WWBlueStuff
Do you have questions for your Uber anad Lyft drivers? What about tips and suggestions? Whether you are a driver or a rider, share your comments here and get responses from real rideshare drivers.
Please do share. Remember when some dude died after getting kicked off Lyft? I can't help it to think he did something to be kicked out, you know?
Lyft Passenger Killed in Fatal Hit-and-Run on Freeway After Driver Demands He Exits Vehicle
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Lyft-Passenger-Killed-in-Fatal-Hit-and-Run-on-Freeway-473302203.html
RPaulson
I actually want new drivers to take this as an advice. Don't pick up crappy riders. Cancel immediately.
This technically isn't cancelling a ride mid-ride, but I went to the mall to go pick up this woman on a Thursday night. There was some traffic and some confusion as to which exit she was waiting. When I pulled up, she started berating me for being late and started to nag. I knew this would be a $5.00 1-star ride. So you know what I did? I told her to get out of the car and cancelled it. Don't need this crap.
Why is this a good advice? Because if you don't start the ride, those crappy passengers cannot give you a 1-star rating.
DaveWhittle
I've had plenty of riders I wanted to kick out of my car, but I never have. Here's why I haven't.
1) The harder your passenger is to bear, the more likely it is that they're either dangerous or a threat to your well-being. I make it a point of pride to be the adult in the car on every ride. That often means swallowing my pride and keeping my mouth shut. Jesus taught "agree with your adversary quickly, lest he turn on you." That's especiallly good advice when you're driving strangers around. The meaner a person is, the more likely they are to find a way to hurt you somehow for any slight they perceive. Your rider could be a first-time / one-time rider - the most dangerous kind.
2) I don't like losing money on any ride I've accepted, but if I'm going to cancel a ride, I do it before they get in my car. I also don't accept rides from low-rated passengers in the first place unless I'm chasing some sort of incentive based on acceptance rate.
3) Not that ratings matter all that much (they matter to the degree they keep your passenger from canceling on you, and they kinda set expectations for those who tip), but you'll get better ratings if you treat everyone with respect and a smile - even those who don't deserve either.
4) As you noted in your question, it's not only dangerous for you, it could be dangerous to your passenger. Soothing your pride is not worth endangering someone's safety, much less their life. That driver could be found liable in a court of law for the safety of the passenger.
Hope that helps!
I've had plenty of riders I wanted to kick out of my car, but I never have. Here's why I haven't.
1) The harder your passenger is to bear, the more likely it is that they're either dangerous or a threat to your well-being. I make it a point of pride to be the adult in the car on every ride. That often means swallowing my pride and keeping my mouth shut. Jesus taught "agree with your adversary quickly, lest he turn on you." That's especiallly good advice when you're driving strangers around. The meaner a person is, the more likely they are to find a way to hurt you somehow for any slight they perceive. Your rider could be a first-time / one-time rider - the most dangerous kind.
2) I don't like losing money on any ride I've accepted, but if I'm going to cancel a ride, I do it before they get in my car. I also don't accept rides from low-rated passengers in the first place unless I'm chasing some sort of incentive based on acceptance rate.
3) Not …
I've had plenty of riders I wanted to kick out of my car, but I never have. Here's why I haven't.
1) The harder your passenger is to bear, the more likely it is that they're either dangerous or a threat to your well-being. I make it a point of pride to be the adult in the car on every ride. That often means swallowing my pride and keeping my mouth shut. Jesus taught "agree with your adversary quickly, lest he turn on you." That's especiallly good advice when you're driving strangers around. The meaner a person is, the more likely they are to find a way to hurt you somehow for any slight they perceive. Your rider could be a first-time / one-time rider - the most dangerous kind.
2) I don't like losing money on any ride I've accepted, but if I'm going to cancel a ride, I do it before they get in my car. I also don't accept rides from low-rated passengers in the first place unless I'm chasing some sort of incentive based on acceptance rate.
3) Not that ratings matter all that much (they matter to the degree they keep your passenger from canceling on you, and they kinda set expectations for those who tip), but you'll get better ratings if you treat everyone with respect and a smile - even those who don't deserve either.
4) As you noted in your question, it's not only dangerous for you, it could be dangerous to your passenger. Soothing your pride is not worth endangering someone's safety, much less their life. That driver could be found liable in a court of law for the safety of the passenger.
Hope that helps!
Had to politely tell the passenger that he can't get there form here once.
I was on Lyft destination filter heading home. Got a request and figured it will be good to pick up the passenger to reduce deadheaded miles. Picked him up, started the trip and noticed that his ultimate destination was indeed close to my house, BUT he also had a stop planted 40 minutes away, prior to the drop off, so that would add an hour and half to my trip. Strange that Lyft would match us up where I clearly entered my destination (they can't assume I will be willing to drive around for anohter 1.5 hours prior to drop off). Suchs for the passenger as he waited for me to get to him for 10 minutes only to be told the ride can't happen as I had somewhere to be at a certain time and this was a Destination Filter ride that somehow got dispatched in error
I will admit, that request looks like a dream request to me. 1.5 hour drive to my house ($150~200) to finish my day? :Drooling.
I get it though. When you gotta be somewhere, you gotta be somewhere. I guess the destination filter sorta failed but it sorta worked, right? We can see why it did what it did.
