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I actually really enjoy talking to my driver. They usually have a very different background than me. Maybe they recently immigrated from another country, for ex

I actually really enjoy talking to my driver. They usually have a very different background than me. Maybe they recently immigrated from another country, for example. And it's neat to hear a bit about their life. If you think of interacting with another human as a chore, then it will be a chore. But if you think of it an an opportunity to learn, then it can be very rewarding I think.

isatty 9y ago
I enjoy talking to my uber drivers as well but I don't want them to be obliged to talk to me. I'm an extroverted person and I enjoy chatting, but there are times when I'm busy and want to check my email etc; but with tipping there'll be more drivers who start the conversation and it'll be rude to not reply. Honestly though, I don't see the need for tipping to make people interact with each other. I've been taking uber for years (both in southern California and Singapore) and I don't see the need for this.
- rrradical 9y ago
  I use Lyft, which has always had tipping, and I don't find this to be an issue. Usually I am the one that starts the conversation. And I'm no fan of tipping in general, but there's a lot more to a ride besides conversation that someone might want to tip for.
tedajax 9y ago
I commute via Uber so the idea of having to talk every time is awful. Plus after a while every Uber conversation is exactly the same.
- wutbrodo 9y ago
  > Plus after a while every Uber conversation is exactly the same. I've been taking Uber for...5-6 years at this point, with hundreds of rides, and this is emphatically untrue. If this is happening to you, it's probably has less to do with Uber drivers than it has to do with you. (Not that that's an unambiguously negative thing: being able to reliably have interesting conversations with strangers is hardly a required skill).
  - tedajax 9y ago
    I'm totally capable of having interesting conversations with strangers thank you very much, but Uber rides almost inevitably lead to one of 4 out 5 topics with rare exceptions. Frankly I'd pay extra for an option to say "I prefer to be matched with drivers who don't want to talk".
kelnos 9y ago
That's awesome that you enjoy that, but not everyone does. Many of us are introverted and/or shy, and forced interaction with a stranger is very draining. Claiming that this is a personal choice or frame of mind is incorrect. I would rather save my social/emotional energy for my actual friends, not people I'll likely never see again after a 10-minute ride.
- rrradical 9y ago
  Actually I am both introverted and shy! So to have these sorts of conversations was, for me, both a choice and a frame of mind. Your personal experience is just as valuable as mine, but claiming that my opinion is 'incorrect' is probably a bit over the top. :P
  - kelnos 9y ago
    Not really. You framed it as if anyone can (and should?) do as you do, which is incorrect.

isatty 9y ago

I enjoy talking to my uber drivers as well but I don't want them to be obliged to talk to me. I'm an extroverted person and I enjoy chatting, but there are times when I'm busy and want to check my email etc; but with tipping there'll be more drivers who start the conversation and it'll be rude to not reply. Honestly though, I don't see the need for tipping to make people interact with each other. I've been taking uber for years (both in southern California and Singapore) and I don't see the need for this.

rrradical 9y ago
I use Lyft, which has always had tipping, and I don't find this to be an issue. Usually I am the one that starts the conversation. And I'm no fan of tipping in general, but there's a lot more to a ride besides conversation that someone might want to tip for.

tedajax 9y ago

I commute via Uber so the idea of having to talk every time is awful. Plus after a while every Uber conversation is exactly the same.

wutbrodo 9y ago
> Plus after a while every Uber conversation is exactly the same. I've been taking Uber for...5-6 years at this point, with hundreds of rides, and this is emphatically untrue. If this is happening to you, it's probably has less to do with Uber drivers than it has to do with you. (Not that that's an unambiguously negative thing: being able to reliably have interesting conversations with strangers is hardly a required skill).
- tedajax 9y ago
  I'm totally capable of having interesting conversations with strangers thank you very much, but Uber rides almost inevitably lead to one of 4 out 5 topics with rare exceptions. Frankly I'd pay extra for an option to say "I prefer to be matched with drivers who don't want to talk".

kelnos 9y ago

That's awesome that you enjoy that, but not everyone does. Many of us are introverted and/or shy, and forced interaction with a stranger is very draining. Claiming that this is a personal choice or frame of mind is incorrect. I would rather save my social/emotional energy for my actual friends, not people I'll likely never see again after a 10-minute ride.

rrradical 9y ago
Actually I am both introverted and shy! So to have these sorts of conversations was, for me, both a choice and a frame of mind. Your personal experience is just as valuable as mine, but claiming that my opinion is 'incorrect' is probably a bit over the top. :P
- kelnos 9y ago
  Not really. You framed it as if anyone can (and should?) do as you do, which is incorrect.