In this review, I want to discuss how a Rideshare driver who encounters a passenger running behind schedule should handle such situations. Let me first start by saying that we all have busy lives. Well, some of us.. And having a life in my opinion means that you might have things to do, places to go and people to see right? This could be on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. I think this would explain all of us for the most part right? But sometimes things don’t go as planned, especially when pertaining to being on time! Damn near everyone in my circle is always running behind schedule for something. So if you happen to fit that description as well, don’t feel too bad lol. It’s more common to be late than you think lol! Not saying it’s okay either.
That being said, this article is going to be all about Rideshare drivers picking up passengers who are running late or a little behind schedule. This happens all the time within the Rideshare industry. Sometimes these passengers take responsibility for themselves being late and sometimes they don’t! My biggest issue with this is when passengers try to blame the driver for them being late. Especially if the passenger is on their way to work. I mean who’s ever early for work lol? But I’ll elaborate further on what I mean later on in this short review.
Here at #1RideShareDoc, I’m all about sharing my story and my personal experiences with you. Why would I let them go to waste, especially since a lot of those experiences were learning experiences. All 33,000 of them! Not to mention the fact that I love writing, sharing personal knowledge and motivating any and all types of individuals. You know, people who are willing to learn! That being said, I created this website to make the public aware of what these Rideshare companies like Lyft, Uber, SideCar or Via don’t talk about or care to talk about for that matter. Everyone needs to know the nooks and crannies of what goes on in these rideshare drivers cars, while they try to make a living! No one’s alone when visiting this platform. Allow my lessons to become your blessings!
For a better understanding of what I’ll be covering today, this review will be broken down into the following sections:
Introduction
What is a late passenger?
What to do before picking up a late passenger
What to do after picking up a late passenger
What to do after dropping off a late passenger
Stupid statements passengers say to drivers when they’re running late!
Ways a passenger can prevent themselves from being late
Signs of a late passenger when they’ve said nothing
My professional conclusion for picking up passengers that are running late
What Is A Late Passenger?
Even though the answer to this question might seem quite obvious, I promise you it’s not! You should know by now that I love making up my own definitions for things. Everything sometimes lol! Especially when it pertains to explaining any parts of my profession. Anyways, my definition for a late passenger is a person who’s running behind schedule because of improper planning, before ordering their Lyft, Uber, SideCar or Via ride. Notice how I said, “running behind schedule before ordering their ride for pickup”.
Trust me, I meant every word of that statement. But of course that’s not how the passenger is going to look at it or treat you when they get in your car. They won’t even consider the fact that they ordered the ride within the very last 5 or 10 minutes before being considered late! So when the driver has shown up at the last minute of those 5 or 10 minutes, all that’ll cross that’s late passengers mind is the driver. You know, something like “it’s time to let that driver know what time it is”, lol. Or at least that’s how they make me feel, as if I don’t have a damn watch lol!
What To Do Before Picking Up A Late Passenger?
Now before I answer this question, I have to make you aware of the fact that it would depend on if the passenger contacts you before you arrive at their pickup location. If they do contact you before you arrive at the pickup destination saying that they’re running behind schedule, you now have this option that I’m about to make you aware of. You have the option to literally take the ride or leave it lol. It’s that simple! For me personally, when a passenger calls me saying that they’re running late or behind schedule, I tend to “leave it” right away without delay lol. I love exercising that “strong pull-off game“!
Especially if they’re trying to pinpoint where I’m located! Really, as if I pulled over to took a nap, I’m not driving fast enough or as if they don’t have the map on their phone. I say that because all rideshare apps come with a “live” map where the passenger can see exactly where they’re driver is located. I would say that it is a super dead giveaway that a passenger is running late, when they start checking on their drivers whereabouts. Even if the passenger doesn’t mention anything concerning them being late! Leave the passenger right away, without delay lol. It’s better to be safe, than sorry.
What To Do After Picking Up A Late Passenger?
