Insane Psych Ward & Rehab Rideshare Pickups

Having completed over 10,000 trips, I’ve encountered a ton of awkward and challenging moments. Some felt like they were straight out of a nightmare, but I’ve managed to navigate everything the rideshare world has thrown my way.

Trust me, riders will definitely test your patience, throwing all kinds of curveballs at your direction—just to see if they can take advantage of your kindness. From dealing with someone trying to pawn their drunk friend off on you so they can keep partying, to transporting a patient released from a hospital back to their mental health facility—You truly never know what lies ahead, so stay alert out there!

One such incident happened recently in Nashville, where a female Uber driver unknowingly transported a male psychiatric patient to another medical facility. After a brief conversation, the man ominously remarked, “I could be a schizophrenic psychopath, and you just let them put me in your car.” And when the driver approached the drop-off destination, the passenger became irritated, saying, “Oh, this doesn’t look good. I don’t like the looks of this.”

Chilled to the Bone by an Unusual Passenger

The first time I encountered something like this was one night when I was driving just after midnight. I got a ping for a pickup at an address close to Christiana Hospital. Keep in mind, as rideshare drivers, we don’t always see the name of the business—just the address pops up on our app.

And we often don’t realize the shitty situations we’re getting into until we’re almost at the pickup location. On this particular occasion, my app sent me to a nearby mental health facility on a chilly, foggy autumn night, well past midnight.

I didn’t notice until I pulled up to the main entrance and there was no turning back at that point. A large man began approaching my car. Clad in all black, he gave off serious authority vibes—like a club bouncer. However, the trip was booked under a woman’s name, and he was by himself.

So I rolled down the front passenger window and he quickly asked me, “you here for Sophia?”

“Yeeaah,” I responded, with a mix of relief and hesitation that he confirmed the name but also intrigued about why Sophia had arranged a ride for this intimidating football-linebacker looking dude.

“Alright, great. We’ve been waiting forever, but I’ll go grab her now,” he said before turning and heading back into the building.

That calmed my nerves for a moment until I spotted Sophia emerging with him. Her eyes were glassy, and she seemed completely spaced the fuck out—definitely high and maybe even tranquilized. She also appeared to be a teenager, but it was tough to tell with most of her hair hanging over her face. She appeared dirty and exhausted, as if she hadn’t showered or slept in days.

It suddenly clicked—he was part of the security team at the psychiatric facility, which explained the small name badge that read “Security.” And he was going to pawn her off on me.

As the guard opened the door and helped her into my vehicle, I offered her a greeting, but she barely acknowledged me. She may have muttered something, but it was hard to make out—she might have been speaking to the security guard instead.

My instincts were screaming that something was off, and I seriously thought about canceling this ride and getting the hell out of there. My gut was telling me to be cautious, and the young woman reminded me of the otherworldly Sadako character from a horror movie The Ring, where the hair hid most of her face.

Perhaps I was simply imagining things after a long day on the road, but I felt the hair on my arms stand up when I glanced back at her. She was staring right through me. Perhaps it was the cold breeze seeping into the car from the open door, but there was an unsettling chill that I just couldn’t shake off. It could have been the cold seeping into the car from the open door, but there was an unsettling chill that I just couldn’t shake off.

But this ride was going about 25 minutes away into downtown Wilmington—a quick and easy money-making trip for this time of day. Plus, I had only a few trips left before completing a Lyft Ride Challenge. I was prioritizing making money over my safety here. 

As soon as the security guard shut the door, I was hit by the overwhelming smell coming from the passenger. It was a pungent mix—like a combination of garbage, curry, and a dirty diaper. I could practically taste it, and regret washed over me before I even hit the gas to drive away.

I confirmed the address with her, but that led to some confusion before we even got out of the parking lot. Whatever tranquilizer meds they put her on made her unaware where on earth she even was. I had to repeat myself multiple times to explain where we were headed, and each time, it took her a moment to process what I was saying.

I realized I didn't know anything about this passenger, but her lack of communication wasn’t due to a learning disability—she just seemed completely out of it, and it was pretty unsettling.

Aside from her repeatedly asking about the drop-off location, the ride was mostly silent until we were just a few minutes from her destination, when she finally started to speak up.

“Do you like to live?” she suddenly asked, her voice soft and raspy.

“Ummm, I very much do,” I replied, caught off guard but not entirely surprised given her unsettling vibe. “What about you?” I asked, not knowing what else to say and also feeling a sense of concern for both of our well-being.

