# VOMIT - How much to charge passenger when they vomit



## On the go

Hi everyone,


The other night I picked up a guy from a pub, stopped twice for him to throw up on the side of the road, however the third time, I wasn't able to stop in time, he vomited half outside and half inside the car.


It ruined my night, I wasn't able to accept any other jobs as I had to get my car washed at 1 am, any advice on how much I should charge the guy ???


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## IERide

I don't think you get to decide how much to charge, do you? 
Don't you have to send in the cleaning receipts and Der Uber decides what you get?


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## drivindad

The first thing you do is take photos and send them in via the app. They then decide how much they will pay you/charge the pax depending on their sliding scale, from about $25 up to $200.

Where did you get your car cleaned at 1am?


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## Grand

*If a pax makes a mess in your car*

Uber quote -

"In the unlikely event of a rider causing a mess in your vehicle that requires cleaning, you can rest assured there is a process to support you through this.

The key steps for you to follow should a rider make a mess in your vehicle are:

Hit 'HELP', Rider feedback on the specific trip to report the issue
Submit photos of the mess through the app
This should be submitted ASAP, however a maximum of 48 hours from the time of the trip
Our 24/7 support team will then get back to you with more information. Each cleaning fee is evaluated on a case by case basis, however in general you will be reimbursed for the reasonable cost for the cleaning. As a general guide reasonable costs are determined as follows:

If the mess did not require cleaning or needing to go offline - no reimbursement provided
If the mess was not significant (e.g. can be wiped with a cloth) - no reimbursement provided
Small mess (e.g. food or drink spills) - $50 reimbursement may be provided
More significant mess (e.g. vomit on the door) - $100 reimbursement may be provided
Very significant mess (e.g. vomit covering back seat and window frame) - $200 reimbursement may be provided
If professional cleaning is required of the mess please also provide an itemised invoice listing the cleaning costs you have incurred."

(From Instyle)


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## On the go

thank you very much for your inputs,


yes, I went and cleaned the car at 1am
damp! didn't take any photos and didn't award I can claimed it with Uber, well I now know what to do if it happened again, but let hope there wouldn't be next time!
thanks all once again!


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## Jack Malarkey

I find it useful to have car sickness bags with me that I can pass to passengers who are likely to vomit. I purchase them from Chemist Warehouse.


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## On the go

Jack Malarkey said:


> I find it useful to have car sickness bags with me that I can pass to passengers who are likely to vomit. I purchase them from Chemist Warehouse.


Good idea thanks Jack


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## whyza

...Best to avoid it,read this:
p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }a:link { }

*It happens a lot more than you think.* Mostly at night on Fridays and Saturdays. An overindulgence in alcohol, the steady sway of a taxi, the motion of buildings flying by. It doesn't take much for a three-sheets-to-the-wind passenger to lose their lunch in the back of a cab. And while the drunken rider that created the mess gets to shut to door and leave the contents of their stomach behind, the act sets off a whole series of headaches for the driver.

But does it affect passengers, too? Vomit is a bodily fluid that leaves bacteria on surfaces and lofts it into the air. How to mass transit riders and drivers cope with this disgusting, potentially harmful, substance soiling public transport?

"It's really common, unfortunately," says Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance. "Every driver will have at least a couple of stories throughout their tenure."

Here's the procedure: after someone vomits in their backseat, Desai says, the driver is responsible for cleaning it up - and it's most disruptive when that happens in the middle of a shift. Often the cab's home base is far away from the areas were its driver can earn the most. In New York, most of the garages are located in Queens. That means at least a two-hour round-trip drive from the areas of Manhattan where they'd typically be working on a busy night.

This stomach-turning hazard also poses health risks.
Once there's vomit on the back seat, the cab is out of service. And a cabbie's shift lasts only about 12 hours, so driving all the way back to the garage for cleaning could cost them a lot, or even all, of the money they were going to make for the rest of the night.

