Whether or not you believe that Uber and/or Lyft are outright stealing tips from drivers, the mindset of saying the "dreaded phrase" just baffles me. In almost all instances, the topic of a tip is brought up solely by the rider, there's no solicitation or verbal jab in the ribs for an extra gratuity, at least by me. So they KNOW that it's customary or at the very least appropriate/appreciated to tip. Both apps are pointed in the opportunity to add a tip to the driver.... you can't finish the ride without it or declining it. Now you CAN close the app before the ride is over, and I've had tips trickle in hours/days/weeks later, and those people I believe genuinely want to tip, they just forget. And they CERTAINLY aren't saying "the dreaded phrase".

Why do they do it? They have to know it's a dick-ish move. Are they secretly pissed off at the high fare and making a statement regarding it by jerking the driver around? Do they get some smug satisfaction of dodging a supposed "Grey area" in the tipping hierarchy of who deserves a tip and who doesn't? If so, why not just never mention it and go about your way like every other non-tipper? Why add the extra knife to some person who risked their car, their life (in a way), and their livelihood to get you safely from Point A to Point B as quickly and comfortably as possible? Maybe someone with more insight to the human psyche can explain it to me.