“Sometimes,” she answered. Then she launched into the most depressing, low-energy rant I’ve ever heard. She started venting about the struggles at home and how she was bullied at school. Dad was absent and mom was always working, drinking, or dating. It was clear she was only seventeen—definitely too young to be in a rideshare by herself.

So this mental health facility pushed a teenage girl that was deeply troubled onto an unsuspecting rideshare driver like me, putting me in a very unfair and tough situation. Thankfully, I had enough life experience to manage the situation, but I know many drivers wouldn’t be prepared for something like this—and I wouldn’t blame them.

The Journey Begins—An Unexpected Chatterbox

I had an incredible two-for-one medical pickup recently, where I completed back-to-back trips that were truly memorable!

First, I picked up a middle-aged man from Wilmington Hospital. At first glance, everything seemed normal—he appeared to be completely coherent. He even started chatting with me right away, so much so that I just started driving without even confirming where I was headed.

“You know where we're going?” the passenger suddenly interrupted himself with this question, then immediately started talking about something else, leaving me no chance to respond. He rambled on at lightning speed, tossing out one random thought after another like it was a race to see how much he could say in a short time.

Finally, after a few minutes of his non-stop chatter, I managed to squeeze in a question to confirm his destination. He replied, “Yep, I’m heading there for detox. Spent the last weekend on tranq.”

Honestly, I was at a loss for words—I thought he was joking. So all I could do was laugh, feeling completely uncomfortable with the situation and overwhelmed by his non-stop chatter and candidness. But I guess that explained why he had been talking non-stop for five minutes without giving me a chance to chime in—clearly, the hospital had given him some uppers to counteract the downers from his weekend of partying. And he talked the rest of the way there—the entire 30 minute ride!

To make things even more interesting, I got a trip request for a pickup right at the location where I was dropping him off. I accepted it, assuming it was probably an employee since the ride was so far away. But I was in for a surprise—I was definitely mistaken!

When I arrived, I quickly realized I was stepping into a chaotic situation—at least at first.

The detox facility was heavily protected, and you couldn’t proceed past the security gate, even when dropping off my passenger.

“I’m here to drop off Joe,” I said, pointing to my passenger in the back seat, “and I’m also picking up another rider—Susan,” as I addressed the security guard stopping me at the main entrance.

“Joe can be dropped off here, and your other rider is coming out right now,” the security guard told me.

A Detox Passenger with Extra Baggage

As I said goodbye to Joe and wished him luck, I started to hear what sounded like my next rider—a lot of shouting and cursing coming from a distance. It turned out to be one lady being forcibly escorted by security and staff causing all that racket!

“Dear God, no!” I thought. This was a long trip, too. 1 hour and 47 minute trip request to be exact. That’s way too long to be in a vehicle with someone who’s combative, especially leaving a detox facility. Unless it was Britney Spears during her shaved-head phase, I wasn’t about to drive that crazy bitch!

As the chaos drew closer to my parked Tesla, it appeared like they were arguing over some illegal contraband that had been confiscated by the detox facility and handed over to the authorities. And this lady wanted it back, but it was obvious that wasn’t going to happen.

“Uh, Susan,” I called out as a wild, screaming lady approached my vehicle. “YEAH,” she shouted back while I started to open the trunk to load her suitcases.

“Y’ALL ARE FUCKING THEIFS,” she screamed at the security guard and other staff at the top of her lungs as she slammed my brand-new Tesla doors shut! It wasn’t even a month old at this time, and I was still in that new-car phase were you’re afraid of any minor scratch or dent.

“Uh, you’re heading to Bethlehem,” I said, trying to change the conversation while confirming her drop-off destination.

“Fuck no,” she bluntly answered, “I live in Coatesville.” Well, that definitely explained her personality, I thought. People from there can be a little rough around the edges and pretty crude!

“Well, I have you going to Bethlehem, not Coatesville,” I replied, trying to clear things up. “Are you Susan?” I double-checked the rider’s name with her.

“No, I’m Tracey,” she responded.

“Oh, well that explains it!” I said jokingly, still trying to deescalate the situation. At that moment, we both looked to our right and saw some older lady sitting in a Prius waving at us. So, I rolled down my windows.

“Is that Tracey?” The old woman asked me.

“Sure is! I answered, so relieved that I wouldn’t be driving this psychopath!

“So, that’s my Uber?” asked Tracey. “Ugh, I don’t want to ride in a shitty Prius. I want this Tezzy! Is there any chance I can have you as my driver?” she added, her tone dripping with entitlement.

