Don’t eat food


If you’re booking an Uber anytime between 1 and 6am, you’re probably bringing a bag of greasy, fried goodness into the car with you. While the mere presence of a food’s aroma alone could be a no-no for some Uber drivers, you should definitely refrain from eating inside your ride. A driver’s car is his workplace, and it’s covered and stained in takeaway food, it’s going to impact his future reputation.

Don’t order rides for minors

Uber prohibits passengers under 18 without a parent or guardian, but that doesn’t stop some parents from booking a car for their children or teenagers. This could put your driver in serious trouble. “No one under 18 should be getting rides unsupervised,” Zachariah, an LA Uber driver, said. “I cancel those but feel really bad about it.”

Tip if possible


Tipping’s not for everyone, especially outside of the United States. In some countries, like Japan, tipping is actually not just uncommon but downright frowned upon. Uber drivers certainly won’t expect a tip but it will only put you in their good books. One $2 tip isn’t going to change your rating overnight but it’s a start!

Talk to your driver

It may look like your driver is happy to get you home as quick as possible without any small talk, you’d be surprised to know that some are actually very interested in bickering their way through your journey. For an Uber driver, there is no office, no colleagues. The only human interaction they get at work is through members of the public. “I love to drive, but sometimes when I pick up a customer they don’t say hello and just get in and start giving orders,” a NYC Uber driver told Insider.

Don’t flirt with your driver

The top complaint among female Uber drivers is almost always flirting. In the past, they’ve admitted to driving only during day to avoid any dodgy or dangerous encounters with passengers who don’t know when to zip it. “I get rude and harassing comments from men in the day, so I don’t even want to know what it would be like at night when people are drinking,” Jenny, a New Jersey driver said.

Order when you’re ready to leave

Thanks to the hangover of traditional taxi ranks taking an age to arrive at your location, Uber users are still booking their rides way in advance just in case they’re waiting for thirty minutes in the cold. Avoid this. Uber drivers, especially in cities, are ubiquitous and never more than five minutes away. Don’t leave them twiddling their thumbs when they could be earning money elsewhere.

Don’t give directions

This is something a lot of us are guilty of, whether we did it passive-aggressively or not. Always abstain from leaning over the driver’s shoulder and barking orders at him. One, it’s just rude. Two, they’re in the job for a reason. Also, even if they were a bit unsure of where you wanted to go, they have a GPS ready to offer solutions.

Don’t request a location where the driver can’t go

Although most locations are available in a metropolitan area, there are still some streets or landmarks that will prohibit the company of any taxi drivers, not just Uber. So bear this in mind. Outside of metropolitan areas, certain streets or alleys are either inaccessible or not mapped out on their satnav. If possible, order a ride to somewhere close by that is.

Avoid random stop-offs

Your Uber driver is not your chauffeur. It’s not their job to take you everywhere you want to simply because you’re in the car. To make an Uber driver stop at a convenience store so you can buy a quick snack is abusing his service. Worse, it can take him out of his route.

Don’t say you’re going to give them 5-stars

A passenger telling their Uber driver they plan to give them a 5-star rating can be an honest statement following a good journey. But Uber drivers have claimed passengers often do this to ensure you give them one back, while secretly rating you a 3 or 4. Same goes for tipping. “I really dislike when a passenger tells me they will tip in the app,” driver Arthur McBeth revealed. “If they don’t intend to tip, then a thank you will suffice. This gripes me so much that I keep a score. It is currently two out of fifteen did tip.”