But if a rider requests a stop as shown on the blog post, the driver accepts it, then doesn't like the stop and rates the rider low because he doesn't like it, that is not the rider's fault and the rider does not deserve the low rating for requesting something the driver didn't like. If you follow my point.
I agree with you about the rating question, and I'll come back to that later.
However,
the driver has no idea of the destination or any stops when they accept the ride. The only info the driver gets is the rider's screen name, their rider rating, the class of service, whether or not there is any incentive, and the approximate number of minutes to pickup. The driver doesn't know whether you are going one mile with three stops, or 200 miles with no stops.
[ETA: Given that, a driver who accepts a ride and then learns it will require something they are not willing to do has no alternative but to cancel the ride. Canceled rides are not rated, so they will not affect your rating or the driver's. If the driver has already
started the ride and finds out later there are problematic issues, they have no option but to end the ride and suck up the bad rating that will result.
Either of those is an inconvenience for the rider, of course, and nobody wants that. But another Uber/Lyft driver will be just around the corner so it shouldn't be a huge inconvenience.]
If the drivers are not happy with what Lyft is showing is a feature of their service they can opt NOT to drive for Lyft.
And if riders are not happy with the effectiveness of a company's communication with their drivers, they should use another company.
They (drivers)need to complain to Lyft, which I realize is pretty much complaining to the wind, but if enough drivers got together and quit driving and told Lyft why maybe they'd listen?
Not a chance. NOT A CHANCE...zero chance. Lyft listens only to their own drummer.
*****
On ratings...Uber is in the process of rolling out an improved ratings procedure in the next few weeks and Lyft will undoubtedly copy it quickly. (Both companies copy each other shamelessly!)
In the future, if an Uber rider rates a driver
anything below 5 stars, the rider will be
required to state a reason. Also, ratings lower than 5 stars will carry a definition from Uber. For example, 4 stars will say, "Ride was OK, but there was an issue."
If the reason for the rating is something outside the driver's control (like fare, etc), that negative rating will not count against the driver. In addition, if a
rider frequently gives sub-5 ratings, their ratings will not be counted against drivers.
Following that logic, it seems reasonable that similar protections will be built into
driver ratings of riders (and I certainly think they should be). Uber already sets a default rating of 5-stars for every rider on every ride, so the driver has to take some deliberate action to rate you any lower. Lyft has not copied that...yet.
Just FYI, in a little over 1,300 rides with both companies, I have given exactly two 1-star rider ratings (both for attempted fraud) and maybe 3 4-star ratings. I've never given a 2 or 3 star rating. And we are required to rate every single rider on every single trip.
I also think my ratings philosophy is very typical; I don't know any drivers who rate riders low unless there is a pretty clear issue with the rider.