up for two days Two days. I would encourage you to read it. Larry can here. Actually, I'll just throw it in the chat just so people have it.

Speaker 3: 18:52

Yeah, it is. It is a very interesting article. Yeah, interesting article.

Speaker 2: 18:58

I really can't do it justice because it's incredibly long.

Speaker 3: 19:04

It is. Yeah, it's pretty in depth.

Speaker 2: 19:06

Fuck, where did it go? Oh, there, it is OK. So basically the gist of it is Uber CEO hides driver pay to cut to boost profits. So you know, we've kind of heard all of that like you know, whatever you know, you see people saying we're not, we're not getting the, you know the 18% or the 20%, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know they're taking 30 or 40%. But so the statement that Uber said Uber CEO has massies and convenient troops behind vagmas leading scripted talking points. For example, in recent interview, car swisher Dar claimed the average driver in the US last quarter made between $33 and $34 per utilized hour and that not including commercial insurance costs that are very expensive are. Take the amount of passenger's fare that the company keeps for itself is about 15%. Ok, 15%, right. So it looks like they took for quarter three, two thousand 23 was 40%. Like the numbers don't lie Right. 40%, not 15%. So it goes through. So much. It's such a good article and clearly the writer fucking hates the Uber corporate.

Speaker 2: 20:21

He was he's all for the drivers, but yeah, it goes through, just talking about what they did, how they slowly, they talked about. So this is interesting too. I don't know if you know about this and I'm skipping around and I'll let you chime in, but I don't want to lose where I'm at.

Speaker 2: 20:38

But Uber's most recent pay cut was enabled by a new pay policy called up front fares plus destination, or UFD. Now, I didn't really I knew about the upfront fares, but which Uber began rolling out in the US late last year, like it's 2016 upfront passenger pricing predecessor. Ufd completely decoupled driver pay from the actual time and distance of ride hail trips, meaning like you get this amount you know for this many miles, yada, yada, uber. Under Uber's current plan, drivers are given upfront information on a passenger destination, address, predicted trip time, distance, including to the pickup point, and pay amount, sent by an opaque, invisible algorithm. Drivers only have seconds to respond to a trip over with the fee, with the fear, fuelled by anecdotal evidence, that refusing too many trips may put them in the penalty box on no duration, ghosted from receiving additional trip offers. Moreover, when an Uber driver does not refuse does refuse an unattractive trip offer, other drivers are then allowed to bid for the same trip for the trip radar. So I've been like the last six months going. I'm seeing some of these fares.

Speaker 3: 21:43

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 21:44

They don't make sense when I see them and decline them, like and I'll see something similar and it'll be five, six dollars more.

Speaker 4: 21:52

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 21:52

I've seen that a lot on different message boards and obviously through the telegram group. I mean knock on wood, we're still on uh, on Uber, we're still getting paid time and distance.

Speaker 2: 22:05

Are you really?

Speaker 3: 22:06

So I'm still making that good rate with uh, that good promile rate. It's like Gabe, you know, he said over there, they, they instituted it, but then they took it away here they never instituted it. So we're on Uber, I still get time and distance here, but uh, lift is, is not it? Lift is the upfront pricing and, like I said, you get a couple of seconds. You're trying to do all this math in your head and figure out whether it's worth it or not. But well, I've.

Speaker 2: 22:34

I mean, I've gotten pretty good at it because I look at I'm like that's fucking ridiculous, like I can tell right off the bat, like the amount of time it's going to take me to do that, yeah, it is not good. And then I've also had rides so bizarre, like a short ass ride like six, seven miles be 24 bucks like on an Uber X, and I'm like what is going on.

Speaker 2: 22:56

This. This does not make sense, so it's it is. It's making it more challenging for the right for the driver to make a decision. Yeah.

Speaker 3: 23:04

They just muddy in the waters. They're just muddy in it because then you know so every now and then, like said, you'll get a really good one, like that, you don't know why, and so it just muddies the waters, you know surprisingly enough, I I've gotten some good ones in the in the radar, where I I can't click on them fast enough and I don't get it because it, you know, everyone sees it. I see maybe two trips a week on trip radar Maybe. Oh really, yeah, I never see trips on radar.

Speaker 2: 23:35

Oh, we get them all the time.

Speaker 3: 23:36

Yeah, I mean maybe, maybe, maybe twice a week I'll see one. Okay, yeah, yeah, it's, it's. It's so weird how the different markets are so different and and kind of going along with this. I can't remember if I mentioned this in the telegram group, but, um, if you've never watched the movie or the series called Super Pumped, have you ever seen?

Speaker 2: 23:56

that Is that the, the documentary? Yes, it's.

Speaker 3: 24:00

it's not a documentary, it's, I mean, it's a movie but it's all about the rock, the fight for Uber, and it's all about, uh, travis starting Uber and all the way up to the point where he gets removed. And some of the me and my wife were watching it and she's like, did they really do that? And I'm like, oh, hell, yeah, they did that.

Speaker 3: 24:17

You know they were accessing people's cameras and microphones. You know the whole gray ball situation where they were. They were making it, where the city officials couldn't get an Uber ride and I mean all this stuff. And she's like, was that going on when you were doing it? It's like, yeah, yeah, that's that was after. I Remember some of that stuff. You know, when it was going on, the whole big hubbub about it.

