This article will focus on the topic of drivers transporting underage passengers or minors. Everyday as Rideshare drivers we’re forced to enforce rules and regulations that are required to be followed while using these Rideshare apps. The problem is no one else can enforce these rules on the front line other than the Rideshare drivers themselves. Yep, we’re by ourselves when it comes to enforcing rules to strangers. Some rules are easy to enforce while others are very, very hard! That being said, one of the hardest rules for me to enforce personally would be what this review will be covering. Everywhere you go, there’s rules you have to follow right??
It doesn’t matter if it’s school, a hospital, a zoo or a penitentiary for that matter. If you ask me, rules are extremely important for the survival of humanity. Having rules in place and following them, can bring order to any and all kinds of real life situations. Especially when it involves people and/or business. Without having rules in place, let’s just say that people would do whatever they want to do. Even with rules people do what they want to do. But again, imagine if there were no rules in place at all. Especially when it comes to a business that involves frequently picking up and dropping off strangers. Not just any strangers either. We’re talking about underage strangers, who are 17 years of age or younger.
Here at #1RideShareDoc, I’m all about sharing my story and personal experiences with you concerning the Rideshare industry. The good and bad experiences. How dare I let these learning experiences go to waste, by not sharing them with the world! I want everyone to know what rideshare companies like Uber, Lyft, Via, or Sidecar aren’t talking about or making you aware of. Especially when you’re deciding to join their platforms. Drivers and passengers! I also want drivers and passengers to have a place to go to when they need to relate or know something concerning the rideshare industry. Let my website, become your comfort zone. Let me lead you on the road to success, literally!
This review will be divided into the following sections, for better absorption and clearer understanding purposes:
Introduction
What’s an underage passenger?
What are the signs of an underage passenger?
Reasons or excuses why adult passengers believe we’re supposed to ride their underage children!
What’s the worst that could happen when giving an underage passenger a ride?
Do Rideshare Drivers Ever Decide To Complete The Ride With An Underage Passenger?
What Should The Rideshare Driver Do When Canceling On An Underage Passenger?
My professional conclusion for picking up underage passengers!
What’s An Underage Passenger?
This is a term that all Rideshare companies use since all Rideshare companies prohibit children or minors from using the app! With that being said, an underage passenger is classified as an individual who’s simply under the age of 18. When a passenger is under the age of 18, they are required to be accompanied by an individual who is 18 years of age or older. But if you let me tell it, the age requirements should be a minimum of 21. When a child is 18, there’s still a child doing things that teenagers do. Like being immature or simply living with their parents!
This is the rule concerning age requirements, when using any and all Rideshare apps. Being 17 years and a half doesn’t count, nor does being 17 years , 11 months, 3 weeks and 6 days lol! Rules are rules and it’s been this way since day one. But like I mentioned in my introduction, even with rules already being in place some adult passengers simply don’t care. If someone 18 years of age can ride, then why not the 17 year old which is what that adult passenger might be thinking. I’ll explain more on these types of excuses shortly.
What Are The Signs Of An Underage Passenger?
Sometimes it’s easy to tell when a passenger is a minor who’s under age and sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes depending on how the minor is dressed, their height, the way they act, talk or their tone of voice, you can’t tell how old they might be. When I find myself in situations like this, I tend to just complete the ride. I don’t need the headache and I don’t have time to be arguing with any irresponsible adults child. Especially when it shouldn’t be our responsibility to verify the passenger age or has a ride to get home. This should be the parents and the Rideshare company’s responsibility, period!
I now want to list the different signs and characteristics kids give off, as underage minors. This particular section will provide information that any Rideshare driver (especially the new ones) could use or take down as a mental note! Especially if you weren’t already paying attention to these details or characteristics:
The Time Of day: When taking the time of day into consideration, remember that this could go hand in hand with every other characteristic I’m about to detail next on this list. That being said, if it’s anywhere close to the times 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., chances are you’re picking up a child. Especially if you’ve noticed your passenger carrying a Powerpuff girl bookbag and wearing Powerpuff girl shoes. Oh yeah, they’re damn sure under the age of 18!
