# Best way to avoid personal questions while driving?



## DRider85 (Nov 19, 2016)

Well I haven’t completely gone back to driving yet but the last time I did, people seemed more quiet. Well, except for this one guy that kept going on about his family. I don’t know, I prefer not to have lengthy conversations with people I’m never gonna meet again. What about you?

I know some people may just be trying to be friendly but it can be awkward at times. I get tired when a guy asks me so many questions. Like where am I from, do I have kids, do I have another job, am I married, or what do I do on the weekends.

I’ve taken taxis and Lyft in other cities. Why would I bother someone that I don’t know and will never see again? To me, keeping it light such as describing the weather or asking how your day is, is good enough.

It’s just weird at times when a guy will ask me how old I am and what kind of girls I’m into or they’ll play their music and start going on a rant about the artist and start asking me what kind of music I like or if I have heard of so and so.

You definitely gotta to be careful when some people bring up politics. I think maybe it’s better now cuz we wear masks and it’s harder to talk, but is there a polite way to say you prefer to just drive them to their destination and only talk about things pertaining to getting to where they need to go?

It’s so odd when strangers wanna know my personal life. Why? Why even bring it up? We’re not friends. Why people trying to be friends with their drivers?


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## 25rides7daysaweek (Nov 20, 2017)

DRider85 said:


> Well I haven’t completely gone back to driving yet but the last time I did, people seemed more quiet. Well, except for this one guy that kept going on about his family. I don’t know, I prefer not to have lengthy conversations with people I’m never gonna meet again. What about you?
> 
> I know some people may just be trying to be friendly but it can be awkward at times. I get tired when a guy asks me so many questions. Like where am I from, do I have kids, do I have another job, am I married, or what do I do on the weekends.
> 
> ...


I love chatting people up.
They like hearing about me and I like tips.
One of my most memorable trips was a shorty
w a flight attendant and $5 tip LOL


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## Atavar (Aug 11, 2018)

I have a complete and detailed fictional personal history ready that is tailor made to generate tips. They really don’t expect the truth do they?


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## Atavar (Aug 11, 2018)

DRider85 said:


> but is there a polite way to say you prefer to just drive them to their destination and only talk about things pertaining to getting to where they need to go?


continuing with my fictional persona if they talk politics I just agree wholeheartedly with whatever they say. It’s all about the tips.


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## kingcorey321 (May 20, 2018)

Why are you driving people ? Drive food . Your in the wrong line of work . 
Those people that like to talk a lot are the ones that tip well 5 or 15 bucks . Not for you .


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## Diamondraider (Mar 13, 2017)

DRider85 said:


> Well I haven’t completely gone back to driving yet but the last time I did, people seemed more quiet. Well, except for this one guy that kept going on about his family. I don’t know, I prefer not to have lengthy conversations with people I’m never gonna meet again. What about you?
> 
> I know some people may just be trying to be friendly but it can be awkward at times. I get tired when a guy asks me so many questions. Like where am I from, do I have kids, do I have another job, am I married, or what do I do on the weekends.
> 
> ...


.Pepper spray and cloroform


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## Diamondraider (Mar 13, 2017)

Atavar said:


> continuing with my fictional persona if they talk politics I just agree wholeheartedly with whatever they say. It’s all about the tips.


Excellent


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## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

Atavar said:


> I have a complete and detailed fictional personal history ready that is tailor made to generate tips. They really don’t expect the truth do they?


GOOD FOR YOU.
Congrats. You are miles ahead of most of these mugs for doing that. 

Good to have a 'rap' all ready to go. 
We all live by scripts.

I used a personal question to either 1) tell them about my fictional 14 year old grand daughter who has kidney failure and we're waiting for a donor and I drive a few days a week to get some money to her folks to pay for things that insurance doesn't pay for and if you tip me it will help with gas expense, or 2) I am looking for a job and is there any good ones available in the company where you work.

I don't mind getting personal -- if they don't. It IS a two way street.
We can talk about menstrual cycles, positional preferences, adult relations frequency ... I don't care. It all works for me.


.


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## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

Diamondraider said:


> .Pepper spray and cloroform


Oh.
Yea.
You're going DIRECTLY to foreplay.