Speaker 2: 24:40

Honestly, I'd rather go back to that if I can get the payback or like we were, like whatever. Yeah, I can look at my camera, I don't care oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean I don't.

Speaker 3: 24:49

Yeah, I'm not anything in my car I'm not worried about with the camera. If you're gonna pay me what it used to pay you know what pretty much what it used to pay Go, go right ahead. But yeah, yeah it's interesting watch, for sure. Yeah very good, very good.

Speaker 2: 25:04

I'll encourage you to look at this Article. I don't know how long it'll be on this site. God, I'm so interested in why they pulled that down. Like, yeah, journal, like Something happened, like their lawyers obviously were working on it probably 24 hours a day or something. I'm just like I'm always interested in Forbes. It's not a bullshit website either.

Speaker 3: 25:24

It's not like it's oh yeah, no, no, that's a, that's a major major company.

Speaker 2: 25:29

So to have an article get taken down like that.

Speaker 3: 25:32

That's some. Somebody's got some pool somewhere seriously, but check it out.

Speaker 2: 25:36

I Don't know what to do about it. I mean, I'm still gonna drive. I just have to be more discerning of the rides I take, I guess.

Speaker 3: 25:44

Yeah, yeah, I mean, you know we talk about it all the time. You know, pay just continues to go down and down and down, like like when it went over in this. You know, going back to the this, this documentary movie they were, they were trying to keep people from driving with lift. They sign contracts with drivers out there $20 a mile.

Speaker 3: 26:07

Just to not people went out and bought new cars. They yes, they wouldn't drive with lift, they had to be exclusive the Uber. Well, it showed, you know, this one guy goes about, you know, goes and buys a new car, driving for it. Well then, once they've kind of gotten lift under control and they're dominating you know, they just break the contract and this guy's car gets reposed.

Speaker 2: 26:29

Yep, don't ever trust these it's interesting.

Speaker 4: 26:32

Oh, real quick before I never, go ahead.

Speaker 3: 26:35

Yeah, I just say never, never think they have your best interest in her.

Speaker 2: 26:39

No, they don't Real quick. I wanted to go back to this. They talked about lift quarterly earnings. So lift is taking more too, but it's interesting in so they've been doing it for a while. In 2022, their take was 34.1%, so clearly they've been doing it too, but In 2023, it's it actually went down. They took less. So I thought that was kind of interesting. The the average pay is a little bit lower, but I don't know. I thought, look to me, I thought this would come up about about lift more than uber, because lift is charging their passengers so much money. I hear people talking about so, but anyways, I thought that was good.

Speaker 3: 27:24

Larry, speaking of lift so yeah, on lift, I know one of the things that that always irritated me and and many of the drivers in our telegram Would drive you crazy, is lip. You accept a ride, you're on your way there, you may be on the interstate even, and all of a sudden they, they switch you to a different ride and some, a lot of times, it's going back the other direction. So you get off the interstate, turn around, get back on the interstate, start heading in direction and I'll be damned, they switch you to another ride back the other way again. And this was it didn't happen a ton of times when it does, very frustrating especially. I mean I remember having an airport ride which is, you know, a good, a good ride, you know $90 ride and you know getting switched to to you know an $8 ride here in town.

Speaker 3: 28:10

Yeah and so I just happened to be most come back. I went to St Louis this weekend to visit my son. I was coming back. I turned on lift to turn on the destination filter and down at the bottom one of the options was to turn off Switch strides. Okay, so you can. Now it's an option. You can turn it off and they will see. You know, Supposedly they will not switch you to another ride anymore. So I click that like in a millisecond. I Ever have never really seen advantage to switch into another ride because it's it's never been some big, great Improvement.

Speaker 2: 28:44

The other ride that I've gotten you know early on when they were doing that, they promised to give you a ride. Yeah, that was the same or better, but I yeah, lately it hasn't been like that.

Speaker 3: 28:54

Yeah, you know what I think of their promises.

Speaker 2: 28:56

Yeah, yeah, just like we just talked about the last article, like don't believe exactly any of these companies. Yeah, I didn't know that. I definitely would be switching that.

Speaker 3: 29:04

I had not seen it and on any of the groups. I mean I may have missed it somewhere. I hadn't heard anybody talk about it in our group or anything and like said maybe it just came out.

Speaker 2: 29:13

Yeah, it's not like Liz gonna advertise it.

Speaker 3: 29:17

Exactly.

Speaker 2: 29:18

They would rather you not turn that, but I mean, I appreciate them as much as we shit on them. I always do try to call out things that they are doing right. Yeah, and I appreciate them doing that.

Speaker 3: 29:29

Yeah, definitely game. You know, I know ubers Seems like they're really trying to work on the app, so you know let's got to do something to try to try to keep up, I guess.

Speaker 2: 29:40

I Again going back to the last article I keep going back to. I don't see anything changing.

Speaker 3: 29:45

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 29:46

I think the drivers are gonna still drive and ubers. What do they call them? Not the stock? Yeah, the stockholders. Whatever they're gonna be like all right, good job, cool yeah moving on more money for us Exactly. All right, so this was, oh man, this is. I actually did some door-dash last weekend. I actually got on door-dash. I forgot to talk about that. I made 19.

Speaker 3: 30:08

Oh my gosh $19 man don't spend it all in one spot already dead.

Speaker 2: 30:14

I went to crumble cookie do it.

Speaker 1: 30:16

So it's all this on.

