> you'll be waiting for someone to want a ride south for a very long time
Why would you wait long? It's not like the system doesn't know where you are. Just start driving back, and if someone is around that needs a ride that direction, deliver it to someone already heading back to home territory in the same direction. Worst case you don't get anyone and drive back without any fares. All it should take is a slight bias towards those traveling back from long drives if it's going the same direction.
> Why would you wait long? It's not like the system doesn't know where you are.
Because while there ARE people that are driving south, other Uber drivers are closer than me to them.
> Just start driving back, and if someone is around that needs a ride that direction, deliver it to someone already heading back to home territory in the same direction.
I tried that. Every single time I did it, I ended up home before Uber found anyone. The only time the feature was useful is getting closer to the freeway that I was going to take.
Why would you wait long? It's not like the system doesn't know where you are. Just start driving back, and if someone is around that needs a ride that direction, deliver it to someone already heading back to home territory in the same direction. Worst case you don't get anyone and drive back without any fares. All it should take is a slight bias towards those traveling back from long drives if it's going the same direction.