Dave, love the advice. I treat everyone with courtesy even when a few didnt deserve it. I dont disagree with anyone even when I dont agree. I talk when my rider wants conversation and shut up when I know they dont. I try to let them pick the conversation and where it goes. I use ratings as a guide. Unfortunately some lower rated riders were absolutely no problem and they tipped. That leaves me to believe the other drivers were the problem not the rider. It does suck at times going by the ratings. I've taken chances at times that have paid off but I've also declined rides based on ratings that could've also been fine. Some drivers can be a little rough on rating riders as riders can be rough on drivers.
Driving late night on weekends, I feel like I kick someone out almost every week.
Just two weeks ago, Saturday night at 3AM, these three guys got on, and they kept yelling "gaaaaaaaay" to each other, and it wasn't even in context. They just liked to be yelling that word over and over again. I told them repeatedly they need to quiet down and they kept doing it.
When I finally pulled over and told them again, one of them (the worst one) yelled it directly into my face. That's when I swiped and cancelled the trip and told them the ride is over. The worst offender didn't seem to know what happened. The other two gave me the "come on!!", but looked anxious to get out. They stepped out, slammed BOTH my doors as hard they could. I didn't even feel bad it was in middle of nowhere. (it was a nice night, they could have used a little walk to cool off.)
This one was asked by a passenger.
I’ve kicked a few people out of my car over the years. I used to drive in a college town (Santa Barbara) and had to kick students out almost every night. Here’s what gets you kicked out of my car:
#5 is no hard feelings and I feel bad, but it turns my entire shift into taking you to the East Bay for about $20. The big problem comes on the return trip. After I drop you off, I have to wait in line for 2 hours without earning anything (even …
This one was asked by a passenger.
I’ve kicked a few people out of my car over the years. I used to drive in a college town (Santa Barbara) and had to kick students out almost every night. Here’s what gets you kicked out of my car:
#5 is no hard feelings and I feel bad, but it turns my entire shift into taking you to the East Bay for about $20. The big problem comes on the return trip. After I drop you off, I have to wait in line for 2 hours without earning anything (even with Fastrak). I lose A TON of money and my landlord doesn’t accept kindness as a form of rent payment.
If you do #1 – #4 than you can go play in traffic while blindfolded for all I care.
I do this full time, 5-12 hours a day on days I work, in the Worcester and/or Boston areas of MA.
772 trips with Uber in 4 months. 172 with Lyft in 2. Most riders are great, just people going from A to B.
I've had to kick out passengers only twice on Uber, once on Lyft.
Both times with Uber it was because they tried to cancel the ride mid-trip.
"It was an accident!" they claimed, both times.
Nonsense. You have to click accept at least twice to cancel the ride. Get the fuck out of my car.
1 star, report to Uber.
The Lyft one was a drunk 20-something man who WOULD NOT stop flirting.
Figured I wanted to make out with him as bad as he wanted to make out with me. He was wrong.
Told him I had a boyfriend, he said "Well he doesn't have to know."
Okay... have a nice walk you pig.
Booted him out in the middle of nowhere, mid-ride.
1 starred and reported.
Thanks for sharing. That's some crappy experience. I have had others cancel mid-trip as well. Why do they all claim it was by accident?
One guy had a (potentially) credible answer. It was, "My friend call this Uber and she must have cancelled it?" I called BS, but later I found out this happens often when one leader of a pack tries to call multiple rides. Some people assume since the group is on a car, they are good. so they cancel and call another for the second group.
Can I ask whether they left bad reviews? I also am curious if Uber would be considerate enough to take those off of your records. They should.
This is interesting that both times, you kicked them out for canceling. I would imagine it'd be for puking or rude customers.
Here's my experience where I cancelled a ride. I technically didn't kick him out. He was already outside the car. It was like 12:45AM, and it was surging at 1.5x. I picked up this super tall white dude outside of a bar. He didn't look too trunk or dishoveled, which is always nice on a Saturday (Firday?) night. He says he is going to Medford, like 9 miles away.
Then he asks me to pull into Taco Bell because he's got the munchies. The guy asks me to stop in real quick, so he can get something to go. (He even offered me a soft taco supreme.) I agree, we pull in and notice the drive-through had a line. The dude, just snaps to action and walks into the store. I park.
Then the guy doesn't come out for like 10 minutes, most likely stuck in a long line of drunks getting out of bars. I call the guy to say I can't wait anymore. He says he's coming out in 60 seconds. I give him 3 more minutes, while fully aware…
Here's my experience where I cancelled a ride. I technically didn't kick him out. He was already outside the car. It was like 12:45AM, and it was surging at 1.5x. I picked up this super tall white dude outside of a bar. He didn't look too trunk or dishoveled, which is always nice on a Saturday (Firday?) night. He says he is going to Medford, like 9 miles away.
Then he asks me to pull into Taco Bell because he's got the munchies. The guy asks me to stop in real quick, so he can get something to go. (He even offered me a soft taco supreme.) I agree, we pull in and notice the drive-through had a line. The dude, just snaps to action and walks into the store. I park.
Then the guy doesn't come out for like 10 minutes, most likely stuck in a long line of drunks getting out of bars. I call the guy to say I can't wait anymore. He says he's coming out in 60 seconds. I give him 3 more minutes, while fully aware there are more surges going on, and I decided to drive off. Soft taco even a supreme wasn't worth the wait.
