Uber on Big Island

[leilanidude]

Lyft goes live today (3/23) on the Big Island.

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/news...live-today

(might need subscription to view properly)

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

knieft -
This article may have some useful background info for you:

Three years ago, ride-hailing giant Uber came under investigation for a tool called “God View” that allowed employees to track drivers and customers in real-time. Uber has since scaled that ability back, but Jalopnik has learned the company still deploys a revamped version of it, along with other secret internal tools, to target its drivers who also work for competitors.
http://jalopnik.com/uber-employees-use-s...1793495814

You could never convince a monkey to give you a banana by promising him limitless bananas after death in monkey heaven.

[leilanidude]

Just tried a couple connections to see current pricing.

Lower Leilani to Pahoa schools - $13.10 but only with UberX
Lower Leilani to ITO (airport) - $50.50 but only with UberX

If I pick the airport as pickup location, no matter where I want to go, it comes back and says "Uber is currently unavailable in your area", but as soon as I move the pin to the edge of the airport property, service is available.

Currently, I see one car sitting in lower HPP, one in Keaau, and two in Hilo.

[kalakoa]

pick the airport as pickup location ... "Uber is currently unavailable in your area"

Almost as if the airport was blacklisted with a geofence, perhaps at the suggestion of our Mayor.

[leilanidude]

Almost as if the airport was blacklisted with a geofence...
-------
Exactly what it seems to be doing, except you can get a ride TO the airport.

[Eric1600]

knieft, I have several friends that drive for Uber in various places. I can tell you that you're doing the right thing. The earlier you start in an Uber market the better your shares of fare will be. However it takes a several months for local people to start thinking, "Maybe I should try an uber...". And having the airport blocked out is going to confuse people. There also might be a block out around the port for cruise ships. You might want to contact uber to find out what the policy is here locally that way the offical word can get out so you're not wasting your time in dead zones.

[PaulW]

Interesting! What is the "edge of the airport property"? Highway 11?

[leilanidude]

Correct. It won't let you be picked up at the post office there either. I placed the pin all over in the airport area and tried.

[macuu222]

Same with Kona...you have to walk all the way up to the highway to get an Uber pickup

[PaulW]

That could be how it works then, I've heard about this at other airports. You give your location at the intersection of Hwy 11 and Airport Rd and the Uber driver knows what you really mean - just outside baggage pickup.