> Why would a plumber need magic to be able to estimate a job? I had one come by my apartment and all he needed was a flashlight.
Exactly, he needed to come to your place. That's how Uber used to operate (the destination was not known until the driver arrived to pick you up). The "magic" in this hypothetical case would be something that tells the plumber how expensive the job would be without needing to drive half way across town for something that a bottle of drano would have fixed.
A driver-for-hire has always been able to decide not to take a job, or to lie about the cost. That's literally the two biggest complaints against taxis: "I called and they never showed up" and "my meter is broken".
If you're advocating for drivers' "rights" to pull these kinds of shenanigans at the expense of riders, the market has some bad news for you.
Exactly, he needed to come to your place. That's how Uber used to operate (the destination was not known until the driver arrived to pick you up). The "magic" in this hypothetical case would be something that tells the plumber how expensive the job would be without needing to drive half way across town for something that a bottle of drano would have fixed.