After picking up a late passenger, there’s an important fact that you should keep in mind before you take the car out of park and hit that good’ole gas pedal. Keep in mind that even though your passenger is late, it’s not okay to speed or drive erratically through traffic! The passenger might tell you that it’s okay (because they’re late!) but I promise you it’s not. I say that because the moment something happens like if you get pulled over for example, I can almost promise you that your passenger won’t be there to assist you or to pay your speeding ticket.
Keep in mind that this is a complete stranger that you’ve just met and picked up off the street! You did nothing wrong when it pertains to the passenger other than you deciding to make yourself a part of their “late” situation. If that’s not a good enough reason to not speed or do anything illegal driving wise, then I don’t know what is! Not to mention the fact that if you did get pulled over by the police for speeding, it would only make your passengers timing even worse. But of course the passengers not taking this into account when their mindset is totally focused on being late!
What To Do After Dropping Off A Late Passenger?
When I’m finished dropping off a late passenger, sorry to say but I normally not only give them a one star rating, but I also make a report of them being unsafe. Especially if the passenger turned into a “backseat driver” forcing me to go around other motor vehicles, on top of directing me to drive faster! I believe that making a report is the next step every professional Rideshare driver should take when encountering situations like this. What if you did speed and had a car accident or got pulled over by the police or State Trooper. What’s supposed to happen next? Like I already mentioned in the previous section, I promise you the passenger is not going to be there to help you. Remember, they’re only focused on being late!
That being said, the reason why it’s best to report the unsafe passenger is because reporting them could help protect future drivers from these types of events. It would also make the passenger aware of their unsafe actions for future references. If they get more than one report stating them asking their driver to speed or drive reckless, these Rideshare companies won’t have any problem terminating their account, in a timely fashion lol! Especially on the note of being safe! Also keep in mind that the passengers might give you a low rating as well because they were late, which is so unfair right? That’s another reason why I always rate the late passenger poorly on top of reporting their unsafe actions.
Stupid Statements Passengers Say To Drivers When They’re Running Late!
What I am about to say to you now, is a statement that most people say to their children. But this statement relates to passengers 100%. When the passengers are running late, they say the most darndest things out of their mouths lol! So I’ll say the same thing to these passengers, that I would say to kids when they’re being evil or unkind towards one another. Just because you’re thinking about it doesn’t mean you should say it! But I bet you these late passengers would beg to differ!
These stupid statements that passengers say before, during, or towards the end of a ride when they are running late for something, need to be listed in this review. I want our rideshare drivers to feel comfortable and also understand that they’re not by themselves when being told these RIDICULOUS statements. You’re not the first driver to hear or to be told these stupid statements, nor the last driver! So without further ado, stupid statements passengers say to their drivers when they’re running behind schedule are as follows:
1.) Are You Or Were You Lost?:
It’s no better way for a passenger to get under my skin then to ask this stupid question. I feel like if I or any motorist for that matter were lost, we would most definitely contact the authorities or passenger immediately lol. Or so we should. Asking me if I’m lost when I’m 5 minutes or less away from picking them up, gives me the feeling of a lost child. And since I am a lost child my parents have to find me, which they have by calling and blowing my phone up lol!
So for the record, when you call your driver try to refrain from asking if we’re lost. Instead ask the driver if they need directions to get to your pickup location or something of that nature. I believe that saying it this way comes off to be a lot more patient and respectful, instead of sounding so authority like and belittling. It’s not the driver’s fault that you’re late!
2.) It Looks Like You’re Not Moving Or You Weren’t Moving At First!
When passengers are running late for something, I can completely understand why you might assume your driver isn’t moving when looking at your map. Even though the cars you see on your Rideshare app can seem like they’re moving slow, I can promise you they’re not! The cars never move fast on the map. It’s a computer for Christ’s sake and not the actual conditions of the road itself lol!