Speaker 2: 30:17

Reddit is this new delay pay says resolution options. Your order has a long wait time. Continue waiting for an additional two dollars. You'll receive this. This Merchant delay pay once the order is completed or unassigned, with no pay. The commenter said I have been dashing for over a year and have almost 4k deliveries. This first time I've ever seen this or have been Offer this. I'm kind of shocked. Yeah, I mean I I don't know. I don't know if I would wait for two dollars. Like I Mean you probably have the upper hand in that two dollar post, right, because you kind of know how long it's gonna be for that food. Like, if you're a decent driver, if you go in there and they say it's not ready and you don't say how long, like you need to be a little Persistent on like what are we looking at here? Like I always say, can you just give it to me straight, it's not gonna hurt my feelings.

Speaker 3: 31:06

How long?

Speaker 2: 31:06

right, just let me know because I I'll just unassigned, like it's not a big deal, like I think they always try to lowball shit because they worry for the customer to be angry, but for me I'm just, like I always say just tell it to me straight, I don't care either way, and you know.

Speaker 3: 31:21

Yes, no skin off my nose, just just let me know but how long actually are you gonna wait for two bucks? Maybe two minutes.

Speaker 2: 31:28

Oh, really you're gonna wait. You want a dollar a minute for that.

Speaker 3: 31:32

I don't know I do. I do so little food delivery and and be honest I'm trying to think I mean it's been. It's been a long time since I've had to wait more than maybe a minute or two.

Speaker 4: 31:43

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 31:44

And I even thought it's like man. They must not be assigning them as as quickly as they used to, at least on Grubhub. I don't ever get on door-dash either, so yeah but, grubhub, it seems like now, when I, when I get the, when I get the order assigned to me, by the time I get there it's ready, whereas it used to be. You know when they're first starting, you get there during the pandemic. You get there, you know it might be 20 minutes, yeah, or 30 minutes or something.

Speaker 2: 32:10

I mean, it's obviously the data. They're getting more data and realizing yeah. In fact, when I get to a restaurant and it's it's it's past the time that they promised it, I always make a tap it order not ready because it's not to stick it to the man or the restaurant. You're just giving them data.

Speaker 2: 32:26

Yeah, yeah, yeah, they just need to know yeah, I'm sending them early. So the $2 thing. I think on the surface it looks really nice, but I also think it plays head games with a driver, because if you have a decent order tip, let's say like it's already a good order and they offer that to you. You're probably gonna stay right, so Door-dash gets that order delivered and they only lose two dollars, whereas I just think there it's more head games of like trying to convince you to stay with that and but I mean I guess you know it's two bucks. I mean it's better than no bucks.

Speaker 3: 33:04

Yeah, they'll probably mess around with it. They'll probably try to and for and you know they'll probably see what the point is, where it seems like people are staying.

Speaker 2: 33:11

You know, the greatest percentage of people, I guess, are staying for the lowest amount they can't well, I mean, I saw somebody comment I'm guessing it's a beta it's already being abused by dashers who are purposely waiting. Well, here's the thing If the restaurant clicks order ready, if they're doing their job, you I don't know how you can abuse it.

Speaker 3: 33:32

Yeah, and I don't want to wait even for two dollars. I don't know how I'm gonna get it and go. I mean, what are you doing If people are?

Speaker 2: 33:37

doing that. This is the problem with freaking people doing gig work like you're seriously like doing this for two bucks.

Speaker 3: 33:45

Yeah, like now, I want to get the food and go deliver it and beyond, and it's something else. I'm not. I'm not gonna sit around saying I'm waiting if the food's ready.

Speaker 2: 33:54

The person that's like doing that also takes all $2 orders, so it's no surprise there. Yeah, larry, these are the cars you can trust the last 200,000 miles. Now I did not read this. I'm interested to see some of the cars on that list. I mean, I'm sure they're all toyotas, honda's, but you are correct.

Speaker 3: 34:13

My sorry, except for one.

Speaker 2: 34:15

Oh, wow, everyone, I know it ain't.

Speaker 3: 34:16

Jeep. Sorry Gabe, sorry Gabe. Any other guess what? The what? The one that's not a Toyota or a Honda.

Speaker 2: 34:25

I'm gonna say it's not domestic. I'm gonna say Acura, it is oh.

Speaker 3: 34:35

The one, so I'll go through them by numbers. So number one Toyota Camry, twos Honda cord, threes Honda CRV, then a Toyota Prius, toyota Sienna, then a Ford F 150.

Speaker 2: 34:50

I feel like that's depending on the year.

Speaker 3: 34:53

I really do, but I'm surprised on that. Yeah then Toyota Crola, toyota Highlander, toyota forerunner, tacoma, honda Civic and Honda Pilot. So out of 12 of them, seven of them are Toyotas, four Hondas and you got the Ford F 150, but I mean, as a gig worker, if you're doing food delivery or ride share, I mean this is your office, this is this is this is your moneymaker.

Speaker 3: 35:22

Yeah you know and and I know I've been spoiled this is my third camera that I have and it's funny. I'll hear people on some other Podcasts or show or something it's not related to good work and they're like oh man, you know, I really hope my car makes it to a hundred thousand miles. A hundred thousand miles, what are you talking about? I'm like this is broke in at a hundred thousand. I'm so spoiled. But my, you know my other two cameras, both had, you know, 300,000 on them and I just, I don't even think, I'm just I just don't even think that way. You know, that car should get to a hundred thousand. I'm like it should get to, you know, 250 or 300 at least I mean those, my, those, my Honda.

