3 ms·

> polite drivers that speak English As a very infrequent taxi rider, as long as the driver can understand where I want to go and take me there safely, why do I

by minot 11y ago

> polite drivers that speak English As a very infrequent taxi rider, as long as the driver can understand where I want to go and take me there safely, why do I care what language they speak? Am I missing something here?

braythwayt 11y ago
> as long as the driver can understand where I want to go and take me there safely If you read Uber's glowing reviews, people often praise the drivers for their ability to speak English well. I conclude that some people care, whether you or I think it's important or not.
- brudgers 11y ago
  I missed that mind and I'm glad you're back.
cowsandmilk 11y ago
Regardless of your feelings, much of the initial buzz around Uber was that their drivers speak English.
sokoloff 11y ago
When I travel abroad, I have to admit a strong preference for taxi drivers who speak passable English. In that case, it's a functional benefit (confidence that I've communicated my destination correctly, ability to ask where an ATM or late-night restaurant is, ability to sort out a credit card/payment issue, etc). And of course, there is an element of subsurface tribalism (people like to be with people like them) that makes people prefer a hired driver who is like them, whether that's in language/accent, skin color, or any other dimension. It's not necessarily/fully racist per-se, but it's a tiny bit down that spectrum. I suspect this is at least part of Uber's appeal-you get a driver who is "more like me" and that's comforting to many (most?).
- joeguilmette 11y ago
  Living abroad, I take Uber over taxis for just this reason. It's not that Uber drivers speak English here, it's that I don't care if they do because we don't need to talk about where I'm going.
  - foldr 11y ago
    If you live abroad, couldn't you just learn enough of the local language to tell the taxi driver where you want to go? Usually, just being able to pronounce the name of the destination would be sufficient. I really don't get why a taxi driver's English would be an issue. You don't have to have a conversation with them.
eevilspock 11y ago
You're not missing a thing. Inequity in opportunity and segregation live on through ignorance and a cultural lack of empathy. Pleasant white and native English-speaking staff in the front of the house, brown and struggling to get a foothold types washing dishes in the back, because that's what makes customers feel better. The privileged get more privilege, and the poor get poorer.
- mc32 11y ago
  I don't think this is an American only thing. You see the same in Europe with respect to Eastern european immigrants who don't speak the local language well. You also presume people would be uncomfortable with either native English speakers of either Hispanic of African ancestry --which for the great majority of people would not be an issue. Also, not only white English speakers take uber. Personally I think those commenters prefer not having to repeat or ask the the driver to repeat what they are trying to get across. Imagine moving to China, you a polish speaker with little Chinese fluency, and try to make a living as a taxi driver. See how well you compete with people who speak Chinese natively.
  - eevilspock 11y ago
    I appreciate your reasonable and thoughtful counterpoint, unlike bill's malarky. My presumption is not true for all people, but it is true for a great great many. I think you vastly underestimate the amount of prejudice that exists, from the overt "I don't like people of other colors, gender or sexual orientation" to the subtle but insidious "I am not prejudice, but I just feel more comfortable sitting next to a person of the same color on the bus." A Yale Law Journal study found that "Black taxi drivers' tips averaged 33 percent lower than those received by White drivers."[1] In this day and age of GPS navigation (It's built into the driver's Uber app!), you don't need to be even close to a native speaker to exchange destination information. And if Uber the company cared enough, they could make it even easier by allowing riders to enter their destination into the app on their phone. Uber wouldn't have to reveal it to the driver until the driver accepts the trip. A agree it's not just an American thing. In rare cases it works in reverse. I lived in Taiwan for about 5 years. There and in China, an American taxi driver would be such a novelty or even celebrity they would be in great demand. All I'm saying is that for the world to get better, we need to actively work against the Matthew effect[2]. [1] Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People, by Mahzarin R. Banaji, Anthony G. Greenwald. (2013) [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_effect. The Matthew effect is pervasive, even among scientists: http://www.garfield.library.upenn.edu/merton/matthew1.pdf http://www.garfield.library.upenn.edu/merton/matthew1.pdf

by minot 11y ago

braythwayt 11y ago

> as long as the driver can understand where I want to go and take me there safely If you read Uber's glowing reviews, people often praise the drivers for their ability to speak English well. I conclude that some people care, whether you or I think it's important or not.

