# Hi. PAX here. I have questions.



## PAXfromBNE (Mar 22, 2019)

Hi all. To be clear, I'm a passenger not a driver. Also, I use Uber for business travel, not personal travel. I joined this forum to seek advice from you good folk (i.e. drivers) on how to be a good passenger. I tried contacting Uber for advice, and guess what? They had nothing to tell me.

Firstly, let me start by saying that I have total respect for you guys. I actually considered driving for Uber myself a few years back, but couldn't find the time to get all the required paperwork done. 

Secondly, I feel that I've been a model passenger to-date. Yet, it surprises me that some driver chose to give me a low rating. My current rating is 4.6. I try my best to greet the driver. I try my best to place my own bag in the boot (so he or she doesn't have to get out). Because I live in Australia, I sit in the front passenger seat, which is what the expectation is (I'm told). 

Thirdly, let me tell you why I no longer take regular taxis: they're old (the cars), they're smelly (the cars), but the main reason is because the driver insists that he needs me to tell him how to get from A to B. "Brother, which way would you like to go?" I say "I'm new here, I don't know. You're the driver, you decide the best way" To this the driver always repeats the question "Should I go this way, via xxxxx highway, or that way?". I get caught up in a 10 minute conversation that is completely needless on which way to go. I keep telling the driver that I don't know this city so I can't guide him on which way to go, and since I am charging the fare to my company I really don't care which way he goes. Some drivers then start driving. Others are still not able to move until I tell them which way to go. I asked one guy "How on earth are you a taxi driver if you don't know the way?" He replied "Brother, I just arrived the other week from ABC country". Ahh... so the secret is out, they don't know the way, so the pretend to ask which way is best for me. I understand.

Anyway, back to Uber. I'm glad to say that no Uber driver has asked me the way, which makes me very happy.

Now, let me also tell you that I'm a POC (person of colour) and for this reason, most drivers (who tend to also be POCs) will refer to me as "Brother". This is fine. My own brother doesn't call me brother so I'm happy that someone considers me his bro. But, after a long flight, and especially if my ears haven't un-popped from the pressure difference, I sometimes don't answer the driver. Sometimes I'm too tired, other times I can't hear the driver (due to ears not having popped). 

Is this enough to cause a driver to rate me low? Because I wasn't talkative enough?

Also, may I give you good folk a bit of advice? I know you all work very hard and some of you spend tons of hours on the road daily. But please help us PAXs out if you have specific requirements from us. For example I am reading on the US side of this forum that drivers over there hate it when PAX's get in the front seat and expect the PAX to get into the back seat. Furthermore, the want the PAX to sit on the side opposite to the driver. My understanding is that in Australia the taxi industry expects that the PAX will sit in the front seat. I assume this same rule applies to Uber. If this isn't the case, or if some of you have different expectations, then please either tell the PAX or place a sign in your car telling us where to sit. 

If you prefer to place the bag in the boot on our behalf, then please make this known to us, otherwise people like me who place the bag ourselves in the boot (to help the driver out) might get misunderstood. 

On the topic of bags? Is it wrong for me to place the bag on the back seat of the car? Please let me know if this is acceptable or not?

Lastly, do you expect me to chat or to keep quiet? I'll do as is expected of me as I don't need any more low ratings. I am very happy to keep quiet, but if the expectation is that I should talk then please can we just talk about the weather or other innocent things. Many drivers see me and instantly assume I'm from a certain country (they also go by my name). Is this sort of topic the only thing that comes to mind? I'd rather talk about Australian politics or quantum physics.

Also, can someone please tell me why (this has happened two or three times to me) when I ordered an Uber at BNE airport late in the evening, I found that a driver initially accepted the ride and then about 5 mins later cancelled it from his/her end. I then re-ordered an Uber, and a different driver accepted the ride, but the same thing happened again. The third time I ordered the Uber, it went through without cancelation. I asked that driver why this happens and he claims it's because of drivers who "prefer certain types of passengers". He didn't elaborate, but I think this driver was telling me that something about me bothered the first two drivers and hence they declined. Apart from my rating and name, how much else do they know about me? All I can say is they missed out on great conversation.