I ended the trip, so I didn't hear from him again, but he did leave a bad review and complained to Uber and got his fare back. Ouch.
That sucks, man. It's the old "I will only be a few minutes at a fast-food trick." That's happened to me multiple times. Gotta be careful when to say yes to those.
You agreed to drive the man to his house. You cancelling the ride is unprofessional. He was holding up his side of the bargain by incurring significant fees every minute, and you just ditched him.
I don't know how he got the fare back. He had only paid for the portion of the trip to get to that Taco Bell. He got that ride for free then.
Then there's the wait time though. He was paying you a per minute fee for like 15 minutes. I can see him pissed about that.
I'm on the uber x platform and to young dumbies were going less than a mile and ask if I had water. No I said and they got annoyed so I said actually I do have water in my radiator , would you like some ? I pulled over to the curb and said here is your free reality check Exit my car and enjoy your one star rating.
I have a standard answer for that (although I have almost never been asked if I have water): The reason is simple: I used to carry water by rarely got tipped for providing it. So it cost me more money to provide the service than the service was worth.
That's the honest truth and people understand. (Or, at least I've never been rated poorly for it.)
So the asnwer to this question, "As an UberX driver, do you provide gum, mints, water, charger to your passengers?" is yes, but only to those who drive more than a mile.
For you, yes. For me, no. It's strictly a business decision and people do understand. This is my business and i run it accordingly.
Oh, don't get me wrong. I don't provide any water either.
I actually tried it for a few weeks. I can't remember if it increased tip or not, but when I did the math, each bottle was like like $0.25, which cut into the profit especially when there are multiple passengers on a single ride.
I had one family of tourist who took like five bottles. Not cool. (though, their fare was like $45, so I guess that's okay.)
I also faced the logistics of my long 14 hour shift, where I realized I couldn't keep them cold. A big box of water bottles, heating up in the back trunk. NO one wanted it.
It's these "reality" things that people don't notice. It ain't easy.
You are my hero.
Tell me one thing, because I want to be like you. Do they leave a retaliatory ratings? Complaints to Uber, etc.? I hate coming across as a pushover, but that's the primary reason I can't do or say the things you do.
One time, I drove this guy to his friend's house which was a gate-community. We buzzed his friend but there were no responses. He said there is a party and he must not be able to hear his intercom.
There were other cars going by and going into the community. The guy insisted that I follow another car through the gate. Told me to stay "very close." I declined, completed the ride without asking and told him to walk. I will not risk the gate shutting on my car AND did not want ot be involved in tresspassing as this man could not prove to me that he had permission to enter the premises.
I have no idea how far the walk was for him, but he was super pissed. Screamed and yelled and gave me a 1-star rating. Uber took care of 2 weeks later.
Yes, it was horrible... the rider was abusing me and filming it. I finally told him to get out and he would not, he told me to shut up and drive he did not want to talk to me... I took him to the police to get him out. He said told the police and Uber I was racist, but we were both white. He rated me a 1 and I was almost deactivated... luckily I have a dashcam... This is one of the only people to push my buttons in 37 years.
I have learned not to start the trip until I am ready to drive off and to size up the riders before it starts.
My car is a safe place for all, regardless of gender identification, sexuality, color, and political views.... etc. Not for violence.
In the last year I have been assaulted, shot at and chased, had people picking fights with cops and people on the street. Cops bringing someone to the car to get rid of them (I drove away) People carrying limp unconscious drunks to car (said no) Bartenders calling U…
Yes, it was horrible... the rider was abusing me and filming it. I finally told him to get out and he would not, he told me to shut up and drive he did not want to talk to me... I took him to the police to get him out. He said told the police and Uber I was racist, but we were both white. He rated me a 1 and I was almost deactivated... luckily I have a dashcam... This is one of the only people to push my buttons in 37 years.
I have learned not to start the trip until I am ready to drive off and to size up the riders before it starts.
My car is a safe place for all, regardless of gender identification, sexuality, color, and political views.... etc. Not for violence.
In the last year I have been assaulted, shot at and chased, had people picking fights with cops and people on the street. Cops bringing someone to the car to get rid of them (I drove away) People carrying limp unconscious drunks to car (said no) Bartenders calling Uber for super drunks (wish I had drove away and will from now on)... Toxic couples fighting in back to the point of hitting... (almost)... People refusing to get out at the end of the ride and asking for a free ride someplace else... one dude was arguing with a friend who slammed my door so hard I thought it was broken.... A dude dealing drugs through the window and then his buddy stealing my stuff from in back. Had a customer in a really bad area... after waiting I called and he said they would be out in a minute... then I heard him order a round of shots... (cancelled ride and left.) Also had three customers that left a stench on my seat that was horrific. Having to clean the seats after cig or weed smokers is bad enough... Glad I have softex seats as cloth would be ruined and leather would need professional cleaning. But I only cancelled the one ride .5 miles in.
Yeah it sucks that once a rider rates you, that is it... and uber claims it cannot do anything about it. Honestly, It does not seem like they care much about that. I would never do this without a dash cam as proof of behavior. I am glad that I was not deactivated, but it was a pain and the black mark is still there.