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## FLKeys (Dec 27, 2018)

25rides7daysaweek said:


> I love chatting people up.
> They like hearing about me and I like tips.
> One of my most memorable trips was a shorty
> w a flight attendant and $5 tip LOL


I will chat with people willing to chat, if things get too private I let them know. I'm pretty good at reading people and know when or when not to chat.

One of my most memorable trips was with a lady in her late 50's. Very short 3 minute trip from restaurant to hotel. We sat in front of the hotel and continued our discussion about ghosts and hauntings for another 20 minutes. She told me it was the best conversation she has had in a long time and dropped me $76.00 in cash, all she had in her wallet. I refused to take it, she tossed it on the car floor and beelined for the hotel door.

I have had some great conversations with PAX, learned a lot of interesting things over the years, and made some great local contacts.


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## sopranored (Aug 10, 2021)

DRider85 said:


> Well I haven’t completely gone back to driving yet but the last time I did, people seemed more quiet. Well, except for this one guy that kept going on about his family. I don’t know, I prefer not to have lengthy conversations with people I’m never gonna meet again. What about you?
> 
> I know some people may just be trying to be friendly but it can be awkward at times. I get tired when a guy asks me so many questions. Like where am I from, do I have kids, do I have another job, am I married, or what do I do on the weekends.
> 
> ...


Put a sign in your car that you are deaf.


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## seesaw (Aug 20, 2021)

There is a setting in the app that lets your passengers know that you are deaf or hard of hearing.

I tried this for a bit and had someone trying to say something in sign language so it's not exactly foolproof


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## sopranored (Aug 10, 2021)

seesaw said:


> There is a setting in the app that lets your passengers know that you are deaf or hard of hearing.
> 
> I tried this for a bit and had someone trying to say something in sign language so it's not exactly foolproof


wear sung glasses and say you are deaf and blind.


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## Carlton G Long (Aug 14, 2021)

When a passenger gets into my vehicle, I typically verify destination, and ask if he or she has enough (or if there is too much) air ... and I remain silent ... any future conversation is led by the passenger, and since I keep my replies professional and friendly, but brief and closed-ended (not always an easy balance to strike), all but the most attention-starved passengers will be quiet


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## seesaw (Aug 20, 2021)

If that doesn't work, you could always honk your horn until they STFU









Hope I don’t get in trouble


I get upset when people honk at me. I always return the favor and honk back louder and I win that match every time. They eventually stop honking and they never look at me. Well in Uber we have to slow down and stop. I put my blinker on and was already going slow but the guy behind me still...




www.uberpeople.net


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## Carlton G Long (Aug 14, 2021)

sopranored said:


> wear sung glasses and say you are deaf and blind.


Also say, "The only English I know is this sentence explaining that I don't speak English."


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## seesaw (Aug 20, 2021)

Carlton G Long said:


> Also say, "The only English I know is this sentence explaining that I don't speak English."


I once had a car full of dumb blonde young girls going to a club talking amongst themselves about how they're going to target some rich young doctors, etc. The conversation drifted to how they handle...male bodily fluids dripping from their [email protected]@@@@ afterwards and not ruining carpet, etc, one of them suggested using the "c## towel", and then eventually apologized to me for the raunchy conversation.

I responded "that's ok, I don't speak English." and one said "oh ok". Took them a minute to realize and respond, "wait you just did".


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## Carlton G Long (Aug 14, 2021)

seesaw said:


> I once had a car full of dumb blonde young girls going to a club talking amongst themselves about how they're going to target some rich young doctors, etc. The conversation drifted to how they handle...male bodily fluids dripping from their [email protected]@@@@ afterwards and not ruining carpet, etc, one of them suggested using the "c## towel", and then eventually apologized to me for the raunchy conversation.
> 
> I responded "that's ok, I don't speak English." and one said "oh ok". Took them a minute to realize and respond, "wait you just did".


I look forward to seeing these young "ladies" on YouTube complaining "there are NO good men out there" in the next 20 years.


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## NorCalPhil (Aug 19, 2016)

If you're not comfortable asking them to mind their own business, just Lie. You're under no obligation to tell them the truth about your personal existence.


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## seesaw (Aug 20, 2021)

NorCalPhil said:


> If you're not comfortable asking them to mind their own business, just Lie. You're under no obligation to tell them the truth about your personal existence.


That's boring. Honking the horn is more exciting.