Often, a driver will do some of the initial cleaning themselves, and then take the cab to a nearby carwash to finish the job - another expense on top of the lost time. After that, it's a waiting game. They can't pick up another fare until the odour has dissipated. "I have heard stories where a car will be out for a couple of days," Desai says.

And, it turns out, this stomach-turning hazard also poses health risks. Scientists studying the disease-carrying properties of vomitus have found that, like other bodily fluids, stomach contents can transmit harmful pathogens from person to person once they've exited the body.

Professor Francis de los Reyes, an environmental engineer at North Carolina State University, and a team of researchers released a study last year that looked at this very topic. They constructed a "vomiting" machine consisting of a doll-like head in an enclosed box, with a mechanical stomach and esophagus designed to spew an artificial vomitus (vanilla pudding, if you must know, contaminated with a harmless - but traceable - strain of bacteria). Equipped with a bioscanner that sampled the air inside the box, the device revealed that pathogens, including the dreaded norovirus, can become airborne during vomiting - a process called aerosolisation - and land on surfaces such as seats, windows and door handles. Norovirus, which can cause sudden vomiting and diarrhoea, was in the news last April when the bug infected 252 of 919 passengers and eight of 502 crew members on the cruise ship Balmoral, travelling between the UK and the US.

De los Reyes says that, because a taxi is an enclosed space, the driver and any other passengers are at risk: "We know that splatter can travel far - up to 19 feet, depending on vomitus viscosity, volume, height of person, type of floor, etc. The physics of vomiting while sitting down is highly variable; the vomitus may be all over, or just in a small spot. We know that some norovirus particles are aerosolised. There is a high probability that the driver and co-passenger will inhale these particles. While most of the particles are in the vomit, the few thousand in the air can potentially infect the driver."

So does that mean that puke in cabs poses a public health risk? After all, governments have all sorts of regulations about cleaning bodily fluids in public places like swimming pools and cruise ships. And, while the rules about keeping taxicabs clean in New York City aren't publicly shared, it's safe to say that the answer to the question is: not really.

There is a high probability that the driver and co-passenger will inhale these particles.
According to the city's Department of Health: "The Health Department has not received reports of norovirus illness associated with riding city taxis or public transportation. The biggest risk of injury to New Yorkers while travelling in a car remains not wearing a seatbelt." And that means the one person most likely to contract a disease from a backseat full of vomit is the driver.

Because of all the hardship involved, many cities around the world like Chicago and Calgary have instituted a "vomit fee," which requires a rider to pony up some extra cash after they barf. But those fees are often so low they only cover the cost of cleaning and don't take into account lost fares. New York doesn't have any such laws and, Desai says, the taxi workers had considered asking for one but ultimately decided against it.

There was, however, one upchuck-related area where they did speak up: A few years ago New York City selected Nissan to design their "taxi of tomorrow," which all cab companies would be required to purchase once it was manufactured. The rear passenger windows in the initial design, Desai says, did not roll down. Needless to say, the Taxi Workers Alliance got Nissan to change that plan. "They did put in a window that opens up but we had to fight for it," she says.

So, in the future, if you ever feel the urge to purge when you're riding in the back of a cab, Desai says the best course of action is to warn the driver so they can pull over - then give them a few extra bucks to make up for your mistake. Though, she points out, one day we might all be tootling around town in driverless cars.

And when that happens the real question will be: who's going to be responsible for the clean up?


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## fields

This really annoys me.

I never have but if I did vomit in someone's car, I wouldn't wait for Uber to charge me. I would give the driver some money without him even needing to ask. 

I can't believe the mentality of people who would just get out of the car.


