preface
I used to be an employee of Yidao and also experienced this service heavily. I have been driven off the bus by rogue drivers, but compared to my 27,268km easy to reach, it was just less than 5km at a time. After leaving Yi for a year and a half, I wrote down their stories.
A shrine near the North Fourth Ring Road at the end of 2013
Afternoon afterglow is fading, color and lane bridge under the emergency parking area, Mr. Xin leaned on his Chery car, leisurely lit a cigarette.
“They’re getting off work. Keep an eye on the terminal.” Next to the sign 408, Master Zhang reminded Mr. Xin.
“No, I’ll see.” Master Xin smacked his lips and slowly replied.
“On call… From the technology Trading building to the West Road of North Tucheng, Anzhen…” As soon as that, easy to the driver end, has popped out of the work peak of the first order.
“Don’t take it. Look, it must be mine.” Master Xin said to the drivers next to him.
“Don’t make fun of me. It’s only your stupid car that people choose you.” Mr. Ho, next to the black Camry, teased Mr. Xin. He master is the first day to live here, not long ago just added a easy to the driver group, the group of masters said here list is much, and are big single. He was coming over to try his luck.
“I bet with you, want to choose me, you ask me tomorrow a pack of Zhongnanhai.” Master Xin raised the corners of his mouth and helped him with his reading glasses.
“Congratulations on taking the order…” voice, master Xin easy to the terminal out of the receipt of successful notice.
“Let’s go! Tomorrow I will wait for you here in Zhongnanhai ah.” Master Xin threw away the big front door that he did not finish smoking, without hesitation, he looked at the old man with a look of astonishment.
“You don’t understand, old Xin is so great that Uncle Hang has been in his Beer Chery.” Xiao Zhang smiled at Lao He.
Before 2016, Master Xin Zirong was one of the hundreds of easy drivers who were active under the Caihefang Bridge in the North Fourth Ring Road. He is also a famous big brother in this area. He is good at talking, warm and considerate in service.
The last time there were so many vehicles on the grid was in 2010, under the dark technology Exchange building on the north Fourth Ring Road. When the third Pole, the largest privately owned bookstore, closed that year, publishers and suppliers crowded caihe Fang and the North Fourth Ring Road, pushing carts toward the building like hyenas and vultures on the African savannah, carving up the last remnants of the third Pole — books and audio and video products.
At the end of 2013, as the headquarters of Yidao Car moved here, it has gradually become a “holy land” for drivers, because they all know that there is “much work and much work” here.
During the rush hour, from Haidian Bridge haidian Book City, which is the beikou of today’s Chuangye Street, to the long and narrow temporary parking area of Caihefang Road, all kinds of vehicles were parked. The drivers leaned against each other and talked with each other.
Sheen master has an impressive skills: his car is a brown old chery banner, numerous vehicles on live in the downstairs is black and white, even slightly shabby, but almost every pick up his list will appear even beat Benz, audi, grab a single successful case, this let the mystery “pk out” driver.
Master Xin’s “regular”, there is a string of easy to the staff, product engineers, programmers, marketing operations and so on. On one occasion, he even sent a VP drunk friend back home, for this, he to the color and lane bridge under the “comrades” blow half a year of cowhide.
The leader dismounts the horse, comes out dispatches the life
Before November 2016, employees of Yidao will enjoy an important benefit within the company: a 60% discount for car use. The benefits of this benefit allow these former Yidao employees to experience a variety of drivers and vehicles.
Master Xin’s flag cloud isn’t the most pathetic. The most humble car I came across was a dark green Fukang from 1998.
The first time I placed an order at Jianxiang Bridge, I saw that there was even Fukang. I chose him out of sheer curiosity.
As this frosted green Fukang pulled up to the side of the road, I wondered how it felt different from the one my dad used to drive back home — though they all looked the same.
Master Wang with a crew cut and sunglasses opened the door for me. A chat just know, the “real body” of master Wang, in fact is the Wang engineer of AviC industry, is also an old driver who drove 20 years of car, this 98 imported Fukang, from electroplating baking paint and interior decoration materials with domestic products are different, sit in the car to smell the smell are somewhat different.
Wang Gong’s father is qian Xuesen’s generation of scientists, but also worked with Qian, after the company restructuring let him go to Shanghai branch, accustomed to the life in the north he did not obey the organization arrangement, insisted on staying in Beijing, was arranged a sinecard, idle boring, Wang Gong opened his import Fukang, began to take orders to experience life.
