I understand that for an Uber driver getting a less than stellar review can be huge. So what do you do if you have a less than stellar Uber ride?

Ugh. First, and I know this isn’t your question, but why are you still using Uber? I mean, from the beginning, there have been questions.

No, but seriously, why?

Okay, I’ll stop. But I’d encourage you to seek out local cabs or better options for ride-sharing services.

Now that I’ve got that out of my system, I’d say that, much like tipping a server in a restaurant, a good review should be considered the baseline. For example, I always tip 20%. I think I could see the argument for tipping 15% if someone were wretched, but anything less is just shitting on the person. They get paid jack shit, and are relying on ‘tips’ to make up the difference. It’s a horrible economic model that I’m happy to see more companies changing.

In an article on this issue earlier this year, Buzzfeed examined how seriously ridiculous these star-scales are, and how they impact the drivers. So I’d argue that you should give a positive review unless you felt unsafe, or the person did not know where they were going. If you didn’t like the music, or they talked too much (or not enough), or there was a funky smell in the car, that’s kind of what you get when you get into a stranger’s car. Accept it and click those five stars.

If the driver hit on you? Made you feel unsafe? Drove in a way that put you or other cars at risk? Then go ahead and give them lower stars, because it’s not just about you not enjoying yourself on the ride, it’s literally about the next rider’s safety.

I’m not sure what could fix this. Basing the driver’s job off of a scale that doesn’t mean the same thing to riders as management is absurd. And I don’t think anyone should lose their job because they have a different taste in music than I do. But if they either cannot do their job (getting lost beyond an honest mistake, refusing to listen to directions) or are not doing it safely (not obeying traffic laws beyond the norm), or are threatening you (by hitting on you, making comments about knowing where you live), then management should know that they aren’t providing the service you’ve signed up for.