Tales of the Uber/Lyft Driver: What's my name?

After that tragic kidnapping and death a few weeks ago of the young woman who thought she was getting into her Uber (but it was a total stranger's car) there has been a movement for rideshare passengers to ask their driver, "What's my name?" From a driver's perspective, this is absolutely the wrong thing to be doing. Let me explain why.

As a rideshare passenger, you have several pieces of information that you can use to identify me. You get my photo. You get my name. You get the make, model, and color of my car. You get my tag number. You also get the ability to call or text me in the rideshare app itself. Depending on how you want to count it, that's about 7 different ways you can identify me as your driver. Do you know what I get? In most cases, I only get a name. It's often not even your legal name. Most passengers never bother to include a selfie in their rider profile. So, I get a name.

Why should I give you, a total stranger, the one piece of information I have for identifying my next passenger? You could be a scam artist looking to get a free ride on someone else's dime. Once I give you my passenger's name, what is there to stop you from claiming to be that person as you step into my car? No, asking the driver for your name is boneheaded security. Use the tools that you have in the app to identify the correct car and driver. There are many cars that look alike. Don't just verify the make, model, and color. Verify the tag. If you still have doubts, use the app to call your driver. If the person answering the phone isn't the person whose car you're about to enter, that person is not your driver. Expect your driver to ask for your name and confirm your destination. Once all the security stuff has been taken care of, hop in and enjoy the ride.

Tales of the Uber/Lyft Driver: Relationship Troubles

Not every ride goes smoothly.

I recently picked up a passenger from an auto repair shop. She had dropped off her car for service and needed a ride to (what I learned was) her boyfriend's house. When I got to the shop, she was not ready for pickup. She was still finalizing things with the shop. I should have just canceled the ride and driven off at that point, but I'm a nice guy and I waited. When she was ready, she told me she needed to get some things from her car since she would be without it for a while. I expected her to get a couple of things but she got enough stuff to fill my trunk and half of my back seat. We finally got underway and I saw it was going to be a long drive. A few minutes into the drive she pulled her phone out of her bag and asked if I had a USB-C charger. She said she only had 2% battery left, so I let her use my charging cable. Everything was fine for about 20 minutes while she held her phone, just letting it charge. After a while, she powered it up and began flipping through various apps, keeping conversation to a minimum, and I'm just driving and chiming in with a few comments when necessary.

Suddenly, she explodes.

Her boyfriend, the one I'm taking her (and all of her stuff) to see has a status update on Facebook indicating that he is now in a relationship with someone who isn't her. OMG. She flips the switch into a highly-agitated mode and I'm beginning to wonder if I'm going to need to pull the car over and put her out. She calls him on the phone and he answers. She's yelling, pounding the dashboard, and kicking the floorboard of my car. She's telling him that she has never cheated on him and why would he dare do something like this knowing that she's coming to see him. The conversation goes on for a bit longer and I'm wondering about the legal consequences of kicking her out and just driving off with her stuff. All of a sudden, she drops the bomb.

She uses the n-word.

I just about slammed on my brakes right then. She told him, "I didn't fuck that nigger, he just kissed me on the forehead, you moron. We've been friends since the 8th grade." We were less than 5 minutes away from the destination. I'm gripping the steering wheel running mental calculations on potential outcomes of this drive. She's continuing to go off on him and he hangs up on her. She calls him right back and he answers. She tells him she's only a few minutes away. Just as I'm thinking this is not going to end well, we arrive and he's not home. We sit in front of his place for a little bit, she chews him out for not being home, and then she tells me to drive her to a gas station we passed a few minutes earlier and to drop her off there. By that point, I was more than ready to have her out of my car, so I drove to the gas station. I asked if she was sure she wanted me to drop her off and she told me she'd make arrangements with a friend to get home. She unloaded her things.

I left.

Please don't involve your Uber driver in your relationship drama.

Tales of the Uber/Lyft Driver: One Thing You Should Never Do

I was sitting here thinking about things you should never do as a rideshare rider. I'll release that list soon, but for now, I wanted to address one thing that will get your ride canceled if you're dealing with a seasoned driver. New drivers might overlook it, but seasoned drivers will cancel your ride in a heartbeat if this circumstance arises. First, I'll lay the groundwork.

When you hail a ride using the Uber or Lyft app and a driver accepts the ride request, the driver is given 5 minutes to get underway to your pickup spot. If the driver is not underway, they will receive a nastygram telling them to get underway or cancel the ride request. Why would the driver be given 5 minutes? The main reason is that the driver might not be driving at that moment. They could be pumping gas. They could be eating a meal. They could be sitting at home watching the latest episode of their favorite show. In any case, they have 5 minutes to be in the vehicle and moving.

