Introduction
Driving for rideshare companies is fun to earn some extra cash. Who knows, it might even be your full-time job! But let’s face it, there are drunk passengers.
Being a rideshare driver means dealing with drunk passengers. It’s a part of the job that some people may not realize just by looking at pictures of happy passengers leaving a car and thinking, “I could do that!” But you might have already dealt with your fair share of difficult passengers on the road.
Drunk passengers are just as annoying for ridesharing drivers as for public transit bus drivers.
One of the biggest problems that most ridesharing drivers face is drunk passengers. Getting such a passenger can be stressful, and it can be tempting to just drop them off on the side of the street.
However, this is not advisable as you may be penalized or even get banned from the platform altogether. As a ridesharing driver, here’s what you need to keep in mind when picking up drunk passengers.
Avoid Picking Up A Vomitter
The best way to avoid vomiter is to never let them in your car in the first place. If you drive during the day, you won’t ever have to deal with the drinking crowd since most rides are for people running errands and going to/from work.
What to do when you pick up a vomiter?
Once a Vomitter is in your car, it’s a little late to prevent vomiting. What you can do is give the passenger enough time to get their bearings, realize they’re about to be sick and decide what they want to do about it. A drunk person may need up to 30 seconds to figure out that they’re going to vomit.
You can use this time frame to determine if the passenger wants to get out of your car and vomit on the street or if they want you to pull over so they can vomit in an alley or parking lot. At this point, it’s best just to let the passenger tell you what they want you to do. They may say something like, “I’m going to be sick, please pull over!” or “Can I have a bag?”
If the passenger doesn’t say anything, ask them if they want a bag. If they still don’t answer and you think they may throw up, ask them if you should stop the car. If all else fails, slowly pull over and stop.
You should also note their address so that you can drop them off there and end the ride immediately after they get sick. Also, open all windows in your car as soon as possible.
This will help keep most of the vomit smell outside your car rather than inside.
Then, when they start puking out of the window, try not to laugh or make fun of them even though it may be hard not to.
Things to keep in your car to help you deal with vomiters
Encourage drunk people to take care of themselves by providing them with the materials they need. The problem is that most drunk people are too lazy to care about how their actions will affect others.
They will vomit on your floor mats and seatbelts without giving it a second thought. But if you give them the tools they need to keep things clean, they might actually use them.
Water
Although it may seem counter-intuitive to give a drunk person water, it’s essential to keep them hydrated. You don’t want an intoxicated person passing out in your car.
Febreze or other air freshener
This is an absolute necessity. No matter how careful you are or how good of a driver you are, people will vomit in your car, and you need to be prepared for that.
You would like to have at least two bottles of Febreze with you at all times. One bottle goes under the passenger seat so you can get at it quickly. The other one stays in your trunk for those “just in case” moments when you can’t immediately get to the bottle under the front seat.
Start getting a lot of late-night rides, and people start vomiting. You should occasionally put another bottle with the original one under the passenger seat so that you always have two bottles close by.
Paper towels
It’s important to keep paper towels in your car at all times. Not only do they come in handy when people vomit, but they’re also helpful if people spill drinks in your car or if you need to wipe down your dashboard.
Trash bags
You never know when you might get a passenger who throws up in your car and doesn’t have any cash on them. If that happens, you need to be prepared to get rid of it yourself. Trash bags will come in handy for those situations.
Plastic bags
Try to keep at least three plastic bags with you at all times. This way, if someone does throw up, you can quickly grab a bag and hand it to them so that they can puke into it instead of all over your car. Be sure to always have a few extra bags on hand if someone needs more than one.
Disinfectant wipes
These are great because they kill germs and bacteria, so if anyone pukes in your car, you can use them to wipe everything down before you start cleaning up the mess with paper towels or water and soap.
Conclusion
One of the main things that ridesharing drivers have to look forward to are drunk passengers. You might even have one or two in your car right now.
Drunk passengers can create a very stressful situation for drivers, especially if they become violent or abusive. Intoxicated passengers are also liable to start using your stuff in your car.
Thankfully, a few simple steps can prepare you and help you deal with drunk passengers before they get out of hand.
According to the ridesharing company you are working with, their policies may vary slightly on dealing with a drunk passenger.
If you’re unsure of what to do, ask your fleet manager early on in your process of becoming a driver what they want you to do when dealing with a drunk passenger.