Ultra Letdown: Why I Skipped the Surge Circus

Sunday. Final day of Ultra. And honestly? Not impressed. Surges didn’t surge, traffic was gross, and I treated it like any other slow, drizzly Sunday in South Miami. Ran some errands, hit Target for card sleeves (they didn’t have any, but they did have 2024 ornament sets), and found more thrill in the clearance bin than in the festival crowd. Spoiler: I didn’t win the lottery, so Uber still owns me.

Instead of chasing the swampy surge circus downtown, I stuck around the Gables, Pinecrest, and Coral Way area, where the rides were short, clean, and shockingly decent. Even ran into the same CVS lady twice—queen of my earnings. Meanwhile, my Tesla group chat buddies were flexing those Premier surges ($51?!) and I just kept picking my little loop-de-loops. Shout-out to El Car Wash and BJ’s for rounding out the day with that full Ultra light show and cheap gas.

Airport strategy paid off too. I kept dodging the Ultra mess and letting the drenched party people stumble into someone else’s backseat. Crossed $200 by 1:30 a.m., stayed out of the sludge, and avoided the Brickell vortex altogether. If you know, you know. Oh—and Miami, be careful what you wish for. You wanted a quiet spring break? You got it. Congrats. Diamond Transition....

Timestamps:
0:00:00 – Final day of Ultra, but it’s a bust
0:00:30 – Surge expectations vs. Uber reality
0:00:50 – Target errands and lottery dreams
0:01:03 – I didn’t win… so back to Uber
0:01:30 – Message to Miami Uber drivers
0:02:19 – A turning point for rideshare?
0:02:48 – My South Florida Top 3 events for drivers
0:03:17 – The post-pandemic “outlier year” effect
0:04:02 – DJ tourism ain’t what it used to be
0:04:23 – Surge screenshots don’t lie
0:05:21 – Partygoers are skipping Uber now
0:05:57 – $420K VIP champagne? Get real
0:06:27 – Target sleeves mission: failed
0:06:50 – Found 2024 Topps ornaments instead
0:07:42 – Baseball card project update
0:08:02 – Setting my rider rating to 4.9
0:09:26 – 14 to Ultra? Nope. 38 mins? Hell no
0:10:25 – Remember the rainy Ultra Tesla video?
0:10:48 – CVS old lady vs. party girl gamble
0:11:20 – Be careful what you wish for, Miami
0:12:06 – Begging tourists in 2 years, guaranteed
0:13:04 – I’ll take this $8 ride, thanks
0:14:07 – “Good, I’m glad it’s raining”
0:14:33 – Surge glitch: reappears, disappears
0:15:11 – Riders using the Metrorail instead
0:16:10 – $7 loops are all I need right now
0:16:30 – No Ultra tweakers, please and thank you
0:17:26 – $30 already without leaving Coral Gables
0:18:12 – South Miami is quietly booming
0:19:01 – Same lady, again! CVS MVP!
0:20:17 – $25 ride for an hour? Nah, I’m good
0:21:03 – Strategic rides only, less gas, less rain
0:21:38 – Brainwashing myself it’s a slow season
0:22:26 – Should’ve done this yesterday
0:23:07 – Spring break is over, kids!
0:24:10 – Ride efficiency vs.chasing surge
0:25:15 – My Tesla buddy’s $51 Premier hit
0:26:51 – Uber Elderly: tip farming 101
0:27:51 – Pulling over to reset the app
0:29:20 – Diamond Transition into L.A. Car Wash
0:36:27 – “This is my Ultra”
0:37:30 – The legendary $62 Tesla ride
0:38:39 – Why patience with surge matters
0:40:01 – Hotel dropoff: same trip, very different payout
0:41:59 – Tipped for helping with a giant box (hopefully)
0:45:06 – Marlins win! Hope for the season?
0:46:33 – Rookie squad with heart this year
0:47:21 – Airport surge jumps to $6.50
0:48:03 – Offers start flying: 42, 46, 29
0:49:01 – Finally! $18.81 for 9 minutes
0:50:46 – Extended Stay dropoff, $5.75 surge glitch
0:51:21 – Time for another Diamond Transition
0:52:06 – Crossed $200! Hello, Westchester
0:53:16 – Airport Ultra surges were stronger today
0:54:54 – Declined all Ultra rides, smarter plays win
0:56:31 – It’s not about avoiding work—it’s avoiding nonsense
0:57:11 – Even the Teslas stayed away from Ultra
0:58:46 – Tesla Premier surges at the tennis? Ridiculous
1:00:55 – One more radar or I’m out. Taco Bell is calling.
1:04:18 – No Cecil Meter today. Just clean surges and chill vibes