Uber drivers hate when passengers do this! 10 pet peeves

Ever wondered what really grinds your Uber driver’s gears?

As an Uber driver myself, these are the 10 biggest pet peeves that drive me and my fellow drivers crazy while we’re out on the road.

You might be guilty of some of these if your passenger rating is lower than you think it should be. But hey, it’s never too late to change!

When you take too long to come out to the car

If there’s one thing that’s true about all Uber drivers, we hate to wait. Time is money, and we are only paid pennies to wait for you. So when you take 5+ minutes to come out to our cars, the ride starts on a sour note.

You may technically have up to 7 minutes to come out to the car after we arrive, but anything more than a minute or two will annoy us. The app tells you exactly where we are, and you get several notifications when we are nearby and when we arrive, so there’s no excuse.

It’s true that you will be charged wait time if you take longer than two minutes to arrive at the car, but the wait time rate is tiny—around 15 cents per minute. It’s not really worth it for us to wait.

Only request your ride when you and your group are ready to hit the curb!

When you smell bad

We spend our entire day working in a small enclosed space, so any strong odors can be irritating or even downright unbearable.

Cigarette smoke, body odor, heavy cologne & perfume—all can make us miserable.

And here’s a tip for smokers: Don’t finish a cigarette moments before you step into an Uber. The odor is incredibly strong and will linger in our cars for hours.

When you backseat drive

It’s irritating to be told how to drive when you spend your entire day driving for a living. And we all have GPS directions that give us turn by turn directions, so adding your own directions only adds stress to the situation.

But not all backseat driving is bad, especially if you have a real safety concern.

What not to do: Frequently telling your driver to speed up, slow down, brake lighter or heavier, etc. Complaining about small driving details. Giving turn by turn directions that are repeating what the GPS already says.

What’s OK: Giving a route preference, like taking surface streets instead of the freeway. Warning a driver about easy-to-miss turns. Suggesting a safe spot to stop. Asking the driver to slow down if they are going excessively fast.

Start every ride assuming that your driver knows how to drive and where to go. Only chime in if it’s necessary to safely reach the destination.

When you slam the car door

Have you ever been inside a car when someone slammed a car door? It’s uncomfortable in many ways. First, the sound of the slamming door bursts in your ears, particularly when all of the windows are closed.

And over time, frequently slamming a door can break door handles and window mechanisms. Try to be gentle when closing the car door and be mindful that we rely on our cars for a living.

When you are in a rush

It’s not our fault that you’re late! When you ask us to hurry up, you’re pressuring us to drive unsafely or even break the law.

It’s a no-win situation that gives us two bad choices: Drive dangerously, or disappoint you by driving at a normal speed.

Don’t make it our problem when you’re running late and try to be understanding that we don’t want to speed for you.

When you ask to make a stop without entering it into the app

Extra stops are annoying, especially when you ask to add it after the trip has already begun. Stops at a drive-thru are the worst offender.

When we initially accept your trip, we do it with the original destination and number of stops in mind. Had we known about your stop, we might not have accepted the trip to begin with.

Stops mean waiting, and we hate to wait because the extra pay isn’t enough. And because of upfront pricing, we only receive extra pay for a stop if the final route is significantly longer than the initial upfront estimate. We might not get paid anything extra to stop.

If you need an extra stop, add it in the app before you request the ride so we know what to expect upfront.

And if you have to add a stop after the ride begins, let the driver know, then enter it into the app.

When solo riders sit directly behind the driver

Here’s wisdom from cab drivers that still applies in the Uber era: Never sit directly behind the driver if you ride alone. It makes us uncomfortable because we can’t see you. Instead, take the passenger-side seat in the back.

We want to see you out of the corner of our eye and in the rearview mirror, especially at night. It sends an alarming signal when you sit directly behind us.

But sitting behind the driver isn’t a problem if you are in a group, but if you’re alone, make sure to sit on the passenger’s side to put your driver at ease.

When you eat in the car

Not every driver agrees, but most of us don’t want you to eat in our cars. Too many inconsiderate passengers leave a mess when they eat, and it’s even more frustrating when some passengers don’t even think to ask for permission.

If you want to eat, ask for permission and only eat small snacks that won’t spill or leave crumbs. Large fast food meals or liquid items like soup are off the table—don’t even ask.

When you ask to stop in an unsafe or illegal location

Some passengers insist on being dropped off directly in front of a destination, even if it means parking illegally or blocking traffic. It is unsafe and can also make us get a ticket. Too many tickets and we can get deactivated, aka fired!

Asking to stop in a bad spot is another lose-lose for us: Either stop in a risky spot or say ‘no’ and upset the passenger. Don’t put us into that position, and be flexible about your stopping location. Allow your driver to pull over somewhere safe, even if it’s mildly inconvenient.

When you completely ignore the driver

You don’t have to carry on a long conversation with us, but it’s polite to at least say hello at the beginning of the trip and “thanks” or “have a good day” at the end.

Many drivers find it rude when passengers say absolutely nothing to us. It’s dehumanizing to be ignored, so make sure to acknowledge us even if it’s just a word or two.

Let us know: What are your pet peeves?

Pet peeves are a two way street! If you’re a passenger, what are your pet peeves about Uber drivers? Let us know in the comments!

And if you’re a driver, let us know if we missed any of your pet peeve!