Hope I don’t get in trouble


I get upset when people honk at me. I always return the favor and honk back louder and I win that match every time. They eventually stop honking and they never look at me. Well in Uber we have to slow down and stop. I put my blinker on and was already going slow but the guy behind me still...




www.uberpeople.net


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## PukersAreAlwaysYourFault (Mar 25, 2021)

Wear masks that look like your mouth is wired shut and that should deter talkers.


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## PukersAreAlwaysYourFault (Mar 25, 2021)

sopranored said:


> Put a sign in your car that you are deaf.


I'll bet you have a 'service animal', too


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## SpinalCabbage (Feb 5, 2020)

Atavar said:


> I have a complete and detailed fictional personal history ready that is tailor made to generate tips. They really don’t expect the truth do they?





Atavar said:


> continuing with my fictional persona if they talk politics I just agree wholeheartedly with whatever they say. It’s all about the tips.





NorCalPhil said:


> If you're not comfortable asking them to mind their own business, just Lie. You're under no obligation to tell them the truth about your personal existence.


Yup. Yup. Yup.

Lying* is *the key to good customer service. Craft your background story and enjoy yourself doing so. Think of "The Commode Story" from Reservoir Dogs.


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## #1husler (Aug 22, 2017)

UberBastid said:


> GOOD FOR YOU.
> Congrats. You are miles ahead of most of these mugs for doing that.
> 
> Good to have a 'rap' all ready to go.
> ...


That’s my approach..I just keep steering their personal questions back to them..I’ll ask “what about you?” Or “What do you think about it?”,that way they do all the talking & I get a tip


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## Driving With A Purpose (Jul 28, 2020)

Just shout loudly to the pax: "I can't hear you over the loud rap music and all the "F" and "N" words." 

Or you could try saying "Yo no hablo mucho Ingles." (I don't speak much English)


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## Christinebitg (Jun 29, 2018)

kingcorey321 said:


> Why are you driving people ? Drive food . Your in the wrong line of work .
> Those people that like to talk a lot are the ones that tip well 5 or 15 bucks . Not for you .


That's the part I don't understand. Drivers come on this site and whine about having to interact with riders. They should find another line of work.

If all they want is casual employment when it's convenient for them, they should work as construction laborers. There's not much personal interaction required, and they can work any days they feel like.


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## MikhailCA (Dec 8, 2019)

Que? No ingles.


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## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

sopranored said:


> Put a sign in your car that you are deaf.


and blind


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## ANT 7 (Oct 14, 2018)

I normally lie to suit what I deem to be their personality/mood/politics of the moment.

It's the safest approach.


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## SpinalCabbage (Feb 5, 2020)

sopranored said:


> Put a sign in your car that you are deaf.


There is a setting for that, If you enable it Uber will notify all of your pax that you are hard of hearing.

I used to turn it on because it forced pax to enter their destination info into the app. At that time Uber didn't require that the pax provide destination information when they requested an Uber. I picked up this idiot who told me to "just drive!" so I pulled over and nicely explained to him why I needed the destination information and why yelling at me was a really poor decision. After that I just left the "deaf mode" engaged. I finally turned it off when I got tired of people yelling at me because they thought I was hard of hearing. I was like "Why is everyone yelling?" and then I remembered that I had that setting turned on. By that time Uber required destination information so there was no purpose for me to have that setting turned on.


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## Guido-TheKillerPimp (Jan 4, 2021)

25rides7daysaweek said:


> was a shorty
> w a flight attendant


I had a shorty with a flight attendant, too. And I'm not talking about a ride either! 😎👌


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

DRider85 said:


> Well I haven’t completely gone back to driving yet but the last time I did, people seemed more quiet. Well, except for this one guy that kept going on about his family. I don’t know, I prefer not to have lengthy conversations with people I’m never gonna meet again. What about you?
> 
> I know some people may just be trying to be friendly but it can be awkward at times. I get tired when a guy asks me so many questions. Like where am I from, do I have kids, do I have another job, am I married, or what do I do on the weekends.
> 
> ...


Some people make new friends wherever they go. For me, the best part of ubering was meeting so many cool people. 

YMMV


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## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

um, er, ah to pass the time a bit less boring? Maybe? If you can't gauge a pax willingness to talk (or not) perhaps driving warm bodies is not the gig for you? Maybe?

