I’ve used Uber for the last three or four trips and for the most part have been very satisfied with the service except for the last ride in October. Was so bad I gave him a one star rating and emailed Uber. I hope he was fired. He scared the hell out of me and I was in tears when we finally arrived at my destination.
Thank you for 1-starring the driver. One bad rating will NOT get him fired, and generally one email complaint will not either (obviously, it depends on the nature of the complaint). But your response was perfect, and helps the entire rideshare community. You also will not be paired with that driver again.
The only other suggestion I would make in that particular situation is this: ANY time you feel unsafe in an Uber/Lyft ride, tell the driver to
stop in a safe place and
let you out. Cancel the ride, order another Uber, and complete your ride safely. Then immediately call or message Uber and tell them what happened. You won't be charged for the Expedition Everest Uber.
About Ratings: Rideshare ratings are rarely understood by riders, and even by many drivers. The natural inclination is to think of them like hotel ratings, or grades in school. A 5-star resort is really something special; an A is a really good grade.
But to drivers, a 5-star rating is an A -- and a
4-star rating is an F. If a driver's average rating stays below 4.6 (92%, and an A in school) for any length of time, they will be
fired. A driver should be expected to provide certain things: a clean car, courtesy, and a safe ride from Point A to Point B. If they provide that, you should give them 5 stars.
Drivers are not expected to feed you, or water you, or entertain you -- although some will. The driver can't help it if you waited 10 minutes -- that's completely out of the driver's control. The driver can't fix traffic. If you're stuck in traffic, you're just stuck in traffic. Unless there is something
clearly wrong with a ride, I always rate my drivers 5 stars.
I would also encourage everyone to take the few seconds and
rate your drivers. Unfortunately, MOST riders do NOT rate their drivers because if they're completely satisfied with the ride, they often don't feel it's necessary to rate. (I have a very high rating, but only 44% of my riders have rated me.) All that does is skew the driver's average toward lower ratings -- most of which come from drunks or Pool riders. That is neither fair, nor accurate.
Riders also get rated. In fact, drivers are required to rate each rider in order to close out the ride and get paid -- so you get rated. If you have the latest update of the Uber rider app, you can see your rating by clicking the three menu bars in the upper left corner of the app.
If I use UberXL will I have a better chance of getting someone who is familiar with the area and speaks English or do I need to request Uber Select?
No. In fact, you
might even be more likely to get a non-English speaker. Most of those guys are full-time drivers, and they often drive the higher, better-paying platforms...especially in Orlando where the fares are abysmally low.
What you can do is to pre-schedule important or longer rides using Uzurv. You will be able to see a driver profile, and chat directly with the driver before making a committment to the ride. There is a small fee (currently $.99), and I would NOT use pre-scheduling for short rides. You also can't use it for airport
pickups.
What will happen if I request a ride and refuse when they arrive because I don’t feel safe?
You
might get charged a cancellation fee, but it will be immediately refunded as soon as you notify Uber why you canceled. NEVER get in any vehicle of any type if you don't feel safe.
No Robin! A tip is most certainly 
