My Passengers Have Too Much Power
My real concern with the Lyft rating system is the lack of transparency, and the absence of an immediate appeal process for bad passenger reviews.
Your app suddenly locks you out — perhaps while you’re out driving — and you get a message saying “Your account has been deactivated.” That’s it. You contact support via email — there is no 800 number — and you get an email in reply, saying that you’ll be ‘hearing from them soon.’ There’s no way for you to defend yourself because, you know, defend yourself against what? “What’s been alleged? “ “What did I do?” For a driver, depending on this income to pay the rent, or to feed her kids, it’s a nightmare.
Also, the post-ride anonymity of the passenger rating system smacks of passive-aggressiveness.
