Tales of the Uber/Lyft Driver: How to Be the Perfect Passenger

It's not that hard to be a good rideshare passenger. I'll give you the basics.

Whether you're using Uber, Lyft, or some other rideshare app, before hailing your first driver, take some time to get familiar with the app. Complete your rider profile. Be sure to include your preferred name and add a recent photo of yourself. A lot of riders don't add a photo but trust me, it helps. As drivers, we want to make sure we're picking up the correct person.

Now you're ready to summon a car. Don't do it. Are you truly ready? Are you fully dressed? Do you have everything you need to bring with you on the ride? Have you paid your bill at the restaurant? Do not hail a ride until you are completely ready. While everyone thinks it might be 20-30 minutes (or more) before a car can get to you, the nearest driver might only be 5 minutes away. You want to be ready to go when the driver arrives. Don't be that passenger who tells the driver you need a few minutes to get yourself together before you can leave.

Let's pause for a moment and get personal. Your driver is operating a car as a business. You will be one of many passengers for the day. If you're a smoker, please put out your cigarette before the driver arrives. Do not wear clothes that reek of smoke (or anything else). Do not wear a lot of perfume or cologne. Do not do any personal grooming while in the car. Don't bring mud or dirt into the driver's car. Don't be an asshole.

The car is on the way. If the weather is decent and your surroundings are safe, you should be standing outside and you should be clearly visible when the driver arrives. If you're standing outside, the driver knows they're in the right spot. If you can't stand outside, be ready to go outside the moment the driver arrives. If you're not outside within a few minutes, the driver can cancel the ride and collect a cancellation fee. In addition, if you're not outside when the driver arrives, be prepared to receive a call or text from the driver. The call or text will come from a number you don't recognize. If you don't respond, the driver will cancel the ride and drive away.

Most drivers will want to confirm your identity and destination before unlocking the doors to let you in. Just introduce yourself and say where you're going. The driver wants to know if they're picking up the right person and heading to the right destination.

Now you face a choice, will you sit in the front or the back? I'll be perfectly honest with you. Most drivers would prefer you to sit in the back. They won't tell you to sit in the back, but you'll make them much happier if you sit in the back. Sitting in the front puts you in the driver's space. It also impairs the driver's view when looking to the right. The driver won't look to the right as often as they normally would because they don't want to appear to be getting all up in your business.

Should you talk or remain quiet? That's entirely up to you. Some drivers would prefer to have a conversation, others would prefer to drive in silence. If you would rather ride in silence, just let the driver know or put some earbuds in.

If your ride has a stop along the way, remember that you only have 5 minutes per stop according to company policy. After 5 minutes your driver can end the ride and drive away, leaving you to summon another car to take you to your destination. Uber and Lyft do not pay well enough for drivers to wait for you. If you're going to ask a driver to wait more than 5 minutes, a generous tip is highly advised. I'm not talking a couple of dollars if you catch my drift.

Stops should be set up within the app. It's considered bad form to ask the driver to make a stop that isn't set up in the app. If it's set up in the app, we're getting paid properly for it and the company knows why we stopped there. If it's not set up in the app, we're getting screwed when it comes to our pay and the company doesn't know why we made the stop. "Do you mind if we stop at the gas station up there?" Yes, we mind if you don't add it in the app. Take a few seconds and add the stop in the app, please.

Speaking of rides with stops along the way, when you leave the vehicle, take everything with you. Drivers frown upon items being left in the car intentionally. We refer to those as "anchors" because you're trying to keep us from ending the ride and leaving by weighing us down with your personal items. Most drivers are savvy to "anchors" and will end the ride and drive off with your stuff. Good luck tracking them down to get it back.

If you genuinely forget and leave an item in the car after the trip your driver can report it as a found item. You will be charged at least $15 and will be contacted by the company to make arrangements for the return of your item. Low-value items such as phone charging cables will probably not be reported as found items. High-value items such as phones and wallets will generally be reported as found items.

Once you get back to the car from your stop, if you have lots of items with you, ask if you can put them in the backseat or whether you should put them in the trunk.

Don't eat or drink in the vehicle. We're talking mess and odor, folks. The driver's car is not your personal car and it's not your living room. Do not make a mess.

If you are intoxicated and feel like you might barf, let the driver know. Most of us carry barf bags. Do not try to open the door or lower the window without warning the driver. If you barf and make a mess, you will be charged for the cleanup fee (up to $250) and could be banned from using the rideshare service in the future. 

As you approach your final destination, let the driver know if you'd like to be dropped off in a specific spot. It might not be possible for the driver to park the car, especially at concert venues and such. In such instances, the driver will get you as close as practical and let you out so they can turn the car around and leave. If you're going to give the driver a cash tip, please have the money ready before the vehicle stops. If you're going to leave a tip in the app, just do it. Never tell the driver you'll tip in the app. We know that when most passengers say they'll tip in the app, they usually don't tip at all.

When the ride ends, get out. Quickly. The end of the ride is not the time to become chatty. Unless it's your driver's final ride of the day, they want to get out of there and pick up another passenger as soon as possible. Thank the driver, grab all of your stuff (including any trash), and get out. It's been real, but your driver is ready to go.