[johngd]

I've taken a personal record number of UberX rides, 3, in the last week. I prefer not taking them if I can help it, but safety trumps politics sometimes.

Regardless, each driver I met was absolutely fantastic; very friendly and professional. The one complaint all of them had when I asked their opinion of Uber: The GPS is horrible.

One guy was going to make the switch to Lyft JUST because the Lyft maps use Google, and apparently it is simply just that bad.

I did witness this myself while on a work trip this past weekend - Uber GPS led them off the highway and then back onto the highway adding an extra 5 miles for no apparent reason.

[freehunter]

I had a similar experience once with Uber. We were going to a hotel and the GPS led the driver off the freeway then back on the freeway going the opposite direction, then said "you have reached your destination". In the middle of the freeway. Sure we were right next to the hotel I was going to, but you can't get to the check-in desk by pulling off to the side of I-95.

I've never used Lyft before and I don't know what GPS Uber uses. Just an anecdote. I've had my personal GPS do stupid things like that too.

[jeffwass]

I've never taken Lyft or Uber, but are the drivers required to go where their GPS tells them? Or do they just not know the route?

Being used to traditional taxis myself, I find the need for these full-time drivers to be so dependent on GPS a bit surprising.

[prostoalex]

It's a suggestion, but if the driver takes a longer route and the customer complaints, it will impact the driver's rating (and earnings). Learned it the hard way after an UberX driver tried to get onto a bridge with tons of "Under Construction" signs, as his GPS wasn't aware the bridge was being repaired.