Uber drivers in Kenya call it ‘riding Karura’ when you use the app to match with a driver, cancel the ride, then paying the driver a pre-negotiated amount in cash.
The term comes from the nearby Karura forest which is a popular taxi pickup point. It also loosely means ‘law of the jungle’ where you do what you need to do to provide for yourself and family.
This is a form of disintermediation that cuts Uber out of the value chain so the driver can earn more take home pay per ride.
See also:
- This American Life 713: Made to Be Broken where they talk about rules that are broken for good and bad reasons.