If you can deal with the smell & extra work maybe food delivery is more suited to your needs. 🤷‍♂️


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## NorCalPhil (Aug 19, 2016)

Guido-TheKillerPimp said:


> I had a shorty with a flight attendant, too. And I'm not talking about a ride either! 😎👌


That's what she said.


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## Terrapin Bound (Mar 4, 2019)

Diamondraider said:


> .Pepper spray and cloroform


These are a few of my favorite things.


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## Coachman (Sep 22, 2015)

I enjoy talking to passengers. I find it really awkward sitting in a car with a complete stranger for half an hour and never saying a word.


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## DRider85 (Nov 19, 2016)

SHalester said:


> um, er, ah to pass the time a bit less boring? Maybe? If you can't gauge a pax willingness to talk (or not) perhaps driving warm bodies is not the gig for you? Maybe?
> 
> If you can deal with the smell & extra work maybe food delivery is more suited to your needs. 🤷‍♂️


Maybe that's what it is. Passing the time. But it's a lot of effort trying to get to know people you'll never see again. I mean asking me if I have kids is kind of a personal question. If I were in Chicago, why would I ask a driver about his family? It's odd, in my opinion.


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## tothebeach2024 (Sep 25, 2019)

Atavar said:


> continuing with my fictional persona if they talk politics I just agree wholeheartedly with whatever they say. It’s all about the tips.


Absolutely! I even have a wild and crazy story about my little crack in my windshield. Test your story-telling skills!


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## Sandhills (Feb 9, 2018)

Guido-TheKillerPimp said:


> I had a shorty with a flight attendant, too. And I'm not talking about a ride either! 😎👌


a slide down the escape tube?


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## Guido-TheKillerPimp (Jan 4, 2021)

Sandhills said:


> a slide down the escape tube?


Maybe? But, I don't kiss and tell!


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## Amos69 (May 17, 2019)

Why avoid? The more they know the more they pay


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## Eniz (Jul 16, 2021)

I also like to communicate with people,
but respectfully I do not agree to continue about politics!


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## The super uber (May 23, 2020)

DRider85 said:


> Well I haven’t completely gone back to driving yet but the last time I did, people seemed more quiet. Well, except for this one guy that kept going on about his family. I don’t know, I prefer not to have lengthy conversations with people I’m never gonna meet again. What about you?
> 
> I know some people may just be trying to be friendly but it can be awkward at times. I get tired when a guy asks me so many questions. Like where am I from, do I have kids, do I have another job, am I married, or what do I do on the weekends.
> 
> ...


I understand your comments and concerns about people wanting to make conversation not only about themselves but asking you questions as well. After driving for a couple years I realize that there are some very interesting situations that needed to be published and so I put up a website. I publish my more interesting rides. There's lots to learn from riders who have totally different experiences than you as a driver so if you open your ears and listen you can get an education that cost you nothing and actually the rider pays for it.


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## [email protected] (Aug 24, 2021)

Just don't talk back . Ignore. Show them you are invading your personal privacy with cold attitudes .


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## #1husler (Aug 22, 2017)

DRider85 said:


> It’s so odd when strangers wanna know my personal life. Why? Why even bring it up? We’re not friends. Why people trying to be friends with their drivers?


I tend to drive the party/bar close crowd and some pax seem to consider


DRider85 said:


> Well I haven’t completely gone back to driving yet but the last time I did, people seemed more quiet. Well, except for this one guy that kept going on about his family. I don’t know, I prefer not to have lengthy conversations with people I’m never gonna meet again. What about you?
> 
> I know some people may just be trying to be friendly but it can be awkward at times. I get tired when a guy asks me so many questions. Like where am I from, do I have kids, do I have another job, am I married, or what do I do on the weekends.
> 
> ...


the best way to avoid this is stop driving


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## [email protected] (Aug 24, 2021)




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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

Talking is the best way to get tips, you only have to master a few conversations and you can make stuff up.

If it bothers you that much there is a way to tell riders you are hearing impaired and after that you can pretend you are deaf.


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## GrandmaRosey (Sep 1, 2021)

I don't know why you guys are trying to stay so private. I don't mind if anyone asks about me. I have nothing to hide


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## Dammit Mazzacane (Dec 31, 2015)

Careful or Red Forman is going to put a foot up somebody's ass


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## GrandmaRosey (Sep 1, 2021)

So many tough talking guys behind keyboards


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