But if your driver isn’t moving at all, be sure to restart your device that you ordered your ride from first, before reaching out to your driver. Sometimes computers need to be restarted first before catching up with what’s actually happening with your driver. Doing this could definitely help you avoid saying anything that might be disrespectful or unnecessary!
3.) Where Are You At?
This is another popular, irritating statement that passengers love to say to us, especially when they’re running behind schedule! It’s as if they forgot they have a “live” map that shows them exactly where they’re driver is located (the exact street names and everything!). I know that when a passenger asks me where I’m located, it unconsciously gives me the thought of them really saying, “you should be located here, where you at” lol? So instead of asking this crazy question, kindly restart your phone first and look at your map. It just might have the answer you’re looking for. Thank you in advance!
4.) Are You A New Driver?
The fact that passengers get full details on their drivers before ordering their ride makes asking a driver this question completely uncalled for. Passengers receive all the details concerning a driver. Details including the drivers rating, picture, license plate number, make, model, color of their vehicle, how many rides the driver has completed and how long they have been on the platform. When a passenger has all of these real details it makes asking this question the most ridiculous ever! So could you please stop asking this question? Especially when you already have multiple answers and then some.
5.) Can You Drive A Little Faster?
The next statement that I’m about to say will be repeated with the next few examples of stupid statements that customers say to their drivers when they’re running late. That being said, when passengers are running late for something I swear it gives them the green light to start “back seat driving” with they’re driver. One of the most unsafe directions you could give a driver, is to drive faster or speed!
Especially when they were already driving at a decent speed, which in my opinion is always 10 miles above the speed limit. If driving 10 miles above the speed limit doesn’t work for the passenger, kindly ask them to order another ride which of course would make them even later for whatever they were doing. Either way they’re still going to be late, which is what they don’t realize. But the fact that you “the driver” realize this fact, is all that matters. Now act accordingly!
6.) But I’m Not Asking You To Speed!
As I mentioned with the previous stupid statement, I’ll say again. When passengers are running late for something, it’s like it gives them the green light to start “back seat driving” with their driver. That being said, what else would the passenger mean by asking you to speed if it didn’t mean to drive faster. I hate when a passenger says that they’re not asking me to speed, but to just drive a little faster! In my mind, it’s the same thing and I know I’m not the only driver who feels this way. So please stop asking your drivers to drive faster, unless you’re planning on signing and paying for the citation..
7.) You Could Have Made That Light!
When passengers are running late for something, I swear it gives them the green light to start “back seat driving” with their driver. Instead of a passenger saying speed up, they’ll instead say to the driver “you could have made that light”! From my personal experience what the passenger really means to say is when the light is turning yellow or red, speed up the car and don’t slow down.
“Even if you are trying to follow the traffic laws, skip that I’m late”! That being said, nothings running through the passengers mind at the time, except for the fact that they’re running behind schedule! So for my time delayed passengers, could you please stop asking your drivers to blow red lights? It’s very unsafe for both you and your driver which could lead to serious injuries or worse!
8.) Can You Drive Around This Car?
When passengers are running late for something, I swear it gives them the green light to start “back seat driving” with the driver. That being said again lol, telling your drivers to drive around vehicles because the car in front is moving to slow, can definitely put the driver in the spotlight of other drivers including the police! I believe the police call this type of driving, “reckless or erratic driving“.
Erratic driving (for me!), is when a driver keeps making sudden changes. Sudden changes like moving from lane to lane, going slow to suddenly going really fast and making sudden stops and turns without using proper signals. That’s my definition I guess lol! It’s extremely irritating when passengers do this because it makes the vehicle stand out. It makes you look like a criminal trying to get away from something, literally. Why would the driver want that kind of attention? Oh, because they have a late passenger in they’re vehicle. Good enough reason right?
9.) I Have A Quicker Route!
