Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

angelinatravels.boardingarea.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

621–630 of 670 posts

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#621

Post by [deleted] »

ismarc wrote: post #617
gregmac wrote: post #505

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Keep in mind that in both US and Canada there's a different (and lower) minimum wage for 'tipped workers'. US Federal law states minimum wage is only $2.13/hr for someone that makes $30/month in tips (instead of normal minimum $7.25) [1]. If they don't make $30 in tips the employer must make up the difference. At 30 hours/week (and 4.3 weeks/month), $30/month works out to $0.23/hr, so the effective minimum wage is st…

You are grossly misrepresenting the situation and what your own link says. If wages + tips don't equal the normal minimum wage of $7.25, the employer is required to make up the difference. They get, at worst, normal minimum wage.

[deleted]

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#622

Post by gregmac »

ismarc wrote: post #617
gregmac wrote: post #505

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Keep in mind that in both US and Canada there's a different (and lower) minimum wage for 'tipped workers'. US Federal law states minimum wage is only $2.13/hr for someone that makes $30/month in tips (instead of normal minimum $7.25) [1]. If they don't make $30 in tips the employer must make up the difference. At 30 hours/week (and 4.3 weeks/month), $30/month works out to $0.23/hr, so the effective minimum wage is st…

You are grossly misrepresenting the situation and what your own link says. If wages + tips don't equal the normal minimum wage of $7.25, the employer is required to make up the difference. They get, at worst, normal minimum wage.

Ack, sorry, I totally missed that highly important bit! Unfortunately too late to delete.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#623

Post by [deleted] »

morgante wrote: post #500
lostboys67 wrote: post #474

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"hold the line against the excessive tipping culture " you mean screwing over some poor minimum wage worker and the IRS (which when it comes down to it is you)

Uhhh, how exactly do you think that tipping is good for the IRS? Tips are far less likely to be reported as income than wages are. Your comment makes absolutely no sense.

[deleted]

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#624

Post by nommm-nommm »

arebop wrote: post #124
dorfsmay wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's why I always pay 15% tip at restaurants regardless of the service. I disagree with tipping (an after-the-fact unilateral contract), but we know that restaurants don't pay fair wages. EDIT: Following some comments here, I feel I need to add that I'm in Canada where 15% is considered "normal".

There is universal agreement about tipping at restaurants. Tips of 15% (or 20%?) are definitely customary, expected, priced-in. People who don't leave tips after experiencing decent service are definitely not paying their fair share. Uber traditionally operates on the service-included model. That was very well established before some drivers agitated for a change. Since then, Uber has adopted an inconsistent policy […

It's not universal, you'll hear a lot of arguments about it, everyone has different ideas. When I was growing up I was taught 10% was standard for restaurants. I don't know if its because my parents were cheap (probably not) or that poor people have a different idea about what's reasonable. Then when I got older I heard 15%. Now that I'm working a very well paid job people say 20% is "standard." Now in the last year I have been hearing rumbling that 20% is stingy and outdated.

I am started to feel very extorted by this so I've reduced my tips in response and reduced my frequency of going to establishments that guilt me into leaving tips.

(Usually if the food is over priced I don't bother with percentages.)

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#625

Post by jrohn92 »

kelnos wrote: post #615
jrohn92 wrote: post #576

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By getting a job, it will interfere with what I need to do. I make my own hours, which is very important. I do 40 hrs driving and 40 hrs on my company every week. Right now I am at the tail end of the stretch and I am already starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel (funding). "Honey Badger does not give a sh*t, if it's hungry, it's hungry"

But that's the thing, though: unlike many Uber/Lyft drivers, you have chosen to put yourself into this situation. The onus is on you to figure out how to support yourself while you have no income working on your startup, not on the random people who ride in your car while you're driving for Lyft.

True, I chose to put myself in this situation. My point is that tipping should be an option, but not mandatory. What the Uber drivers are doing in the article is highly unethical. The irony of it is I am building a financial planning platform for low-mid income individuals and families. I have spent years in the financial industry making good money, now I am turning into my own guinea pig. The last few months have been a healthy wake up call for me on how most people live in this country. Wall Street and Silicon Valley are sooooooo out of touch with reality. That one or two dollars means almost nothing to you, but for most people it adds up and makes a difference.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#626

Post by dpiers »

ziikutv wrote: post #446
jschwartzi wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only problem here is that this would limit the usefulness of the service. The most likely end game for this feature is that most downtown areas have a bunch of drivers fenced in, and nobody can find a ride to or from those areas. There are a ton of people in suburbs that would like to not drive into or out of the downtown in my area, and we use services like Uber/Lyft to avoid this. If the drivers in our area con…

I can see some abuse here. If I live in a suburb, set it as my home zone, then just work downtown. Perhaps limit the "home area" designation at the end of the day. So before someone is "ending" their day, they can click a button and service only in their home area. That way, the usefulness of the service is not compromised as much.

Lyft and Uber both have this functionality (enter a destination and get matched with someone on the way), and I believe it is capped at 2x per day.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#627

Post by amyjess »

Steeeve wrote: post #340
wutbrodo wrote: post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Passenger and driver ratings having the same distribution is an extraordinarily bizarre assumption.

Quotes from uber drivers discussing: > I picked up a 4.5 tonight and guess what is was a 4.5 type of ride. 2 stars bucko > 4.5 or below are usually problem passengers in my market > Usually I'll pass on anyone lower than a 4.5. > I check the score and if they are below a 4.6 I text and inform them that THEY need to cancel and request another driver. > 4.6 and below? Sorry about your luck. Let the next Uber driver pic…

> I check the score and if they are below a 4.6 I text and inform them that THEY need to cancel and request another driver.

My response would be:

"Nah, you can cancel. I can always walk back inside the bar and grab a few more drinks, while you can't operate your source of income until you cancel."

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#628

Post by throwaway729 »

bookmarkacc wrote: post #355
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…

Even with -EV on vehicle cost you are gettig cash in hand. -EV long-term, +EV short-term by paying rent.

The same thing is true for payday loans...

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#629

Post by dnautics »

kazagistar wrote: post #491
dnautics wrote: post #414

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some answers (specifically, addressing the situation with Lyft): > When you tip, is the driver individually informed? No, not directly. Yes, indirectly. You get a ride summary at the end of the day. Backtracking who tipped what takes effort. Even so, sometimes people tip when they open their app back up (or through the email) which can present a lag... I've gotten "x tip from day y" additions to my ride summary days…

It sounds like tiping is a regressive tax against lower class "suckers".

or it could be a means to communally help each other. not applicable in the case of lyft, but for cash tips, it has the added benefit for being stealthily tax free (except for waitstaff). Each dollar that goes horizontally between the "lower class" gets to work one step harder within the "lower class" to go before being sucked away by the wealthy.

Re: Uber Driver Tip-Hustling Schemes

#630

Post by nommm-nommm »

walru wrote: post #96
ryandvm wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know. Maybe Uber should just pay you more and we can not encourage the antiquated custom of tipping.

Is good service and hospitably an antiquated notion? I'll happily give a bartender, server or a driver an extra buck or two when they make the experience pleasant/informative/friendly because, far too many people treat their jobs not as a privileged but a chore. Without tipping far too many would take your money for granted and the quality of service would decline across the board because there is zero incentive to p…

Bringing you a plate of spaghetti is a privilege? I think you need a reality check.
Post reply on HN