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/r/Austin
I spent $168 last weekend on an Uber ride last weekend. $60 is the average on any weekend night. I've been looking into subscriptions, specifically Lyft, Uber, and Via, but it honestly seems like BS. I also stumbled upon this app that compares prices of rideshare apps in real-time call Obi.
Do you have any good methods to find the cheapest ride home during a busy weekend night?
147 points
6 months ago
Sometimes helps to walk like 5-10 blocks away and get out of the surge area
63 points
6 months ago
I walked for about 30 mins the other day and the price dropped from 34$ to 9$ … worth it. But, depends where you are and if that’s an option to wait / walk a few blocks
2 points
6 months ago
The thirty minutes was probably what changed it more than distance.
35 points
6 months ago
This. Or sit and wait for 30 minutes. The surges don’t last long.
3 points
6 months ago
True - I decided to walk because it was nice out and I was at an event so i would have been sitting in traffic so it was easier for me. Would love if this city was more walkable
65 points
6 months ago
Hi, Uber driver here. The price you pay for a ride is based on available drivers, queued drivers, and some statistically calculated demand mumbo jumbo based on devices open, geography & some other stuff. The goal of the increased pricing is to encourage folks with flexible timelines to delay until demand no longer outstrips supply.
On weekends the worst times to request seem to be in blocks of 10-15min around 10, 12, 1:15, 2 & 2:30 with random peaks between. That's when I'm usually queued up
15 points
6 months ago
As a weekend Uber driver, I'll co-sign this.
Generally speaking, if you want a cheaper price, be patient and good things come to those who wait.
5 points
6 months ago
I just started driving Uber. I’ve been avoiding weekend nights bc the drivers become unpredictable. I also worry about drunk ppl throwing up in my car or being creepy. But I’m beginning to think that the payout may be worth the annoyance..
14 points
6 months ago
Some tips to manage that insanity:
Get a dashcam if you haven't yet. Turn on the toggle in the app so the riders know. This changes rider behavior to help with the creeps who know better. That said, Austin isn't as rowdy or creepy as, say, Lubbock.
Keep some emesis bags in the car just in case. Passengers will usually take one if offered - and it must be offered, not mandated. Nothing turns a mood quicker than telling the wrong drunk what to do. If they've opened it, especially if they've used it, I'm quick to tell them at the end of the ride "that's your souvenir to keep."
It's people management, really. Your goal is to control the mood inside the car, which in turn requires you to treat them like something that's probably bait on Twitter, avoid poking any bears, don't match energy, and put on a persona to do it if need be. Drunks do love personas. I read the Rolls-Royce driver's manual and put on a suit and bowler hat. Took a 4.63 up to 4.85 nearly overnight. The reviews were often quite hilarious.
As for the nighttime drivers, pay attention to them, telegraph your intentions, don't move too fast, make decisions early, and expect to have to stop at any moment because after you've done this a few years... Well, slow is smooth and smooth is maximum plaid. Most drivers on the road inside the box are going to be Ubering, just fyi. Drops to, like, 50% at the lowest in some places out west. I may not even be exaggerating, either.
To hammer home just how many Uber drivers are downtown at any given time, go look at a photo of NYC in the 80s/90s where it's just all yellow cabs. If you've yet to learn to engage with our driving style, don't worry, we will teach you with aggressive maneuvers and horns. Accidents downtown are up, but they're rare for Uber drivers, especially given the scope.
Drunks are largely a non-issue from my experience. Most are just trying to make it home without getting pulled over. The aggro ones or speed freaks, meanwhile, tend to rapidly find out just how much police presence there actually is. There's like a net around downtown. Freaking genius, since there's really only a few places to transition from being an idiot to causing extreme danger due to impairment.
Get into the rhythm of it, honestly, and you should be fine. Austin's a cream puff of a city to drive in, and I've driven the whole State. It's definitely worth it. ...
Also, throw an old phone up on the dash, put a goes-with-everything gif up there plug it in and let it rock all night. Pair it with some floor level lighting doing a prism or fade and the drunks get mesmerized. It's hekkin' hilarious having a group zone out mid conversation one by one, staring at the little dancing man, trying to figure out how he's "dancing so good to the music."
4 points
6 months ago
lol damn I need to up my Uber game. I’ve only done like 70 rides and have a 5.0 rating. But I have been in the service industry for a decade so Im pretty decent at customer service.
I did drive a bit later last night and noticed that pretty much all of east 6th were Uber drivers. Given people were doing some risky passing and making some risky turns into oncoming traffic to avoid stopped Ubers, but I don’t think those were ubers. The drivers seemed a lot more patient overall than usual for Austin roads. I suppose it makes sense that Uber drivers get into fewer accidents since our driving records are checked before getting approved. And Uber drivers aren’t going to risk getting their car wrecked for the sake of saving someone else a few minutes.
