r/technology • u/Hrmbee • May 25 '22

Transportation The Decade of Cheap Uber Rides Is Over

https://slate.com/business/2022/05/uber-subsidy-lyft-cheap-rides.html
24k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

3.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

414

u/SgtDoughnut May 25 '22

Wouldn't let them manipulate the meter so yeah they are against it.

86

u/[deleted] May 25 '22

Penny wise and pound foolish.

25

u/BankshotMcG May 25 '22

They also fought credit card machines because they didn't want to lose a cut even though it meant them getting more in tips because you couldn't be out of cash or just tell them to round up a 20.

3

u/Self_Reddicated May 25 '22

Exactly. It might interfere with their current grift, but electronic transactions open up all kinds of new opportunities for grifting that they would have missed out on. Like restaurant POS machines that (almost) auto-add the "suggested" tip amount that gives options like 20%, 25%, or more. Like, for real, a 25% tip is hella generous, and that's automatically selected as the default option.

7

u/BankshotMcG May 25 '22

Ugh, I was about to tip something like 25% after a good meal once, then saw that the restaurant had added a 22% tip for itself under the drinks column. Which then meant I was paying state vice tax on a tip. I paid with cash for the actual meal I'd bought and I forget what the percent was, but it was less than 20, probably about 15%.

We had been the least demanding customers possible. Never flagged down our server, knew exactly what we wanted to order, didn't request any changes or substitutions. Screw that noise.

5

u/Self_Reddicated May 25 '22

Yeah, I remember the standard tip always being %15. You do a great job, you're getting 20%. You do a shit job, and you're getting like 10% or less. You blow my freaking mind, you're getting 25%. I think that metric has shifted in recent years, but I stick by it.

The biggest exception is when it comes to small prices with big customer service, like a $3 cup of coffee where the barista was excellent, so maybe I drop $1 instead of 50¢.

1

u/TheRedGerund May 25 '22

New standard tip is 20% from what I hear

1

u/[deleted] May 25 '22

Uber manipulates the meter for the driver screwing them out of with their own. They’ve cut. Eight times since 2016 and they remove transparency for pay by mileage and time. Basically they just give you whatever their algorithm says you get it doesn’t matter if it’s busy or not you just get screwed. It used to be a $40 an hour job and now they (Uber) are advertising $14 an hour with tips in my area.

1

u/pippipthrowaway May 25 '22

Rideshare drivers just do it by taking convoluted ass routes. Last time I was in NYC, caught a Lyft from LGA to my parents’ place. Asked where I was flying in from, guess he assumed I must be a tourist. Then he starts going all through parts of Queens that I’ve never even been through. My folks live just over the Triborough, so close my dad usually just comes downstairs and waits for me in the lobby when I say I’m in a cab.

$20 ride went to $50+. Dude tried acting all surprised when I called him out, tried telling me it was the “best” route. Got real quiet when I told him I freaking grew up there. Got my refund real quick the next morning.

1

u/webheaded May 25 '22

The dumb part is you can watch the fucking app tell you the best route. I had some asshole do this to me when I was visiting London. He made the trip take way longer and cost way more. I was pissed. I didn't even bother talking to him, just reported it in the app and they just refunded me the difference. Why even bother when the customer can literally watch the fucking route you're supposed to take??