NPR reveals a new twist in passenger ratings

Imagine finishing a ride and being asked the usual questions: “How was your driver? Was the car clean? Did you feel safe?” Now picture this—your ride app pops up a broken heart emoji and asks, “Was the car smelly?” That’s not satire, that’s China’s newest reality, as reported by NPR’s Anthony Kuhn.

An odor rating is exactly what it sounds like: a feedback system where passengers can mark whether their ride smelled fresh, funky, or downright unbearable. DiDi Chuxing, China’s largest ride-hailing company, quietly rolled out this feature last year after complaints from customers about unpleasant odors inside cars. If drivers collect too many complaints, they can be suspended until they complete “odor control” training.

Why track smell in the first place?

For DiDi, it’s about customer satisfaction. Chinese consumers are increasingly demanding a clean, polished experience when they pay for services, and that includes air quality inside the car. But it’s also about managing the image of the platform. As University of Toronto professor Julie Yujie Chen told NPR, “I’m not sure this measure will solve the problem, except adding more surveillance on the workers. I feel it’s more for public relations, to kind of like appease the passengers.”

Not surprisingly, the policy has divided drivers.

Shao Wei, a 36-year-old driver who left the finance industry after going into debt, rents and cleans his car daily. He understands why the system exists but says it’s unfair to colleagues who live in their vehicles. “Most taxi drivers whose cars smell bad actually live in their cars,” he explained. “They just want to save some money to help their families live a little better.” Shao added, “I think the drivers whose cars smell bad are heroes who bravely face life, and I hope passengers will give them some understanding.”

Other drivers are less sympathetic. Yang Guangdong, who has been driving for a decade, complained that smell complaints are subjective. “For example, let’s say you like the smell of apples, and your passenger likes jasmine. You don’t like each other’s scents, in which case, he’s sure to say your car stinks,” he told NPR. His advice? Skip the perfume and air fresheners altogether, since they might make matters worse.

Behind the comedy of “smell ratings” lies a serious reality. Millions of workers forced out of steady jobs during the pandemic and China’s economic slowdown have joined the gig economy. Many drive for DiDi or deliver food through super-apps like Meituan, working 12–15 hour days just to stay afloat.

Chen points out that the underlying problem is not smell but overwork. “The most fundamental issues here are related to overworking drivers,” she said, noting that odor ratings do little to address the economic pressures squeezing workers.

Is this really about privacy?

Here’s where the story stops being funny. Tracking odor ratings means companies like DiDi are keeping logs of highly personal, subjective information about both drivers and, indirectly, passengers. As Shao Wei admitted, “Sometimes on the late shift, I meet riders who have just eaten, or have bad breath.” If companies are scoring drivers on scent, how long before riders are judged too?

At first, it’s easy to laugh at the absurdity of having a “smell score.” But underneath is a warning. This is data collection about something deeply personal, stored by a corporation, and possibly shared with regulators or investors. In the United States, where individual rights are seen as more important than government or corporate demands, such a system would cause outrage. Americans may argue about ride prices, surge fees, or tipping, but the idea that a company would keep a record of how you smell after a late-night taco run? That would be a step too far.

ACZ Editor: Sorry, this is perhaps the most intrusive piece of personal information I can think of. It cannot possibly be accurate but the damage to someone’s reputationn would be absolute.