RIDEGURU
One thing I realized as I started driving a few years ago is that you pick up people in various states of emotions. Obvious? No, it never crossed my mind. One that stands out to me is the pax that cry the whole trip, because you know there is a deep story there - at least in my mind.
I picked a girl up last night, who said very little and cried the whole trip of about 30 minutes. Mid day. I did ask her if she was okay and she said she is fine. I offered a small water bottle I keep in the car, and she said no. I didn't say anything for the rest of the ride, while she wept the entire time.
I decided to leave her alone and I said nothing for the rest of the ride. It was very uncomfortable, and I had the inclination to ask her what's wrong. Would you guys have done anything differently? I'm sure she could have used a person to talk to.
Comments
Don't ask questions. It's their life and it's their problem. I don't mean to be cold, but you got your stuff to worry about and so does she.
This has happened to me in the past. I used to be the nosy type but some percentage of these conversations always go a bit weird and touch on something sensitive. Say I say something about how i am going to go see the Knicks, and she'd say he loved basketball. (True story)
I thought we were meant to be acting as a suicide hotline too. I swear it was in Uber’s guidelines.
When I saw the title, I thought it was referring to babies.
Me too.
but it’s all the same. Just leave them alone. ...unless there’s no dad or mom.
I am a female driver. You did the right thing. You are a male (I assume) and she's a girl - in a confined space. Trying to comfort her could get mistaken for something else despite your good intentions. especially if her issue was a relationship thing.
Just carry around Kleenexes. Just hand it to her and say nothing. It shows you care and it'll protect your backseat from bodily fluids.
Keep your head out of where it doesnt belong. heaven forbid you rub her the wrong way and you get sued (or a low rating)
This reminds me of the unwritten bartender's rule that you never talk to the customers but you let them talk to you. If they have something to say, they will talk to you. If they want to be left alone, they do not. You can ask how they're doing but you don't pry.
Applies to all kinds of customer-facing professions.
This happens more than people (non-drivers) think, I bet. At least once a month.
You learn so much as a driver. Everyone has his or her own story. It makes me ponder about the complex world we live in.
I think you did the right thing. Give her space. Maybe she needs time to process, and she is just trying to get somewhere where she will have her ways of coping with it, whether it's a friend or family.
You reaching out to her, despite good intentions, may produce unnecessary stress. What if she doesn't want to talk? If you are a make, and her issue is boy related, it may also stir up something. You did the right thing by showing empathy (just asking if she's okay), and you giving her space is what she probably needed.
There is the old expectation that taxi drivers and bar tenders are to listen to your problems. While it's honorable and in many ways heart-warming, sometimes it just isn't your business. Leave her alone.
Life isn't a sitcom. You can't solve all problems in 25 minutes.
You did the right thing Foxy! I’ve been in that situation. I usually will say something innocuous like, whatever it is, I hope it gets better and Good Luck! And then I pretty much, shut up, which is hard to do, at least for me. Crying , crazy talk and suicidal people are very difficult to deal with, the least said, the better, in my opinion.
Cancel the ride and kick him her out . Your getting paid peanuts so why make it into crumbs.