I came across an article on this somewhere yesterday. Sorry can't remember where. Apparently the driver can only rate immediately after the ride and before the next one he takes. The rider can rate at any time (or days/weeks later).
This isn't exactly true. Both riders and drivers have to rate each other before they can request/accept another ride. Practically speaking most drivers are going to need to rate you right away as they're most likely going to look for another ride right away, whereas riders might not ride that often and might have a longer time to rate the driver, but they still have to rate their last ride before they can request another.
The rider can also find out his rating before and after the trip. It was actually an Uber driver that pointed this out, but if the driver gives the rider a low rating, he puts himself at risk of the rider retaliating with a 1* which can be much worse for the driver than a rider.
While I suppose you could request your rating both before and after a ride, there may be a limit to how often you can request it and I'm not sure if it updates in real time. Doing this seems like an awful lot of trouble.
Originally Posted by
cestmoi123
Definitely doesn't in NYC, where UberX rates are set to be just about the same as taxis, including a tip for the taxi. If I start tipping the Uber driver, then UberX becomes pricier than taxis.
UberX (sans Surge) in NYC is now about 20% cheaper than taxis, so you could tip and it would still be comparable. But you shouldn't tip absent really extraordinary service. The only tip I've ever given an Uber driver was for taking a 50 mile drive out into the boonies.