With this short review, I plan on covering how a Rideshare driver could go about controlling their anger or frustration when faced with a difficult or angry passenger! How many of us have ever found ourselves unintentionally getting angry, pissed off or frustrated while working on the job for whatever reason? I’m not just asking my Rideshare drivers this question either! It feels like everyone including myself raised their hands when I posed that question lol? Doesn’t it feel good to know that no one’s by themselves when referring to the everyday feelings we experience? That being said, everyday we’re forced to keep a straight face in the middle of some of the most chaotic parts of our work day.
This chaos can sometimes come in the form of being cursed out by an angry customer or passenger or it could come in the form of one of your fellow coworkers calling out. That just seems to be the nature of all jobs and businesses right? And sometimes that employee, employer, business owner or private contractor that’s being cursed out, could be getting cursed out for something that was completely a mistake or simply out of their control. This type of madness exists pretty much in every workplace. It doesn’t matter where you go or what profession you decide to work in.
Here at #1RideShareDoc, I’m all about sharing my personal story and my 6 years of personal experiences with you concerning the Rideshare driving industry. I’ve had a lot of “dream for a day” experiences, as well as nightmare experiences that I feel like we all could learn and grow from. I feel as though some of the things that I’ve been through can be very beneficial to anyone who’s looking to either become a Rideshare driver or a Rideshare passenger. Who would really turn down the chance at getting a first-hand, one on one walkthrough of the things that some people only talk about? Let’s discuss the things that these Rideshare companies like Uber, Lyft, Via and Sidecar aren’t talking about, starting now! Are you ready?
This review will be divided into the following sections, for better absorption and clearer understanding purposes:
Introduction
What Do I Mean By Controlling Your Anger Or Frustration?
Why Should Rideshare Drivers Try To Refrain From Displaying Anger Or Frustration Towards Passengers?
What Are Some Types Of Situations That Could Possibly Make A Driver Frustrated Or Upset?
What Are Some Coping Techniques Or Mechanisms Drivers Could Exercise When Feeling A Little Upset, Annoyed, Or Angry With A Passenger?
What Should A Driver Do When They Can’t Calm Themselves Down From Being Upset?
My Professional Conclusion
What Do I Mean By Controlling Your Anger Or Frustration?
I’d like to begin this particular portion by first stating that it’s entirely unrealistic to expect any human being including myself, to remain unaffected by feelings of anger or distress. Especially when faced with bad unforeseen circumstances or unexpected events! When speaking on Rideshare drivers managing their anger or frustration, I’m referring to a Rideshare drivers capacity to regulate their own facial expressions and/or body language shortly after experiencing those upset moments. Being able to do this is extremely important, especially when planning on picking up future rides!
I’m focusing on a drivers capability to conceal negative emotions by employing effective coping strategies. The goal we’re trying to accomplish here is having the customer or passenger remain unaware of the employee or Rideshare drivers emotions. There are ways of going about doing this that I personally use that could possibly make dealing with these types of feelings a lot easier, which I’m very excited to talk about and explain within the next segments of this review!
Now even though there’re a few reasons why a Rideshare driver should never show a passenger any type of anger or frustration, I’ll give you my biggest reason why. My biggest reason why I feel a professional driver should hide their anger or frustration from the passenger when possible is because the passenger doesn’t know you or what you may have experienced previously to arriving at their pickup location. They’re not thinking about what the last passenger might have done, how bad they smelled or what they may have said to you.
That being said, the passenger won’t have any clue why you’re so angry or upset. And whether the passenger would understand what your going through or not is irrelevant. If anything, the passenger might assume that you’re angry because of something they may have said or did, which would only lead to them not only giving you a poor rating, but reporting you to Lyft or Uber. That being said, drivers have to remember at the end of the day that everyone lives in their own “box”. In other words, no one gives a hoot because everyone has their own bull crap they’re dealing with.
