FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Uber drivers are responding to customer complaints that drivers are cherry picking passengers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to make sure that they get a steeper fare.
A side lot near the airport is an unofficial gathering spot for Uber and Lyft drivers.
Drivers said they wait there until they are connected with a passenger through the GPS-based app.
But some passengers said that some of the drivers call their cellphone first to make sure they're standing in the right location, and then ask them where they are going.
It's a screening tactic that is forbidden by ride-sharing companies like Uber.
Even though passengers enter their final destinations into the app, the drivers don't see the location until the passenger is sitting in the car.
The measure is in place to prevent cherry picking, but it's causing a headache for people who just want an inexpensive ride from the airport.
"I often find myself waiting 40 minutes to an hour just to get a ride home from the airport," Phil Davis, who often travels for work, said.
Local 10 News reporter Terrell Forney spoke Wednesday to several ride-sharing drivers who said the cheap fares just aren't worth it for the drivers.
"The driver, they have to wait a long time, like one, one-and-a-half hours to get the ride, and probably that ride goes to Fort Lauderdale," Lyft driver Jesus Suarez said. "So they spend about two hours to do a ride that's less than $5."
Uber driver Delfin Cruz said he is aware that some drivers cancel trips for short distances, but said that he only calls a passenger if he can't find them.
"He's supposed to be there. If he's not, then I call him. But if he's there I don't call him," he said.
In a statement to Local 10 News, Uber said it is aware of the issue and admitted that there are several complicated issues at play.
"Uber’s mission is to connect riders to reliable transportation, everywhere for everyone," Uber Florida spokesman Javi Correoso said. "It is unacceptable to refuse to provide services based on where someone is going. We are working with both driver partners and airport officials, to improve the pickup process at FLL airport."
Uber officials said riders should contact support on the app if a driver cancels a ride.