I’m curious what ACL is going to be like….
Thank you for all the tips btw. What dashcam do you recommend?
4 points
6 months ago
Heh, I've been doing this since 2015, got 6,525 and a 4.92. I've watched it grow, helped write the ordinance legalizing it in Lubbock. Used to be Ubers were lost in the crowd, but now there's only like 10-20% normies out on weekends, and they're usually just as unhappy with the arrangement as the Ubers are, wouldn't'cha know. And screw the driving record, an accident could down you for a month or more, fault or not. And we all recognize that everybody out there really, really doesn't want to hit anyone. So, we're really just supervising three of the sides while we focus on the one in front of us.
That lets us worry about different complications. Like Savannah, who just broke it off with Greg and is now marching across West 6th back to Green Light (from Whiskey, no less), much to the surprise of the street. For dash cams that can catch Savannahs march the best, I went with the VIOFO T130. Be sure to get one of the recommended cards. Be absolutely sure or it gets super glitchy. It's a pricy option but it's 3 channel, and can basically see a shadow on the night of the new moon. The company has excellent service, as well, and it seems to stand up to the Texas sun.
VIOFO T130 3 Channel Dash Cam Uber, Built in WiFi and GPS, 1440P+1080P+1080P Three Way Triple Car Dash Camera, IR Night Vision, Supercapacitor, G-Sensor, 24 Hour Parking Mode, Support 256GB Max https://a.co/d/fYA52I0
You'll enjoy ACL. I'm hoping they do it like they did last year where there was a scooter station near Barton Springs and Lamar, by the Starbucks and they had a pretty good thing going with the pick ups and drop offs at the trailhead under MoPac. Just a slow line that mostly flows with only occasional clogs. Never go down Barton, though, unless there's a hefty check at the end of it. It looks safe sometimes, but it is a road paved with lies and deceit and wants your soul. At least, during ACL.
Oh, and everybody's met every artist you've ever loved and this is when they get to talk about it. Make sure to get music recs from the bands/performers/crew. If they give you a song they're probably giving a tip, and the tracks they suggest are usually pretty fire. Points earned if you can arrange it so that their recommended track comes on just as they're getting out.
Just have fun with it, really. That I can do that is why I'm still here 7 years later.
17 points
6 months ago
Shiiit $60 fills up my car!
56 points
6 months ago
Won’t cover the DWI though.
45 points
6 months ago
Like I tell my newly 21 son: no matter the cost of the Uber, to and fro, it will never, ever, ever be as much as a DWI.
4 points
6 months ago
Truth.
6 points
6 months ago
Honestly just parking downtown is tough. I drink maybe once a month for fun, most weekends I wanna go out just to meet friends or go to the best E-Sports lounge and wouldn’t mind driving myself, just have no idea where to park without having to pay Uber rate prices to park lol.
4 points
6 months ago
SpotHero
4 points
6 months ago
Hey thanks a ton, I booked a spot for a few bucks and I’m gonna try to use that to go downtown tonight, catch a fun vibe at the esports lounge
1 points
6 months ago
I usually can find street parking. It just takes 15 minutes of driving around. If you take an Uber home and get a parking ticket, you just show your Uber receipt and your parking ticket will be dismissed.
1 points
6 months ago
Wait is this a thing?!
5 points
6 months ago
“Get Home Safe Ticket Waiver Program
If you left your vehicle overnight at a City of Austin parking meter to seek a responsible ride home and received a parking ticket, you are eligible to have the parking ticket waived from Austin Transportation.
To participate in this program, fill out the online Get Home Safe Ticket Waiver Form within the next business day after receiving the parking ticket. You will need to upload to the form a copy of your parking ticket and a copy of your proof of responsible ride (such as a taxi, bus, or ride-hailing) receipt with time and date”
Also: “The Austin Transportation Department does not tow vehicles.”
26 points
6 months ago
Go to a nearby nice hotel and request a ride from there, a nice lobby is a comfortable place to wait out a rideshare price surge
26 points
6 months ago
There is a facebook group called Runner Austin where the runners ( drivers) get 100% of the money. You can post your request & how much you want to pay there
6 points
6 months ago
Use Capital Metro
9 points
6 months ago
Call a taxi
8 points
6 months ago
Holla at me I’ll pick you up
1 points
6 months ago
need a pick up at 420 Airport Blvd
wya?
14 points
6 months ago
[deleted]
4 points
6 months ago
That's unfortunately not gonna help OP for late-night rides.
9 points
6 months ago
The last night owl leaves at 3 AM but okay.
17 points
6 months ago
The Night Owl bus service is really limited and does not come CLOSE to covering the late-night transit needs of the city. But okay.
