Uber does not work at SDU for short rides.
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: SJC/BUR
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Club Carlson Gold, Starwood Gold
Posts: 1,139
Uber does not work at SDU for short rides.
We landed at SDU at 9 PM on a Tuesday a couple weeks ago and could NOT convince an Uber to drive us to our restaurant reservation in Santa Teresa. We had 10-15 cancellations. Finally, we walked over on a scary freeway overpass to the French consulate, which seemed to open up a different pool of drivers, none of whom had been (I suspect) stuck in some virtual queue waiting for a long fare to Ipanema. I emailed the GM of Rio de Janeiro Uber about this, but of course I got no response. I know Uber is really really struggling on the corporate side right now. Still, there has to be a better way. Would a yellow taxi also have refused the ride to Santa Teresa? Uber was supposed to fix all these problems, but we are back to square one!
#2
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Chicago
Posts: 185
My only data point is about 3 years old now and my friend tried taking a short ride from SDU and all the taxi drivers refused her but Uber did take her. That was a time when Uber was trying to break into the Rio market so times were different. Cant say if your experience is typical now but wouldn’t surprise me one bit.
Last edited by Esmjb; Sep 8, 2018 at 9:10 pm Reason: spelling
#3
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: GIG - YYC - SVO
Programs: Lost it all and don't care
Posts: 945
Put a R$50 note in the guys hand and recognize the situation for what it is.
That's what.......10 USD ???
UBER drivers, like taxi drivers, can turn you down. Happened to me in Pelourinho more than once trying to get a taxi back to the Sheraton.
That's what.......10 USD ???
UBER drivers, like taxi drivers, can turn you down. Happened to me in Pelourinho more than once trying to get a taxi back to the Sheraton.
#4
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,667
and that "trip" is really easy walking distance (and I--solo female--have done it many times, both night and day).
Last edited by VidaNaPraia; Sep 9, 2018 at 10:53 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: GIG - YYC - SVO
Programs: Lost it all and don't care
Posts: 945
A living wage for a cabbie is not determined by how much an individual trip costs, but by how much one makes in a day doing trips of all types and distances. On the third request down the lien of cabbies, we got one who drove us with all of our stuff. Tipped him very well as I always do (R$50) and told him to make sure the other driver's knew it........heh.
Never had this happen to me in Rio, with UBER or taxis (and I live about 5 minuted from Rio Sul, a common destination). This is just one of the many reasons I detested Salvador. Most everyone in the service/hospitality industries were horrible to deal with due to their PT induced sense of entitlement.
Never had this happen to me in Rio, with UBER or taxis (and I live about 5 minuted from Rio Sul, a common destination). This is just one of the many reasons I detested Salvador. Most everyone in the service/hospitality industries were horrible to deal with due to their PT induced sense of entitlement.
Last edited by KDS777; Sep 9, 2018 at 9:31 pm
#6
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: GVA
Programs: A3 Gold (*G), Bonvoy LTTE, Accor Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 1,826
This situation is less to do with the short ride distance from SDU and much more with the fact that many Uber drivers (and taxis) are uncomfortable going up to Santa Teresa. The combination of steep, winding streets they’re unfamiliar with, along with the area being more dangerous than average, and the fact the driver will seldom find a fare back from there means many drivers just don don’t bother. This has been a problem for years.
#7
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: British Airways Gold
Posts: 2,642
This situation is less to do with the short ride distance from SDU and much more with the fact that many Uber drivers (and taxis) are uncomfortable going up to Santa Teresa. The combination of steep, winding streets they’re unfamiliar with, along with the area being more dangerous than average, and the fact the driver will seldom find a fare back from there means many drivers just don don’t bother. This has been a problem for years.
As others have said, the solution here was to offer additional cash on top of the automatically calculated Uber fare. There was no supply to meet the demand at the official price, the clearing price was higher
#8
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,667
A living wage for a cabbie is not determined by how much an individual trip costs, but by how much one makes in a day doing trips of all types and distances. On the third request down the lien of cabbies, we got one who drove us with all of our stuff. Tipped him very well as I always do (R$50) and told him to make sure the other driver's knew it........heh.
Never had this happen to me in Rio, with UBER or taxis (and I live about 5 minuted from Rio Sul, a common destination). This is just one of the many reasons I detested Salvador. Most everyone in the service/hospitality industries were horrible to deal with due to their PT induced sense of entitlement.
Never had this happen to me in Rio, with UBER or taxis (and I live about 5 minuted from Rio Sul, a common destination). This is just one of the many reasons I detested Salvador. Most everyone in the service/hospitality industries were horrible to deal with due to their PT induced sense of entitlement.
Last edited by VidaNaPraia; Sep 11, 2018 at 12:13 am
#11
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 111
From what I've hard from Uber drivers:
. It is not possible for them to refuse a ride once passenger has boarded. The only way to do it is to ask the passenger the destination before the ride began.
. The virtual line in airports is designed to prevent this. A driver who gets fixed up with a short ride can return to the front of the line once it's done.
I regularly use Uber from SDU to downtown Rio, to cover distances that I always walk when on vacation, but the heat and the business suit prevent me from doing so. Never had a complaint or a cancellation, unlike taxi drivers a few years back.
. It is not possible for them to refuse a ride once passenger has boarded. The only way to do it is to ask the passenger the destination before the ride began.
. The virtual line in airports is designed to prevent this. A driver who gets fixed up with a short ride can return to the front of the line once it's done.
I regularly use Uber from SDU to downtown Rio, to cover distances that I always walk when on vacation, but the heat and the business suit prevent me from doing so. Never had a complaint or a cancellation, unlike taxi drivers a few years back.