Speaker 2: 35:59

I look at it like there is no end. Yeah like I think it can go forever until, like it gets in an accident or completely rust out, that it falls.

Speaker 3: 36:08

Yeah, it's like like John's, like John's Honda. What's he got? Like 675,000 miles, 650, something like that.

Speaker 2: 36:15

That's amazing, oh that that is crazy. The hundred thousand mile thing, when people say that like there are cars out there that probably can't make it to a hundred thousand miles, like yeah, and I'm not buying those cars.

Speaker 3: 36:25

Well, I.

Speaker 2: 36:26

I mean, are they that much cheaper in the long run? Like if you're looking at it no car Are they like 12 to 15,000 cheaper, or are they? Like exactly for grand cheaper.

Speaker 3: 36:38

Exactly, that's my point. Yeah, but by something that's gonna last you a while, you know. Yeah, a little bit of money to get something's gonna last and you know. You don't have to buy one brand new. You can buy one three, four, five years old. We're most of the appreciation's already been taken and still get a really good car.

Speaker 2: 36:54

Yeah, the only reason I bought this is my first car I bought brand new Is because of the tax. Yeah, that's the only reason, because I think you can get it if you buy used. But it's like a lot smaller. But I was just like I'm just gonna buy new. So I know Frank was teasing me the other night but I did this turn 10,000 miles in my new car.

Speaker 2: 37:14

I mean that's pretty, that's a lot, since getting it in mid-July. I Mean that's a. I mean I think that's a lot of miles, that's too many for me. I wouldn't like it. But I'm not gonna lie. I got a plate on the pilot cuz Avery is gonna be driving it. I fucking miss that car, larry. I'm yeah, this is the sea is so much more comfortable than my bowl. I mean my bolts not bad, but it's just, it's not saying the same that car just like had this nice big sea and it's just like.

Speaker 2: 37:46

I mean I love my bowl, I really it's, it's so much More agile. I mean that that pilot is a tank. I mean I'm driving it on like, turning it, like it's got no power steering.

Speaker 1: 37:56

You know what I mean.

Speaker 5: 37:58

And.

Speaker 2: 37:59

I love my bolt, don't get me wrong. But man, it's still like you get back in there. I mean you have a lot of life in that. I have a lot of like adventures in that car, a lot of memories, a lot of memories Good, bad, all that stuff.

Speaker 3: 38:11

Yep, oh yeah, that's for sure.

Speaker 2: 38:13

It doesn't surprise me that a Honda pilots on there, that's for sure at the end there.

Speaker 3: 38:17

Yeah, like I said, you know six, seven Toyotas, four Hondas and a 4-5 150, and I mean it. It just amazes me how, how trucks have turned into luxury vehicles. Off. I mean, when I was, when I was, you know, when I was growing up, you know, a truck was just a truck. Yeah and that, and now they are so decked out with all the luxury items you know that you can get and. I mean so wonder, they cost 80, 90,000.

Speaker 2: 38:46

Well, you know what? Another thing that cracks me up is these people with their, their Jeep Wranglers. It's an off-road truck and the things are pristine driving down the road like that thing hasn't been off-road, it's been. If the Starbucks drive-through is off-road, then yeah, you can call it an off-road vehicle Probably never even been on gravel.

Speaker 3: 39:06

Yeah, it's probably never been on gravel.

Speaker 2: 39:09

It probably hasn't even hit the shoulder of a highway.

Speaker 3: 39:14

All right, next up.

Speaker 2: 39:15

Uber driver wouldn't let me leave without rating him five stars, which is crazy. So my trip ended $40 or something. I only had a 20, so I tipped in $20. He thanked me but then told me I couldn't leave until I rated him five stars. I mean, obviously, in most workplaces everyone wants good reviews. So I said, okay, once I get into my apartment, my area is hope of horrible service and I can. I only can get decent service Once I'm connected to Wi-Fi. Anyways, he keeps telling me I can't leave until I give him five stars and put reason safety and security. I this guy didn't type very well I, so anyways, I don't have the service. And he drives around, tell I do have service and I rate him five Because I want to leave, and and. And he asked to ensure I rated him five for safety and security, but it wouldn't load, so he let me leave.

Speaker 2: 40:00

Am I insane for feeling uneasy about this? Obviously, first comment report immediately. Second comment screw the five star rating. A $20 tip is good enough. Good enough, that's more than good enough. You're basically kidnapped. You should call 911. So anyways, I don't know, do you think this is a legit story? Does it seem real as I read it or not?

Speaker 3: 40:22

Yeah, I mean I can see this happening. There's just some strange. You know some people, especially if it's a new driver, they get hung up on the ratings like crazy. I mean, if somebody told me that could leave to our rating, I'm not think I'd laugh in their face and walk off.

Speaker 2: 40:37

Well, yeah, I like I mean, obviously, if he was in the car, I, I mean I Always try to be careful Because I wasn't in that situation and maybe they felt threatened. Sure, yeah, and that's very possible.

Speaker 3: 40:51

That's very especially like, say, if they're still in the car and you know it could be a, you know, intimidating looking driver. Yeah, you know, he's already done some crazy stuff for you. I mean, you don't know the whole story for sure, so I'm not making light of them.