So what's the one thing you could do as a passenger that will get your ride canceled? Contact the driver to ask if they are on the way. Yes, I know you really want to get to where you're going, but if you call or text the driver within that 5-minute window to ask if they are on the way, a seasoned driver will most likely cancel the ride. Why? For a seasoned driver, knowing that you're already on edge about leaving for your destination means you're probably not going to tip and you're probably not going to give the driver a 5-star rating. Calling or texting to ask if they're on the way signals that you're "that passenger" they do not want to have to deal with.

What should you do? Wait the full 5 minutes after your ride request has been accepted. If the app still does not show the driver to be any closer to you, go ahead and contact the driver. You might not get a response. If we're driving, we're not supposed to talk on the phone or respond to a text. Wait a few minutes. A good driver will find a way to pull over safely to call or text you. Assume that isn't possible and keep looking at the app. If you still see no progress toward your destination, cancel the ride yourself. Yes, you will pay a cancellation fee but you will be able to hail another driver. If you do hear back from your driver, nicely explain that the app doesn't show them moving in your direction, so you just wanted to make sure they were on the way. Sometimes the app glitches and doesn't show movement. The driver should explain what's going on and how soon they will be at the pickup spot. As always, make sure you've chosen a good pickup location and that you're clearly visible when the driver arrives.

Tales of the Uber/Lyft Driver: Ride-sharing vs. Ride-Hailing

Most of the time, people refer to services such as Uber and Lyft as "ride-sharing" services. This is actually a misnomer, but one that both companies would probably like to encourage. In actuality, they are "ride-hailing" services. There is a difference. In the early days, both Uber and Lyft were ride-sharing services. They paired drivers who were going to a specific destination with passengers who also wanted to go to the same destination. They would share the ride to that destination. Ride-sharing is nice, but it can only go so far. How do you serve someone who wants to go someplace but there are no drivers who are already going there? That's where ride-hailing comes in. Functioning much like a regular taxi service, ride-hailing services allow passengers who want to go to specific destinations to find drivers who will take them there, no matter whether that destination is the local drug store or Aunt Martha's house. There are a few companies out there that still do ride-sharing but they are tiny in comparison to Uber or Lyft. Many operate on a carpool model to make it more financially feasible for the driver. It's like nails on a chalkboard for me to hear people refer to Uber and Lyft as ride-sharing services but even I will slip up and do it just so people know what I'm talking about.

Tales of the Uber/Lyft Driver: Who Needs a Location Anyway?

It should go without saying, but some things just need to be said. If you're using a ride-hailing service such as Uber or Lyft, in spite of your privacy concerns, you need to turn your location service on. Your driver needs to know where to pick you up. When you request a ride, your options are to use your current location, use an address, or use a landmark. If you choose to use your current location and you don't have location services turn on for your phone, sometimes the app will use your most recent known location instead of your current location. This happens most often when your phone has been turned off or was in airplane mode before you hail the ride. If your last known location was 50 miles from your actual location, a driver at your last known location will be pinged to go to your former location instead of to your current location. That driver will likely arrive, find that you're not there, wait a few minutes, and cancel the trip. You will have to pay a cancellation fee. When you open the ride-hailing app, make certain the dot is located at your current position, not where you were some time ago.

A great feature of both the Uber and Lyft apps is being able to indicate exactly where you want to be picked up. Most people ignore this and just use their current location or an address, but you can be much more specific by moving the map pin to the pickup spot. Let's say you're in an office building that has an east entrance and a south entrance. You would rather be picked up at the south entrance. Move the map pin to the south entrance. Your driver will know to arrive on that side instead of the east side. This also works great for apartment complexes with multiple buildings. If you only use the address, the driver will not know which building to drive to. If you move the map pin to your building, the driver will know exactly where to go.

If you use a landmark as your pickup spot, move the map pointer to indicate where you will be in relation to the landmark. Keep an eye on the driver's progress and make sure you're in a clearly-visible location when the driver arrives.

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.

Tales of the Uber/Lyft Driver: 3 Stars & You're Out

It's a little-known secret of the major US rideshare companies, Uber and Lyft, but it's super-easy to make sure you're not paired with a particular driver (or passenger) again. All it takes is to rate them 3 stars or fewer. That's right, what most of us would consider "average" they consider as "I never want to be paired with this person again." As a driver, I can rate a passenger as 3 stars and I never have to worry about being paired with that passenger again. (I've only done this once.) Even if I'm the closest driver to them and I'm headed in the direction they want to go, I won't be paired with them again. I've only had one passenger give me a 3-star rating and I have no idea what I did wrong during their ride. Unfortunately, comments are not required with ratings from passengers, so if no comments are left, drivers have no way of knowing what happened. As a driver, if I rate anyone as 4 stars or fewer, I have to indicate why the ride was less than perfect.

