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Uber's claim is that black people are known to tip poorly, and so drivers would be incentivized to cancel their rides in favor of fares they expect will tip bet

by rad88 10y ago

Uber's claim is that black people are known to tip poorly, and so drivers would be incentivized to cancel their rides in favor of fares they expect will tip better. Therefore they don't allow tipping to prevent racism. Supposedly...

trevor-e 10y ago
Couldn't drivers also negatively rate passengers in retaliation if they don't tip?
- smileysteve 10y ago
  They can and hbr wrote an article about it. https://hbr.org/2016/05/ubers-new-tipping-policy-is-a-mistake https://hbr.org/2016/05/ubers-new-tipping-policy-is-a-mistak...
untog 10y ago
That is in no way true. Suggesting that black people are somehow to blame for Uber not allowing in-app tips is one of the most out there things I've seen on HN, and that's saying something.
- smileysteve 10y ago
  Tipping has been studied and has been associated with discrimination on gender, race, and class. http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/restaurants/a23132/why-tipping-should-be-illegal-15603180/ http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/restaurants/a23132/why-tip...
  - untog 10y ago
    It's a long way to go from that to saying that Uber have enacted a policy specifically because of it.
    - rad88 10y ago
      Uber enacted their tipping policy to keep total control over prices and moreover to keep prices low. When they were sued by their own workers because of this and had their backs against the wall, they had to claim it was because of this racist hand-wavy BS. It was a ret-con and an incredibly cynical and insulting thing to do, but that's now the official reason they didn't allow tips.
- rad88 10y ago
  This is the claim made by Uber spokesmen. I also heard it directly from an Uber manager. It disgusted me too. https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/04/27/uber-resists-adding-tipping-its-app/BNEfLpo8dLcfC9czdcvtzI/story.html https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/04/27/uber-resists...
smileysteve 10y ago
They changed their tipping policy in May 2016 in response to a contractor lawsuit. Drivers are now allowed to ask for tips; I've had drivers with tip jars and squares available. And I've seen reddit discussions of drivers calling riders who don't tip dicks.

by rad88 10y ago

trevor-e 10y ago

Couldn't drivers also negatively rate passengers in retaliation if they don't tip?

smileysteve 10y ago
They can and hbr wrote an article about it. https://hbr.org/2016/05/ubers-new-tipping-policy-is-a-mistake https://hbr.org/2016/05/ubers-new-tipping-policy-is-a-mistak...

untog 10y ago

That is in no way true. Suggesting that black people are somehow to blame for Uber not allowing in-app tips is one of the most out there things I've seen on HN, and that's saying something.

smileysteve 10y ago
Tipping has been studied and has been associated with discrimination on gender, race, and class. http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/restaurants/a23132/why-tipping-should-be-illegal-15603180/ http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/restaurants/a23132/why-tip...
- untog 10y ago
  It's a long way to go from that to saying that Uber have enacted a policy specifically because of it.
  - rad88 10y ago
    Uber enacted their tipping policy to keep total control over prices and moreover to keep prices low. When they were sued by their own workers because of this and had their backs against the wall, they had to claim it was because of this racist hand-wavy BS. It was a ret-con and an incredibly cynical and insulting thing to do, but that's now the official reason they didn't allow tips.
rad88 10y ago
This is the claim made by Uber spokesmen. I also heard it directly from an Uber manager. It disgusted me too. https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/04/27/uber-resists-adding-tipping-its-app/BNEfLpo8dLcfC9czdcvtzI/story.html https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/04/27/uber-resists...

smileysteve 10y ago

They changed their tipping policy in May 2016 in response to a contractor lawsuit. Drivers are now allowed to ask for tips; I've had drivers with tip jars and squares available. And I've seen reddit discussions of drivers calling riders who don't tip dicks.