Speaker 4: 41:04

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 41:04

I mean, it's just I. It's so Beyond our thinking to do something like that. You know.

Speaker 2: 41:13

I mean honestly, I would probably start smashing them in the temple and tell he stopped the car and let me out. But yeah, that that's fine. Who, who, who cares like who? Well, he's gonna be deactivated.

Speaker 4: 41:27

So oh yeah, we don't need to worry about that Real quick.

Speaker 2: 41:30

Our MI inspections this is a inspection company that does it via video chat. I phone or Android doesn't matter. I always put on demand. I mean, I guess it's on demand, you schedule it online and they call you. It's about 20 30 minutes. Just inspect your vehicle. It's $19 to do that and you don't pay unless you pass. Obviously, like I always say, I put this disclaimer in because, yes, it is online. If your shits broke, get it fixed. Like they're not gonna pass you, I mean obviously, but they check all the safety features and those kind of things and it's really quick and simple and I think I'm pretty sure mr Lifting with Larry use this company.

Speaker 3: 42:13

That is 100% correct. When, when I went in my crash and had to get it hit my new vehicle. I utilize this company and I highly recommend it. They were, they were super friendly. It's easy to schedule. You schedule, like I said, it's not quite on-demand, you can't, just you set up a time with them but then they call you, do FaceTime or whatever you want to do. You know they have you walk around and do the seatbelts and the lights and the brake lights and you know that the tread depth and in your tires and everything that they need to check. And the super convenient though you know you don't have to, you don't have to worry about driving in somewhere. This is a did it my driveway and good to go.

Speaker 2: 42:54

Yeah, I would highly recommend them. Yeah, I know they are you. They have gotten definitely some, some work from us, so I think it's a great idea and, yeah, check them out. The link is in the description and.

Speaker 2: 43:07

Yeah sign up, get her done. You need that inspection and I mind just expired on the pilot. I thought about Redoing it, I don't know, I don't know. Then I have to put the rides you know what I mean Like I have to put extra insurance on it, because I'm not saying I would use it regularly but, like you know, in a pinch or something, I don't know, I Know I have it on my wife's car.

Speaker 4: 43:30

Oh, do you, just in case.

Speaker 3: 43:32

Well, I mean, I was, when I went out, when I was, you know, in my wreck, I was, you know, thinking I might use her car. So I went ahead and got the inspection, but I ended up not driving for six weeks.

Speaker 2: 43:45

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 43:45

I didn't. You know, by that time I had had my new car, so I didn't. I didn't have it, but I mean still on there. I mean our inch. I took the insurance back off. But to put that back on, it's just going online and yeah, I'm there, so that's not a big deal. But then the inspection is good for a year.

Speaker 2: 43:59

So yeah, you're in a unique situation because you know, as you said at the beginning of the show, you're starting to work more full-time hours, so if your car goes down, it's kind of like you kind of need a backup to.

Speaker 3: 44:12

I mean.

Speaker 2: 44:12

I mean, yeah, I mean you, you know, depending on you know, god forbid you get another accident, but depending on your mouth.

Speaker 3: 44:19

I'm just sure me.

Speaker 2: 44:20

I said God forbid, god forbid, like I'm just saying don't even put that out into that? I'm sorry, I'll delete it before I put it up. It's too late, it's alive. Okay, larry, this, this next one's for you, I. I put the okay, I'd love doing yes, but I put the uncomfortable, oh I know, I know I was like oh, I'm definitely taking yes for spot tonight. Yeah.

Speaker 3: 44:42

So anyway, for the people audio people only this is this is a family or a house that left out some treats for their delivery drivers and we saw this a lot during the pandemic, not some, you know, don't see it as much anymore. No, anyway, they've got a nice basket out there. They have a sign in front of us. Thank you so much to all our delivery drivers. Please help yourself to snacks and drinks to show our appreciation. Thanks again. You know love the Bowdoin family and so they got a nice big, you know wicker basket. It's got you know ball of water in it, it's got goldfish crackers, you know drawlty chocolates and some chips, and then in front of it there's two big boxes of Trojan condoms.

Speaker 2: 45:27

I mean, what in the actual?

Speaker 3: 45:29

hell, yeah, I don't. I don't know how to explain that. You're wondering if, if, like, one of the kids put that out there as a joke.

Speaker 2: 45:42

I.

Speaker 3: 45:43

Yeah, I mean, I can't. I mean because it says help yourself to treats and snacks. Doesn't say anything about that's anything about extra curriculum.

Speaker 2: 45:52

I mean I can't really see in the picture, but I mean, isn't it, is that hand sanitizer next to it?

Speaker 3: 45:59

Yes. So I mean, I was saying is it lube?

Speaker 2: 46:02

because then then we got, we got some issues, we got some, you're right.

Speaker 3: 46:06

It is actually. That is hand sanitizer. Yeah, I zoomed in on it, I thought that was bottled water. But they do have some cans of like black rifle, express omokas, things like that.

Speaker 2: 46:19

That's just yeah, that's not cheap man?

Speaker 3: 46:21

That's not cheap at all, it's. It's like canned drinks. Yeah, those green.

Speaker 2: 46:28

I probably pronounce it wrong, but that chocolate You're a deli or dear deli. Yeah, that's really good chocolate.

Speaker 3: 46:36

Yeah, what I call a girlie. Yeah, I don't know what you called it, but I I just I think that's what I call it, Okay so again reddit.

