Passenger Refuses to Leave My Vehicle!
Picture this: I pick up two passengers at one stop. They’re heading to two completely different destinations, but only one stop was logged in the Uber app. My mind immediately goes to the chaotic possibilities. What could possibly go wrong?
As soon as I swipe right to start the trip, the primary passenger informs me that there are actually TWO stops on this ride, but she only entered one into the app. My experience kicks in, and I think, “Okay, I know the drill.” I decide that it makes sense to head to the unlisted stop first, then take her to her actual destination, as per the app. But she’s adamant that I drop her off first, claiming she has a bus to catch.
I try to explain that I wouldn’t get paid for the extra stop if we went that route. I urged her to add the additional stop in the app, but of course, navigating the Uber app is like finding a needle in a haystack. Instead of adding a stop, it seemed like she was trying to book an entirely new trip for her guest passenger.
We finally arrive at her destination, and she still hasn’t added the stop. At this point, I have to remind them that I’ve accepted another trip and need to move on. That’s when the primary passenger starts getting upset, insisting that I’ll still get paid. I calmly explain that Uber’s policies mean I probably won’t see any extra fare for the additional time and distance.
In a moment of frustration, she offers to Zelle me the extra fare, but I have to turn that down too—it’s against Uber’s Terms of Service. I don’t want to get deactivated because of false claims that I made a passenger pay extra off the app.
As this unfolds, my mind races. Just a week ago, I received a safety report against me, and I really don’t want to escalate this situation and risk my access to the Uber platform. So, I choose the path of least resistance, hoping to wrap things up quickly—even if that meant not getting paid for my extra drive-time. Spoiler alert: I ended up getting shafted on the fare.
When I checked my earnings, I saw the dreaded message: “Your earnings for this trip were recalculated due to unusual activity.” Yep, just as I had predicted! This fare adjustment was way more frustrating than the passengers’ antics. Sure, these situations are rare, maybe one in a few hundred trips, but they still shouldn’t happen.
What’s more frustrating is how Uber makes it difficult to resolve issues like this. It seems only Diamond drivers get to chat with live human support agents. For the rest of us, it’s a choice between calling and messaging. I opted to call first, but after an automated message about their customer service “improvements,” I was hung up on. Classic Uber!
The only other option was to message support, which takes six to twelve hours for a response. When I finally got an answer, it was a polite way of saying, “We’re not changing anything; deal with it.”
I later learned from a post on X that I could have edited the trip using a hidden “pencil” feature in the navigation header. Of course, Uber makes nothing straightforward. But hey, lesson learned for next time!
