"helps" is a very loose term here. :(

One of many stories about subprime lending, and taking advantage of drivers who do take out a loan from Uber...

Back to "Grades," a few days ago in HNL, I had a driver try and cut around other traffic, only to find himself in a lane that forced us to go in the wrong direction (right turn only with no escape), only to have to turn around to get back on track. I gave him a very generous 3 stars with an immediate "what was wrong" (or similar) space to complete.

I'll bet a Tweet with the words "refused to terminate" & "kidnapped" and "police" would get you some immediate attention.

I've been amazed at how fast lots of airlines/hotels respond via Twitter when they haven't bothered to respond via the more usual channels.

http://uber.flexdrive.com/


u call a $800-900$ a MONTH prius loan? "helping" someone?

a normal prius loan is from $199 month lease, ($300-$400 purchase per mo).

now do you guys see why the uber drivers beg for tips, and 5 stars.


http://static1.squarespace.com/stati...1396990913588/


uber corporate , abuse those poor drivers.
and at 10cents per min, thats only $6 and hour wait time.
even at 16cents per min, thats only $9hour..

then take away 20% commissions back to uber.
plus deduct $1 safe ride fee to uber also.


http://i61.tinypic.com/21b5hk9.jpg

My problem with "5 stars for everyone" was exemplified today. This morning had a great driver, got out and opened the trunk, and checked air con and radio were fine.

This evening the driver was ok, he missed a turn, added about 2 minutes to the trip, nothing major - not like the last taxi I got, but not a patch on this mornings.

How can I give this morning's guy the same rating as this evening's? Like giving the whole class an 'A' grade.

Isn't there a comment space? For a superior ride, I'd add a nice quick note.

That doesn't address the issue though: there is a quantifiable difference between different drivers. If you rate everyone a 5, how is the next rider supposed to know which driver went above and beyond, and which driver was mediocre?

What would you rate a driver who spent most of the ride on the phone on a personal call? I consider this to be unsafe (and it is a pet peeve with taxis);the ride was otherwise fine and the vehicle was immaculate so I can't decide whether to only dock 1 star (give him 4*) or 2.

Was it hands free? Why not 3*?

No, it was not hands free, he only had one hand on the wheel and his focus was more on the conversation than on traffic. I ended up giving him a 3*.

I always give 5 stars and a tip. Since Uber considers 4 a "fail" I feel pressured sometimes to give 5 stars for 3 or 4 star service. I wish Uber set the cutoff to 3.5 stars so that driver ratings are more accurate. I have only given one 1 star rating, and that was because the car smelled of cigarette smoke and was dirty and the driver was also on the phone.
4 stars = vote to fire the driver
If all the good drivers are fired, who will be left to drive me around

Do normal Prius leases include the kind of mileage that a full-time driver is going to be putting on a car, insurance, maintenance, and the ability to terminate the lease at any time with a few weeks' notice?

I think it is wrong for Uber to consider anything under a 5 to be a fail.

You're doing a disservice to everyone else (remember there are more riders than drivers) by giving a 3* driver a 5* rating. If 4* is the threshold at which a driver is disallowed, then it's on the driver to provide a 4* or better service. And despite what some of the bleeding hearts here might say, you have zero obligation to put food on someone else's table... They have to earn that, just like the rest of us.