If you have ever tried to work as a ride share driver, you would quickly discover that without tips it wouldn't be nearly as viable a source of income.

Honestly, I don't mind not getting tipped by the old man or single mother going home with a few bags from the grocery store, I know they're broke. On the other hand, I appreciate it when the businesswoman headed to the airport gives me a bigger tip than I expected, I know she can afford it.

Would I rather make a flat extra $7 an hour? Yeah, probably overall. But allowing tipping (in an environment where it's been a tradition for generations) costs the company nothing and results in more income for underpaid drivers. If it's that or simply make less money, well, it may not be the perfect shining ideal of How Things Should Be Done, but I'll take it.

> If you have ever tried to work as a ride share driver, you would quickly discover that without tips it wouldn't be nearly as viable a source of income.

That’s why having tipping be part of the app is so ass backwards. The pricing shown to the customer is what the customer agreed to pay. Some fraction of that goes to the driver and that amount should be enough to be a viable source of income. Banking on an expected X% bonus that’s not listed in the price presented to the customer for the system to be able to operate is disingenuous.

> Honestly, I don't mind not getting tipped by the old man or single mother going home with a few bags from the grocery store, I know they're broke. On the other hand, I appreciate it when the businesswoman headed to the airport gives me a bigger tip than I expected, I know she can afford it.

And if she doesn’t tip do you feel sleighted?

> Would I rather make a flat extra $7 an hour? Yeah, probably overall. But allowing tipping (in an environment where it's been a tradition for generations) costs the company nothing and results in more income for underpaid drivers. If it's that or simply make less money, well, it may not be the perfect shining ideal of How Things Should Be Done, but I'll take it.

Tipping for drivers has always been possible, in cash, outside of the world of the app. Having it total external prevents “expected tip” shenanigans for min wage calculations like goes on in the food service industry. That also has the advantage of being off the books for the drivers (let’s be honest, none of them are claiming taxes on a fiver given in cash by a passenger).

If I tip, which will always be discretionary, I will do it in cash.

I have never, and will never, used the space on the bill, or in app. I want my tip to go to the person who provided the excellent service alone, not to be shared with their employer or every other server in the restaurant. Providing a line item for tips probably reduces my chances of tipping at all.

This can vary wildly though. Some drivers working pretty normal hours in NYC end up earning $50,000-$80,000 or more per year. I don’t see why tipping a professional in that situation is a good use of money, and if I were to do it, I’d probably give tips to school teachers or emergency workers ahead of drivers.

My recent Lyfts have had a line included in their post-ride text message that says I should tip my driver to show appreciation for the ride. I rather pay a few dollars more for my ride fare to have the tip built in than deal with this social pressuring.

Yep, and it's entirely because of Lyft's regressive example, otherwise tips were already done for in the rideshare space, and probably on its way out in the gig economy.