[potatolicious]

Agree. The UberX experience is just getting worse and worse over time in NYC - won't be long before it gets to yellow cab levels, if not worse.

UberBlack is fine as always, you get what you pay for.

Drivers are getting consistently worse - both in knowledge of streets and in general behavior. I'm a bit sympathetic - they're getting squeezed hard by Uber and the system can be draconian - but the reality is that I get more asshole behavior from UberX drivers nowadays than I do from yellow cabs, which are at least consistent in their mediocrity.

I feel like UberX is going to go down as a brief, glimmering moment when ridehailing was cheap and good, before economic reality picked one of the above, not both.

[Hydraulix989]

UberX is becoming UberLateModelPrius here in SF

[potatolicious]

I'm less concerned about it being UberLateModelPrius (a not-fancy car was always part of the deal with X), but I've noticed last time in SF it was becoming UberFilthyLateModelPriusWithRudeDriver. That I do mind.

They're becoming just like the cabs they replaced, just without the brightly colored paint jobs.

[ethanbond]

And insurance policies + regulations (even if said regulations go unenforced more than they should).

[xapata]

AFAIK many states require (and Uber provides) commercial insurance while a rider is in the car.

[pjc50]

What happened to the legendary driver ratings system enforcing politeness?

[TeMPOraL]

High turnover would be my guess. The rude driver you see is on his way out, only to be quickly replaced by another one.

[hx87]

I wonder if it would be possible (and legal) to use machine learning algorithms to determine which driver applicants are likely to have low ratings.

[ch4s3]

You probably just discover that the key factor was how much they get paid.