What Are Some Types Of Situations That Could Possibly Make A Driver Frustrated Or Upset?
Before I begin, I want to emphasize that this short list of reasons isn’t meant to excuse Rideshare drivers from upholding professionalism or delivering excellent customer service to the passengers. That being said, there are all sorts of situations and/or circumstances that could cause a Rideshare driver to become annoyed, frustrated, upset, irritated and/or simply out right ready to go crazy on a passenger!
And no matter what the reason may be, each reason leads to the same bad results. So please allow this short list of reasons for why your Rideshare driver might be upset to become a part of your thinking, reasoning and understanding. Some reasons why your driver might be a little annoyed or upset might include:
1.) Excessively Having To Enforce Rules/Regulations: Constantly having to enforce the rules and regulations (by yourself!) for these Rideshare platforms can be draining and could possibly be a good reason why your driver might come off to be a little irritated or frustrated. Especially when it pertains to enforcing child safety seats which is a big law that these adult passengers love to break.
As private contractors the enforcement of all rules and regulations fall back on the Rideshare driver, which makes coping with these matters much harder! Yep, this might be a big reason why your Rideshare driver might come off to be a little frustrated, irritated or out right upset upon arrival. Or at least for me it would..
2.) Passengers Talking A Lot: Even though I love a good conversation, talking too much can actually lead to me feeling tired and mentally drained. It leads to me not wanting to speak when I’m supposed to, like when it comes to speaking to passengers as they enter your vehicle. Especially when it deals with passengers asking crazy questions. Crazy questions like for example, can we bring five people along for the trip, do you have “Aux” or is it okay if I drink this alcohol in your car? No, no and no lol!
Constantly having to talk to passengers concerning things they should already know could wear any person’s patience out and drive any fellow Rideshare driver insane. Especially a Rideshare driver who’s driving for 8 to 12 hours a day! So having to constantly talk and communicate with passengers could be another reason why your driver might seem a little off or antisocial upon arrival. But don’t let this bother or worry you. The driver just might need a mental break. Nothing more..
3.) Dealing With Smells: In all honesty guys, I’m that Rideshare driver who gets angry with a funky passenger who has an unpleasant body odor, which I think is a nice way of putting it! But it’s not like I want to be angry at the passenger. The passenger could be going through hard times or something, I don’t know. But what I do know is what makes me angry lol! The thought alone of my next passenger getting in my car and mistaking those bad odors for it being me and not the passenger that just exited my poor vehicle is revolting! This in itself would make as a really good personal reason why I might come off to be a little irritated. But I promise I’m okay!
4.) Dealing With Kids: Whether you’re dealing with kids at work or at home, kids can be very draining. Especially when it comes to a person’s mental and physical state. I’ll provide you with my biggest reason why I feel like this is the case.The vast majority of kids don’t listen to adults. Especially adults they don’t know! It doesn’t matter how many times those children were told to stop playing or to stop fart touching one another! This is why rod share drivers aren’t supposed to give rides to underage passengers!
That being said, maybe your Rideshare driver is feeling a little upset or frustrated from having to deal with some random adults kids lol. Kids that don’t belong to the driver lol! That reason in itself could potentially serve as another explanation for why your Rideshare driver might arrive feeling somewhat frustrated, antisocial, irritated or just outright pissed off! So be mindful of these examples when trying to figure out why your Rideshare driver might seem a little antisocial.
5.) Picking Up Drunks: First I would like to say that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with picking up passengers who may have been drinking alcohol. Drinking alcohol is fine when drinking responsibly. The real problem lies in picking up drunk passengers who may have been drinking a little too much! These types of circumstances have the potential of significantly impacting a Rideshare drivers patients, tranquility and most important their peace of mind. Particularly since intoxicated passengers are more likely to exhibit exaggerated behaviors.