Please enlighten me on the above points so that I can be a more helpful passenger to you. 

Thanks.


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## Taksomotor (Mar 19, 2019)

I can tell your one problem - you waste too many words, nobody has time and patience to read all that. :smiles:

I prefer a chatty passenger, it makes my ride more fun and I love learning about what people do and where they go and what they think of trump/weather/beers/whatever.

Also, I hate when passengers are putting their wheeled luggage on my leather seats. So to prevent that I try to jump out of the car and pick up their luggage and put it into the trunk. I also prefer to take it out of the trunk myself. Moving is not a problem for me, I am tired of sitting on my ass and welcome a chance to stretch a bit.

You would get my 5 star rating almost always regardless of your name, color, gender, age, mood, character, smell, dress, income, tipping.


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## PAXfromBNE (Mar 22, 2019)

Thanks Taksomotor. It's a common complaint people have of me. I'm a writer stuck in the body of an engineer. I appreciate your tips.


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## 25rides7daysaweek (Nov 20, 2017)

PAXfromBNE said:


> Hi all. To be clear, I'm a passenger not a driver. Also, I use Uber for business travel, not personal travel. I joined this forum to seek advice from you good folk (i.e. drivers) on how to be a good passenger. I tried contacting Uber for advice, and guess what? They had nothing to tell me.
> 
> Firstly, let me start by saying that I have total respect for you guys. I actually considered driving for Uber myself a few years back, but couldn't find the time to get all the required paperwork done.
> 
> ...


hey brother and welcome!!! I'm from the states so might now have your down under exactly right but. There's a couple reasons why your ratings might be low that I can think of. 1 would be the driver didnt like the length he had to come to get you compared to distance traveled. Either wasted time for a short trip or 2 your destination lead him to a deadmile trip back. Either of those 2 could get you 3 star?(dont rematch me with him again) easily cured. W a decent cach tip. As far as conversation goes you are the boss here if you're like to chat chat away if you want quiet be quiet. Dont get hung up on your ratings. They really dont mean much to most us us. We really are pretty good at our jobs and know how to drive the car and get you there. We dont really take to kindly to backseat drivers o turn by turn instructions. We wanna have you good service though and would really like a little something extra for the effort....


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## Taksomotor (Mar 19, 2019)

PAXfromBNE said:


> Thanks Taksomotor. It's a common complaint people have of me. I'm a writer stuck in the body of an engineer. I appreciate your tips.


So basically you are my twin brother


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## WestSydGuy (Jun 7, 2018)

PAXfromBNE said:


> Hi all. To be clear, I'm a passenger not a driver. Also, I use Uber for business travel, not personal travel. I joined this forum to seek advice from you good folk (i.e. drivers) on how to be a good passenger. I tried contacting Uber for advice, and guess what? They had nothing to tell me.
> 
> Firstly, let me start by saying that I have total respect for you guys. I actually considered driving for Uber myself a few years back, but couldn't find the time to get all the required paperwork done.
> 
> ...


At a guess, the airport dwelling drivers guessed that you'd be a short fare, and are hoping for a long fare. If they are not calling you, I'm not sure how they estimate where you're going with just your name and rating to guide them.

I'd suggest taking a screenshot on your phone when matched with a driver, then if they cancel on you and you're charged, you have something to show Uber who is messing around. These drivers may also be spoofing their location, and are in fact not yet at the airport at all, if this happens often, send the details to Uber. These clowns give the other drivers a bad name, and if nobody complains they will keep doing it.

I'd suggest trying to not slam car doors, some drivers are sensitive to that, also some drivers are first day on the job, so they might rate you down if they earn under $100 bucks from you, as they have high expectations.


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## Who is John Galt? (Sep 28, 2016)

PAXfromBNE said:


> Now, let me also tell you that I'm a POC (person of colour)


What sort of colour?

