Uber does 40m rides a month with human drivers, I don't believe people are generally turned off by the smell of their drivers. The rating system is pretty bruta

Uber does 40m rides a month with human drivers, I don't believe people are generally turned off by the smell of their drivers. The rating system is pretty brutal. I've certainly never had this problem. Uber doesn't pay for the downtime, its the drivers that take all the losses. I find the security question interesting: Would you rather have a human in the car to potentially protect you from outside attackers, or is the general fear that the driver him/herself with assault you? I think with cameras and identity checks the risk from the driver can be reduced. Regarding your last point: Yes, do the same for less or something better for the same, both are possible paths to winning in the marketplace.