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## Jack Malarkey

whyza said:


> ...Best to avoid it,read this:
> p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }a:link { }
> 
> *It happens a lot more than you think.* Mostly at night on Fridays and Saturdays. An overindulgence in alcohol, the steady sway of a taxi, the motion of buildings flying by. It doesn't take much for a three-sheets-to-the-wind passenger to lose their lunch in the back of a cab. And while the drunken rider that created the mess gets to shut to door and leave the contents of their stomach behind, the act sets off a whole series of headaches for the driver.
> 
> But does it affect passengers, too? Vomit is a bodily fluid that leaves bacteria on surfaces and lofts it into the air. How to mass transit riders and drivers cope with this disgusting, potentially harmful, substance soiling public transport?
> 
> "It's really common, unfortunately," says Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance. "Every driver will have at least a couple of stories throughout their tenure."
> 
> Here's the procedure: after someone vomits in their backseat, Desai says, the driver is responsible for cleaning it up - and it's most disruptive when that happens in the middle of a shift. Often the cab's home base is far away from the areas were its driver can earn the most. In New York, most of the garages are located in Queens. That means at least a two-hour round-trip drive from the areas of Manhattan where they'd typically be working on a busy night.
> 
> This stomach-turning hazard also poses health risks.
> Once there's vomit on the back seat, the cab is out of service. And a cabbie's shift lasts only about 12 hours, so driving all the way back to the garage for cleaning could cost them a lot, or even all, of the money they were going to make for the rest of the night.
> 
> Often, a driver will do some of the initial cleaning themselves, and then take the cab to a nearby carwash to finish the job - another expense on top of the lost time. After that, it's a waiting game. They can't pick up another fare until the odour has dissipated. "I have heard stories where a car will be out for a couple of days," Desai says.
> 
> And, it turns out, this stomach-turning hazard also poses health risks. Scientists studying the disease-carrying properties of vomitus have found that, like other bodily fluids, stomach contents can transmit harmful pathogens from person to person once they've exited the body.
> 
> Professor Francis de los Reyes, an environmental engineer at North Carolina State University, and a team of researchers released a study last year that looked at this very topic. They constructed a "vomiting" machine consisting of a doll-like head in an enclosed box, with a mechanical stomach and esophagus designed to spew an artificial vomitus (vanilla pudding, if you must know, contaminated with a harmless - but traceable - strain of bacteria). Equipped with a bioscanner that sampled the air inside the box, the device revealed that pathogens, including the dreaded norovirus, can become airborne during vomiting - a process called aerosolisation - and land on surfaces such as seats, windows and door handles. Norovirus, which can cause sudden vomiting and diarrhoea, was in the news last April when the bug infected 252 of 919 passengers and eight of 502 crew members on the cruise ship Balmoral, travelling between the UK and the US.
> 
> De los Reyes says that, because a taxi is an enclosed space, the driver and any other passengers are at risk: "We know that splatter can travel far - up to 19 feet, depending on vomitus viscosity, volume, height of person, type of floor, etc. The physics of vomiting while sitting down is highly variable; the vomitus may be all over, or just in a small spot. We know that some norovirus particles are aerosolised. There is a high probability that the driver and co-passenger will inhale these particles. While most of the particles are in the vomit, the few thousand in the air can potentially infect the driver."
> 
> So does that mean that puke in cabs poses a public health risk? After all, governments have all sorts of regulations about cleaning bodily fluids in public places like swimming pools and cruise ships. And, while the rules about keeping taxicabs clean in New York City aren't publicly shared, it's safe to say that the answer to the question is: not really.
> 
> There is a high probability that the driver and co-passenger will inhale these particles.
> According to the city's Department of Health: "The Health Department has not received reports of norovirus illness associated with riding city taxis or public transportation. The biggest risk of injury to New Yorkers while travelling in a car remains not wearing a seatbelt." And that means the one person most likely to contract a disease from a backseat full of vomit is the driver.
> 
> Because of all the hardship involved, many cities around the world like Chicago and Calgary have instituted a "vomit fee," which requires a rider to pony up some extra cash after they barf. But those fees are often so low they only cover the cost of cleaning and don't take into account lost fares. New York doesn't have any such laws and, Desai says, the taxi workers had considered asking for one but ultimately decided against it.
> 
> There was, however, one upchuck-related area where they did speak up: A few years ago New York City selected Nissan to design their "taxi of tomorrow," which all cab companies would be required to purchase once it was manufactured. The rear passenger windows in the initial design, Desai says, did not roll down. Needless to say, the Taxi Workers Alliance got Nissan to change that plan. "They did put in a window that opens up but we had to fight for it," she says.
> 
> So, in the future, if you ever feel the urge to purge when you're riding in the back of a cab, Desai says the best course of action is to warn the driver so they can pull over - then give them a few extra bucks to make up for your mistake. Though, she points out, one day we might all be tootling around town in driverless cars.
> 
> And when that happens the real question will be: who's going to be responsible for the clean up?


