Don’t be that 1-star Uber rider
Or Careem. Or Grab. Or Lyft. Or Didi.
Uber’s not perfect.
But it’s been the most reliable platform I’ve experienced so far.
Getting around a new city.
Picking up my parents.
Rushing to meetings.
Taking me somewhere I know before my phone dies and Google Maps was the only method of navigation left.
I’ve used it in London, SF, Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore… and back home in Taipei. It’s amazing when you’re in another city and the Uber app works. You feel safe.
Trips are often full of inspiring moments. Even when the driver speaks a different language. Body language and facial expressions go a long way. The conversations come natural, and there is always something new to learn.
Never had the chance to be a driver though. I knew an ex-colleague in business development who would drive between client visits.
He would update me his observations once in a while.
So why talk about riders?
Uber shut down for a few months in Taiwan last year. (Link) Only licensed commercial drivers could operate and that changed the dynamics.
Uber in Taiwan became a taxi service (sort of) with a smaller amount of drivers on the app.
This meant you had a lower chance of meeting…
A mom who’s about to pick her kids up from school.
A student trying their luck to get a date.
A bored retiree driving for fun.
I would match with drivers who joined Uber before the incident. They would talk about how rider behavior has notably changed because of this.
Many riders perceived the interaction paying for a chauffeur, not a ride-sharing platform. This was already common.
With taxis, I’ve had my fair share of rip-off scams. Taxi drivers forcing me to get in by snatching my luggage. Dangerous speeds, politics and bad hygiene. A serious rear-end collision on the high way when the taxi driver missed an exit and started to drive in reverse.
I survived.
That’s why I appreciate a system that gets me where I need to. There are talks about regulating drivers or changing Uber’s business methods. As riders, we have little control over these issues.
What we can ask is, how can we encourage a better system by becoming better riders?
Check if you’re in the correct pickup location.
When requesting for a ride, you might rely on your GPS and pin exactly where the blue dot is. You click through the app without giving it much thought.
When you’re setting the pin location, check for the following…
Where am I? Look for surroundings that match the map. The blue dot might be in the wrong place.
Am I on the right side of the road? This way you can be sure the driver and you will be on the same side and easier to find.
Is there somewhere close that is safer for pickup? Not a bus lane, not an intersection, not where there is double parking…etc.
Be aware when your ride is nearby.
Please, no long wait times.
Don’t delay until the driver is in front of you and you’re both still not sure if that’s your ride.
You can see on the map if the driver is a block away.
A mental note of the car brand and last three digits of the license plate number can help recognize your ride.
Wave or walk towards them, let them know you’re the one.
It’s easier as a rider to spot a driver and safer for the driver to keep his eyes on the road after you make contact.
Check if the destination is correct.
If you got in the right car, congrats. You checked or you got lucky.
The worst thing would be to realize you’re on the way to the wrong place when you arrive.
Drivers have asked my last name or questions like “Did you request an Uber?”.
I find the perfect question to be “Is your destination __________?”.
Riders may overlook certain details but know where they’re going.
But even if your driver does ask, check the Uber app.
Sometimes there are more exits to a certain place or you would like to get off in a specific corner.
Let your driver know in advance.
Don’t be a backseat driver.
This defeats the whole purpose of taking an Uber.
It would be difficult to know all the information to make the perfect decision of how to get from A to B.
Have some faith in your driver and the system.
Sure, let the driver know your preferences. But if you’re getting mad at the driver for following navigation, don’t.
You’re not here to prove you’re a better driver.
Use the time you gained to reply to work emails or Netflix. (Have you heard of BoJack Horseman?)
Say hi. Say thank you.
You don’t need to dive into conversation if you don’t want to. But a simple gesture acknowledging the start and end of this ride won’t hurt.
Think of what you might do if a friend gave you a ride, a colleague even.
I do it on public transportation.
Common courtesy, that’s all.
We all need a bit of that to get through the day.
Give accurate ratings.
We don’t have a tipping culture in Taipei. This makes the rating game easier.
If the trip was smooth and the experience was as expected, feel free to give the driver 5 stars.
Don’t lecture me with the “No one is good enough for a perfect score.”.
Give 5 stars if this is a driver you would be like to match again.
What if your experience was not on par (or downright terrifying)?
Think about all the other riders that might get into that same car.
You have a responsibility here.
Rate something that’s not a 5, depending on how bad the experience was.
Let the system self correct.
Why care at all?
Lots can be done with an app to interact with the real world these days.
Getting food sent to your door.
Buying things off the internet.
Paying money to a vendor.
In the end it’s less about etiquette and more about realizing you’re interacting with a living person.
People, just like you and me.
Go be a 5-star human being.
