kb9522

Why does a rider need to say hi or bye and have a conversation (is this what you meant by pleasant?) with you during the trip?? I need to get from A to B, that's it... If I want to pay someone to talk with them, I'll get a therapist.

alanslegal

I did not say a rider needs to have a conversation with me On the plus side, it makes my life easier as I just drive (that's what I am paid to do right?), not get distracted by conversation and take the person from A to B efficiently and safely.

"Generally pleasant" to me like having basic courtesy and respect. My car is not an airlines first class terminal where there are multiple rules and conditions, nor is it some out of control pub where you can say anything and everything, and as loud as you want. I do not need to know how many people my rider has slept with in the past 48 hours nor do I need to hear friends yell and scream across the back seat, call out rude names and insert many swear words. I am mindful that when I drive on a Fri/Sat night, that riders may have had a few drinks and am more flexible on those occasions.

Back to the therapist? Chatting with an uber driver might work out cheaper, depends on the issue I guess - I could probably help out a lot if it's travel related

Miami305

Human courtesy? Apparently that's lacking here.

kb9522

That's fine. I wasn't sure what you meant by pleasant.

Spare me the bleeding heart nonsense.

pinniped

This is untrue. I've tipped every Lyft I've ever taken - 100%.

I have no issue tipping Lyft drivers. My average Lyft is well under ten bucks per ride, and they're almost always $2 tips.

Lyft chose a model that includes tipping. Uber didn't, but that's about to change. Philosophically, I wish tipping wasn't a component of the developed world, but I do *not* take Lyfts and leave $0 tips.

cblaisd

Had an Uber ride earlier this week from SEA to Tacoma. Tipping option was in-app for that ride. On the return, there was no in-app tipping option for the ride. Is this city-dependent, or still being rolled out to various originating cities?

I'll try to keep up

pinniped

Tipping is, for now, city-dependent. Uber says it will be everywhere (or at least across the U.S.??) by late July. Seattle's one of the first three cities, and like most things Uber/Lyft, it's the pick-up point that counts.

cestmoi123

I tip my taxi driver because taxi rates are set at a fixed level by a governmental agency with the explicit and longstanding assumption that taxi drivers will be tipped. Uber rates are neither set by a governmental agency, nor fixed, nor is there a longstanding precedent that Uber drivers will be tipped.

cestmoi123

As a wise man once said, someone who's nice to you, but not nice to the waiter, is not a nice person. There's no obligation for a lengthy chat, but saying "hello, how are you" when getting into a cab or Uber/Lyft, and saying "thank you" when you exit is basic courtesy.

ucfjoe

I generally prefer Lyft over Uber because I can tip easily IF I WANT TO (I usually do). That said when using either service, especially Uber, I often feel the pressure to tip because they got me to point B as expected but nothing beyond. I read the driver blogs and get how they think Uber is evil but I also resent they they expect me to tip just because they hate the rates they get. The signs in some cars whoring for tips really annoys me especially becaise I know that they will rate me less that five for no other reason other than not tipping. I'm pleasant, waiting at curb, not drunk, not drinking their free water or mints, and I always say hi and bye.

95% of the Uber/Lyft cars I'm in are cleaner than cabs I've ever been in. I'm willing to pay a premium for that but I'd rather it be built in the base price.

cblaisd

I'd happily start using Lyft again, but in my last half a dozen attempts the Fare Estimate was always "Unavailable"

Roger

As somebody who lives and travels in that great big space called Outside USA, I sincerely hope that this is confined to the USA.

Uber has been a godsend to me in several countries including South Africa, Estonia, Switzerland and the UK. It's worked well for me and the drivers have been great.

OK, I've been warned by FTers that the US offer has changed/may change. I'm better informed and will make choices rationally without any loyalty to Uber next time I visit the USA. Pity really.

Lyft is not an option in the non-US territories I visit.

pinniped

I too hope Uber follows local custom and doesn't start to foist tipping onto cultures that don't already have it. It's a scourge that Americans have already been bad at poisoning tourist locations with. We don't need a large company like Uber making it even worse and extending it to even more places.

Lyft has been U.S.-focused to date, although I've read that they want to expand internationally. I'd definitely suggest having both apps on your phone if you do any U.S. travel at all. They're roughly equal to Uber in many large cities. Worst case, at least you have two options to check during rush hour...sometimes the surge multiplier on one will be a lot different than the other. Also, at airports, you'll sometimes find one of them 5-7 minutes away and the other 0-2 minutes away because a driver has just finished a drop-off.

Not sure what Lyft's issue was with the unavailable fares. I've never encountered that myself...at least not recently.

Hoc

One of the reasons I've used Uber in the past is the fact that you don't have to add a tip on top of the fare. That is the difference between the cost of an Uber and the cost of a taxi. Now, with tipping on an Uber ride (and it will be lickety split that a tip will be seen as mandatory by all of the Uber drivers, and not optional), the cost of the two is essentially the same, and taxis are more convenient, because they are there when you need them. You don't have to summon them with an app, and then wait for them to show up (assuming they can even find you).

Last weekend, we got into JFK, and headed toward the taxi line. An Uber driver tried to get us to use him, with an Uber fare of $65 to midtown Manhattan. The taxi ride is a set $50 (plus tip), so it worked out just a little more cost-effective. Add a tip on top of that Uber fare, and the taxi is cheaper by far.

CodeAdam10

As a NYC resident myself your cost analysis is mostly accurate, however, Uber is typically at least 1/2 of the cost of a local taxi pretty much anywhere else...and those riders don't have a reason to continue being cheap any more!