Wang Toolkit has all the characteristics of a typical man of science and technology. He wears plain clothes, loves model airplanes, has a pilot’s license for powered paragliding and tells me what other core technologies are good besides Dji. Under his guidance, I actually went to a flight base near the Ming Tombs to experience a powered paraglider.
Every time I rode in his car, Wang gong would reset the mileage on the dashboard and tell me the actual distance when I arrived at the station. Then he would tell me, “You can’t always rely on GPS for your easy-to-access software. In fact, there are quite a few cases of losing kilometers. Every time you lose 1-2 kilometers.”
Before 2015, Yidao had a function of “calling cars for others”. I often used this function to call cars for my wife, Miss Wang.
She is a very picky person. During the year I lived on the North Third Ring Road, I almost beat all the drivers around me, including the secretary of Zhou Bei, the former chairman of Shougang. Mr. Wang, who rarely gives people five-star praise, even asked me to apply to the company and give the driver six stars as an extra reward.
The secretary’s white Sonata 8 isn’t flashy, but the car is always surprisingly clean, so shiny that you can’t even see any ash inside. The old master is much older than us, but always take the initiative to get on and off the car to open the door, no slack off.
In the language just know, also be because of old leadership fall to retire inside, old come to feel all sorts of human favor change and warmth, come out to receive sheet to be able to arrange.
There are more than a few drivers who come out to take orders to relieve their lives. There are more than a few drivers who come out to take orders to relieve their lives.
There are more than a few drivers who come out to take orders to relieve their lives.
“The old are retired, the children are abroad, the old couple at home with you watching me watching you, before long began to fight, it is better to come out to earn some pocket money.” A retired teacher from Lin Also gave me a hard time, “Now it’s ok, I will pay my pension, but I also told her that you don’t care about my work money, I will pull 8,000 yuan every month, and go out for two drinks with my friends, she has nothing to say.”
Cars arrived before 2015 have a feeling of “always having novelty around”.
Old master more, small fresh meat is not a few.
When My Love from the Star was popular, I happened to order a Honda Jed for Mr. Wang, who was still working at Xiao Xi Tian at that time. The driver is also surnamed Du.
I was also curious about what kind of teacher Mr. Wang had met. Later, I also called this handsome boy teacher. He was a handsome man indeed, both in hair style and dress taste. I was curious to turn over the driver’s comments, and it was indeed a water sister nymphomaniac message…
Before 2015, the era of picking up money on the street
“No matter what the government does, I firmly believe this platform has a future.” In July 2014, in a Buick Lacrosse, a driver said to me in uncompromising confidence.
“Yeah, the company has been raising money lately. I like it, too.” Half a year into the job, I also full of confidence, like the “blown on the wind” pig.
“Right, I do not know some words when speak improper speak, hear Tencent also want to do this, you have to be careful. Suzhou street recently yinke downstairs, a number of drivers to sign up.
“Tencent does taxi-hailing software, won’t it? I haven’t heard of it. They invested in a taxi-hailing app called Didi, so I don’t have to do it myself.”
“It’s true, they also sent me the material, it’s not…” Mr. Song handed over a flier that read, “Taxi from Tencent, drivers are invited to join us. Monthly income is not a dream.”
In the middle of that year, Didi began recruiting drivers in Beijing and other places under the banner of “Tencent Uber Taxi.” On August 19, after more than three months of preparation, didi chuxing went online and became a hot topic among drivers.
“Can you give your leaders a reflection, do more advertising, although your price is higher than didi, but the list is much less.” Mr. Xin said to me one day in August while we were talking in the car. “Except in the Zhongguancun CBD, there is basically no work.”
“Will, recently has talked with Baidu close, Baidu may want to invest, there will be a big promotion, more people will know us. However, it was not Baidu that invested in Yidao in the end. In September, Zhou Hang held a victory party in the Cafe of Dark Horse Meeting in Zhongguancun Chuangye Street, announcing that Yidao had obtained the C-round financing led by GIC.
Almost at the same time, Yidao cooperated with Baidu to launch promotional activities and gained the flow entrance of Baidu with orders pouring in.
“But Xiao Feng, although there have been a lot of taxi customers recently, I feel that the quality of the customers has deteriorated. I met a number of customers who were greedy for small and cheap money. Last time I met a customer who got off the car, I only recovered my mind after he got off the car and the balance in my account was insufficient, which caused me to chase out several hundred meters without catching ya…” One day in October, Master Xin, whom I had not seen for a long time, complained to me.