Speaker 2: 46:43

Yeah never disappoints me. The comments. Comment. Well, common number one got deleted comment number one, we're all getting fucked by Amazon, so go with the Trojans. Looks like the driver chose the chocolates or the carmels. Second comment I respected dismembered to pull out. Well, you don't have to with the condom. I don't have a sex life, so I take some snack and bounce, which is this one's, it's interesting. Fill the condoms with hand sanitizer and slide them on your fingers. Now you're prepared for even the dirtiest packages in the world.

Speaker 3: 47:18

Yeah, oh man, oh my gosh interesting.

Speaker 2: 47:22

But yeah, I, I'm with you. I didn't ever I didn't think about that, but I bet you the kids, I Bet you they, because why?

Speaker 5: 47:30

why would you put that out there?

Speaker 2: 47:32

in less yeah unless they're looking for extra partners, and this is kind of like a.

Speaker 4: 47:40

Hey you know, I mean.

Speaker 2: 47:42

I don't see a pineapple there, but maybe on the wall there's an upside-down pineapple. That's the funniest thing I've ever seen. At it like at a snack thing.

Speaker 3: 47:51

It's crazy yeah that is pretty funny because these are big boxes. They're like oh yeah, there's ten condoms in each box, and so, yeah, one's the purple Trojan G spot and the other one's called Trojan Nirvana variety pack. So four experiences to explore.

Speaker 2: 48:09

The marketing in these is ridiculous because, first of all, that condom is not gonna hit the G spot Like I mean, let's face it, you're gonna barely get that thing on and you're gonna be done All right. So, like, don't even advertise, it's gonna hit the G spot Dumbest fucking advertising I've ever seen. Oh goodness, all right. Moving on, larry. We got a video here of a Uber Eats driver that had their car stolen twice. Did you see that one, or?

Speaker 3: 48:41

Yes.

Speaker 2: 48:42

I can just play the video.

Speaker 3: 48:44

Yeah, play the video here and then we'll talk about it.

Speaker 5: 48:47

Think you've had bad days. Well, those are bullet holes, and whoever was in this car or beside it had a bad day, like they were shooting out of my vehicle. She had a bad day too. It didn't involve gunfire, but it did include having two cars stolen in one day. This was the second one. Now we're not identifying her or showing her identity, but it all began on the morning of November 17th, when the car she uses for Uber was stolen from Union Market.

Speaker 4: 49:13

With that Uber, that Hyundai was my keys to my Lexus along with something bearing her address.

Speaker 5: 49:20

You can guess what happened next.

Speaker 4: 49:22

Within a matter of moments of time about 10-15 minutes, I think I'm taking my Hyundai came to my house and got my second car 11 days later finally, some good news in the mail.

Speaker 5: 49:31

But even that was tainted. The letter was from a towing company saying that my Lexus truck was recovered. It was abandoned on a street in Capitol Heights and it had been towed to an impound lot in Prince George's County. The letter instructed her to come get her car and to bring $463 in storage fees.

Speaker 4: 49:50

That I asked my where's my truck? Even you know driver proof. Is it worth me becoming to get it? Because you know, when you think when your car gets stolen, it's crashed up, it's damaged, you know you can't drive it. So they were like well, do we talk to you when you get here with the $463?

Speaker 5: 50:03

When she got there, she saw the bullet holes.

Speaker 4: 50:05

When we opened the door, we found a bunch of shell cases that were inside the vehicle.

Speaker 5: 50:11

Along with drug paraphernalia and trash. Since the car was stolen in the district, she called DC police and she says the detective came and processed the car, took prints and collected the shell casings. End of story, end of ordeal. Right, well, not quite. She didn't even want to drive the car anymore. She'd be driving around in a crime scene. Imagine getting pulled over in a car with bullet holes in it and having nothing more than a towing receipt to explain why. Fortunately, that didn't happen, though she had one more interaction with police.

Speaker 4: 50:41

They came out and took our DNA to exclude us from the crowd, because their vehicle was reported in three other car jackets.

Speaker 5: 50:47

And that's where it all stands at this point A bullet riddled car she's afraid to drive, her DNA unfiled to exclude her from an alleged crime spree, and the car she uses for work that was stolen.

Speaker 4: 50:59

It has not been recovered yet.

Speaker 5: 51:00

Derek Ward, news four.

Speaker 2: 51:02

Well, you thought you were having bad luck.

Speaker 3: 51:05

It's only two cars in one day. That's a rough day.

Speaker 2: 51:13

That is a rough day. Where did they say they were out of Washington DC?

Speaker 3: 51:16

DC, I believe it said yeah, I mean DC has got a pretty high crime rate.

Speaker 2: 51:22

Yeah, it is hilarious. That has a high crime rate and that's where all our politicians are.

Speaker 3: 51:28

Well, you know, birds of a feather flock together. There you go, yeah.

Speaker 2: 51:38

I feel bad for that lady.

Speaker 3: 51:42

I also think it's funny that it's legal to smoke weed in DC too, is it really?

Speaker 2: 51:48

It is.

Speaker 3: 51:48

Oh wow, probably not when you're driving though Maybe when you're passing bills, though, that's legislation.

Speaker 2: 51:56

Could be. Yeah, yeah, that's true. Maybe they should smoke a little weed, that might be less assholes.

