Last night, I rode home with a stranger. He shot me a cursory glance in the mirror as I climbed into the backseat, but otherwise didn't acknowledge me. For the next 13 minutes, he jabbered away on a hands-free phone and I sat white-knuckled as we whipped around corners and barreled through stop signs.

It was a five-star experience.

Or at least that's what I reported to Uber when prompted to rate my ride. It may have been slightly harrowing, but I had been chauffeured door to door without incident—for half the cost of a cab and infinitely less hassle than the bus. Who was I to nitpick? Not to mention, this guy now knows where I live.

I'm not the only undiscerning reviewer out there. Like many transactions in the online economy, "perfect" has become the default rideshare rating. The majority of customers give 5 stars across the board, reserving one-star scores for only the most egregious experiences. There's hardly any middle ground.

In an industry built entirely on trust between strangers, this is an alarming notion. The digital equivalent of a "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval," peer-to-peer platforms tout customer ratings as a fail-safe indicator of safety and satisfaction. They implore us to open our homes, hitch rides and leave our pets with people we've never met—all based on the aggregate endorsement of other strangers. And I do so, regularly and without pause.

Yet, despite a prevailing code of transparency and trust, these companies aren't exactly encouraging honest feedback. For instance, Lyft explicitly tells customers "anything lower than 5 [stars] indicates you were somehow unhappy with the ride." There's nothing wrong with striving for excellence, but, in essence, a 4-star review is a black mark on the record of your hardworking and arguably underpaid driver. No pressure, right?

Uber is even more emphatic about maintaining a five-star fleet. A few low scores can reportedly land drivers in costly remedial classes where they learn not merely safe driving techniques, but the finer points of earning flawless reviews, like providing riders with bottled water and maintaining good hygiene. Those who don't boost their scores risk suspension or permanent deactivation.