I have learned to now say that "I feel uncomfortable with this ride and I do not want to do it." Sorry. Or to drive off if it is too dangerous or I feel unsafe. (which includes people about to puke!) I am not proud of that... but it is called survival and protecting oneself and one's car.
over 6500 rides on my belt... I have had some really rotten rides including being sexually assaulted... guns in the car... disrespected to the max... But most of it is good. But lately... more people are getting really douchey and a little racist... Not sure why that it is, but I do not like it. My car is a safe place. I was raised to welcome all, and to respect people's choices for their lives. Racism has no place in this world. I understand how it feels to be on the receiving end... and feel threatened. And it hurts after standing up, supporting, and defending others.
So knowing this, as a rider, what do you think? Venting is fine, but do not be rude or treat them bad? Many of us are well educated and good people... that will become evident as your ride begins... I hope to make everyone who rides feel relaxed and hopefully calmer or happier than when they got in and arrive safe and sound. Uber keeps lowering the driver pay... so if you want to have a decent drivers...
One last thing. It takes an hour to get a hot dog, cheeseburger, or taco at night in my town. I immediately say no, I will not wait and why. Late night was my bread and butter and I make almost nothing when not moving. This is explained. I have even offered free granola bars or ramen noodles if they are pissy moany about it. If they want, sometimes I will go to a gas station, but only if they add it as a stop and dare quick or I will tell them restaurants that are open if they want to go.
Why did this 4 year old thread show up in my email?
I actually want new drivers to take this as an advice. Don't pick up crappy riders. Cancel immediately.
This technically isn't cancelling a ride mid-ride, but I went to the mall to go pick up this woman on a Thursday night. There was some traffic and some confusion as to which exit she was waiting. When I pulled up, she started berating me for being late and started to nag. I knew this would be a $5.00 1-star ride. So you know what I did? I told her to get out of the car and cancelled it. Don't need this crap.
Why is this a good advice? Because if you don't start the ride, those crappy passengers cannot give you a 1-star rating.
RPaulson Great advice. I dont do a lot of bar rides anymore but when I do their rating needs to be 4.80 or higher. Rides during the day depending on the area I will go as low as 4.65. I have done a 4.50 rider who liked to give directions but other than that was very nice and tipped 20% on long ride. I had a 4.52 the other night I posted in comments below that I shouldnt of accepted. Lyft is useless everyone is 4.9 or 5 stars. On the few occassions I see a 4.8 I dont accept. Thats a low rating on Lyft. lol
I just want to add when you pull up make sure your doors are locked. Ask who they are and who their driver is. It gives you 10/15 secs to check out their demeanor, attitude, & possibly how intoxicated they are. I sometimes say "sorry didnt realize doors were locked" if they seem annoyed (diesn't happen often). If I am not sure but suspect an issue I will talk to them and fiddle around with my phone (another 10/15 secs) blaming the app before I start trip. In that time you can usually predict if there will be an issue. 2500+ rides havent kicked anyone out (2 deserved it).
I've only asked two people to leave my car out of about 3000 rides. One man was angry because I couldn't find him fast enough. I canceled because I couldn't find him, and I was double parked for quite some time. I drove away, and he requested another ride which I accepted without noticing it was the same rider, I picked him uip this time, and he started complaining right away. I drove for about two minutes and then kicked his ass on the street in the pouring rain. Must say it felt good. He was drunk and very unpleasant.
The other time somebody thought I took too long to get him. He needed to get to a bank before it closed, and his lack of planning was somehow thought to be my problem. I had to wait for a freight train, so I couldn't get to him faster, but he started cursing at me right away (first through the phone, then in person). I kicked him out after driving for maybe 100 yards. He threatend me and told me to never come back into his little town.
Two out of 3000 isn't bad. N…
I've only asked two people to leave my car out of about 3000 rides. One man was angry because I couldn't find him fast enough. I canceled because I couldn't find him, and I was double parked for quite some time. I drove away, and he requested another ride which I accepted without noticing it was the same rider, I picked him uip this time, and he started complaining right away. I drove for about two minutes and then kicked his ass on the street in the pouring rain. Must say it felt good. He was drunk and very unpleasant.
The other time somebody thought I took too long to get him. He needed to get to a bank before it closed, and his lack of planning was somehow thought to be my problem. I had to wait for a freight train, so I couldn't get to him faster, but he started cursing at me right away (first through the phone, then in person). I kicked him out after driving for maybe 100 yards. He threatend me and told me to never come back into his little town.
Two out of 3000 isn't bad. Now that I think about it, I do drive away if people take to long to get their shit together. One time I swear the people came out to go to the airport, and then it took them at least another 15 minutes to get all their stuff near or in my car. At some point I just unloaded all their luggage and drove away. Ask for a ride when you're ready FFS.
The airport thing is a major problem. I hate it. Everyone tries to be smart about "requesting ahead", and they aren't even ready. They must be requesting it before they get all their bags. Why don't they understand that we are off of a queue and requesting ahead has no meaning.
and it's the worst for the driver. Navigating in front of the terminal is a mess (have you seen PHL and LGA?) , and we are always afraid of not getting another ride after we cancel.
re - How long are waits at airports? what do you mena, another ride?
The only time I have ever kicked a passenger out was for cursing as well. He decided (too late) that he did not like the route the GPS was taking us and started curing me out for being a dumb shit and not taking the "better" route to begin with. Kicked him out so fast.
PRO TIP: When a passenger calls you to complains "where are you" they are going to give you 1 star. Drive past them to start the timer, then go to the end of the block and wit the 5 minutes and cancel on them. Or cancel right away. But whatever you do, do not take them. It will be a short worthless ride, you will get a 1 star rating, and it'll ruin your whole day.