I think I would have concerns if you were of a blue hue like a character from the Avatar movie. Actually, looking at your avatar, I think I might have just answered my own question. Purple! You are not Tinky Winky, the purple Teletubbie are you?

.


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## #professoruber (Feb 19, 2018)

Tip cash and your problem is solved (Didn't even read the post in it's entirety)!


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## Modicum (Feb 12, 2019)

Firstly u seem like a five star rider every trip mate, so wells done & thanx for making our lives easier.
Here is my criteria for being a good rider ...don’t slam doors, sit wherever u like, put stuff in boot, don’t smell, don’t eat, no open alcohol, chat or not chat is kool, be at a safe pickup location, be polite, length of trip doesn’t matter, skin colour doesn’t matter, if your friends ride with you make sure they behave (I have often given one star cos friends were bad passengers)


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## Mehmet2 (Sep 7, 2017)

PAXfromBNE said:


> Hi all. To be clear, I'm a passenger not a driver. Also, I use Uber for business travel, not personal travel. I joined this forum to seek advice from you good folk (i.e. drivers) on how to be a good passenger. I tried contacting Uber for advice, and guess what? They had nothing to tell me.
> 
> Firstly, let me start by saying that I have total respect for you guys. I actually considered driving for Uber myself a few years back, but couldn't find the time to get all the required paperwork done.
> 
> ...


Well to be clear i think you are a cheap pax that take advantage of these poor uber drivers who probably makes next to nothing on trip you booking with their newer cleaner cars and on top of that you are expecting a 5 star.
You are saying u only use for business so why not personal?
Firstly i belive you have no respect at all for uber driver if you do your rating wouldnt be at 4.6 plus you would tip your driver.
Secondly you probably only sit at the front seat to get higher ratings because you heard some drivers just rate you lower because you sit at the back ( i dont).
Thirdly you dont get taxies because they expensive dirty wont turn up for short trip will ask where you going and most of the time they are doggie also taxi drivers will never ask you which way to go thats a newbie uber driver will ask you.

Now tell you what i dont think you want to have conversation with your uber driver and you have excuse saying your ears havent popped or you are tried i think you just not interested. You also sound like a chick not a bro

Lastly i tell you what your driver probably waiting at the airport too long and expecting a long trip and accepting your trip to see if its worth for it so than cancel. i myself only get into airpot que if its busy. One day i waited at the airport and got my ping after more than an hour and accept the trip that trip took 21 min about 5km and uber paid me about $11 now all together i spent about 2 hours for $11 before expenses and a pax like you wouldnt even pay a $1 tip and you saying you respect drivers ?? Come on you know we have family and kids to look after and you come on this site and winge about your none sense uber rating??? F...k that.. tip f***ing your driver or get a taxi to give you 5 star.


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## Yawnie (Sep 17, 2018)

5 mins cancellations are an issue, you should report the drivers to uber as they are ripping you off.

as to your rating it seems you are a reasonable passenger i cant see why u would have a rating under maybe 4.8 or so

im in sydney not brisbane though


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## soontobeautomated (Apr 4, 2017)

Who cares? We just want your money, not your problems.

Concerned about your ratings? No one can justify them. Same goes for drivers. Move on.


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## Krusty (Jan 26, 2018)

These uber ratings seem to have a psychological effect on people, they were even talking about it on tv the other day, they can't believe they haven't all got five stars, what have we done wrong they ask, they were even talking about getting even with drivers that give them low ratings, sound familiar LOL


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

PAXfromBNE said:


> Hi all. To be clear, I'm a passenger not a driver. Also, I use Uber for business travel, not personal travel. I joined this forum to seek advice from you good folk (i.e. drivers) on how to be a good passenger. I tried contacting Uber for advice, and guess what? They had nothing to tell me.
> 
> Firstly, let me start by saying that I have total respect for you guys. I actually considered driving for Uber myself a few years back, but couldn't find the time to get all the required paperwork done.
> 
> ...


Tip big in cash as soon as you get in the car. Then you can do pretty much anything besides assault the driver and still get 5 stars.


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