Speaker 3: 52:03

Yeah, maybe they could unwind a little bit, not be twisted too tight Right, so tight. But yeah, I mean that's just especially somebody. I mean this is your livelihood, as we said, if this is something you do full time, this is your livelihood. And to get your car and then your backup car, well, that's amazing.

Speaker 2: 52:22

She had two cars to like, make money and golly. It's time to move out of the area.

Speaker 3: 52:27

Yeah, but yeah, I guess I don't know why she would have something on her key ring. I guess that has her addressing us. I guess maybe in case you lose your keys, and maybe ask somebody to bring them back. But you run into this risk. You have your other car key on there as well. They know your address now and they're going to come steal your other cars.

Speaker 2: 52:46

Yeah, I mean, I would have expected it quicker, honestly.

Speaker 3: 52:52

Yeah, that I think. I think it'd be time to change careers at that point.

Speaker 2: 52:57

So last article. I know I don't know if you ended up having time to read this one, but there was a couple in there that I had duplicated, so I took them off. But I can run this one. Did I read it? Absolutely not. Some Uber Lyft drivers learn they can earn more if they're picky about who they serve, which yeah that's pretty obvious, but honestly though, like for new drivers, this might be a good article for them Like we every new driver should read this article.

Speaker 3: 53:27

We've talked about this, and I mean. It's just like the food delivery as well. We've talked about it so many times over the years that not every ride is profitable. Yeah, there's something that then they're just not there. They're just not. They'll try to lure you in by oh, you got to do so many to get this bonus or you got to do this, but there's some rides that it's just not worth it.

Speaker 2: 53:50

Yeah, and especially now. I mean back then, like pretty much any ride was like all right, like yeah let's, let's get it on. You know what I mean.

Speaker 3: 53:59

Unless it was like the pickup was like 20 minutes away and you're doing a two mile ride. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 54:05

I often wonder when Lyft sends me those rides, it feels like it's mostly Lyft. Uber's probably like yeah, they're definitely not going to take this, but Lyft's like, ah, they're suckers, they might. But yeah, I often wonder why, like how can I be the closest car for this? It's 20 minutes away. There's no way. This is, this is Grand Rapids. I mean, yeah, it's not a huge city, but it big enough. You've been here, like you know it's big. Oh, yeah, it's big enough to have a ton of drivers on. How am I the closest driver? I don't know.

Speaker 3: 54:39

I don't understand that, yeah, why you have to wonder why you're getting that right. I mean, even here, I know there's been times when I've been, you know, maybe sitting downtown and you look at the, the passenger app, just to see where you know where the other cars are and you know there may be. You know the other five cars are all between me and them all and I'll get a call to them all and I'm like I know there's five other drivers between me and there. Why am I getting this call?

Speaker 2: 55:03

Yeah, I often wonder if they're trying to like somehow manipulate you or just test the market to see if you're willing to do it Like I don't even know. I don't understand that.

Speaker 3: 55:16

A rideshare company. Manipulate us. Come on, jason.

Speaker 2: 55:20

So one of the guys in here. What it usually does is they'll have like little people featured in here. But at Fred's main strategy as a driver is accepting nearly every ride. His lifetime acceptance rate is 84 percent. He does that because it gives him the best chance to retain his Uber diamond status, which offers various benefits such as savings at select gas stations through a reward system. Fred said the best perk of his status is dedicated customer support he receives. Now that's fucking bullshit. Right there, the best support or the best perk would be the gas rebate. I mean, why would it be support? How often are you calling support? I probably called support six times or dealt with them in my 4,000 rides. Like, why is it that the best perk of everything?

Speaker 3: 56:10

Yeah, yeah, I mean. The best perk I mean my mind is a college free tuition. No, no, yeah, aside from that, Aside from that, though, but even the gas rewards, I'm like there's so many different gas reward programs out there. I mean, is this one that much better?

Speaker 2: 56:27

Well, I think it is. I think you can get up to like 10 percent. I mean, that's pretty good, I mean especially if you're filling up every day. So it costs you $40 a fill up. You're saving four bucks every time. I mean.

Speaker 3: 56:42

Yeah, I mean that's not bad.

Speaker 2: 56:44

But again you're also driving like an asshole to go into every ride. So is it really saving you that much in? The long run because you're taking every ride.

Speaker 3: 56:53

Yeah, you're taking these rides where you have to drive 10 minutes to take somebody mile. So yeah, I don't know, the gas reward thing doesn't really get me, just because it seems like every, every gas station or whatever has. You know, we have the upside app, you know, for some stations and there's just different things, but I mean, there's not. I Was diamond, I don't think I am now.

Speaker 3: 57:21

I was, I think, last, whatever the last couple quarters or whatever they call them were just because I was and I wasn't trying to, it's just because I was driving full-time. Yeah and you know there wasn't anything I was shooting for, Because you know they don't. They did offer that one-time payment for being diamond, but that was just a one-time deal, so that's not any incentive.

Speaker 2: 57:41

So Janet says the other cars have declined the ride. You're probably right, but I mean, yeah, in theory it does the whole circle thing, the round robin, and then it goes further out, and further out, and further out. But how do they think, if the drivers there decline the ride, if that someone 20 minutes away is gonna accept it? Because that's ridiculous. I'm going back to the gas. Yeah, I, I. I Spent $55 last month on my car to charge it really and.

Speaker 2: 58:13

I mean that's driving my crazy personal time and then even gigging on the weekend, and I'm up to 35 this month, so a little bit more. I've been driving a little bit more.

