Ratings by drivers are very often based on irrelevant criteria like how likeable you seem, or whether they interpret your preference for silence as an insult.

Ratings by drivers are very often based on irrelevant criteria like how likeable you seem, or whether they interpret your preference for silence as an insult. This is me as a rider: a) Always at pickup on time (or I message "be right there" if I'm a minute away) b) I enter and say "Hi, how's it going?" and acknowledge. c) I then put in my headphones for audible. I say nothing else the rest of the trip. d) I get out where it's most convenient for them, and I say "Thank you", and gently shut the door. Yep, apparently they don't care - my rating hangs out in low 4.7s. However, Uber Black always boosts my ratings, because the drivers are more mature and rate based on what actually matters.