Uber offers less chatting

N E W YORK» Uber passengers can now get a more spacious ride and a less talkative driver — if they’re willing to shell out a few extra dollars.

The ride-hailing giant launched “comfort” rides in dozens of cities in July. Riders are guaranteed 36 inches of legroom in “newer” cars — meaning those that are under five years old — and they can request a preferred air temperature. Riders can also use the app to tell drivers they don’t want to chat, avoiding what some consider an awkward exchange.

Uber is responding to requests from business travelers and others who say they just want to work or rest quietly when they’re on their way to the airport.

“It’s a way to set up an expectation up front ... it takes some guesswork out of the process,” said Aydin Ghajar, senior product manager at Uber.

In the early days of ridehailing — when drivers for Uber and its main U.S. rival Lyft began picking up riders in their personal cars — riders were often chatty, asking the drivers lots of questions.

“It was so new and innovative that a lot of people were curious about other things they (drivers) did,” said Harry Campbell, founder of The Rideshare Guy, a blog and online community for drivers. “Over the years, it’s gotten more transactional.”

Uber rolled out a “quiet mode” for Uber Black — its premium car service — in May, which left some drivers feeling like robots.

“Some drivers like it; they don’t want to have to look at social cues,” Campbell said. “Other drivers feel that it’s a little dehumanizing ... I do feel like in our society, everything is turning into an app, and we’re losing the lost art of conversation.”

Comfort rides cost 20 percent to 40 percent more for time and distance charges than standard Uber X rides.

Uber has yet to turn a profit and lost $1 billion in the first quarter of 2019. Executives have said it could take years to make money.

Uber’s smaller rival Lyft offers “Lyft Lux” rides, which are in high-end sedans or SUVS with leather seats and more legroom. Lux cars are driven by drivers with a 4.85-star rating or above, and cost more than a standard Lyft ride or the company’s less-expensive Shared ride. But riders do not have the option of requesting a quiet, conversation-free ride.