[Moderator edit to reflect since-deleted quote.]

I don't object to drivers making more money: I object to the off-platform side-bribe that is creeping into the system.

It's not up to me (the rider) to determine what an equitable wage for Uber drivers is. That's up to them, by whether or not they choose to open the app and make rides available. If we (the collective ridership) aren't paying enough, then they don't log in and surge pricing is needed to entice them. If Uber, the platform owner, is taking too big of a cut then that opens opportunity for Lyft or others to capture more drivers.

Let the system function as originally designed. The laws of economics will take over. The side-bribing isn't fair to anyone - the platform itself, riders, or the tax authorities.

Putting it in the app isn't an excuse: it's a recognition that if this scourge is forced to exist due to some court agreement, that it's done above-board and in the light.