I have never kicked out anyone, but I have had a passenger suggest I kick out his girlfriend, because she was being drunk and loud.
She was being really funny though while yelling at my driving. but in good nature. like, "Watch out for that median that looks like a dude in a hoodie!" "Slow down! You are gonna get us pulled over and make me go to jail." No idea why she would go to jail as she didn't seem to be breaking any laws.
The boyfriend was going along yelling, "Let the man drive!! We are not going to jail!" then turns around to me and whispers, "I seriousluy would give you a huge tip if you kicked her out."
It actually looked like a very healthy relationship. I am sure if I had kicked her out, he would have laughed and brought her back in.
LOL. Oooooh, I've actually had this dude actually kick out his girlfriend from my car. They were in an argument for something stupid like not listening and embarassing themselves at dinner, and he was like, "That's it, I am kicking you out of this Uber." (even though it's me who is driving)
She said something like, "You can't kick me out." Then the dude turns to me and says "Please pull over. Her ride is over." Then she yells, "Nooo you get out. This is my Uber. I called it" while shoving the phone into his face.
I basically had no idea what to do, but I had to pull over, which I did. Luckily, I guess they agreed that she should leave, so she storms off while yelling something and boyfriend, calmly shut the door. I will never forget what he said he sighs, looks up and says, "Shall we?"
I have canceled trips mid-ride for underage riders. Yep, whenever I find out that the passengers are minors, I immediately pullover and tell them to get off. No exceptions.
Yes, safety first. Here's a funny story. One time I pulled over into a strip mall parking lot to let out three teenage girls. They were embarrassed and berated. Kept asking me what the big deal was. When they complained about their safety, I decided to stay with them until another ride could arrive. For some reason I was naive enough to think they'd call their parents or friends, but, of course, they called another Lyft. I had already told them of the company policy and no driver would give them a ride, but they did it anyway.
I felt at that point, it was not my business, so I waited until another driver arrived. Should I have warned the other driver? I figured it wasn't my place.
You really have a power control issues! People with kids hate drivers like you! I drove 3,000 rides for Uber and I never had an issue with minors. Like how are they supposed to get home especially when Mom and Dad are working and they are stranded? It’s always been the adults that caused so much trouble on many occasions. Gang members attempting to rob me, people who can’t keep their hands off me while driving, fighting in my car and a guy who hated white people who tried to kill himself by jumping out on the fast moving freeway and then trying to steal from me while verbally assaulting me. The list goes on…
If people reek of pot when they step into my car, they don’t stay. It usually takes me a minute to pick up on the stench. It’s purely a cleanliness/hygiene issue and I don’t want to have to stop giving rides to fumigate the car. A few got angry and slammed the car door pretty hard, but whatever.
I did have one gal with an attitude. She was in a dangerous area for me to pick her up and so I asked her to meet me in an adjacent parking lot. She gave me attitude and started taunting me. Finally I pulled over and said this ride isn’t working for me and asked her to leave. She wouldn’t leave and said to continue with the ride. She continued to taunt me but I wouldn’t engage her. She finally realized she couldn’t get my goat any longer and so I pulled over. She screamed in my ear and called me a racist, then got out of the car and threw her soda cup at the car. Needless to say she was reported.
The worst experience I h…
If people reek of pot when they step into my car, they don’t stay. It usually takes me a minute to pick up on the stench. It’s purely a cleanliness/hygiene issue and I don’t want to have to stop giving rides to fumigate the car. A few got angry and slammed the car door pretty hard, but whatever.
I did have one gal with an attitude. She was in a dangerous area for me to pick her up and so I asked her to meet me in an adjacent parking lot. She gave me attitude and started taunting me. Finally I pulled over and said this ride isn’t working for me and asked her to leave. She wouldn’t leave and said to continue with the ride. She continued to taunt me but I wouldn’t engage her. She finally realized she couldn’t get my goat any longer and so I pulled over. She screamed in my ear and called me a racist, then got out of the car and threw her soda cup at the car. Needless to say she was reported.
The worst experience I had though, was just a few weeks ago. I waited past the 3 minutes which was my mistake because the passenger messaged me and said that he was coming. The passenger finally showed up and once again, he reeked of pot and was higher than the space station. I told him that I couldn’t accommodate him. He became belligerent and started asking for his money back. I told him since we weren’t going anywhere that he wouldn’t be charged. He then whipped out his cell phone and started recording me and told his buddies on the video that I was his n-word. I even tried calling 911 but he screamed over my talking with the operator. He finally got out. I was shaken up so much I couldn’t drive for the next 3 days. I reported him and I hope that he was banned. I’ll never know.
One more ride from Hell: I drove three ladies a little over a mile to the Hollywood Bowl. Those who know the area know that the Bowl is a crap carnival when it comes to driving. It was absolute gridlock. I tried talking them into getting out and walking, but every time I almost had them opening the door, they’d read a post about Trump and they’d get suck into a gabfest about how much they hated them. 2 Hours later, I dropped them off. I’ve learned that I don’t mention politics. If someone engages me, I’ll politely refuse. I won’t get baited into a confrontation.