In October 2014 in front of the easy to software, is the need for passengers bound credit card to take a taxi, after 10 months, in order to expand the new traffic, products launched “to pay” function – the user can call car first, and then make payment in cash to the driver, but in order to avoid regulatory suspected “black car”, referred to as “top-up” – on the function driver charged the guest’s cash, then top-up to account for the guest.
“I think Yidao should have its own rhythm. You can’t be swayed by Didi,” he said. “All you spend money on are cheap customers who have no loyalty. You ought to take your time, slow down.”
However, Master Xin’s concern is obviously unable to keep pace with the pace of thinking on the Internet. Users and GMV are the king, and uber, the founder of taxi software, has already moved to China. Yi-dao is obviously no longer a slow company that can tolerate “slow down a bit”.
27,268 kilometers. A souvenir. 27,268 kilometers. A souvenir. (Courtesy of the author)
“Didi, from ideal International Building to…”
“Sorry, I forgot to turn it off.” In December 2014, In Master He’s car, I first heard the didi driver’s taxi. He master slightly flustered, put the phone directly to press the shutdown.
“Ah, you turn off the phone, lost a kilometer how to do.” When the phone is turned off, the driver side of yidao does not record the GPS track, “I pressed the wrong button. Hey, sorry…”
There are no barriers between platforms. It is common for a driver to join 2-3 platforms and receive orders from yida, didi and Uber at the same time. Although both platforms and drivers will sign exclusive terms, it is obvious that they cannot really control the choice of drivers. At first, easy to meet the staff, easy to the old drivers will turn off the other platform software, then also have no scruple, we all know.
Without a reward, the diehards leave
“Uber recently launched a 3-week 100 bonus of 8000, but don’t rush to sign up.”
A new figure appeared under the Caihefang bridge. Chen, a teacher from Xinyang, Henan province, was parked downstairs in the technology trading building in a Beijing Auto electric car he had just rented from a leasing company.
Not long ago, his cousin who works as a recycler in Beijing called him and told him that he could earn more than 10,000 yuan a month by driving in Beijing recently. He immediately abandoned his job and bought a passenger ticket into Beijing.
Before the evening rush hour, drivers gather to swap tips on what to do recently. In each WeChat group, a screenshot of several drivers withdrawing tens of thousands of yuan would also pop up from time to time, and everyone cheered in the following, vying for advice on how to make a fortune.
“It was easy to make money back then.” To this day, many drivers are still running to take orders and still sigh.
In 2015, orders soared after Uber launched the cheap people Uber, and at the same time, high incentives for drivers were introduced. Didi is a close second. But behind the high subsidies, there is a new byproduct – brushing.
At the height of the frenzy, drivers can earn big bucks even without actually picking up customers. In less than a month, some drivers can make tens of thousands of dollars in a week.
But the “good times” for drivers did not last long.
After the Spring Festival in 2015, drivers found that The rewards of Yidao were gradually reduced, and the rewards of single tickets and counting orders in the past peak hours were gradually disappearing. Even those loyal to Yidao like Mr. Xin were considering joining didi — “I went to Didi last week, they said my car was not qualified, if I wanted to join didi, I would have to change a car.”
There are many drivers like Master Xin. Since 2015, didi and Yidao and other platforms have raised the entry threshold of vehicles to improve customer experience, requiring vehicles to be over 100,000 yuan and purchased within three years.
Many of the older drivers who joined the club, because their vehicles did not meet the requirements, chose to sell their old cars and buy new ones with loans. Master Qiu is one of them.
He sold his seven-year-old Changhe for 10,000 yuan, with a down payment of 50,000 yuan, for a Passat. The platform did not disappoint his choice, in the first half year after the purchase, he earned back the down payment, other drivers rushed to tell, more franchised drivers also began to change the road.
Professional drivers from out of town
Foreign drivers like Chen, who come from Henan, Shandong and other provinces, are more likely to hire cars from rental companies and jump into the ride-hailing trend.
Leasing companies, which have been quiet for years, have also filed applications to grab the city’s few new licences. Even new-energy electric vehicle license plates, which no one wanted six months ago, are getting hot. In April 2016, the annual quota of electric vehicle license plates has been applied for.