This most interesting comment includes the expression 'three sheets to the wind passenger'.
This was a new expression for me. It whetted my appetite to learn its meaning (so drunk that you can barely stand) and origins.

This is what I found: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/three-sheets-to-the-wind.html.


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## Drivingthecattlehome

On the go said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> The other night I picked up a guy from a pub, stopped twice for him to throw up on the side of the road, however the third time, I wasn't able to stop in time, he vomited half outside and half inside the car.
> 
> It ruined my night, I wasn't able to accept any other jobs as I had to get my car washed at 1 am, any advice on how much I should charge the guy ???


A good kick up the backside would be good but not for making mess but for not holding liquor well.


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## Who is John Galt?

On the go said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> The other night I picked up a guy from a pub, stopped twice for him to throw up on the side of the road, however the third time, I wasn't able to stop in time, he vomited half outside and half inside the car.
> 
> It ruined my night, I wasn't able to accept any other jobs as I had to get my car washed at 1 am, any advice on how much I should charge the guy ???


On the go, you have a great deal more patience than I would have had.
Stopping once for him to throw up would have done me. Let alone twice. 
End of trip buddy, end of story.
Leave him beside the road.
Put this one down to experience.


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## dcc.

drivindad said:


> The first thing you do is take photos and send them in via the app. They then decide how much they will pay you/charge the pax depending on their sliding scale, from about $25 up to $200.
> 
> Where did you get your car cleaned at 1am?


I had a puke around 1030pm on Saturday night in Pittwater. Mostly on the outside of the passenger door, but a small amount on the inside as well, easily wiped up (but nonetheless disgusting). Took photos immediately and sent it through to Uber through the app.

There is a 24hr carwash place on O'Riordan St, I think it's called Gold Carwash or something along those lines. 45min trip to the carwash and another 45mins for them to clean, cost $18 (just the outside). Uber gave me $150 for cleaning fee, so that made $132 for about an hour and a half hassle, no Uber commission on the cleaning fee either - not bad in my opinion.

The cleaning fee can be a bit subjective, so take plenty of photos, send a polite but firm message to Uber and exaggerate the damage a bit.


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## melusine3

fields said:


> This really annoys me.
> 
> I never have but if I did vomit in someone's car, I wouldn't wait for Uber to charge me. I would give the driver some money without him even needing to ask.
> 
> I can't believe the mentality of people who would just get out of the car.


It's the same casual dismissiveness that allows people to rationalize not tipping an Uber driver because of TK's directive. It absolutely further belittles the driver, reinforcing how little TK really needs the driver because, after all, they will be replaced with nothing in the near future. Not five years from now.


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## AusChameleon

drivindad said:


> The first thing you do is take photos and send them in via the app. They then decide how much they will pay you/charge the pax depending on their sliding scale, from about $25 up to $200.
> 
> Where did you get your car cleaned at 1am?


I've had it happen once. I only got $20, cos that's how much my cleaning supplies cost me, which I stupidly sent the receipt in for.
Lesson folks, don't send in the receipt if it's for a small amount and you cleaned yourself!!

Next time I had someone leave gum on my seat and I got $50 to clean it.


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## Thing

I've had 3 people spew, they all told me in advance & I stopped in time. They got out to spew & I drove off - 1 group chased me as I drove down the road


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## Geedee

I keep some vomit bags in the glove box - check flea bay or chemist etc. Haven't had to use them but will charge them a fee


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