“Nah, sorry,” I replied quickly, feeling a bit bad for the poor old Uber woman driving the Prius. I still think about her to this day—she really took one for the team on that chilly January day that was about to get snowy!

As Tracey climbed out of my Tesla and plopped herself into the Prius, she started yelling at the driver about how the detox workers were thieves. That’s when I noticed my next passenger making their way over from far away. All this chaos was finally going to pay off!

Burgers, Fries, and Life Lessons—From Detox to Five Guys

She looked to be in her mid to late 60s, sporting a beige hat and a skimpy dress paired with what looked like some expensive, gaudy cowboy boots. Quite the interesting footwear choice for this area! I know that style might fly in western PA, but we were definitely far from there!

“Susan?” I asked, hoping I finally had the right passenger. “Yes, that’s me!” she replied with a hint of excitement and a sigh of relief in her voice.

“Do they always send the cute ones?” she asked playfully, with a hint of flirtation. I couldn't help but chuckle internally, thinking, “What’s going on with this detox place?”

“Haha, yes, they do!” was all I could come up with as I loaded her suitcase into the trunk of my Tesla.

Tracey’s uber Prius driver was starting to drive away. “What was up with that woman?” I asked the real Susan as I was opening the tricky Tesla door for her. “Oh, she smuggled drugs into the facility and got caught, so they kicked her out,” Susan replied.

I guess rehab really isn’t for everyone. I’ve never been in that situation myself, but after meeting three different people that day—Joe, Tracey, and now Susan—I felt grateful knowing I’d never find myself in that type of situation.

Despite being a bit eccentric, Susan was genuinely kind and compassionate. It was unusual to see someone her age trying to dress and speak as if she were decades younger. Her outfit had a certain sexual appeal, which caught me off guard given her age.

What struck me more was her warmth as she shared stories about her life experiences and the lessons she had learned. She had a remarkable ability to empathize with others, often putting herself in their shoes. Susan opened up about her lifelong battle with alcohol and how her husband would send her to detox “when he’d had enough” of her. In fact, she had just completed a 60-day stint at this rehab facility after he found her drinking again!

I don’t know who brought up lunch first, but I remember Susan complaining about how she could only eat their food for the past 60 days and she was itching for something tasty. It was just past noon, so I suggested we hit up Five Guys.

“Never been,” she said, which caught me off guard since I figured everyone had heard of them. “What do they have?”

“Burgers—really good ones—and fries!” I replied enthusiastically.

“That sounds amazing, and I’ll treat you!” Susan replied with lots of excitement. But then, her mood shifted as she added, “At this point, anything would taste better than the food I’ve had lately, even Taco Bell,” her tone shifting as she came back to reality and seemed a bit depressed. Maybe going back to reality was finally hitting her, as the entire ride she would be happy one moment but down another.

I thanked her for the meal offer and of course I took it. She wasn’t paying for this Uber, so I doubt I was going to get tipped. And it was lunch time and I was hungry, so I’m not going to say no to a free meal! We had several glances our way in the fast-casual restaurant because we were not the typical pair: man in his 30s dressed casually in sweatpants and hoodies eating lunch with a scantily dressed female in her 60s.

This was actually one of the few times I’ve enjoyed a meal with a passenger. The only other time that stands out was when I drove a Chinese international student heading to visit his “student-visa-parents” three hours away. He mentioned he had never tried Chick-fil-A but always wanted to, so I made sure he got that experience!

Aside from that, it was an uncommon experience, but it didn’t feel awkward at all. In fact, she asked me about my family and how I felt about being a husband and father. We had an open and honest conversation—she listened as I shared my thoughts and struggles, just as she had done with me. We both understood the anonymity that comes with driving rideshare, knowing we probably wouldn’t see or speak to each other again.

I could sense her excitement as I talked about my happy marriage and how much I love being a girl dad. It seemed like she might not have experienced that kind of relationship with her own father and certainly wasn’t in a marriage she enjoyed.

She had been married to the same man for over 30 years but didn’t have any kids. When I asked if she had ever wanted children, she replied, “I did, but not with my husband—he’s an asshole.”

That comment really stuck with me. Susan had her share of struggles, but she wasn't a bad person—just a bit quirky and awkward by typical standards. You could sense the resentment oozing from her. Her life clearly hadn’t gone as she had hoped, serving as a reminder for all of us that we should all cherish the blessings we have and be thankful for the positive experiences that have come our way.