This exaggerated behavior might come in the form of the passenger being loud, making requests for stops that are not in the app, excessively talking and/or becoming touchy with the driver. The drunk passenger might also attempt to bring alcohol into the drivers car and in more unfortunate cases, need a bag for potential vomiting. So when your constantly having to pickup, talk to and communicate with passengers who have been drinking alcohol, frustration normally is the result. This would be yet another good reason why your Rideshare driver might be a little frustrated, irritated or out right upset upon arrival. They just might need to take yet another mental break!
6.) Giving Out Poor Directions (Backseat Driving): Giving poor backseat directions to your driver is a sure enough way to piss your driver off. Or at least for me it would be! There’s nothing like trying to follow poor backseat driving directions from a passenger. Whether it’s driving the wrong direction up a one-way street or being asked to exceed the speed limit, rest assure that these actions would certainly lead to your rideshare driver feeling frustrated and/or a little bit irritated. Particularly when those directions lead to the ride being extended which would only get the Rideshare driver in trouble at the end of the day. Having those kinds of thoughts wouldn’t make you (the passenger) feel just a little upset or frustrated?
7.) Helping Passengers With Bags: Constantly having to help passengers carry personal items and/or bags that are heavy could also leave a Rideshare driver feeling a little frustrated, irritated, antisocial or simply not wanting to be bothered with once the ride is completed. A Rideshare driver’s job is to get that passenger from point A to point B safe and sound right? Ok then.. So don’t look so surprised, bothered or confused when your driver stays in his or her seat while you carry all your heavy items to and from the vehicle. You don’t know what that driver had to carry or move before arriving at your pickup location. So again, just be mindful guys!
8.) Dealing With Road Rage Drivers: When the road is considered your place of business, constantly having to deal with other motorists can be very mentally draining. As professional drivers, we constantly find out ourselves in not only uncomfortable positions with regular motorists not knowing how to drive, but we also find ourselves in positions dealing with crazy erratic road rage drivers who don’t care about no one on the road but themselves! This can be more than frustrating at times. Especially if that particular motorist almost collides with your vehicle or even worse could have possibly killed you. If this isn’t a good enough reason for your Rideshare driver to be a little upset upon arrival, then I honestly don’t know what is!
What Are Some Coping Techniques Or Mechanisms Drivers Could Exercise When Feeling A Little Upset, Annoyed, Or Angry With A Passenger?
There are a few different coping techniques Rideshare drivers could use when trying to deal with those feelings of being upset, irritated and/or down right ready to kick a passenger’s butt. Some of these coping techniques can be done on your own inside of your vehicle, while some others would have to involve a second or third party. Some of these coping mechanisms include:
Practicing Self Awareness: Becoming aware of self, the way you are feeling and the way you’re currently thinking is definitely one way of going about becoming aware of and controlling your moods! This could easily be accomplished by a Rideshare driver simply asking themselves, “how do I feel”, “what am I thinking” and “am I aware”? Asking yourself these three questions could easily allow you or any Rideshare driver to recognize what type of mood you’re in before, during and/or after you drop off your passengers. Practicing mindfulness and self-awareness gives you the time and space needed to understand what’s actually happening not only within you, but around you as well!
Deep Breathing Exercises: I absolutely love engaging in deep breathing exercises as a professional Rideshare driver! That being said, engaging in deep breathing exercises is another effective way of enhancing both self-awareness and blood circulation. Having more self-awareness brings on a better foresight and understanding of your good and bad feelings. Deep breathing exercises can improve blood flow. An improved blood flow creates and influences a less stressful body.
Seeking Support/Help From Friends/Mental Health Professional: I would like to start this recommendation off by first stating that I have a personal psychiatrist and a personal therapist! I’m saying this first for all of my readers who may think there’s something wrong taking this route. That being said, seeking outside emotional support is probably one of the easiest ways a Rideshare driver could go about controlling their moods and/or antisocial moments. If you have health insurance, you could go through your provider to find a good therapist or psychiatrist or you could pay out of pocket. Once you’ve located a good psychiatrist or therapist, they can take it from there and assist you with programs, zoom calls and mindful group meetings that are all centered around helping you control your moods.