So I just had to do this for the first time last night. Guy was drunk, picked him up from his house (fight with the mrs?!) and at first he was ok, all apologetic but then he just started getting belligerent. He was on the phone with someone and kept screaming. I finally pulled over and told him we arriver (oops) I didn't want the confrontation of "kicking" him out though.
I've never had to kick anyone out thank goodness but I did consider it once when some guy got in my car with a Make America Great Again hat...
There's a common theme to when I kicked out the passengers in the three instances.
They were ALL racists.
One, there was another time the guy opened the door to let a friend in, and he banged the guardrail. Thankfully there was no damage but I remember being angry and giving him a 1 star. (I guess I didn't end the trip mid-ride.)
I had a guy a month ago at Fells Point who was belligerent drunk and kept kicking the back of my seat. I really have no idea why some people are total assholes and think this is ok. We didn't have an argument or anything. He just thought it was funny.
I first say, "Hey, can you stop that." he doesn't. I heard him chuckle. It escalates to him using his hands to bang on the seat. That's when I point at the dashcam and says, "I am recording all of these behaviors. I can take you to the police now or you get out."
He got out, slammed the door, and called me all kinds of names as I drove off and then banged twice very loud on my trunk. Gosh, do you see what we deal with?
Only a few (out of 5000 or so). The last couple I kicked out got irate & vulgar after I politely declined to make a 2AM Whataburger stop. They started berating me and cussing at me. They got 1 warning. They continued. I pulled over & asked them to get out. They refused. I called 911 on speaker to report them tresspassing. They didn't wait around.
I've also ended several trips when stops exceeded 5 min. Stops are intended to pickup and drop off additional riders, not to run errands or order food. I do not usually agree to stops (unless its slow) and when I do I usually remind them to "make sure they have everything because I'll need to end the trip and move on if they're gone more than a few minutes."
Unconscionable
First off, what the driver did in the original story, ejecting a passenger on the freeway, is so completely illegal he should be in prison for manslaughter. No professional driver would ever do that.
Only Once
In 5000 rides I have ejected a passenger exactly once, it was daylight, and I pulled over to a safe curb and told him to get out.
Fortunately, on Uber the passenger rating system works well, and I don;t take people under 4.8, so I don't get the creeps very often. Unfortunately, the passenger rating system on LYFT is completely useless, and I get some real creeps. The one and only time I kicked someone out mid ride was a Lyft passhole.
There have been a few times I have refused to start a ride, and maybe only 3 times they had managed to get into my car and sit and start being stupid morons before I started the ride, and kicked them out before starting.
How to Get Kicked Out of My Car
Most of the time I just refuse to give the ride in the first place, for any of t…
Unconscionable
First off, what the driver did in the original story, ejecting a passenger on the freeway, is so completely illegal he should be in prison for manslaughter. No professional driver would ever do that.
Only Once
In 5000 rides I have ejected a passenger exactly once, it was daylight, and I pulled over to a safe curb and told him to get out.
Fortunately, on Uber the passenger rating system works well, and I don;t take people under 4.8, so I don't get the creeps very often. Unfortunately, the passenger rating system on LYFT is completely useless, and I get some real creeps. The one and only time I kicked someone out mid ride was a Lyft passhole.
There have been a few times I have refused to start a ride, and maybe only 3 times they had managed to get into my car and sit and start being stupid morons before I started the ride, and kicked them out before starting.
How to Get Kicked Out of My Car
Most of the time I just refuse to give the ride in the first place, for any of these following reasons:
An Easy Choice:
Almost always the moronic jerks are just doing a short 2 mile ride for which we will get no more than $2.62, and passengers like that have personal problems and take it out on drivers, giving bad ratings for no reason and stiffing the driver on the tip. ... If we cancel we get $3.75 on Uber and $5 on Lyft, and they are also then blocked from rating us.
Guess which option I pick?
I'll take the cancel fee for $200 Alex and answer "what does a driver do with jerks", and I'll send a note to support to block them from my account (and after a few of these ntoes from drivers, those passengers lose their account access and are bared from taking any rides).
You Are Not Entitled to a Ride
No one is entitled to get a ride. Using rideshare is a privilege, not a right. If you treat your driver poorly, you deserve to be dropped off at the nearest safe location.
One time I showed up at this apartment building where a woman came out and sat in the car. She instructed that I "start the meter" because her husband is behind and will be a minute. I actually appreciated this gesture as I would start making money, and it sure is better than just sitting there waiting.
This woman was nice, spoke a little too much, but we chatted for a little while. The husband didn't come out. She told he might be in the bathroom. She seemed to be texting him with no responses. After 10 minutes of this, she decides to go back inside and grab him.
...then 15 minutes, nothing. No word from her, I messed her and no responses. Nothing. At some point, I have to cut my losses and move on, right? Sitting there, even with the "meter" running, it wasn't worth it. There must be driving jobs out there, i.e. opportunity cost.
That is my weirdest story for ending a "mid-ride" trip.
Yeah, I think all drivers have stories on when we kicked out someone. Every driver runs into this one time or another. No matter where you drive, what day you drive, or when you drive, you will eventually run into a crazy person. It's like a Snicker bar. You will eventually run into a nut.
I picked up this man at 6:30AM on a Monday morning. His two friends brought him out and told me they had been drinking all night. That should have been a redflag. No idea why I didn't just cancel. They told me where he lives, I punch it into the GPS. The guy didn't seem overly drunk, and said a few words and sat in the back.
