The 2-Minute Lie: Why Uber’s ETA is Psychologically Engineered
The Universal Frustration It’s 9 AM. You are late for a meeting. You whip out your phone to book a cab. The map shows plenty of cars around you. The text says, “Pickup in 2 minutes.” Relieved, you hit “Confirm Booking.” Swish. The screen refreshes. Your driver has been assigned. And suddenly, that “2 minutes” has turned into “Arrival in 8 minutes.” You stare at the screen, annoyed. You feel tricked. You wonder if their algorithm is broken. ...