Uber Drivers Ethnography Analysis

For my ethnography paper I choose writing, studying and illustrating the “Uber” drivers’ life. The main focus of this paper is to figure out the norms and the rules that should be followed by the drivers and customers. Before Uber people used mainly “Cup” taxi. After 2009 when the Uber company first came out, they started to order a taxi (Uber) just using the smart phone applications. Uber offers nearly the same service as the other taxis; the differences are of business model. This is a new technology in our marketplace which gives an opportunity to almost everyone to easily become an Uber driver using his/her own car and smart phone. As Uber drivers, they are self employed and have a right to drive or reject serving customers. However,

The area is a part of the “Parking Lot C” which is called “long time parking” and is designed for the Uber and lyft drivers. The area is called “TNC parking zone.” Compared with the Cub drivers where the line is managed by the drivers and the dispatch, the Uber drivers do not have a dispatch, and the drivers’ line is managed by a system using “first in first out” method. When I was choosing a place for my ethnography study I tried to pick some place where the Uber drivers meet for a short time. Usually they drive in different areas and may never meet again. However, some drivers like me prefer to drive in LAX area and I am more likely to meet them

Drivers should keep their rate above 4.6 not to be booted off Uber. It is not clear for many drivers why the customers give the lowest rate. In 2014 the Uber office sent a guide to all of its drivers to explain them how the driver rating system works and how they can improve their score. This includes basic things, for instant, the vacuum and clean car interior, the washed exterior, providing the passengers with information, advising about hotels, best restaurants, clubs, being polite, driving carefully, and many other things. Even following this guide, keeping the highest rate is not easy. I think this is because the passenger’s expected service and the driver’s rendered service do not coincide. People have specific expectations from their Uber drivers. This expectation is created after their last drives. For instance, if their last Uber driver has offered them a bottle of water they expect the same from me, but because I drive the Uber car nearly 12 hour per day and serve 25 rides, it is not possible to keep too many bottles in my car. Also Uber has not provided correctly information for both sides. The rider does not know that the 4.6 rate is the minimum for the driver but he/she knows that he/she should give 5 stars for a perfect ride. When he/she does not get that perfect ride according to his/her idea he/she gives the driver 4 stars without knowing that the driver can no longer drive