brudgers 11y ago
I missed that mind and I'm glad you're back.

cowsandmilk 11y ago

Regardless of your feelings, much of the initial buzz around Uber was that their drivers speak English.

sokoloff 11y ago

When I travel abroad, I have to admit a strong preference for taxi drivers who speak passable English. In that case, it's a functional benefit (confidence that I've communicated my destination correctly, ability to ask where an ATM or late-night restaurant is, ability to sort out a credit card/payment issue, etc). And of course, there is an element of subsurface tribalism (people like to be with people like them) that makes people prefer a hired driver who is like them, whether that's in language/accent, skin color, or any other dimension. It's not necessarily/fully racist per-se, but it's a tiny bit down that spectrum. I suspect this is at least part of Uber's appeal-you get a driver who is "more like me" and that's comforting to many (most?).

joeguilmette 11y ago
Living abroad, I take Uber over taxis for just this reason. It's not that Uber drivers speak English here, it's that I don't care if they do because we don't need to talk about where I'm going.
- foldr 11y ago
  If you live abroad, couldn't you just learn enough of the local language to tell the taxi driver where you want to go? Usually, just being able to pronounce the name of the destination would be sufficient. I really don't get why a taxi driver's English would be an issue. You don't have to have a conversation with them.

eevilspock 11y ago

You're not missing a thing. Inequity in opportunity and segregation live on through ignorance and a cultural lack of empathy. Pleasant white and native English-speaking staff in the front of the house, brown and struggling to get a foothold types washing dishes in the back, because that's what makes customers feel better. The privileged get more privilege, and the poor get poorer.

mc32 11y ago
I don't think this is an American only thing. You see the same in Europe with respect to Eastern european immigrants who don't speak the local language well. You also presume people would be uncomfortable with either native English speakers of either Hispanic of African ancestry --which for the great majority of people would not be an issue. Also, not only white English speakers take uber. Personally I think those commenters prefer not having to repeat or ask the the driver to repeat what they are trying to get across. Imagine moving to China, you a polish speaker with little Chinese fluency, and try to make a living as a taxi driver. See how well you compete with people who speak Chinese natively.
- eevilspock 11y ago
  I appreciate your reasonable and thoughtful counterpoint, unlike bill's malarky. My presumption is not true for all people, but it is true for a great great many. I think you vastly underestimate the amount of prejudice that exists, from the overt "I don't like people of other colors, gender or sexual orientation" to the subtle but insidious "I am not prejudice, but I just feel more comfortable sitting next to a person of the same color on the bus." A Yale Law Journal study found that "Black taxi drivers' tips averaged 33 percent lower than those received by White drivers."[1] In this day and age of GPS navigation (It's built into the driver's Uber app!), you don't need to be even close to a native speaker to exchange destination information. And if Uber the company cared enough, they could make it even easier by allowing riders to enter their destination into the app on their phone. Uber wouldn't have to reveal it to the driver until the driver accepts the trip. A agree it's not just an American thing. In rare cases it works in reverse. I lived in Taiwan for about 5 years. There and in China, an American taxi driver would be such a novelty or even celebrity they would be in great demand. All I'm saying is that for the world to get better, we need to actively work against the Matthew effect[2]. [1] Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People, by Mahzarin R. Banaji, Anthony G. Greenwald. (2013) [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_effect. The Matthew effect is pervasive, even among scientists: http://www.garfield.library.upenn.edu/merton/matthew1.pdf http://www.garfield.library.upenn.edu/merton/matthew1.pdf