Dress Code: This is probably one of the first things you would notice when pulling up to a pickup that involves picking up someone’s child. So for example, if you pull up to a pickup and you see a young lady standing outside carrying a Powerpuff girl backpack, wearing a blue skirt, a yellow button up and Powerpuff girl shoes, chances are you’re picking up someone’s baby. Especially if the child has on a lot of bright colors. You know kids love color right? Cartoon characters too lol!
Now on the other hand, if you were picking up a young man who happens to be a minor or under the age of 18, instead of having the Powerpuff girl accessories and skirt, it might be some Superman accessories, a black button up, with a pair of khaki pants. But either way, it won’t be that much of a difference between appearances. Anything similar to this dress code and I can almost promise you that you’re picking up someone’s child. Especially if this pickup is taking place during school hours or close to school hours! The majority of schools do have before and after school programs..
Another dead giveaway when pertaining to dress codes and picking up and dropping off underage passengers, would be sports uniforms. Especially since a lot of school uniforms have the schools elementary, middle or high school name printed on them. As a matter of fact, a lot of schools are providing uniforms with the school name printed directly on it. Usually the child’s shirt is where It’s located. Take notes folks, take notes!
Height: Taking an under age passengers heights into account can also play a big part in telling whether or not you’re picking up a minor. Well not every time, since there are dwarfs and midgets in the world lol! But since dwarfs and midgets aren’t very common, telling whether or not your pickup is a child while taking their height into account, might not be as hard as you think.
I mean, when have you ever seen 100 midgets hanging together at once, all gathered around a large building that says, “So and So” elementary, middle or high school? Get my point! And the shorter the passenger, the more likely they’re under 18 years of age. Especially if it’s more than one of them, all fitting the same exact description.
Personality And Maturity Level: Sometimes a child’s personality will expose their age, before the driver gets a chance to spark up a conversation or judge the child’s physical appearance. Just imagine pulling up to your pickup location, only to notice four girls standing in a square, playing patty cake and you don’t see anyone else. Or imagine pulling up to your pickup location, only to notice six little boys running around, playing “fart touch” lol! I think these two situations alone would explain everything concerning your underage passenger pick up. And say if a conversation did happen to take place.
The Tell-Tale signs are going to be even more clear, with every word they say. The signs will be clear as day! From funny, stupid, silly responses, to half-assed responses, to no responses at all. A minor passenger will definitely, unconsciously reveal themselves to you. Not on purpose either! It doesn’t matter how mature they may look or come off to be at first! That being said, giving examples of how one of these conversations with an underage passenger might play out, would be pointless. Or at least that’s how I feel. We were all kids once right?
Tone Of Voice: Sometimes I feel like I could be blind and still tell whether or not you’re a child, simply from your tone of voice. And maybe a dash of your personality to go with it, which I’ve just explained. That being said, if your passenger’s voice happens to sound like they might be under the age of 10, then also be sure to take this into account when deciding if you want to complete the ride or not. And always be sure to keep the time of day in mind, as this also plays a part in the chances of your pickup being an underage passenger.
Now these probably aren’t all the signs or characteristics of an underage passenger, but I think I’ve listed at least the majority of them. Take notes Rideshare drivers! And if you already were aware of these signs, look at this list as a good’ole reminder. If you get a feeling from anything off of this list that your pickup is a underage passenger, exercise that “strong pull-off game” and leave!
Reasons Or Excuses Why Adult Passengers Believe We’re Supposed To Ride Their Underage Children!
Everyday as rideshare drivers we’re faced with adult passengers that truly believe we’re supposed to provide their children with rides, regardless of the age requirements. You ever heard the saying, “give a person an inch, they’ll try to take a mile from you”? Well let’s just say that this statement goes hand in hand with adult passengers. Especially parents who truly believe that rideshare drivers are supposed to give rides to their children.
That being said, because the customer pays for a ride doesn’t mean that anyone can get in that ride. And even if this was the case, why would the adult passenger allow and believe that it’s okay for their underage child to ride with a stranger, without the monitoring of a designated adult? Especially one that they trust? You mean to tell me these adult passengers are going to trust Rideshare drivers, even though they don’t know a thing about them. All the passenger knows is that the driver works for a rideshare company. Really? Let that last statement sink in please!