When passengers are running late for something, I swear it gives them the green light to start “back seat driving” with their drivers. They always seem to have a quicker route! But this could be a little less irritating depending on how the passengers go about giving out their directions! If the passenger knows how to give proper directions by giving the driver a heads up before approaching a right or left turn for example, then backseat driving might be okay..
But if the passenger is one of those last-minute backseat directors telling the driver to turn right when they were already passing up that corner or to keep going straight when they were literally about to make a right or left turn at the corner, your backseat driving skills might hurt both you and your driver. Maybe worse! With a passenger giving out poor directions could lead to the driver’s vehicle being rear-ended, t-boned or worse. But why would the passengers care? They’re late remember?
If an accident does happen to occur while following the passenger’s crappy instructions, I can promise you this.. all that delayed passenger would worry about next is getting that good’ole insurance information from both you and the other motorist! They’ll need anything that might show proof that it wasn’t their fault they were late for whatever they were late for. That’s all I think that passenger would care about now. This info could definitely help them escape taking responsibility for being late. It was out of the passenger’s control right?
10.) How Long Are You Going To Be?
This question happens to be so irritating to me that when a passenger says this when calling me or texting, I tend to hang up on them immediately and cancel the ride. Especially if my next pick up calls me while I’m finishing a ride. My current passenger is still in the vehicle for Christ sakes! Can I drop them off first please? Sometimes my current passengers laugh when they hear my next pickup call and ask where we are located or am I lost lol!
That being said, you should already know how long your driver is going to be because your Rideshare map shows you approximate ETA’s (estimated time arrival) on any and every ride you order. So please stop asking questions that you already should know the answer to. Especially when the answer is right in front of you. Again, restart your phone if your map seems to be frozen and try again. The only exception to a delayed passenger asking this crazy question would be if someone else ordered them the ride and didn’t give them an ETA.
11.) Please Don’t Cancel This Ride!
When a passenger says this statement to me, it almost makes me feel bad for them. I say “almost” because why would your driver cancel your ride unless they saw a serious reason to do so? So when a customer says this to me, I naturally assume that either they’re already having a bad day and canceling a ride would just make it even worse, or it was something about that particular rider that made the driver want to cancel the ride.
Something like the ride being a 4-Hour trip to New York city, for example! So in a case like this, I would always ask the passenger why they would assume I’m going to cancel the ride first before continuing to the pickup destination. You never know, it could be a good enough reason which might cause you to have to cancel on them as well lol. So it never hurts to ask!
12.) Your The First Driver To Take This Route!
A lot of times when a statement of this nature is made, the ride is usually almost completed. This would be the reason why this type of stupid statement really irritates me. Instead of the passenger giving me directions because they’re running late or for whatever reason, they instead chose to let me follow the GPS, which we are told to do when a passenger says nothing.
It’s nothing like a passenger assuming that all drivers drive the same way and know the same routes! That being said, please stop making these irrational assumptions ladies and gentlemen. Every motorist is an independent contractor. In other words, a lot of us drivers don’t know or communicate with other drivers. Not until now at least. Hopefully this website can change that!
13.) Are You Tired, You Seem Like You Had A Long Day?
All because you’re tired and running late for work doesn’t mean that your driver is also tired or running late for work! When a passenger says this type of statement to me as their driver, I truly feel like they are self reflecting their own circumstance on to me. This is so not fair right? Even if the driver was tired or had a long day..
Unless you planned on saying something nice or motivating to brighten the drivers day up! If not, they might just get tired of you and tell you to get your tired self out lol! Or at least I would. Just kidding.. What a passenger really means to say in my opinion is that they’re already tired and had a long day, even though their day is just beginning. Just having a bad start that’s all lol! Passengers wouldn’t dare say this though..
14.) What Time Does It Say We Will Arrive?
I’ve probably said this statement one too many times, but I’ll say it again for my readers who haven’t gotten it yet! Every rideshare app comes with a “live” map for you to locate where your driver is. Street names and everything! There’s no such thing as an unexpected delay. You can actually follow the ride as the driver completes the ride with you (the passenger) inside the vehicle. So if this is the case, why can’t you simply locate your ETA, which is generally located on all Rideshare maps?
