What should be common sense, isn’t always clear. Here are some tips if you are a rider and don’t know proper passenger etiquette when getting an Uber or a Lyft.
Photo courtesy of: Thought Catalogue on Upsplash
I’m a rideshare driver. Four years ago, this gig was lucrative for drivers. Now? Not so much. Both Uber and Lyft claim they take no more than 25% of the total fair the rider is charged. This isn’t always true. Many times they take upwards of more than 40% of the fee the rider pays. We put thousands of miles on our vehicles yearly and beat them up all in the name of providing a service to the community.
Uber and Lyft both have rules contained in a Terms Of Service agreement. There is a TOS for both the driver and the rider. The reality is, however, that no one really reads the TOS from Uber or Lyft. There are, however, times when I shake my head because people don’t seem to want to be considerate when they get a ride in someone else’s personal vehicle. Listen, this is my car, my time, my mileage, my maintenance costs, and my gas. I’m doing YOU a favor by providing a safe, reliable, clean and, comfortable ride. Be at the curb on time, be prepared and be respectful. It’s the least you can do. Want to really be adult and do more? Read on.
CHILD SAFETY SEATS:
This literally happened to me today. Lady appears with an infant (in a car seat) and a small child in tow.
Me: Do you have a car seat for the little one?
Pax: No.
Me: Well, unfortunately you need one because in this state, that’s a $500 fine that I cannot afford and will not risk getting.
Pax: He uses a booster seat.
Me: That’s fine, but you still need one.
Pax: Do you have one?
Me: No. All my kids are grown and it’s not my responsibility to carry one.
Pax: Well, no one has ever had a problem with it before. We’re just going to the WIC office right up the street and the booster seat is with my husband in his car.
Photo by Alessandro Vallainc on Unsplash
Me: I’m sorry. You still need one. If you don’t have one, you’ll have to cancel the ride.
Pax: How do I do that?
Me: I’m not sure, as I don’t use the rider app. Again, I’m really sorry. I hope you can get another ride or a booster seat. Have a good day.
(Pax refers to the name passengers are called in a forum I frequent.)
The whopping $3.67 I would have made on that trip (yes, you read that correctly), is not worth a $300 fine, for anyone’s child.
I refuse to feel bad about this for a number of reasons. The first and foremost being a parent myself, I would never get into a vehicle (my own or otherwise) without the proper, state required child safety seats. This is called proper parenting. If you can’t manage this – don’t have children. I am dead serious about that. Most accidents happen within 5 miles of home or work and I would never be able to forgive myself if there was an accident and your kid got ejected out of my car.
Second – It’s the law. In every single state in the U.S. there are laws that require children to be in car or booster seats. There are weight, age and in some cases, height requirements. In some states, a violation of the child safety seat laws can carry a fine upwards of $500. As a rideshare driver, it is not my responsibility to provide you with a booster seat. However, it is your responsibility to have one because it’s your kid. You will be asked to cancel the ride if you are not prepared to have your child safely transported.
Third – you can get mad at me all you like because I’m refusing to take you where you need to go, over a car seat issue. If you cannot see the problem your dilemma presents, you’re gonna have a hard time.
While we’re on the issue of children, let me say this – If your child is under the age of 18 years old, they are a minor and according to the TOS you agreed to with Uber and Lyft, they MUST be accompanied by an adult if they are a passenger. This is a rule of Uber and Lyft. Please do not think that it is acceptable for your teenager to get a ride with a rideshare driver. Don’t get mad either if we ask the rider to cancel the ride. If I won’t make an exception for a car seat, I’m not making the exception for a teenager. Not even if they are 17 years old. There are way too many chances for your kid to claim a driver did something they shouldn’t have done and this isn’t a risk I’m willing to take. And as a parent, you shouldn’t trust a stranger with your child, no matter how old your kid is.
WEARING SEAT BELTS:
It is the law. I cannot stress this enough. Do not put a rideshare driver in the uncomfortable position of having to ask you to put your seat belt on. Whether you are allowed to ride up front or you sit in the back, we don’t want your body flailing around in case there’s an accident. This is a no-brainer.
Photo by Cathal Mac an Bheatha on Unsplash
EATING, DRINKING, SMOKING:
Again, this is common sense but since that’s rare, it needs spelling out. Please ask before you eat or drink in our cars. Sometimes riders make messes and give no consideration to the driver or the car they are riding in. Please don’t enter our cars with open drink containers or cups with no lids. Our seats are not napkins for your hands. Our floor isn’t your trash can. If you leave your trash behind, I will get out of my car and ask you to come back and take it with you. If you give me a hard time about taking your own trash, I’ll charge a “return item” fee. That’s $15 on top of what you’ve already paid for the ride. If you don’t agree with this the solution is to take your trash with you. Drivers are getting wise to the rudeness that riders display and are not afraid to take advantage of the various fees one can be charged with, to compensate for the rudeness and lack of respect. Keep in mind, if you spill food or drink, we take pictures and submit a claim to the rideshare company so that we can receive compensation for cleaning your mess. The cost to you? $175.
Photo by Oliur on Unsplash
Smoking is a no-brainer. Don’t do it. I’ll pull over and end your ride if you light up in my vehicle after I have nicely asked you not to smoke or vape.
DRUGS:
No. Just no. Don’t do them and don’t offer them in exchange for the ride. That’s not cool.
I have encountered the same drug dealer twice now. I smelled the marijuana as soon as he opened the door. For this reason, I keep a bottle of Febreeze, Clorox wipes and plenty of napkins in my vehicle.
SERVICE DOGS and EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS:
If you have a service animal, we are allowed to ask you two questions: 1. Is your dog a service animal? 2. What jobs has your dog been trained to do? By law, a service animal must be allowed in my vehicle. I may ask you to either keep him on the floor if he’s small enough, or I may pull out a blanket and cover the seat and ask you to keep your dog on the blanket. Either way, is reasonable.
If you have an Emotional Support Animal, I have the right to refuse the ride. ESA’s are not covered under the same laws for Service animals as they have not been specifically trained to do certain jobs for their disabled owner. ESA’s are also more likely to not be properly trained to sit still in a moving vehicle.
I have not yet had this situation happen, but I do have a blanket in my vehicle in case I have a rider with a service dog.
Photo by Sarah Brown on Unsplash
All in all, I have had very pleasant riders in my time as a rideshare driver. There have been two instances where times were uncomfortable and both were from lack of car seats. Tipping is appreciated, but it isn’t necessary. If your driver does go out of his or her way for you, and you have been provided with a clean, safe ride, tipping them is the best way to say thank you!