Not 2 minutes into the ride, the guy says to me, "No, that's not where I am going. Turn left here." So I do. Then he continues to tell me directions until a few minutes, I stopped hearing any directions. That's when I realized he was completely passed out. I yelled a few times, no response. I finally …
Yeah, I think all drivers have stories on when we kicked out someone. Every driver runs into this one time or another. No matter where you drive, what day you drive, or when you drive, you will eventually run into a crazy person. It's like a Snicker bar. You will eventually run into a nut.
I picked up this man at 6:30AM on a Monday morning. His two friends brought him out and told me they had been drinking all night. That should have been a redflag. No idea why I didn't just cancel. They told me where he lives, I punch it into the GPS. The guy didn't seem overly drunk, and said a few words and sat in the back.
Not 2 minutes into the ride, the guy says to me, "No, that's not where I am going. Turn left here." So I do. Then he continues to tell me directions until a few minutes, I stopped hearing any directions. That's when I realized he was completely passed out. I yelled a few times, no response. I finally pullover, tried to shake the guy awake from the front seat, but nothing. He just fell over, snoring on my seat.
This is where I made my mistake. I swiped to complete the ride, got off the car, and went around to his door. I still couldn't wake him up. At all. Leveraging my taxi driving experience, I thought about driving him to a local police station, but that'st when I remembered that I already knew where his house was. So I did. Without any pay. like 12 miles. Missing all my airport rides that I target on a Monday morning.
In response to the comment quoting scripture, I must say that anyone quoting and using scriptures as an attempt to make a point in a conversation related to Uber should not be afraid of terminating a scheduled ride. Let's 'think' about this rationally for a second... Worse case scenario, a person with genuine faith would feel confident and secure with prayer to ensure they're protected while, or before, canceling a ride with an undesirable rider instead of keeping quiet and spending extra time together with the person in transport out of fear of an imaginary bad outcome if they don't.
I gave a ride once to 5 people in my XL. It was two couples and one was a brother of one of the girls. Everything was going great until the brother, the fifth wheel, starts yelling at his sister. Super loud. The other 3 did nothing to stop them. I guess it's a common occurence? At one point, it got so violent that he turned around and leaned over his seat to grab her. That's when the boyfriend or husband grabbed his neck and pinned him down on the seat.
Needless to say this was not acceptable, so I pulled over and told the brother to get the F out. Some says I shouldn't have gotten involved, but I used to drive a taxi, and I know some of the stuff that happens in the backseat is my responsibility.
Yep, these stories are always alcohol related... sigh.
While I’ve never kicked a passenger out, a rude obnoxious drunk asshole I did leave at a stop. He wasn’t drunk enough I suppose so he asked to stop at a liquor store, I was in the verge of beating the shit out of him, but I figured I didnt want to get arrested, so just leave the bastard and let him find another car, I did report his behavior to Uber.
I’ve only ended a ride early once, but that’s because the destination filter didn’t work. I needed to go south for an appointment, and the 2nd person in a Pool was going north. I apologized and explained that I had a scheduled ride in the opposite direction and told him to request another driver. He didn’t complain, but he did give me a 1-Star rating. I had a kid ride scheduled and you can’t cancel on a kid last minute. The parents would be furious, not to mention being in danger of deactivation. I had no choice but to end the ride early.
I had this huge black guy who insisted I take his 6 friends hence 7 people in my UberSUV. I drive a Suburban, so theoretically there is enough space (and enough seatbelts) for 7 people. I didn't start that ride, and kept saying "no no no no no", until they gave up. The dude slammed the door REAL hard I thought he'd break my window.
As a passenger, is that ok for me to post a new topic called "As a passenger, have you ever been kicked out by driver?"?
I made a guy get out of my car for berating me cussing at me calling me a elf an idiot made him get out in front of his apartment he called Uber Uber bands me
Came close to it on Sunday around 400am. Got a request for a long trip on my way back from a long trip. I didnt know the area I was in very well & didnt catch that it was a pool rider with a 4.52 rating. I decided to chance it anyway. Pick up this young 20 something female. We go about .5 mile hop on the highway when she tells me she put wrong address in on purpose because she couldnt afford the ride to her house. Could we go that distance & she would pay me cash the rest of the way. WTH!! I said no I do not do cash rides. I asked her to change the destination which I knew what her answer would be "it wont let me". Her destination was an extra 20 min 15 miles. I knew I was taking a risk on getting paid correct fare & tolls.
First thought was I cant dump this young girl out in the middle of no where, in the middle of the night, in this part of pitch black NJ in the pouring rain (they cant afford street lights there:) I knew she was fully aware of …
Came close to it on Sunday around 400am. Got a request for a long trip on my way back from a long trip. I didnt know the area I was in very well & didnt catch that it was a pool rider with a 4.52 rating. I decided to chance it anyway. Pick up this young 20 something female. We go about .5 mile hop on the highway when she tells me she put wrong address in on purpose because she couldnt afford the ride to her house. Could we go that distance & she would pay me cash the rest of the way. WTH!! I said no I do not do cash rides. I asked her to change the destination which I knew what her answer would be "it wont let me". Her destination was an extra 20 min 15 miles. I knew I was taking a risk on getting paid correct fare & tolls.
