Originally Posted by
Miami305
No I'm not joking.
Spend 5 minutes in your next Uber trip talking to the driver. You'll come to appreciate they are another human being trying to make a living. If it was as simple for everybody to change careers as you make it seem, then I'd be an NBA player by now. For many who were not blessed with an opportunity for higher education, Uber is a way to make ends meet. Their alternatives (e.g., working at a McDonalds) may prevent them from being able to see their kids as much etc.
Tipping in the US is embedded in the culture. I don't like it, but I happen to live here and will adhere to norms. A $1-2 tip to my Uber driver does not dent my bottom line, and I sure as heck don't do it because I want a 5 star rating. I do it because it is a nice thing to do for another person. I recognize it's not a lot of money (almost always <10% of my fare), but the Uber driver's smile and gratefulness for a small gesture always makes my day.
TLDR: Being nice to others when you can afford to is apparently not a common thing, judging by the recent posts.
I talk to my Uber driver all the time. I usually don't get a sob story, but even when I do, it doesn't change the fact I'm paying a fair market price for a service.
If you don't understand the reasonable difference between switching from being an Uber driver to a vocational profession vs. becoming an NBA player (which Jeremy Lin did through sheer hard work, by the way...), then this will be a very short conversation.
You're right, tipping is embedded in the US culture... It's wildly out of control. For that exact reason, people should not be spreading it like a disease to services that do not require a tip! There are threads here about people tipping GAs and FAs! It's absolutely ridiculous. I tip where a tip is due per the culture.
You seem to think that what people who are comfortable in life earn or what they are worth is solely for the benefit of others. This is an absolutely ridiculous assertion, and if you stopped letting your emotions cloud your judgement for one second, you would see that as well.
Make no mistake about it... tipping, as far as Uber is concerned, is blackmail/extortion... A tip in exchange for a rating.