In the case of the 3-star rating that I gave, the low rating had nothing to do with the passenger but had everything to do with her husband. I had picked up the passenger twice before and never had any issue with her. She was polite and friendly. On the third ride, however, her husband came with her and he was quite drunk and belligerent. Most couples will sit in the back together, or the man will sit in the front by me while the woman sits in the back. On this ride, the wife sat in the front and the husband sat in the back. He went on the attack the moment he got in the car, belittling her and mumbling about my driving. When we reached the first stop on their trip, I canceled the rest of the ride, gave the 3-star rating, and drove off. I explained to the wife that I was canceling the trip and they would need to hail another driver to take them the rest of the way. The wife apologized for her husband's behavior, but I never wanted to be paired with her again at the risk of being paired with him again.

Many drivers will not pick up passengers rated below 4.8, figuring passengers with low ratings have done something to deserve it. Since ratings are averages, it doesn't take much to drop from a perfect 5.0 and it can be difficult to rebuild a good rating after receiving a few low ratings. I think one of my future posts will be tips on how to be the perfect passenger. Until then, happy journeys to you.

Tales of the Uber/Lyft Driver: Your Tardiness Is Not My Fault

I recently had a passenger get upset with me because she was 10 minutes late getting to her destination. It wasn't my fault, however. When she requested a ride I was 5 minutes from her location. She had 2 stops programmed for the trip because she wanted to pick up some food along the way to her final destination. We reached the restaurant she had chosen and they took a really long time getting her order prepared. I didn't time the wait for her food, but it was at least 10-15 minutes before the order was ready. We left from there and drove straight to her final stop in the middle of rush hour traffic. When we reached the street her final stop was on, I asked which house we were going to because house numbers weren't clearly visible. She pointed to a house, and following the line of her finger, I stopped at the house I thought she had indicated. She finally looked up from her phone and said we weren't at the right house and we should have been at the house next door. She opened the door and began getting out. I told her I could drive her to the house next door and she said she was already late anyway and walked off in a huff with her food. The fact that we were 10 minutes late wasn't my fault. She should have requested a ride earlier to build in more time to get her food and for traffic. It's not fair to smart off to the driver when the tardiness is your own fault. Plan better.

As a rule of thumb, for trips of under an hour, double the time estimate when using a ridesharing service. So if it would normally take you 15 minutes to drive there in your own car, you should hail your Uber/Lyft at least 30 minutes before you need to be there. If you're requesting additional stops along the way it's safe to add at least 10 minutes per stop. Add a few more minutes if rush hour traffic is expected. In essence, allow enough time for things to go wrong. Don't blame the driver when you didn't plan appropriately.

Tales of the Uber/Lyft Driver: Don't Judge the Tip by the Rider

In the service industry we often try to judge what kind of customer we're dealing with. When tipping is involved, it's tempting to size up the customer in regards to the amount of the tip you might reasonably expect to receive. Assumptions are often invalid. As an Uber/Lyft driver, I have received large tips from passengers I didn't expect to tip at all and I've received no tip at all from passengers who could have easily afforded a large tip. I recently gave a long ride to a passenger who is easily one of the wealthiest men in the entire state. He gave less than a 10% tip. I recently gave a short ride to a woman who needed a lift to work because her car wouldn't start. She gave a 50% tip on the ride. They say black people don't tip. Not true. They say young women don't tip. Not true. There are patterns but there aren't absolutes. Some drivers ask for tips or have signs posted in their cars requesting tips. Some drivers have tip jars. I don't use any of those. If you tip, you tip. If you don't, you don't. I'm not going to mention tipping during the ride. If you ask about tipping, however, I will explain how to do it through the app or let you know you can tip in cash. I try to not size up passengers by the tip they might give, and I don't give better or worse service to passengers based on their perceived ability to tip. You get the same ride, regardless.

Tales of the Uber/Lyft Driver: We Reserve the Right

While I'm glad more people are using rideshare services such as Lyft and Uber, especially in place of driving while intoxicated, I do have to point out that your Uber/Lyft driver reserves the right to kick you out of the vehicle at his or her discretion. If the driver believes you are behaving or speaking inappropriately, your ride may end rather abruptly. If necessary, the driver will summon the police to assist with getting you out of the vehicle. Paying for your ride doesn't give you a license to make a mess, behave inappropriately, or insult the driver. Your ride may also end abruptly if you take too long at any stop along the way. A quick stop is fine, but a stop to buy groceries for the week is asking too much. If you do need to buy groceries for the week, plan on hailing another driver when you're done. We reserve the right to end the ride at your stop and leaving personal items in the car to "anchor" the driver is uncool.