> if my driver just drops me off at a different place than where I asked...
"Hey, this isn't the right place. Take me where you said you would please."
> ...or doesn't pick me up.
"Hey gran, I'm going to be late for lunch, the darn taxi driver hasn't turned up. I'm calling another firm - guess I'll see you when I get there."
> otherwise how can they charge me if I ruin their car
They will prevent you from departing, and demand cash. If you refuse, they'll either call in law enforcement, or in some places, call in several of their colleagues. In either case, they get their money one way or another.
Look, I'm deliberately being a little flippant here, but none of the problems you outline are in any way unsolved. I'm struggling to think of any situation where any of this data needs to be recorded, never mind viewed later.
Human interaction has dealt with all these obstacles for millennia, and new ways of mediating it don't turn them into new obstacles.
I don’t completely disagree but there are some ways to handle at least parts of what you’re talking about. For example, either persistent or ephemeral pseudonyms (yet still uniquely identifiable, at least for a time) and threshold decryption if at least 2 out of the 3 parties agree to some kind of privilege escalation (most likely would be either lyft and rider or lyft and driver, but rider-driver is interesting).
> Is your issue with Lyft's business model, or my
> comments about encryption?
Both, as it goes :)
I think you're using the word need in a much more narrow context than I am. Without Lyft/Uber/whoever convincing their customers that they're needed, there is no need for the data to be recorded in the first place.
And most of the time, you'd still get to Gran's when you said you would.
I know very few people who would tolerate not being able to get a refund. I know many who would end up giving up fighting for it, but would never use the service again.
And, lets bring it up to something more relevant. The driver steals from or assaults a passenger. Having that data would be key in actually bringing charges against the driver.
"Hey, this isn't the right place. Take me where you said you would please."
> ...or doesn't pick me up.
"Hey gran, I'm going to be late for lunch, the darn taxi driver hasn't turned up. I'm calling another firm - guess I'll see you when I get there."
> otherwise how can they charge me if I ruin their car
They will prevent you from departing, and demand cash. If you refuse, they'll either call in law enforcement, or in some places, call in several of their colleagues. In either case, they get their money one way or another.
Look, I'm deliberately being a little flippant here, but none of the problems you outline are in any way unsolved. I'm struggling to think of any situation where any of this data needs to be recorded, never mind viewed later.
Human interaction has dealt with all these obstacles for millennia, and new ways of mediating it don't turn them into new obstacles.