Drivers...stop over rating bad passengers!
 

I have had more than my share of passengers with 4.9 ratings who do not deserve that rating whatsoever. Rude, cussing, not friendly, etc. Drivers for the integrity of the system stop mindlessly pushing 5 for the ranting. Give them a 1 so these people get weeded out.

In the interest of discourse, how do you define a passenger as "not friendly"? If it means you want someone to converse with you for the duration of the ride then sometimes I'm interested and sometimes I'm not. If you think riders should be penalized for wanting to work, nap, listen to music on earbuds, etc. then I'd suggest that's unwarranted.

Polite and courteous, sure. Friendly, maybe not so much.

In most major cities, it doesn't seem to matter. I know passenger with 2.0 ratings who wait just as long as people with 4.9. The whole passenger rating system is a meaningless feel good.

Passenger rating system gives drivers and idea of who they actually want in their car. I don't need to give rude people rides, but if their rating is inaccurate, you can get stuck with them.

You're assuming that your rider always behaves the same during every ride and all the time. Not a fair assumption. "Weeding people out" means the company loses a current customer. Do it often enough and the company loses what was and would've been recurring business. And, all said, you're one driver. Maybe other drivers see things differently than you do and aren't offended by something that offends you. Who knows.

This.

Maybe this works in MN, but try this in DC, NYC, or LA and the driver can wander around with no passengers for hours.

Lyft regularly sends me promos (e.g., 20% off for a week) that are putatively for "5-star riders" exclusively.