Friday, April 03, 2015

Why large cities with downtown areas are ridesharing magnets?

Ridesharing is one of the most innovative services in this millenium. As smartphones began to saturate the market, the idea of requesting rides via these portable devices emerged into the forefront. Transportation services such as buses, trains, subways and taxis irked commuters. Then, it dawned on innovators that developing ridesharing apps could in fact improve transportation needs.

It is no hidden secret that large cities thrive on ridesharing services. They draw thousands of people who demand rides to restaurants, bars, tourist attractions, to and from work, to the airport, to hotels, and other destinations. We may ask why are large cities with downtown areas a ridesharing magnet?

It is simple; taxis were primarily the go-to option for quick rides. Need a ride home after clubs and bars close? Hail a taxi. Signal to taxi drivers that you will claim this ride. However, unprofessional cab drivers have no people skills. They are rude drivers who make the roads unsafe. No patience whatsoever. Passengers shared horror stories of overzealous taxi drivers with poor attitudes. Usually, these drivers honk a storm at people and force their way into lanes without playing it safe. God forbid, ridesharing drivers who replicate this act in front of taxi drivers will be put on a stake to burn.

Thousands of people are out and about, exploring downtown areas to have a good time and download from a hard day's and tough week's work. They deserve this time to escape the rigorous demands of life. Millions of people work their souls into the ground. Going out to clubs, to bars, to the movies, and/or to restaurants relax people. A night out with friends is the cure for mundane moments.

We all get into a routine that mentally drags us down. We want to connect with fun and exciting people. Therefore, ridesharing drivers are the go-to options. They good listeners. They mostly drive nice clean vehicles. Socializing is uniquely expected in ridesharing rides. Even when riders are cursing like sailors, ridesharing drivers are there to listen and give advice.

We identify ridesharing as counseling on wheels. Drivers give advice, but also open up to accepting advice. Ridesharing drivers and riders share skills, tips, and talk about their favorite movies. Large cities are thus magnets to attract riders because the community understands the value of ridesharing. Whereas the cheap cost to request rides is a motivating factor, the attraction that keeps ridesharing movie forward is personal accountability.

Taxi drivers reject passengers on long rides into unpopular districts. They refuse to listen to their passengers. Most of the time, they have nothing interesting to share. Their taxis/cabs smell like dump sites. In retrospect, taxi drivers digged a big hole that ridesharing companies later filled.

Nevertheless, ridesharing companies filled this gap to improve all transportation services. Taxis were forced to change fast, or lose business to ridesharing companies. Downtown areas in large cities offer faster pickup times, which by the way saves ridesharing drivers gas, decreases downtime, and increases overall earnings. The best rides will come from downtown areas after 11p.m.

Watch for special events. Drive people to work in the morning. Hang out near surged regions. Think of where riders may request rides from and where they will go. Be certain to avoid heavy traffic blocking bridge entrances, especially during evening commute times. In this environment, you won't make money. As a ridesharing driver, you need to be constantly moving. If you're sitting in traffic without a surge, you are losing valuable time and money.

Visit downtown areas around the early evening and after 10:30p.m. Most people hanging out in places near downtown will need rides home. There is high possibility you will get consistent rides. Good luck!