Speaker 3: 58:24

But I mean I'm much in the last two days.

Speaker 2: 58:27

Yeah, like I mean it's, you know, yeah, is the payment hefty? It is. Am I trying to pay it off as quick as possible? I am, and hopefully the interest rates go down because I can refinance. But I mean literally, literally the gas is paying for the payment, the gas savings. So it's like I don't even have a car payment and I got a brand new car. You know what I mean. So obviously, the quicker I get it paid off, the more I'll save.

Speaker 3: 58:52

Did you ever get the the charger at your house? Oh?

Speaker 2: 58:55

yeah, yeah, oh, if that, if I didn't have a charge at my house, that would be three times the amount, if not more. Okay, that's what I thought. Yeah, I think I pay like eight cents a kilowatt at night from 11 p to 6 am. So the charger set up, I get home from work, I plug it in. It doesn't turn on till 11, charged to what I said it at, and Then that's nice, so you can program it.

Speaker 3: 59:15

Yep, that's sweet.

Speaker 2: 59:17

Yeah. I don't even have to think about it, plug it in and forget it, and then it's so good at recognizing the schedule which you think it would be easy anyways. But, like on the weekends, I can charge any time. Well, I can charge any time. It's just I have a deal with the energy company and I get $10 a month, which isn't much if I charge from 11 p to 6 a Monday through Friday.

Speaker 2: 59:39

Okay but, on the weekends. It knows, like, when I plug in, like if I'm ubering and I come home in the afternoon, it just starts charging because it knows it's not the weekend. So it's pretty cool, okay well that's pretty awesome.

Speaker 3: 59:52

I would really recommend an EV.

Speaker 2: 59:54

I know everyone's like ah, the range, the range. If you're, if you're somebody that doesn't take a lot of trips, get one. You're never gonna fucking and I have a regular gas car in my family. I mean, obviously, if you plan on taking any trips and you only have an electric car, it's gonna be a little bit of a challenge. You'll, you'll get it done, you'll be able to go and you'll you'll be able to find chargers, but it's just a little longer. It's gonna take a little longer. It's gonna take a little longer. Gas is definitely more convenient when you're talking to trip over like 150, 200 miles. So but yeah, there's. There's definitely some drawbacks to it, but they're coming out with new EVs in the next two or three years.

Speaker 3: 1:00:33

Oh yeah, yeah, they're gonna. They're gonna improve the battery situation. I mean Especially as hard as they're pushing everybody to get EVs and they know it's not gonna work with the current you know range we get there's. There's so many smart people out there that figure this stuff out. They'll figure out a new battery out that'll.

Speaker 2: 1:00:50

That'll extend the range quite a bit, I'm sure there's a rumor that Either Toyota or Honda is gonna come out with a sedan that's 750 mile range.

Speaker 3: 1:01:00

Wow.

Speaker 2: 1:01:01

I see I'm on that. I mean, you could fucking drive to Michigan on that thing.

Speaker 3: 1:01:05

Yeah, well, flying next time, yeah yeah, we've already established that. We were forget that for the hassle and all that.

Speaker 2: 1:01:13

You can spend 200 bucks on a flight.

Speaker 3: 1:01:15

Yeah, and you don't get hit, don't get, yeah, pile up.

Speaker 2: 1:01:19

Yeah, my gosh, but All right guys. Well, thank you so much for tuning into the show. I appreciate everyone that's chimed in and liked the post and everything. Thank you later for coming on the show. I'm currently had to turn my furnace off because I'm getting really hot. It's already gets hot in the studio because the door gets closed and the lights are.

Speaker 3: 1:01:38

Put these Santa hats on man, these.

Speaker 4: 1:01:40

Santa hats brutal they start warming up.

Speaker 3: 1:01:43

I want to be festive and we're in the spirit and we share. Brought a merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa and.

Speaker 2: 1:01:51

Happy, whatever you celebrate.

Speaker 3: 1:01:53

Whatever you celebrate, may it be happy.

Speaker 2: 1:01:55

Yeah, yeah. So we will be back sometime in January. I don't know the exact date. I keep it, larry, if you were, if you were a fan, you're a fan of the show. But you're a different kind of thing because you know me really well too. But like what would you? Would you kick, do you need content in that two week break? Or you're just like that's good, like I'll just listen to something else. I Think, I think you're good for two weeks.

Speaker 3: 1:02:22

Yeah, everybody, I mean everybody understands it's not like any other job. You take a break, you take a vacation. Yeah, you go, yeah, if you feel like putting you know something up there, fine, but if you don't, it's fine too.

Speaker 2: 1:02:34

What if I just record solo stuff? How boring would that be, like I just rambling. I'll probably end up saying something. I'll get me canceled or something I don't know.

Speaker 3: 1:02:45

Yeah, I mean, that could happen.

Speaker 2: 1:02:47

That can happen to any of us in this climate at any time.

Speaker 3: 1:02:50

Yeah, boom, you're canceled, right All right, Janet.

Speaker 2: 1:02:53

Thank you so much. Have a merry Christmas and have a happy. Yeah man, christmas, jan holiday and all that stuff. And yeah, don't put up with anyone's bullshit and we will see you on the road. Good night, good night. This podcast is produced and edited by hey guys media group. Want to start a podcast? Check out hey guys media group. Oh you.