Things You Don't Control In Rideshare Series Part 2/3 - Passengers

I've had a lot of fun driving passengers around the earth and back over the years. Most of those experiences were positive on the Uber app as a diamond-level driver at one point but then backward to the green level. 

The featured image is about right; you will have some great passengers, but you can have the few that make it a nightmare for drivers and potentially a fatal encounter. Some will make you think they are driving the car by telling you what to do. 

The One Star Trip 

I had a trip where I was going to take a guy to a shopping mall, but he still needed to put the directions into the app. He did not, so we both decided I would take his directions, which was never a good idea. So I began driving on a side street next to the interstate and made the wrong turn to the left when I should have stayed straight. 

He said:

Get in the left lane, get in the left lane! 

I apologized for making the wrong turn, and then he started getting mad, huffing and puffing in the backseat. He then took a long exhale and said: 

Ok, are you ready to listen!? 

I said: 

    I'll take you where you need to go but not with the attitude

He then calmed down and showed me where to go, and we exchanged one star in the app. It was one of my first bad events, but I needed something to prepare me for what was next. 

Vomit Comet

Yes, vomit; the unsuspecting incident took place late at night. This was something I couldn't prepare for, but when it occurred, it showed me the importance of vomit cups. The passenger vomited out of the window, and chunks went down the side of the window into the car door. The smell was rough, but I could clean out most of it. 

I thought the passenger was asleep, but he woke up with some thunder from down under. This took place two other times and required me to stop and wash the car and stop my late night shift. 

This is a part of the job, so I wasn't too bent out of shape out of having to stop and clean. I enjoyed the flexibility of being an Uber driver; it is not the driving aspect that could have been better. 

Thieving Passengers 

The first thief stole my Mac Thunderbolt charger, which is standard with most phones. He was really slick about it; he was acting like he needed a charger so bad. I wish he had just asked me, and I would have given him the charger. 

When he first got in the car, he acted funny, so I knew something strange about him. There are always signs that you could be picking up trouble. Just know this is not easy to guess, so be cautious with every passenger out there. 

The next group that came into my car was a couple who stole another charger in the vehicle's back seat. They look at Uber drivers as the scum of the earth or some type of losers, so they think that we are human punching bags. That is real today and harsh for those attempting to make an extra income. 

It's disturbing that people think this way, but that is beyond your control. They were sneaky with this theft and could pull it out of the plug without me knowing. 

Towel Thief

So I was driving from a strip club and had somebody steal a towel that covered a spill. It was a unique towel that cost a good amount of money. It was no big deal because I knew I could get another one, but come on, a towel? 

Bullets & Bonnets

So basically, I picked up a guy on a holiday, and his friend shot a gun into the ground before I picked him up. That was pretty rude, and most drivers would have driven off, but I went ahead and took the guy. It was late at night, and I didn't care, but I should have. 

When dropping him off, the guy was mysteriously quiet, but I dropped him off with no problem. Some people are not so lucky with these types of situations. I recommend that Uber drivers do what is necessary to survive because it is worsening. 

Fast forward a few weeks, and another person came into the car eating donuts and got the donut crust everywhere, creating a mess. I apologized to the next passenger, and she was cool about it. 

Again, I didn't mind some of the bad things that took place with passengers, but there were times when I thought I was being set up by someone. One passenger asked me if I did drugs, and I thought that question was strange. 

You have checkpoints late at night, so be careful. Passengers can be one of those things everyone will have a different experience with; just note, drivers, there are vital things you have to prepare for right now. 

 1. Desperate criminals who have no problem with getting over on you and look at you as an easy target. 

2. Many criminals attempting to scam you use rideshare drivers to commit crimes or move around specific items. 

I received a few phone scams while driving in the gig economy, so you have to be aware of these scams, which change from month to month. 

If you can get past the many different types of passengers, you might be ready to be a rideshare driver. It all depends on how much you can take without giving up. 

Real Jerks 

The image is an artist's depiction, but yes, seeing some jerk yell at his girlfriend because he's drunk is not a good situation. He was rude most of the trip, and when we arrived at the destination, he was extra mean to her, and she started crying. He yelled and slammed the door, and I asked her what she wanted to do next. She said she would be fine, so I gave her some words of comfort, and I was off to my next destination, but that situation could have ended badly. 

Another situation that is out of your control is when passengers get mad at each other. They will go at each other throats. I remember when these two guys started arguing back and forth, which could have ended in a nasty fight. 

You have to be ready for the unexpected, even sober people. 

Woohoo A Steering Wheel Grab

So, everything was normal at first. Everyone entered the car, and one passenger was anxious to sit before me. At first, everyone was like, oh wait, no, don't let him sit in the front. I should have asked why because he got in the front with me and grabbed the wheel while I was driving. 

I was just shaking my head because we had a car full of people, and that incident could have ended badly. 

Weed Smell

Weed smell is an issue that won't help you if you are in an area where random police stops are expected. That's why having a good air freshener on hand is essential so you can camouflage the smell of some passengers. Sometimes, the smell is a bit much, and you can't hide the smell. 

Sleepy Head

Again, it isn't easy driving strangers late at night; you don't know who just went to sleep in your car and won't wake up. This situation happened a few times; I didn't want to touch someone because you never know how that could backfire. What if they are in a deep sleep and wake up surprised or angry you woke them up? That situation could turn dire quickly. One guy I could not wake up no matter how much noise I made, but he eventually woke up. 

I had a blast during my time Ubering despite these challenges, but the unpredictability of passengers can be a bit much for those who need more of a calm career path.