Hacker News Reader

Comment by larrys | Hacker News Reader

"I felt it was a fairly average ride."

I'm not a uber user (have no need for it). Could you detail what factors to you makes a ride "average" or "good" or "great" etc?

View on HN

It's all subjective, so it's hard to detail, but a good Uber ride is a far more enjoyable experience than, say, a taxi ride. The driver is courteous and knowledgable, receptive to conversation if I desire it, and quiet if not. The car is in good condition, with plenty of room, typically with some bottled water available if I'm thirsty. Shows up quickly, easy to find. Driver knows how to get where I want and gets me there in a reasonable amount of time. Etc. etc.

Except for the water, isn't that exactly what you'd expect from a taxi?

Have you ever been in a taxi? The above is what I expect from Uber. I only hope to make it to my destination alive in the average taxi.

Therein lies the problem with 5-star ratings. It's entirely subjective. There's no standard as to what makes an experience a 4-star one instead of a 2-star one. Relevant xkcd: http://xkcd.com/937/

Personally, I think the "thumbs-up/thumbs-down" system does a better job.

Is it an American phenomenon? In Europe I expect a taxi driver to be quick to turn up, helpful and knowledgeable about the destination. Granted, I don't expect water.

Do you expect tons of leg room, with good-quality posh seats, driver not using a cellphone, no radio playing (unless desired), etc?

Well, I don't expect enormous leg room and posh seats, just to be comfortable (and clean). It may depend also what you define by those. Very often the car is a Mercedes so I'm rather fine with that. I actually prefer radio on, but never had the trouble to have it turned down or off when I wanted to call someone or chat with the driver.

Including the water, it's what you get from any livery service in Manhattan. I've only been out the bay a few times, but most car services I called were exactly as described here.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com