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Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

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Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#541

Post by habosa »

Uber should add tipping to the app, period. The way that Lyft does it is nice because you can't be pressured into a tip - the ride must be completed before the tipping screen is shown which means you're already out of the car. Even more importantly the driver has already rated you before you make this decision. I've tipped many Lyft drivers and never had a single one ask me for a tip or a good rating. I've had many Uber drivers ask (or put up a sign), because they know the app won't ask for them.

I know what the responses will be already. "The lack of tipping is one of the main reasons I use Uber! Tipping is awkward! They should pay their drivers more it's not my job". So then don't tip. That's really all there is to it.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#542

Post by clairity »

yladiz wrote: post #532
losteverything wrote: post #515

I guess most of HN never were so broke that they can't put themselves in the place of a worker who can receive a tip. Tips go directly to a person. Often a low paying or second job. It is about generosity and helping a fellow person. It's not about economic theory or even JUST how they served you. The tip -$1 or $2 or $5 gets the person a gallon of gas. A meal. A cup of coffee. It helps pay off a bill. It is savings…

This is a good point, but I do want to note one caveat, which is that in a lot of restaurants now tips, at least those that aren't in cash, are split between front and back of house staff. This means that even if you tip extra for the purposes of rewarding your waiter/ress for their service, it may not go to them. This does not mean you shouldn't tip extra if the service was great, amazing, etc., but just something t…

the reason for that is it takes the whole team (server, host, line cooks, busser, etc) working in concert to give you good service (timely, tasty, well-prepared food in an enjoyable environment).

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#544

Post by qaq »

gk1 wrote: post #67
dataminded wrote: post #33

I don't agree with the argument that passengers should tip because Uber isn't paying their drivers enough. That sounds like welfare for Uber. If the pay sucks, Uber should have trouble recruiting drivers.

The same is true for tipping in restaurants and bars; it may seem like you're helping the server/bartender, but actually you're subsidizing the business.

It depends my friend worked as bartender when he lost a job in 2001 he made about 90K thanx to tips which was not too far off what he was making as software engineer. So I highly doubt a bar would pay anything close to it.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#545

Post by monksy »

Ntrails wrote: post #493
italicbold wrote: post #400

Earlier quoted context omitted.

pro tip: in london the service charge rarely goes to staff. service charge is not the same thing as a tip, which should usually be cash if you wish it to go to the waiter.

I don't know that to be generally true based on both my experience in the industry and those people I know still in it. There were certainly places I worked where any credit card tips were declared for tax whilst cash tips weren't. This is one reason why staff preferred cash. Similarly in some places cash was distributed by shift whereas cards were distributed monthly based on hours worked. As a final point, the idea…

> This is one reason why staff preferred cash. Similarly in some places cash was distributed by shift whereas cards were distributed monthly based on hours worked.

Let's call a spade a spade. It's for tax evasion purposes. That's the reason that the IRS assumes that you make 15% tips on everything if you're a server. (Otherwise people would never report it and to caught the large amount would never be recovered)

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#546

Post by presto8 »

imgabe wrote: post #495
throwaway729 wrote: post #313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm just perplexed when they say they're losing money (or making so much less than minimum wage that they may as well be) but they keep on doing it instead of stopping Most people don't drive Uber as a job. It's a second or third job. Make-you-own-hours is what makes that possible. > If they're not just blowing off some steam with hyperbole, they would literally be better off staying home on the couch. I mean, ditt…

If you drive for Uber could you partially count the depreciation of your car (for the miles you drover for Uber) on your taxes? At least then you'd get some benefit in the form of a reduced tax bill that could offset the losses. Landlords use depreciation to have low taxable income despite being cashflow positive. I don't see why Uber drivers shouldn't be able to. They're making business use of a physical asset (thei…

My understanding is, yes, you can deduct the IRS per-mile (54 cents per mile driven) as a business expense, which will reduce the amount of taxes paid. At least one Uber driver I rode with told me he did this. In fact, not doing it would be missing out on a huge tax benefit!

Example 10-mile trip: 1.25 base fare + (10 miles * 1.15 per mile) = 12.75 * 80% (driver's share) = $10.20 revenue - 5.40 deduction for mileage = $4.80 revenue reported. For somebody in 20% tax bracket, this could yield $1.08 in savings.

Although using the per-mile deduction negates the ability to deduct line item expenses, such as gas, car washes, etc.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#547

Post by thatfrenchguy »

takeda wrote: post #537
losteverything wrote: post #515

I guess most of HN never were so broke that they can't put themselves in the place of a worker who can receive a tip. Tips go directly to a person. Often a low paying or second job. It is about generosity and helping a fellow person. It's not about economic theory or even JUST how they served you. The tip -$1 or $2 or $5 gets the person a gallon of gas. A meal. A cup of coffee. It helps pay off a bill. It is savings…

Tipping when mandatory (and this behavior, makes it that way) is also a hidden fee, why not just charge more? If Uber is not paying enough, why not work for someone else? In the end by tipping you I'm essentially subsidizing Uber and enable them to pay you less.

"why not work for someone else" -> Mostly because they have no choice.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#548

Post by coolsdude2282 »

trevyn wrote: post #270
coolsdude2282 wrote: post #156

I just made an account to post this, a factor that isn't really being brought up by any of the comments I've seen in this conversation is drugs and other illicit practices used by Uber drivers to make money. I have known several drivers who sold marijuana, small individual shot bottles, smoking papers, flavored cigar papers, and other 'party related favors' out of their cars to make their Uber driving more profitable…

While I don't doubt this happening, where are you located? I've taken over 1,200 Uber rides in the Bay Area and LA, at all times of day, and have not once been solicited for drugs or smoke shop/convenience store items. (Plenty of other hustles, though.)

My experience getting offered relates to southern/midwestern states, TN/NC/GA stand out to me, and the drivers I've met/spoken with who did this most regularly operated in areas of Atlanta and its surrounding suburbs specifically.

Although I have also experienced this several times in the upper Midwest. I suspect there might be some bias in my physical appearance that makes me get offered more? Several drivers had a sort of setup where they had goods in a box/console and opened it to make the offer, so it seems likely that if they didn't feel a fare to be the partying type they would simply not make the offer? One I saw had an entire cooler setup.

Another possible explanation could be that in very competitive areas like LA or the Bay the rank/yank system cuts out bad drivers more quickly than middle-america where there is maybe not as large of a pool of people applying to be drivers?

I have never had a bad or sketchy ride in Bay/NYC/Chicago/Dallas. (I have had no experience with Uber in LA)

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#550

Post by AlwaysRock »

nilkn wrote: post #536
losteverything wrote: post #515

I guess most of HN never were so broke that they can't put themselves in the place of a worker who can receive a tip. Tips go directly to a person. Often a low paying or second job. It is about generosity and helping a fellow person. It's not about economic theory or even JUST how they served you. The tip -$1 or $2 or $5 gets the person a gallon of gas. A meal. A cup of coffee. It helps pay off a bill. It is savings…

This sort of post is actually yet another reason why I dislike tipping culture. I'm being guilted/pressured -- and not even by a driver -- into supporting a system in which drivers are underpaid and every customer has to individually think about how they can make up for that. When/if lots of customers start regularly tipping, I fear Uber will just take advantage of the situation to reduce wages even lower -- untenabl…

This. I use uber over other ride share services and taxis because I know what its actually going to cost up front and I wont be pressured to tip at the end.
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