Taking A Break: Taking breaks is the most common coping mechanism any employer, employee or private contractor could take when feeling hungry, stressed out or like you can’t take the pressure anymore. To do this, all you will need to do is stop everything that you’re doing, pull over to the side of the road, put your vehicle in park and relax. Again, stop everything that you were doing and relax. 30 minutes should do the trick, but you can always take more time out if you feel you need to.
Snack On Something Tasty: What’s your favorite snack or “happy food”? Could having your favorite snack help make you feel a little better when dealing with a passenger who may have irritated you or over talked you a little bit? Well if you’re not aiming to stay healthy or lose any weight no time soon, enjoying a favorite snack could do the trick when a Rideshare driver is trying to cope with those angry, frustrating moments on the road. Especially for my fat self!
Playing Music: I love blasting my music when I’m feeling a little down or pissed off from a previous passenger. But of course we’re talking about positive, happy music, which only you would know what would work best for you. Would you happen to have a favorite “on the road” song that you really enjoy turning up loud and singing to from time to time? Well if you do, then we’re both in the same boat! Playing a nice tune is always a good way of going about releasing some stress and calming the nerves. The same thing goes vice versa when choosing to play negative music.
Call A Friend/Family Member: I think calling my friends and family when needing someone to vent to is one of the biggest reasons why I made it so many years within the Rideshare driving industry! That being said, would you happen to have something angry on your mind concerning a passenger that you deem to be evil, that you’re just burning to get off your chest? Well if you do, try giving one of your loved ones a call like maybe a family member or a close friend. Sharing your thoughts and frustrations with both mental health professionals and loved ones can be a valuable way to relieve tension and restore patience.
First of all because we’re talking about phoning professionals who are trained in these areas and second because we’re talking about phoning the people who (hopefully!) love and care about you.
Say Less:
What Should A Driver Do When They Can’t Calm Themselves Down From Being Upset?
If a Rideshare driver ever finds themselves feeling like they can’t relax or calm themselves down from an upsetting moment or ride, then really there’s nothing else that that driver can do for themselves or they’re passengers other than to go “off line” and try hitting the road another day. Continuing to do rides will only aggravate you more, especially if you happen to come across another uncomfortable, funky, talkative, needy, aggravating passenger. If pressure has the ability to bust a pipe or a diamond, then what do you think this pressure is going to do to you before your reach your next pickup?
My Professional Conclusion:
In conclusion of this review, I would like to say that as professional Rideshare drivers it’s never okay to express how you feel towards someone, especially when that someone is a stranger and especially when those feelings being expressed aren’t good one’s! From my extensive Rideshare experiences, passengers (especially passengers!) tend to take things the wrong way when they don’t understand why something is the way it is. Passengers tend to make up stories in their own minds and assume things when neither party is being vocal. So unless the passenger is willing to ask a Rideshare driver why they’re upset or a driver is willing to vocalize themselves, passengers will never know or understand the reason behind those negative facial expressions and body languages.
Well at least until they find the Rideshare Doc platform and they read this short article! Any passenger who has a heart and decides to read this article would understand why some drivers come off sometimes to be a bit antisocial or like they don’t want to be bothered. Rideshare drivers are just as normal and human as any other human being walking God’s green earth. If you ever find yourself having a hard time remembering this fact, please allow this short review to be your reminder!
Now that we’re bringing another great review to a close, you know I would love to hear what you guys have to say concerning this subject matter. Do you think I’ve listed the majority of reasons why a Rideshare driver might be a little upset or antisocial upon arriving to a passengers pickup location? Do you think the coping skills that I’ve listed within this review are sufficient? Are you a Rideshare driver who knows another way of coping with a bad ride? If so, please share those stories, thoughts, comments and/or concerns at the bottom of this review and I will be sure to respond back to you promptly.
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