[EA]

The averages are high too. I was 81 under average when I pulled 278 the other day.

[Cyborgt800]

You're still competing with the longhaulers...they drive up the averages.

[EA]

True. So long as I don't get fired before I get something else, I don't care. However, it would be nice to get 32% of 400 instead of 250-300.

[Cyborgt800]

I made it work for me by going for higher tips...You don't split those!

[Diana5947]

How can you "go for higher tips"? Do you ask for more tip than what the customer tries to give you? (I guess I don't understand what that means). I'm still considering driving. Thanks.

[Cyborgt800]

I laughed and joked with the fares, entertained them with anecdotal stories, history and trivia...and I will say that any opening they gave I would make some sort of tip comment. Not anything direct...just saying the word while they're having a good time reminds them that tipping was what we work for.

[EA]

I keep getting people who don't speak English, or people who don't want to be bothered.

However, the people I can get talking tend to tip pretty good.

Today, a woman from another country, I could not place the language, was just talking and talking and talking with her friends. I have no idea how one person can say so much, I'm sure she works for a 24 hour news station.
I have never in my life wanted to tell someone to shut the f up so badly.
There were a lot of words that ended in bsh, shh, pshh, and ysshh sounds. The way she drew them out mad me want to choke her.
It was terrible.

On the bright side, that was my most unpleasant fare so far. Made the puker seem nice. lol.
Picke dup 2 drunk chicks. One was too drunk. She kept saying she was going to get sick. Luckily there was a bag on the floor. She hurled into that for a bit. 7 dollar tip, ha ha and no mess.

[Cyborgt800]

I always carried plastic grocery bags just for that reason....a BIO in your car can wreck your night in dollars and scents!

[Diana5947]

What does "bidding" on the shift mean? Are we trying to out-bid other drivers on the shift? (Bid what? money? or senority?) - or just asking for the shift?

[Cyborgt800]

Bidding is a senority thing....I can only speak for YCS. They posted open shifts and everyone had the opportunity to bid by way of ballot sheets if they wanted a shift that was open. Each Monday they tallied things up and the lowest senority number won that shift.

Some way, somehow, I always managed to get shifts with Tue/Wed days off, the entire time I worked there. Tue, Wed, Thur are the best days to have off when on night shift IMHO.