Why would you report that an Uber driver is "unprofessional"?

This whole ratings qrap is BS to me. I was dinged once for being “unprofessional” for wearing my cap backwards. Out of 2,000 rides I have been hit for “safety” twice. No explanation, no “learning experience” no ability to confront or question. You stand accused of something vague which has no “answer”, no remedy, no fix. Riders use the “feedback” system for their own purposes and the rating system is an opportunity for the rider to vent their angst about their own lives. They have no idea of the ramifications of their complaints or how easily Uber/Lyft bar people from the platform even with unsubstantiated complaints.

Twice, after long shifts and being extremely tired, I have been accused of being intoxicated. Both times I went immediately and had an EtG 80 test done (shows any consumption of alcohol in the past 80 hours) and of course they were negative because I don’t even drink alcohol except an occasional beer at a cookout. Both times Uber still suspended me from the platform for 72 hours. The problem is there is no repercussions for the rider to say or do anything to hurt the driver. They could be 100% lying and Uber/Lyft will still act and the anonymous complainant/rider slips away into the shadows never to be seen again. Hard truth is folks, drivers are expendable.

To me, if you have 2,000 rides and less than a quarter of 1% have a complaint, that’s just the price/odds of doing business with the public. For my own safety I have implemented a vidcam of the inside of the car to record all happenings. Hard to argue with video/audio. Again the whole rating system is BS. More important are the writ…

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This whole ratings qrap is BS to me. I was dinged once for being “unprofessional” for wearing my cap backwards. Out of 2,000 rides I have been hit for “safety” twice. No explanation, no “learning experience” no ability to confront or question. You stand accused of something vague which has no “answer”, no remedy, no fix. Riders use the “feedback” system for their own purposes and the rating system is an opportunity for the rider to vent their angst about their own lives. They have no idea of the ramifications of their complaints or how easily Uber/Lyft bar people from the platform even with unsubstantiated complaints.

Twice, after long shifts and being extremely tired, I have been accused of being intoxicated. Both times I went immediately and had an EtG 80 test done (shows any consumption of alcohol in the past 80 hours) and of course they were negative because I don’t even drink alcohol except an occasional beer at a cookout. Both times Uber still suspended me from the platform for 72 hours. The problem is there is no repercussions for the rider to say or do anything to hurt the driver. They could be 100% lying and Uber/Lyft will still act and the anonymous complainant/rider slips away into the shadows never to be seen again. Hard truth is folks, drivers are expendable.

To me, if you have 2,000 rides and less than a quarter of 1% have a complaint, that’s just the price/odds of doing business with the public. For my own safety I have implemented a vidcam of the inside of the car to record all happenings. Hard to argue with video/audio. Again the whole rating system is BS. More important are the written comments people have taken the time to make. Giving star ratings is a momentary off the cuff reaction. Written comments take time and thought.

I think the driver and the rider should have two choices, 1. I WILL ride with this person again. 2. I WILL NOT ride with this person again. Then let the computer do the rest to match appropriate combinations of rider/driver. Either you are willing to deal with this person again or you are not. That is all that should matter. If enough drivers say they will not deal with a rider that rider is banned. If 20–25 riders in a certain time frame say they won’t ride with this driver again; sorry bro, we got to investigate that. 25 strangers can’t all be liars. Time for corrective measures.

While I am at it, I would like to mention to those of you who are interested in driving for Uber or Lyft and are enticed by the bonuses for signing up and delivering a certain number of rides in a set time frame. Beware. Make sure the geographic area where you are working IS ABLE TO DELIVER THE NUMBER OF CALLS NECESSARY for you to achieve that goal (factor in the saturation of drivers in that city). When I first signed up for Lyft in Greenville SC I was only getting 3–4 calls a day (in an afternoon six hour shift) and didn’t even get close to enough rides for the sign on bonus. Still unsure if that was low demand or if Lyft was choking back my ridership so I could not make bonus.

Adding Uber boosted me to 25 calls a day. 25–30 rides a day is average. During a Clemson home game, my busiest day ever, in one 24 shift I delivered 58 rides. My best day was $850. The rider, on a long haul, agreed to pay twice the Uber for an empty return and gave me a $100 tip. It was a 12 hour excursion.

Thanks for your upvote.

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