Rideshare

“do you default to 5 or 4 stars? do you usually tip your driver? How much?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Erin

Now that we’ve tackled the elephant in the rideshare room…

“Dear PoPville,

Looking for the PoPvillers take on rating and tipping Uber/Lyft drivers.

I give a driver 5 stars unless something significant comes up — noticeably dirty car, clearly unsafe driving, etc. — and then always submit a comment on what I “dinged” the driver for. Those above issues equal 4 stars and only if there’s a serious safety/service issue (very rare) would I give 3 stars.

A coworker says his default rating is 4 stars and that only if the driver is exceptional — super personable/friendly, goes out of their way to be helpful (eg helping with luggage) etc — does he give 5 stars. A dirty car would get 3 stars. Unsafe driving would get 2, and “something egregious” (?) would get 1.

However, (more…)

Time to Talk About an Uncomfortable Ride Sharing Issue

By Prince Of Petworth

I call it rideshare reek. Let me apologize for being impolite but the last few times I’ve taken a Lyft, a serious issue has arisen. Arose? Stuck to me. I’m talking odor. So let’s talk odor. It’s not a bad odor. I simply end up reeking of perfume/cologne when I exit the car. And the smell sticks to you for hours. So a few questions. First, is this happening to others as well? Second, is the perfume/cologne used by drivers to mask smelly passengers? It feels like the height of awkward to mention it to the driver. Should I leave a comment in the app?


Photo by PoPville flickr user Phil

I really just want to make sure I’m not losing my mind – so is this happening to others too? If so, about how often does it happen.

“is it just me that gets these crazy routes that make zero sense with UberPool?”

By Prince Of Petworth

Sara shares with us on Friday:

“Hey Uber I’d love to know how taking me all the way to DC when Im just going from Alexandria to S.Arlington fit into your “optimal efficiency” and “convenience” claims with UberPool.

PoPville is it just me that gets these crazy routes that make zero sense with UberPool in the DMV area? It’s like they’re completely unaware of traffic patterns in here”

Ed. Note: The early word was that she is definitely not alone. What’s the weirdest route that’s happened to you?

MPD looking for a Rideshare Driver “in connection with a Second Degree Sexual Abuse offense that occurred Saturday” in Georgetown

By Prince Of Petworth


via google maps

From MPD:

“Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit seek the public’s assistance in identifying and locating a suspect in connection with a Second Degree Sexual Abuse offense that occurred on Saturday, December 1, 2018, in the 1200 block of 33rd Street, Northwest.

At approximately 12:02 am, the victim was receiving a ride in the suspect’s rideshare vehicle. During the ride, the suspect engaged in sexual contact without the victim’s permission.

The suspect is described as a White male, and was last seen driving a black SUV vehicle.

Anyone who can identify this individual or who has knowledge of these incidents should take no action but call police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411.”

New 911 integration pilot will allow D.C. Uber passengers to utilize an in-app emergency button

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Andrew Pasko-Reader

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of Unified Communications (OUC) and Uber announced the launch of a 911 integration pilot in the District of Columbia, allowing DC Uber passengers to utilize an in-app emergency button that will notify the Office of Unified Communications of an emergency and instantly share their real time location, car make/model, and license plate number with 911 call takers. (more…)

“ashtray-2-go?”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

Like many DC residents, Car2Go is a convenient option for me when it’s too wet to bike, or when my wife is out of town with our car on weekends and I need to get around. But lately, I’m loathe to use it, as I find that the Mercedes Benz cars (which are often the only cars available in my neighborhood) sometimes reek of cigarette smoke and frequently have actual ashes and/or butts in the ashtray. (See picture below taken this very morning.) For some unimaginable reason, these cars, which are of course meant to be shared, have functioning ashtrays and, again for some unimaginable reason, totally lack visible “no smoking” signs. (more…)

“Are there better car sharing options available?”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

Last night [Sunday] I had a reservation from 5:00-7:00p that I made a month in advance knowing about the metro service interruption and the racist march downtown, having to transport my 5 year old daughter pursuant to a custody agreement requiring my daughter to be dropped off at 6p in Virginia. As the thunderstorm hit, our car was not available (parking lot above Columbia Heights Giant). The ZipCar representative said we could wait for 45-50 minutes or walk a mile in the storm to a car in another location, carrying a car seat, my daughter, and her bag. (more…)

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