# The Five Star Rating System is a Public Safety Issue.



## agtg (Jun 8, 2016)

Uber's 5 star rating system poses a serious threat to the public's safety. Why? There are two primary reasons:

1) The rating system, as capricious and inaccurate as it is, can position a driver to be deactivated by Uber if it gets too low, and the driver would lose their only source of income.

2) Unscrupulous Uber passengers know this, and frequently attempt to bully and coerce drivers to break the traffic laws to suit their desires.

I will illustrate this simply with an experience I had a while back. I picked up a waiter from a fancy restaurant late at night. We were nearing the hour when the city ordinance states no more liquor or beer can be sold. While stopped at a red light, the rider turns to me and says, "Run that red light. I need to get to the store before it's too late to buy beer."

Of course, I refused him, but what do you think this guy did to my rating? He isn't the only Uber passenger bullying Uber drivers to break laws to suit their desires, either. This kind of situation, unfortunately, is a lot more prevalent than anyone would imagine.

I regularly get people demanding I make U-turns across double lines on major roads so they can save themselves a few cents on mileage. Frequently, I get parents attempting to get me to drive their children without a proper safety seat. Many drivers get pressured to speed in order to appease an Uber passenger who is running late. Thrifty bar-hopping groups of Uber passengers will attempt to pile 5-7 people into cars that only have 4 available seat-belts, requiring people to sit on each others laps. There are countless other situations and scenarios that arise because of the way the rating system is set up, too.

And when you refuse such passengers, what is their response? They say, "Other Uber drivers do it all the time."

Sadly, they're right. Why? Because there are drivers out there capitulating to the dangerous, whimsical, and illegal demands of Uber passengers who, given this outrageous authority which can literally destroy a driver's ability to earn a living, will mercilessly hammer the ratings of drivers who wish to abide by the laws and drive in a safe manner.

This is a public safety issue all across our nation, and it needs to be addressed.


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## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

Im usually with you but really? Ratings dont matter unless you are in the deactivation zone. While the ratings can be manipulative its only if you let it get in your head. If you give mostly great service you can survive 1 and 2 stars. 

I have gotten 2 stars from pax who dont complain and 5 from ones sad I didnt give them an aux cord or an iphone charger.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

agtg said:


> Uber's 5 star rating system poses a serious threat to the public's safety. Why? There are two primary reasons:
> 
> 1) The rating system, as capricious and inaccurate as it is, can position a driver to be deactivated and thereby lose their only source of income.
> 
> ...


Class Action Lawsuit !


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## agtg (Jun 8, 2016)

Shangsta said:


> Im usually with you but really? Ratings dont matter unless you are in the deactivation zone. While the ratings can be manipulative its only if you let it get in your head. If you give mostly great service you can survive 1 and 2 stars.
> 
> I have gotten 2 stars from pax who dont complain and 5 from ones sad I didnt give them an aux cord or an iphone charger.


Ratings are meaningless to me, and we all know there are countless drivers on the roads doing whatever they're told to protect their ratings.


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## agtg (Jun 8, 2016)

Look at all the headlines this week about Uber wrecks.


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## agtg (Jun 8, 2016)

This is not so much a discussion thread as it is a warning to get onto google searches for people wondering about Uber. Feel free to chat it up, or not, this had to be put out there.


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## circle1 (Sep 17, 2016)

Other TNCs are on the edge of their seats, watching very closely . . . they want to eat Uber's lunch. Napoleon said, "Never interfere with the enemy when he is in the process of destroying himself."


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## VegasR (Oct 18, 2016)

As a new driver, I've certainly felt this pressure. It can kind of cut both ways though. If you are close to a red light, will the pax think you are trying to milk them by not going for it? Will they think you are driving dangerously if you do go for it? 

It's not good to have this stuff on your mind when you should be concentrating on the road. 

Have already had several overstuffed cars. Someone asking me to make a super illegal turn, then dinging me for refusing.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Ratings system.
Bullying acceptance rate.
Bullying pool pings.
Bullying stacked pings.
Man, you guys have a bad boss.


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## CrazyT (Jul 2, 2016)

VegasR said:


> As a new driver, I've certainly felt this pressure. It can kind of cut both ways though. If you are close to a red light, will the pax think you are trying to milk them by not going for it? Will they think you are driving dangerously if you do go for it?
> 
> It's not good to have this stuff on your mind when you should be concentrating on the road.
> 
> Have already had several overstuffed cars. Someone asking me to make a super illegal turn, then dinging me for refusing.


The lights it's hit or miss. If you head through a yellow dome will ding you for dangerous driving, while the next pax will ding you if you don't blow the yellow. I just drive normally and let the chip fall where they may


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## shiftydrake (Dec 12, 2015)

That's why I love what I do i don't care about ratings or getting screwed on my pay or people asking for water or mints I don't get rated...I collect my pay....never been asked for candy water or mints.....never been asked for Aux cord......and I get tipped.......yeah you guys have a bad boss


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

VegasR said:


> As a new driver, I've certainly felt this pressure. It can kind of cut both ways though. If you are close to a red light, will the pax think you are trying to milk them by not going for it? Will they think you are driving dangerously if you do go for it?
> 
> It's not good to have this stuff on your mind when you should be concentrating on the road.
> 
> Have already had several overstuffed cars. Someone asking me to make a super illegal turn, then dinging me for refusing.


Never accept more than your car can handle. If you confirm passenger name and see a group of people trying to get in, confirm how many are trying to jump in before you accept the ride. That way if they're wanting to be little b*tches about it, just cancel the ride so they can't ding you. I'm not breaking any laws for pax. I may drive a little aggressive to try to get out of an area, avoid traffic, but that's about it.

But to the OP, I agree. Since 4 stars "can" get you deactivated, any rating besides a 5 star should require a comment. If for anything but to insure the driver is aware of the mistakes they made so they can fix it. If the comment is like "Driver wouldn't run red light so I could make it to the liquor store before they close" well then those ratings should be removed. If it's something like "3.0x surge sucks!" it should also be removed. "Driver wouldn't let me turn his car into a clown car with 5 of my other buddies in his Prius!" rating removed.

It's pure BS that we get poor ratings for things that aren't our fault.


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## Emp9 (Apr 9, 2015)

1 or 2 star any pax that asks you brwak the laws because they are late. i tell them uber tracks my gps speed sorry. Ill do my best.


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## VegasR (Oct 18, 2016)

I'm just doing lyft to start. Not much business and I must maintain a 90% acceptance rate for max pay. So, especially early in the week, if the wanna clown car it, I'll just let them. Won't make illegal turns and so forth.

As I gain more experience, solidify my rating and add uber and some other stuff, I'll become more assertive.


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## circle1 (Sep 17, 2016)

Emp9 said:


> 1 or 2 star any pax that asks you brwak the laws because they are late. i tell them uber tracks my gps speed sorry. Ill do my best.


Thank you!


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## circle1 (Sep 17, 2016)

VegasR said:


> I'm just doing lyft to start. Not much business and I must maintain a 90% acceptance rate for max pay. So, especially early in the week, if the wanna clown car it, I'll just let them. Won't make illegal turns and so forth.
> 
> As I gain more experience, solidify my rating and add uber and some other stuff, I'll become more assertive.


Hey VegasR, did you get in on that $1,500/week (first month) guarantee? I'm still looking for a car, but when I get one pretty sure I'll go with Lyft to start out.


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## VegasR (Oct 18, 2016)

Didn't see that one. I went with a $500 bonus for my first 150 rides. Got about 45 to go.


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