[fintstone]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

What % of the fare is a reasonable tip?

I haven't ever been in an Uber and my last cab ride was 5 years ago at least.

I used to work with a GS-15 (retired USCG O-5) that drove every spare minute. He said he did not make much money but liked to talk to the people. He was lonely because his wife had left him. She came back about a year later...so I don't know if he still drives. He always provided his riders with candy, snacks, bottled water, etc.

I was at Dahlgren Naval Base one night very late and needed to get to Fredericksburg to pick up a car...and the young guy that picked me up was a Navy pilot. He said that he did it because he was bored and there was not much to do at night in the area...and it helped him meet people. We had a lot in common to talk about, so it was a great ride. At first, there were no drivers signed n in the area, so I kept checking for an hour or so before he popped up. It is usually easier to get a ride for somewhere (like an airport or big city) to nowhere than vice versa. It is perfect for when we go to one of our vacation homes because we don't need a rental car (we keep a car in the garage).

I had my car break down late one night in Maryland (near BWI) on the way to my rural VA home from the airport. After an hour or so of trying to get a tow truck, I was able to coax it into the parking lot of a closed repair shop. I got an UBER ride home with a very nice young man who told me that he had never been out of Maryland and never drove on a rural road before...much less at night. When we got near my home well after midnight (very dark and spooky to him) ...I could see that he was having second thoughts (envisioning a scene from Deliverance or at least a chainsaw killer/cannibal movie). Probably a good thing that I looked old and harmless.

I don't see how he made much money on that trip as it was about an hour and a half...and unless he could get a fare going back, another hour and a half to drive back (plus gas) ...and it was about $80.

At first, I tried to give them a cash tip...but they tell me they are not allowed cash tips and must get them through the App...so that is what I do.