Pilots in Uber Valley say Coachella's profits are lower than expected

INDIO, Calif. – While more than 100,000 festivalgoers were in the Valley last weekend for Coachella Festival Weekend 1, ride drivers from Southern California came to town, jumping on the road. opportunity to earn a little more money.

But with traffic jams of several hours and lower revenues than expected, some drivers say it was not worth it.

The drivers stated that they were faced with massive queues and long waits at the arrival and the descent of the festival.

"It took forever to get into the lot," said Mark, the Uber driver, who did not want to be identified by his last name. "On average, 3-4 hours … Sunday in the lot, I waited 2 hours for a runner."

"I've been doing this for about 3 years and it's never been that bad," David Hurst told the festival on Friday.

Some drivers have reported dangerous driving at the festival grounds.

"People are cutting each other a bit," Hurst said. "People are very frustrated."

"There were some car accidents, people rushed," Angel Dominguez said. "It's not worth the extra $ 7 to have a car accident."

But frustrated drivers further: the reduction of their profits, they said that Uber took.

"They earn 70% of the money and we do the work," said Mike Dalton, an Uber driver from Temecula.

"They charge a lot more to the runner and they pay us less," Mark said.

On a trip between the festival and Joshua Tree, he had won only $ 60 out of the $ 106 paid by his rider.

And Dominguez said that he only earned one-fifth of what his client was paying.

"Do not try to kill," Dalton said. "Do not try to make thousands and thousands of dollars, it will not happen."

Uber refused to comment on this story.

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