First thought was I cant dump this young girl out in the middle of no where, in the middle of the night, in this part of pitch black NJ in the pouring rain (they cant afford street lights there:) I knew she was fully aware of what she was doing and planned the whole thing figuring the driver would take the cash. After seeing her rating I am sure she pulls this all the time. Her destination was NY 40.90 are added to the fare for tolls and a 20.00 surcharge for driver if they are not a NY driver. A NY trip usually runs a rider over 100.00 on a 45/60 min ride.
Second thought was she could tell Uber I picked up wrong rider, I got lost, i was intoxicated or any other BS she could come up with along with a 1 star so she could get her $ back. My ratings could take the hit but what about a false report that could get me deactivated? My motherly side and conscience won. I took her and hoped for the best. However I needed to try and say or do something to ensure she wouldn't try to send a false report to Uber.
My Turn to BS My Rider
Me - Since there are so many issues with drivers assaulting riders & doing bad things Uber will contact me after I drop you off. They will ask why I dropped you off so far from your destination. I'll explain what happened but I'll tell them you made a mistake. I wont tell them you purposely put in wrong address because you didnt have enough $ in your account to pay for an Uber. That you offered me cash for the rest of the ride. You would get deactivated. Then I lied even more. Uber could report you to your bank for Knowingly ordering a service & not having the funds in there (it's like writing a bad check). Figured at her age she wouldnt know much about checks. I can back all that up with the video and audio I have from my dashcam. I'll just edit the beginning part out so they dont know what you really did. Good thing our whole conversation and interaction is on my dashcam so I can just upload it to Uber if needed.
Rider - Thank you so much I really appreciate it.
Who knows maybe she didnt believe my BS. I just wanted her to know that if she tried I had everything recorded. I did nothing wrong this was all on her and I had proof. Although Uber dont always care. Yes I did take a big chance but again I just couldnt leave her on the side of the road. It was a situation that never happened to me. If this were to happen again I would probably find a spot to let her out safely. I did get my full fare for the miles, time, correct Bridge toll, NJ TP toll, and the additional $20 surcharge because I am a PA driver(out of state), cant pick up in NY, & tolls we occur on way back. That time of morning I take the no toll way back as there is no traffic & puts me back in the area where its busy, where I want to be accepting more long trips. So 27 months haven't thrown anyone out. Just 2 close calls that looking back I should have booted them out.
Never hesitate if a passenger becomes stupid, but end the ride in a place that is safe . Never exit your vehicle in haste ,shut engine off and call 911 if applicable .
That's what exactly I used to do as a driver especially those kind of sick violence riders who entitled think they can eat and drink whatever they want in our car by eating,bringing their opening alcohol or plastic cup with a drink to eat and drink on purpose in our vehicle and also smoking with no permission forgetting these are our personal vehicles although I always asking them nicely to wait to open it until I drop them off but the riders don't care .And also those are trying to abuse us if they tried forcing us to risk our self breaking the traffic law no matter what if we loaded more than the limit more than 4 passenger inside our vehicle or asking us for parking on the illegal spot and riders without worry about both our safety and helping us to obey the law if we got pulled by the police and getting a citation on our vehicle got towed and those kind of sick passengers don't care for losing our job that's the only to kick them out my car if they don't behave with a nicer attitude and respect .
Not exactly the same thing but I had a passenger take me to a place on a lake where everything was closed. First he would not get out of the car, then he did but would not take his hands off of it, then he got back in the car. He would not speak. He was trashed and I am still not sure how he was conscious.
If I kicked him out he could have walked onto the highway there.... possibly get killed.
He could have easily fallen into the lake (a similar thing happened to a friend a two years ago) and drowned.
Nope. Got the police to get him out of the car and I managed to contact the closed bar I picked him up at and his wife was looking for him. NO, I did not let him back in my car. Yes his wife had to get him. No, he did not get arrested because I was able to get his wife's phone number or he was going to jail.
Point is, I was not going to read about his death the next day. It is easy to blow peop…
Not exactly the same thing but I had a passenger take me to a place on a lake where everything was closed. First he would not get out of the car, then he did but would not take his hands off of it, then he got back in the car. He would not speak. He was trashed and I am still not sure how he was conscious.
If I kicked him out he could have walked onto the highway there.... possibly get killed.
He could have easily fallen into the lake (a similar thing happened to a friend a two years ago) and drowned.
Nope. Got the police to get him out of the car and I managed to contact the closed bar I picked him up at and his wife was looking for him. NO, I did not let him back in my car. Yes his wife had to get him. No, he did not get arrested because I was able to get his wife's phone number or he was going to jail.
Point is, I was not going to read about his death the next day. It is easy to blow people off and miss potential results of your actions. One needs to be mindful. Death is permanent.
All it cost me was 2 hours and five minutes. I may have saved his life. It was only my third day driving.
Oh, I learned an important lesson. Never end a ride before the passenger gets out of the car and takes his hands off of it.
That being said. I have said no to open containers before the ride... and now, a year later, under the right circumstances I would kick someone out of the car, preferably some place safe to let them out. Lets hope it never comes to that, because it would have to be pretty bad.
It sucks for the driver because we are pretty much guaranteed to get a 1-star rating. Ouch.
No, Uber gives no care when you complain. It takes 500 rides for it to disappear from your records.
No, I have never done this, but I suppose if I had a crazy person in my car I would. I mean what is worse getting shot in the head or dropping someone off on the side of the road. Or maybe you should just call the police?
RIDEGURU
