I don't understand how you would optimize routing/matching algorithms if you didn't have a visualization of all the trips/cars in the city. As a entry-level engineer.

Maybe it shouldn't have been tied to PII, but on the other hand there are some wins that you miss out on if you don't. (IIRC someone said that pairing women with women whenever possible increases overall rider engagement?)

My assumption is that Uber became too big too fast.

> pairing women with women whenever possible increases overall rider engagement

I'd fear for the driver's safety if this is true and this arrangement became public. Whoever thinks this is a good idea?

FWIW, here's a related data point:

> One in every 10 Lyft ride matches passengers with friends in common, according to Lyft.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/lyft-launches-profi...