Previously, we’ve told you about the Uber Driver who refused to stop at Krystal’s for a rider, UberEATS drivers that keep food for themselves, and a Lyft Driver who ABANDONED their passenger for not buying him pizza during a fast food stop. It’s been a year since those stories, so we wondered if things had changed. Were drivers still denying passengers stops for food? We know that both ride-share companies tell their passengers that these stops are perfectly normal, and they even compensate the drivers for the time spent waiting – drivers, however, do not seem to be complaint with the ride-share company policies, and still frequently deny these stops, or telling passengers they will only stop if they’re bought food, or tipped extra – effectively extorting the passengers for more cash money in order to stop for food along their route.
Of course, if you ask a driver officially, their response is always the correct answer – so instead, a driver asked in the driver group, so that the responses would be candid and honest – and we got just that. A few drivers gave the correct response, such as “they’re paying for the ride I go where they want. period“; however not everyone was so accommodating. If you get one of these Uber Drivers and want to stop for food along your route, you should expect a hassle, and they should expect a low rating:
Christopher James Camfield says he will “go if they buy me something to make it worth it but normally i will not stop.“
Ginger Porter says she will usually “take them through the drive thru but Holiday weekends and big money times nope“
Gary Chalfont has previously stopped for riders, but won’t do it anymore because of what he considers low pay. “ No more… they can get a ride there, and find a ride back in my opinion. I hate to be that way, but I don’t think riders do not realize our end of it. We’re only charging the riders what, 12 cents a minute for time“
Cilla French, above, suggest lying to the passenger and telling them you’ve been pinged for another ride, not the most ethical answer of the day. You might remember Cilla French from Last October, when she said she’d only stop if they agreed to buy her food, too.
Cydney Camp will stop – but only if the rider will buy them food, or provide a tip: “Usually tell them I would love to, but I’m not making money if I’m just sitting in a drive through which can take 20-30 mins. If they offer food or tip, then I think about it lol.”
Ginger-Rose Krueck doesn’t feel it’s worth it, saying “If it were super slow it might be worth hanging around. This weekend, no I would not wait. Drop them and go.“
Lola Potter complains that it’s not even minimum wage (which she isn’t subject to as an Independant Contractor): “We get 12 cents a min when waiting. 10 minutes, that’s $1.20. That’s less than minimum wage.”
Actually, it’s $7.20/hr at that rate, but you would also have the cost of the fare within that hour too, putting her well over any minimum wage number.
An example ride, let’s say is a 8 mile trip from work to home, with a 20 minute fast food stop along the route, for 30 minutes work, the ride is still a $13.49 ride for the passenger, of which the driver will get about $9.83 for a half hour, making it well above a min wage, with an average rate of $19.67/hr with a 20 minute wait.
(Assuming a $1.00 Base Fare, a $1.45 Booking Fee, $0.93/mile @ 8 miles ($7.44), and $0.12/min (30 min ttl = $3.60))
What does Uber have to say about stops along the way? They’re a part of the business model, and anticipated & accommodated. They simply remind you that “If you ask you driver to make a stop along your route, the time portion of your fare will continue to accumulate.”
Uber also directs drivers: “If riders ask you to make a stop before arriving at their final destination, let the trip continue. When a stop is made during a trip, the time you wait is added to the fare. Additional distance traveled to locations on or off the trip route is added to the fare. Swipe End Trip only after riders have exited your vehicle at their final destination.”
What is your experience with asking drivers to do their job and stop for you along the way? Do you adjust your rating accordingly? Sound off in the comments or on our Facebook page.
Please adjust your rating accordingly! I have heard such horror stories from passengers. Other than preferring to rely on the efficiency of WAZE, I am at my passengers’ disposal. I drive for Lyft.