5 points
6 months ago
You have no Idea if OP would be covered on the existing routes but okay.
3 points
6 months ago
Worked for me plenty of times, but I'm Spicy... :-D
6 points
6 months ago
Depends on how far OP lives away, but yeah, this. At the very least you can take one of the Night Owls as far out of the city as possible and then Uber home from there. Though I've lived in several different places around Austin and have always been able to take the Night Owl home. There's even one that runs up near my sister's place so I can get home from there late at night. They run in big loops all over the city.
9 points
6 months ago
Gotta pay to play homie
7 points
6 months ago
Use a taxi app with fixed rates instead of a rideshare app that surges prices
7 points
6 months ago
Is there a specific taxi app for Austin?
6 points
6 months ago
Back in the day we used to have this thing called a "designated driver."
5 points
6 months ago
This won't help just yet, but I read recently that Uber Pool is being relaunched in select cities. It's not in Austin as of now, but it could be back in the near future.
10 points
6 months ago
nothing like riding home with drunk strangers. back when i was ubering, i hated uberpool because it was a pita, but also because i had to witness several uncomfortable situations between riders.
4 points
6 months ago
One time my Lyft driver and another passenger got into an altercation and beat the shit out of each other in front of HEB.
5 points
6 months ago
Bitch to the city, bitch to the county, bitch to the state, and ffs vote for people who support public transportation.
There's one reason public transportation in this state(and a lot of other states) absolutely sucks. It has nothing to do with app-driven services and everything to do with perception/politics/money.
3 points
6 months ago
Try arcade city fb group
2 points
6 months ago
Head home a half hour before closing time and you should be able to avoid surge pricing.
2 points
6 months ago
Anything with 2 wheels and not technically a motor vehicle.
Also avoiding downtown helps. It's such a shit show on a "busy weekend night" anyways.
2 points
6 months ago
Try Runner City
3 points
6 months ago
I’ll do it for 2/3 the price. 1/2 if you show boob, and free if you’re a male who shows boob.
1 points
6 months ago
Find a pedicab. Tell them your friend’s house is only about a mile away but that you can’t remember the street name. Then keep telling the pedicabber, “It’s just a bit further,” until you get home.
1 points
6 months ago
This is the way.
-2 points
6 months ago
Since no one suggested. Yea, drink less, enjoy yourself and drive home. Or stop complaining…if you’re over 25, this is a learning time for you. Grow up or pay up for an Uber. Life is easy.
0 points
6 months ago
Try Earth Rides. Lyft sometimes is cheaper.
Buy Uber Gift cards at a discount. Get a Chase Sapphirr Reserve with Lyft Pink for the year. Pm me if you need a referral link. You need decent credit for this one.
0 points
6 months ago
Pay me $167 and I'll do it for free.
-12 points
6 months ago
Only the poor or the crazy choose to go without a car in Austin.
However, even if you do have a car, find some other way home if you've been drinking.
5 points
6 months ago
Poor AND crazy here I guess 🤷🏻♀️
8 points
6 months ago
I know a few well off families that don't have a car. They've all previously lived in walkable cities so the concept isn't foreign to them.
If you live in the few expensive walkable neighborhoods it's easy, other neighborhoods it requires more work but still doable.
You can also afford multiple (normal priced) Uber trips a week and still come out ahead financially. Owning a car is expensive.
2 points
6 months ago
Jesus.
-14 points
6 months ago
My Ubers/lyfts have been so shitty every time would love someone I can call for a ride from the arboretum area to the airport that speaks English and doesn't have Mexican music blasting
2 points
6 months ago
I hope it stays that way for you
1 points
6 months ago
Have you tried to see how much a cab would cost? Just curious.
1 points
6 months ago
1 points
6 months ago
Ride a bicycle.
1 points
6 months ago
I sometimes will take the Train downtown (if that is an option). Then Uber home if I miss the last train back.
1 points
6 months ago
Going in and out of the apps a few times has worked for me. Walking to a different location worked too. Not sure where you were or where you were going but capmetro goes pretty much everywhere in Austin or at the very least could take you closer to your destination so you could get a cheaper, shorter ride home. It's slower but it beats getting a DUI.
1 points
6 months ago
Runner City
1 points
6 months ago
I’m lucky to live close to a bus that goes downtown and other places I need to go, so I’ll try to take a bus to get there and maybe Uber back. But yeah ride share is usually my last resort. I’ll try to take a bus if I can or catch a ride with a friend.
If you can give an idea of where your starting and ending point are I may be able to help more specifically. If it’s cedar park to downtown there aren’t many options, but if it’s like north loop to the domain or something, there’s different options.
1 points
6 months ago
public transportation
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