Author: Rakesh Agrawal

At first glance, this graph implies that U.S. cash transaction volume is plummeting. But look at the right side. The axis starts at $1,300 billion. If this graph had 0 on the Y axis, the line would essentially be flat. As posted, the graph is highly misleading.

Not using zero as the basis of the Y axis can be useful in certain cases, like analyzing short-term price movements in a stock. But this is a terrible use of it. Or maybe it’s a great use — because the writer wants to make a point unsupported by the data. But it’s still wrong.

Bonus error pointed out by a reader: The “We Are Here” line shows us between 2013 and 2014. We’re between 2014 and 2015.

I received the catalogs from Crate and Barrel and CB2 on the same day. 

It’s better to spread that delivery out over multiple days because it increases the likelihood that I’d look at one of them. On the same day, it’s possible that I’m on vacation and come back to a pile of mail, my (hypothetical) spouse picks up the mail and tosses it out, etc. Spreading the delivery out doubles the chance that I’ll look at it.

To address some other comments from readers:

• Crate and Barrel and CB2 can’t hide that they’re the same brand. Well, they don’t try to hide it anyway. All of the multibrand retailers don’t try to hide it. Crate and Barrel/CB2/LandofNod, Williams-Sonoma/Pottery Barn/West Elm, Banana Republic/Gap/Old Navy/Piperlime/Athleta. There is often cross promotion. And some customers shop multiple brands. e.g. I shop Crate and Barrel and CB2, Banana Republic and Gap, Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn.
• It’s a waste of paper. Sure, many people would consider it a waste of paper. But these catalogs are expensive to produce and distribute. If they didn’t work, they wouldn’t be used. I browse these catalogs while on the toilet. It’s a lot easier to skim through a catalog with rich visuals than the equivalent online experience.
• My recent customer-service issues with Crate and Barrel. Some recalled that I had a bad in-store experience at Crate and Barrel where the clerk insisted on a physical address for a store pickup. After some back-and-forth, I gave my address as 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC. Although the White House might receive my catalog as a result, I got these catalogs because I have a Crate & Barrel credit card. (Possible future quiz: why do I have a Crate & Barrel credit card?)

I was waiting for an Uber and the driver zoomed past me at 35 miles an hour in downtown SF. (Why you wouldn’t drive slower when you’re approaching a passenger is beyond me.) When I flagged him down on the one way street, he backed up in heavy traffic to get to me.

That is the kind of driver that shouldn’t be on Uber’s platform. When I reported what happened, Uber took note and said they were going to reach out to the driver.

But the current process requires active input from passengers. Unless a drive is egregiously bad, most people wouldn’t bother.

Technology provides an easy answer to the problem: passively tracking driver behavior. If someone has a lot of quick stops, swerves a lot, brakes hard or speeds down city streets, that person shouldn’t be on the Uber system.

There’s also another huge advantage: you can track driver behavior when they don’t have a passenger but are logged on the system. The current Uber model provides a strong incentive for drivers to be reckless when they don’t have a passenger. 

For the level of detail that Uber needs to bump bad drivers off the system, the sensors on modern phones are great. 

There are technologies that provide even better data. A start up called Automatic sells a device that consumers can plug into the OBD-II port on 1996 or later cars. The app warns you when you are speeding and braking hard. it also provides logs of your driving and average miles per gallon.

My auto insurance is from Metromile, which uses data from the OBD-II port to charge me by the mile instead of typical pricing models. (I estimate that I’ll save 30% off my former GEICO rates.) Incidentally, Metromile won’t provide coverage while you’re providing taxi services with Uber.

One survey respondent suggested deactivating the Uber app while the vehicle is in motion, much like some embedded navigation systems. Unfortunately, the app is so dependent on people interacting while driving that that won’t happen.

Many taxi drivers are reckless, too. But we can’t do much about that. 

Difficulty: Easy

Provide your answer here.