Last week I took an Uber to LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) for my trip to San Pedro Sula, Hondruas. It was late at night around 9:30pm and I told him I was leaving out of Delta Terminal 5. When the Uber driver took me to the “Arrivals Levels”, I knew I was going to be scammed.
Why would he choose to go to the arrivals level other than the departures level? Because he knew that every flight on Earth was arriving at 9pm and that we would be stuck in traffic going from Terminal 1 to 5. He should have taken me on a more direct route to the upper “departures level” where there was no traffic at all. Traffic = more time wasted = more money in the driver’s pocket.
In the meantime, I got to hear some funny stories from the driver himself while on the job for Uber. Watch the video below:
Did you rate the driver and e-mail Uber?
I take it this was UberX?
yes, it was an UberX. I gave him a 5 rating because he agreed to stop the clock once I told him that he was in the wrong area. He apologized and realized that I knew what he was up to. I don’t like to give people a bad rating and get service industry workers fired. I’m sure it was an honest mistake (maybe)… or so he says….
Then this is a very misleading title. Well, it’s not the first time you’ve done this and I’m sure it won’t be your last.
he sounds papua new guinean
Hanlon’s razor
no regulation, no rules… enjoy
I thought that UberX drivers were avoiding departures because the cops were cracking down? Last I heard they were dropping people off a little ways away from LAX.
They can’t pick people up from the airport, but they can certainly drop people off directly.
Anyway, Uber should be covering any additional cost to you.
Have you tried Lyft?
yes I’ve tried Lyft, but I find Uber drivers to be more professional
If you wanted a professional driver, then you should have booked Uber Black. But you wanted to save a few bucks, so you got what you paid for. Most of these UberX guys are schmucks with cars and there is no “training.” Uber is hiring pretty much anyone as long as the car is in decent shape.
Also, had you used Uber Black, most locations in the LA area have flat rates to the airport ($59 from Beverly Hills/Hollywood, $69 from downtown) so it doesn’t matter how long it takes or if the driver messes up – same cost. There is no flat rates with UberX.
SOURCE: yep, I drive UberBlack and have 17 years actual professional driving experience.
PS – good on you not hitting him with a low rating. Even though Uber provides the customers with no guidance about rating drivers (TIP: unless there’s a problem, every trip should be a 5), they take it seriously and a ridiculous average of less than 4.7 will get you suspended. Or told to take a “training class” which cost $45.
You weren’t scammed. He made a mistake and stopped the clock. The extra made for sitting in traffic is minimal, I can assure you.
Besides, you probably got to LAX for less than you would have paid a shared van.