Mr. Xin also found that a large number of drivers with Henan accents became active and struggled to speak, so he simply dropped out of the group. After June 2015, didi Uber gradually stepped up its anti-cheating efforts, and at the same time began to evaluate drivers by a single measure.
“It’s hard now. We old men can’t compete with those new ones. I still pull easy to come, although the didi Uber reward is high, but I also don’t earn, a day have to work more than ten hours, my this age which line? Easy to high unit price, although the order is small, I still have some repeat customers, hungry never die. One day in July, my master xin, whom I hadn’t seen for a long time, told me that he had joined Uber the other day.
Behind the high rewards of didi and Uber, the daily order quantity of assessment increased from 7 and 8 orders to 16, 17 orders and even 20 orders within 3 months. The city’s roads, combined with the morning and evening tidal effects of travel, mean drivers have to work more than 15 hours before they are likely to be paid.
In November 2015, a Didi driver died while waiting for customers outside Parkview Green after reportedly staying awake for 20 hours, just two short of winning the driver gold award that day. In the driver circle caused not a small storm, but we are feeling after, still each rush about.
At 2 a.m. on A December day, a driver from Henan province in 1992 died after rear-ending a highway near the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway near The Lugou Bridge. Police surveyed the road and found no skid marks on the ground. The final report was fatigue driving.
In 2016, after the crazy cash back, the late spring cold did not end
The cold spell of 2016 is not over yet. Under caihefang bridge, master Chen has moved a Letv color TV set to his car.
“It’s cash on top up. Easy to charge 10,000 back 10,000, also send a LCD TV. Mr. Chen, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, showed me his new path: “After I filled it, I gave orders to Dou and Youqing, and when they finished, they gave me red envelopes. You fill it up, give me an order, And I’ll give you a red envelope.”
“Oh, this isn’t brush sheet yao, won’t be sealed a number?” Brushing is nothing new, but I still think it’s too easy to follow the Uber trend.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Everyone in the group orders each other, do not have to run, and finally can make a color TV. I regret being late. Some of them filled tens of thousands of accounts months ago.”
That’s true. After the recharge from Yidao, A large number of drivers began to register for the passenger end. Driver A placed an order for driver B, who took the bus to complete the order route. Nearly half of the income earned was returned to driver A. In order to prevent the platform from anti-cheating, the drivers also adopted the means of collectivization — A driver uses his wife’s mobile phone number to place orders to B driver, B driver then places orders to C driver, C driver to D driver…
At the same time, as of July 2016, Yidao announced that the total recharge amount of the “100% return” activity exceeded 6 billion yuan. At the same time, with the help of this recharge, Yidao completed the target of “one million daily orders, one million new drivers and one million new vehicles” half a year in advance. It is reported that in just two months from April 1 solstice to June 1, the total amount of easy to return more than 1.7 billion yuan, equivalent to 28 million yuan a day.
Open the Internet car street to pick up money times | world
In October, the administration of online ride-hailing was introduced, requiring drivers to have their cars registered in Beijing. The drivers immediately burst into flames, questioning and Shouting abuse.
But more worrying for drivers is that money is not easy to earn.
In addition to the substantial reduction in subsidies after the merger of didi and Uber, drivers who have easy access to the platform have also found that they have been successively notified of the platform’s penalties, ranging from 200-1000 fines for “risk reasons”, and even some drivers have their numbers blocked and their balances frozen.
The driver group, called on everyone to join together to go to the headquarters of the “discussion” voice can be heard incessantly.
Color and square under the bridge has long been no sign of the master Xin, I heard that he is old son, recently busy with children, no longer receive single.
I accidentally met wang Gong of AVIC and scrapped his Fukang, which had been driving for more than ten years, for a Mercedes, but I never called his car again.
Mr. Chen, from Henan province, had returned his BAIC electric car, and when he did, the rental company had deducted his 10,000 yuan deposit for breach of contract and scrape against the car. heart is not willing to master Chen and the staff fought, the results were a few arms round gold chain man directly out. Soon, however, he found a new job, rented a battery car for 2,000 yuan and set up a delivery service on Jutai Road. He heard it was a good business, and he didn’t have to pay the monthly rent or worry about his hukou.
In 2017, more drivers found more troubling signals.
The “technical glitches” of failed cash withdrawals went viral among drivers, with frequent cash withdrawals failing. Those who failed to make a cash withdrawal once again gathered under the Caihefang Bridge, but instead of waiting for guests, they rushed straight upstairs to “beg for an explanation”.
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