Now I know the passenger who allows their underaged child to ride by themselves, might be having the following thought next…
“Yeah but…… we do have his/her license plate number, make, model and color of his/her car, and a clear picture of his or her face, in case something does happen! We also have his/her location, in which we will be following the entire ride! I’ll also be on the phone with my child to make sure nothing happens. So by having this information and being on the phone, we can’t seem to understand why they can’t pick up our children? I mean, what’s the worst that could happen”? Especially since I’m on the phone..
I’ll answer that question, within the next section. In the meantime, I will now list the reasons why passengers believe we’re supposed to ride their underage children:
“I Paid For This Ride”: This statement is the most commonly exercised excuse used by irrational customers when it comes to the purchase of any goods or services. The problem is, we’re talking about purchasing a ride for a designated individual. We’re not talking about purchasing a cheeseburger or a pair of shoes, for a designated individual. And even if we were talking about purchasing a cheeseburger or a pair of shoes, I can almost promise you this..
I can promise you that if you’re not following the rules of the people you’re purchasing from, they’re not going to sell you anything. They might take your money at first. But as soon as they realize the disrespect or you not following the rules of their business, they’ll more than likely refund your money and dismiss your business. Now take this example into account, when using this senseless, unreasonable excuse of, “I paid for this ride”, as the reason why you’re Rideshare driver should service your child. Let that sink in please, I beg of you!
“I’m Working Late”: This statement is another common excuse used by irresponsible adult passengers when calling a ride for their underage passengers. That being said, I understand that desperate times can cause for desperate measures. Trust me I know! But it’s no drivers fault that you failed to plan properly for unexpected situations like working late. Get rid of this excuse by simply having a backup plan.
“My last Lyft or Uber Driver Did It”: This is an excuse that all adult passengers use, even when it has nothing to do with picking up underage passengers. I really dislike when passengers use this poor excuse because there’s no logic or intelligence behind it. That being said, just because your last driver’s gave rides to your underage teenagers, doesn’t mean your next driver will do the same, nor does it make it okay to do so again! If you do things wrong long enough, it does start to feel right, right?
At the end of the day, we’re all private contractors! And then it’s not like all rideshare drivers think the same or drive alike. Every driver within any of these rideshare platforms, have different personalities along with different ways of thinking. I think we can say the same concerning anybody for that matter. We’re all different at the end of the day, not the same! Now take these statements into account, when using the senseless statement, “My last driver did it”!
“When Did They Make This Rule”?: If your Rideshare driver is making you aware of them not being able to pick up your minor child because of age requirements, what makes you think out of nowhere they made this rule up on their own? That’s really the best excuse you could come up with, when it comes to excuses on why the driver should take your child? Take into account that the driver did show up to make money. That being said, if the driver did show up to make money, why would he or she make up excuses on why not to make the money or complete the pickup? I’m not going to answer that question lol..
Anyways to answer your other question as far as when this requirement was put into place, this requirement of a passenger having to be 18 years of age to use any rideshare platform, has been in place since day one. But remember when I talked about giving people an inch and then having them try to take a mile? I said that saying earlier for a reason and hopefully it’s becoming more clearer to you now..
Whatever excuse the passenger tries to come up with for why drivers should pick up their underage passenger (even if it’s a good one!), doesn’t really matter. What really matters is that the passenger follows the rules and regulations agreed upon, when they first signed up to use the rideshare platform. It’s the only way Rideshare companies like Uber, Lyft, Via, Alto or Sidecar have of maintaining safety, peace and order within the rideshare community..
What’s The Worst That Could Happen When Giving An Underage Passenger A Ride?
I’ve been dying to answer this question, which I said I would do in the previous section. Now it’s time to dive into the possible bad circumstances that could possibly take place, when picking up and dropping off underage passengers:
Losing Your Job: If an adult passenger makes a report concerning a Rideshare driver and their minor for whatever reason (good or bad), the company will automatically terminate the driver. Especially if the parent clearly indicates their child being underage, along with what happened during the ride with the driver (if anything good or bad happened..). This is actually something all Rideshare drivers agree to abide by, when signing up to be a Rideshare driver. I think that’s why Rideshare companies like Uber, Lyft, Via, and Sidecar are so hard on us, when it comes to these types of circumstances. I guess they hate repeating themselves, as if we’re the ones allowing children to use the platform.
