The Things Rideshare Drivers Don't Tell You

Yes, I had to speak out due to the consumed misunderstanding that is floating around with the expectations of Rideshare Drivers. I know I promised to make a statement or two about food deliveries and that is coming soon, but not in this piece. My lid just blew of the other day when I was surfing around social media and stumbled upon the conversation with the subject title "who decides the type of music? The driver or passenger?" Of course, there was a reasonable down the line response on both sides, but what really got me, was the nerve of some people who wanted to take over, and those are normally the passengers who are riding two blocks. You know the type that have a thousand request from turn the heat down to do you have lotion or bubble gum, and they are only in the vehicle for two minutes.

Let's face it! Most people will not tell you how they feel to avoid conflict. Most Rideshare Drivers will take a certain amount of BS to receive a fare from you because on the average, you are only in their presence for only 15 minutes. However, those minutes add up and rider after rider can weigh on a driver. Now for my own personal stat check as a driver, I only had to put three people out of my car during a 5-year period at an estimated 10k riders. That's a small percentage (less than 1%), however, I have had my days of thinking that this person should have reserved a limo instead of giving me a call on the rideshare app. Now most drivers will not tell you this but remember me saying that we are all in this together in my story titled "The Rideshare Experience!"? There is a side of consideration that we drivers would like you to use as passengers.

My major concern is when I have to wait for a passenger for a long period of time and it seems like that time is longer at night. Yeah, I know the app says that you have five minutes after your driver arrives, but here is where consideration for the driver comes in from the rider. Take these factors to mind the next time you are coming down the elevator when you knew your driver was arriving 15 minutes ago: 1, he or she is sitting out there as a sitting target subject to anything that could happen in five minutes. When was the last time you sat in your vehicle at one spot for five minutes at a time in a strange area? Anything could happen to your driver, but the app told you that you have all the time in the world. 2, Most drivers are awarded based on the number of rides he or she picks up in a given timeframe or days. Now how many rides can a driver complete if you as the passenger are ready to leave as soon as the driver pulls up to your location? Some riders wonder why they receive a low star rating, and I usually tell them it takes a great deal for me to give a rider a one-star rating. Depending on the type of ride, if the rider takes a great deal of time to come out, this is a person that needed special care and doesn't need my services. Especially if I drove over ten minutes to pick a rider up, I would expect that rider to be ready to walk out the door. Again, in my mind, I run a business based on numbers and I try to eliminate all factors that will hinder the production of my numbers. I will have a productive day picking up more riders that are ready, vs riders that I have to wait on. Hey folks, it's all about the numbers right. It is not like I'm showing up to their door by surprise!

Bottom line, Drivers want passengers to be considerate of their time as well so that we all can accomplish our goals in life. You as a rider, needs to get to your location and a Diver like me, wants to complete as many rides as possible so that I can receive any bonuses possible. There is a fair deal of concerns that I don't have the time to mention and to keep this short, but here are some other things you should consider as a rider.

1. Try not to schedule your pickup location on a busy roadway.

2. If you live in a gated community, send the driver the access code or meet the driver at the gate.

3. Among many others, take your trash with you!

4. Learn how to drag and drop your location which helps the driver locate the rider (this helps in areas like downtown and where more than one apartment complexes are close together).

I hope you had fun reading this and my thoughts didn't rub you the wrong way. Closing, my personal vibe on the music, use your personal device like you are on a plane and with your headphones while not disturbing others. You as a passenger on a plan pay hundreds of dollars for a flight and follow rules and regulations, which to include playing devices with headphones or earbuds. So now riders can't get in a vehicle for 15 minutes without not wanting to take over the audio system and play something that may be offensive to the driver? People need to think about the fact that they are not the star in every show on Earth.