If this happens to be too hard for you to locate, you could always look at your driver’s GPS map on their phone or electronic device. Your driver’s app and map will also show the estimated time arrival along with how many minutes are left until you arrive at your drop off location. If this doesn’t help you refrain from asking your driver stupid questions that you already should have the answer to, then I don’t know what will..
Ways A Passenger Can Prevent Themselves From Being Late!
I feel like what I’m about to say next is needless to say, but I want to help not just our drivers, but our passengers as well! That being said, here’s a few ways passengers can prevent themselves from being late:
1.) Plan Your Day In Advance!
When you plan your day as you go, you tend to miss things. But when you plan your day in advance, a lot of things just seem to fall in place without much effort. The best time to plan your day in advance would be when your current day is starting to dwindle down. Or at least for me it would be. Make notes if you have to, to help you remember what you need to do and at what times. Having a solid game plan can definitely help!
2.) Schedule A Pickup Ride For A Time Earlier Than The Original.
Placing an order for a scheduled pickup can sometimes be the best option for all passengers, late and/or early! This is probably one of the greatest moves a passenger can make when trying to prevent themselves from being delayed or off schedule. But the problem comes into play when you schedule your ride to arrive and drop you off at an exact time, with no “wiggle” room or extra minutes. When a passenger does this, things tend to not fall through as planned!
You should never do this, especially since things happen unexpectedly with drivers everyday. An accident could happen on the road that doesn’t involve you or your driver, but at the same time could still put you behind schedule. So to prevent this from being a reason for you not being on time, make sure you schedule your ride to arrive and drop you off at least 15 minutes before you’re actually supposed to be there. That 15 minutes is your “wiggle room”! Doing it this way will allow more time for another driver to arrive, if the first driver happens to cancel, not show up or whatever else. Preparation is everything, not the obstacle or task at hand!
Signs Of A Late Passenger When They’ve Said Nothing!
I feel as though it was needless to explain further on any of these characteristics of late passengers that aren’t saying anything! You can pretty much imagine these types of circumstances:
-They’ll start running towards you
-They’ll start making evil faces or constantly moving around
-They’ll be huffing and puffing, sucking teeth or making agitated sounds
-They’ll get on the phone and start talking about how late they are while you’re driving
If they give you any of these signs, just keep in mind to stay as relaxed as possible, turn up some good positive music and drive. They may not be trying to blame you for their situation, which is why they’ve said nothing about it. If they are blaming you, them saying nothing could be a sign of them trying to accept a little bit of responsibility for their delayed timing. Or that’s how I would look at it. Especially since it’s not our fault that they’re off schedule.
My Professional Conclusion For Picking Up Passengers That Are Running Late:
Hopefully I got my point across when it comes to passengers running behind schedule. You now should know how to recognize these types of situations and how to deal with them accordingly. We all run a little behind schedule every now and then. It’s only natural! The problem comes into play when passengers try to blame their Rideshare drivers for being late, with their different lame excuses! But hopefully these tips on how to spot these types of late passengers and deal with these types of situations helped. Even if it helped a little. Your no longer alone when you’re on the road!
That sums it up guys! Now that we’re at the end of another well-written review, I would love to know what’s on your little minds? Let me know what you think and how you feel when it comes to picking up a late passenger. Share a personal story maybe. There’s plenty of space at the bottom of this page specifically for that. I promise to respond as well! Thank you guys for reading another one of my short reviews and I will see you on my next chapter. Take care out there and as always, please drive safe!
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If you’re not interested in driving strangers around in the backseat of your car, but interested in having a flexible lifestyle, you could always start a business working from home! If you’re interested, please don’t hesitate to read my review on Wealthy Affiliate. Thank you again for reading..