Not Being Covered By Insurance: If you do decide to give an underage passenger a ride in your vehicle and you get into a car accident, did you know your rideshare insurance won’t cover you. And this is pertaining to all Rideshare companies. You actually agree to this as well, that if you were to have an accident with a minor present in your car, that you would not only lose your job, but would also not be covered for your damages. Even if the accident wasn’t your fault! Now you’re personal insurance might cover the accident, but not the rideshare companies insurance. So the Rideshare driver is taking more than one loss, when deciding to pick up and drop off little Johnny from middle school.
Going To Jail: Now going to jail might be taking it to the extreme for riding a parents underage baby, but it’s possible! Especially if the minor makes any allegations stating that you hurt them in any way or even worse, sexually assaulted them. Not saying that a driver wouldn’t do this, but instead I’m going to say what are the chances of a driver trying to do this? Not alone trying to sexually assault an adult? These Rideshare companies don’t do background checks on drivers for nothing. Too bad they don’t do background checks on these adult passengers or age checks for that matter, until a reported situation gives them reason to do so..
I know I’ve made it very clear throughout this review, that no rideshare driver should be picking up and dropping off any underage passenger. I know that! But I do sometimes have to make an exception. Yep, I don’t know about other Rideshare drivers, but sometimes I do decide to complete rides with underage passengers. And I would hate to say what I’m about to say next because it’s going to make me sound very money hungry. But it’s the truth! You guys want me to be honest with you right? Well here it goes..
So if there’s a bonus (or refund, which is what I prefer calling it!) happening that hour for completing three rides in a row for example and that third rider happens to be a minor, all I can say is that minor is getting a ride today. Grab your lunch box, your book bag and come on kiddo lol. But after dropping off the underage passenger at their designated destination, I always leave a three-star rating on the person’s account. When you leave a three-star or less on a passengers account, you won’t be paired up with them again in the future!
On another note, when I take my decision of giving an underage passenger a ride into account, I can clearly understand why some adult passengers feel it’s okay to order or request rides for their underage child. Especially since other drivers might be doing the same thing I’m doing. But it still doesn’t make it okay for either party to ride an underage passenger. That being said, even though rules are rules, don’t forget what I said when giving a person an inch..
Always keep what I’m about to say in mind when canceling on any underage passengers. If the adult account holder ordered a ride for their child, then they obviously don’t care about the age requirements. Or that’s how you should take it, since sparking up a conversation concerning age requirements could lead to the parent wanting to become violent with you. So with that being said, if you can avoid talking to the adult or minor after noticing the minor is your pickup, then by all means avoid them and pull off. Fast as you can.
I say this because young adults (especially children), don’t really care to understand the rules and regulations concerning age requirements. All they know is they need the ride, so forget about everything else! And even if you did already speak with the adult passenger, that also shouldn’t make a difference. If you have a way to leave that underage passenger, leave them and cancel the ride immediately. Save you and your car from being vandalized or worse!
My Professional Conclusion For Picking Up Underage Passengers!
I think I’ll end this article the way I started this article. Everyday Rideshare drivers are forced to enforce rules and regulations by themselves. But they’re just trying to do their job. It’s nothing personal, especially since we don’t know you or any passenger we pick up for that matter! We all go through things in life which I understand might cause you to have to make a drastic decision. But to avoid having to do this, we have to plan better for unexpected events, so we don’t have to.
The same goes for Rideshare drivers who are trying to make all the money. Me included lol! You just have to find other ways to make your extra money, instead of breaking the rules concerning age requirements and putting your livelihood at risk. You just have to remind yourself that these rules are in place to maintain safety, peace and order. Without these rules being in place concerning age requirements, you would have kids as young as five years of age, catching rides by themselves. Just picture that!
I think that sums it up for this review on drivers picking up underage passengers. If I missed anything, please make me aware of it. As a matter of fact, if you have anything you would like to add or a personal story you would like to share, please feel free to leave those thoughts at the bottom of this review. I would absolutely love to hear what’s on your beautiful minds. Maybe you can tell me what else to add to this review, that I might have forgotten. Anyways, thank you so much ladies and gentlemen for reading my review and I will see you on my next chapter. Take care of yourselves and as always, 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 so much again for reading..
