Uber and Lyft can be excellent rideshare apps for passengers and drivers. But for drivers, Uber and Lyft is a job that comes with pros and cons like any other job would. Rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft share many similarities with taxis, but Uber and Lyft drivers will have to deal with some unique problems of their own. Here’s a look at ten things Uber and Lyft drivers wish passengers would never do.

1. Eating in the car

According to Business Insider, eating in an Uber or Lyft driver’s car without permission is one of the many things drivers wish passengers would never do. After all, it is their car, and drivers must clean up any crumbs or spilled drinks, not the passenger.

2. Sitting in the front

Sitting shotgun can be great for folks who know the driver; otherwise, sitting there will simply be distracting for Uber and Lyft drivers. Typically, they don’t know their passengers, so anyone sitting in the passenger seat may lead to awkward situations. 

3. Cancelling rides or making the driver wait

Since driving for a rideshare app is a job, it’s annoying and harmful if drivers lose time for reasons out of their control. Canceling on a driver while they’re already driving to you or making a driver wait a few minutes means less time that a driver can do their job.

4. Being entitled and belligerent drunks or drinking alcohol in the car

Drunk driving is horrible, and getting an Uber can be a good way not to drink and drive. That said, one thing many drivers don’t want is drunk passengers who are rude, combative, or drinking while already drunk in the car. They’re drivers, not bartenders.

5. Calling people

Like Business Insider wrote, the main reason drivers don’t want passengers to be on a call is because drivers end up eavesdropping, whether they want to or not. Simply texting would be less awkward for everyone. 

6. Not wearing seat belts 

An Uber is still a car, and accidents can happen. That’s why drivers prefer passengers to follow the law and put on their seatbelts. It keeps the passengers safe and eliminates any liability on the drivers’ behalf.

7. Touching the driver or changing the music

For a driver, their car is like their office, and the front seats are like their cubicle. Passengers who touch the driver or change the music without asking first are invading that cubicle space. On top of that, drivers have been harmed before, so touching a driver without their permission may not only startle the driver but can also cause them to react defensively. 

8. Cramming too many people in

One great thing about Uber or Lyft is that one person can get a car for multiple people. However, some folks abuse this fact and try to fit too many people into the vehicle. This is illegal and unsafe, so drivers don’t want to see this happening. 

9. Not knowing where they are going or not moving the pin to exactly where you want to be picked up

One way drivers lose time is by searching for their passengers because they didn’t mark down exactly where they wanted to be picked up. Similarly, many intoxicated passengers will waste their driver’s time by not putting down where exactly they want to go.

10. Leaving trash behind

Like food or drinks in the car, leaving trash is also something drivers hate. Not only is it dirty and unhygienic, but it’s also extra work they’ll have to do.

Be sure you are respectful on your next Uber or Lyft drive and understand that your driver is a person just like you, and treat them and their car how you would feel comfortable being treated.