Uber/Lyft Driver Here. Uber/Lyft passengers DEFINITELY RACIST. I get cancelled a lot enroute, especially in Hispanic barrios and upscale white areas. Then there is like 30% of passengers who wont come out, answer phone hoping you will cancel ride first so they dont have to pay. When all that fails, they rate you undeservedly low, risking your employment with the TNC’s: Here’s my story:

I was shocked (but as a 51 year old B
“black male”, not really) today when I checked my Lyft rating. It is “4.58”. I use a brand new 2016 car, which I keep immaculately clean on the inside, and wash the outside at least once a week. I am friendly, I use navigation always, aand elicit passenger feedback when in doubt. Outside of Lyft, I am a 20 year professional educator who works with the public earning six figures. I am doing this Lyft part time during a sabbatical year because I like to help other people.

I have a great educational background, and many varied real life experience. I have travelled to over 25 foreign countries. I have a degree from one of the best colleges in the USA, and am friendly and conversational. My IQ is 135. That’s my real IQ, not bloated web test IQ. Yet I am very down to earth.

However, I am also a 6’1” male of African/European descent. I do bend over backwards for each and every one of my passengers, but apparently many insist on rating me low without cause, or on some pretext. I can not help but to conclude that many of my passengers are not in my league in terms of multiculturalism, IQ, education, and openness to interacting with other races. As it stands passengers have little choice as to the ethnicity of their driver, but if they don’t like a driver purely based on ethnicity or race, they might can and will rate them low — so as to avoid riding with them again, effect their livelihood, etc.

I have experienced many cases of what felt like poor attitude right off the bat from passengers/abuse and I felt it was race-based. I am a really good guy, but my skin is dark. I could not understand what the source of their hostility was until this lo rating solidifies it for me. I can only give my Lyft/Uber passengers my best effort. I cannot change my race. I will continue to give my best until Lyft/Uber shuts me down due to the racists I pick up who feel it is beneath them to have to be driven around by someone of a race/ethnicity they don’t approve.

Eventually, Lyft/Uber will have to change their driver rating model. I know from studying sociology and psychology at an Ivy League College and a UC Medical school, racism and racial perceptions are very subjective. Howver, Uber and Lyft will eventually discover that you don’t hand racists carte blanche ability to fire people. You’ll end up losing a public relations perception and/or a class action case in court.