Rideshare Food & Drink Etiquette

Bringing Food and drinks into rideshare vehicles is a common occurrence in our fast-paced world. Whether you are drinking coffee on the way to work or taking home leftovers from your favorite restaurant, it is the rider’s responsibility to properly handle food and drinks during the ride.

It is also the rider’s responsibility to ask the driver if it’s ok to eat or drink in their vehicle. Riders often overlook this simple etiquette. Leading to uncomfortable situations for drivers, since simply asking riders not to eat or drink in their vehicle often escalates to arguments.

While bringing your breakfast into a rideshare vehicle might seem like a harmless act, it is rude and inconsiderate to both the driver and future passengers. And when drivers bring this concern up to riders, we are often met with hostility and contempt. [See video below as an example]

Uber rider becomes hostile toward driver after she is told she cannot eat in his rideshare vehicle.

FOOD

Like most rideshare drivers, I never let riders eat food in my rideshare vehicle. I have a hard “NO” stance on food because it leaves behind messes and odors. Both of which would be extremely annoying to clean up and deal with after each and every ride.

I once had a rider who snuck eating a pretzel behind her mask. Since it was still during the mask mandate period following the pandemic, I couldn’t tell what she was doing. And she was also talking on the phone. But I had my suspicions since I could hear a faint crinkling of a wrapper.

When I turned around to wish her a good day as she was exiting the vehicle, there was salt all over the seat and floor! And when I asked her politely to “please sweep the salt off the seat and out of the vehicle,” I was met with a look of disbelief and contempt. Followed by a 1-star review and a false report to Lyft.

Another time, a mother let her child eat in my vehicle (without asking) as I was driving them to their destination. The child was sitting behind me in a booster car seat, so that I couldn’t see him snacking on goldfish while watching cartoons on his tablet. And when they exited my vehicle, I was shocked to see goldfish and greasy fingerprints everywhere!

As I explained to the woman that I don’t let passengers eat in my vehicle because it causes a mess that I have to clean up, she became visually and verbally irritated. And responded to my criticism with, “I’m sorry, but isn’t it your job to clean up your car?”

“Yes, typical dirt and dust,” I explained. “But you’re responsible for cleaning up your own mess and leaving my vehicle the way you found it.” The Lyft rider then gave me a snarky “well, you should have told me I couldn’t eat” response. “Well, you should have asked,” I fired back as she walked away.

I was annoyed not only with the fact that I had to vacuum up all the crumbs off the seat and floor and wipe the kid’s greasy fingerprints off my interior, but also the fact that I had to cancel the next trip and go “offline” for about 30 minutes during the profitable morning rush hour. Although, I did receive a $25 cleaning fee from Lyft.

One other food related thing I stopped doing a long time ago is going through drive-thrus. Not only are they time consuming for a rider, but the chance the rider waits until home to eat is very slim. Plus, fast food is greasy and has strong odors that linger well after the rider has left my vehicle with the food.

DRINKS

I allow almost any type of non-alcoholic drink in my rideshare vehicle. As long as the drink is secured and has a lid, I won’t even make a comment. I just assume that they’re an adult, so they can handle the simple task of carefully holding and sipping their morning coffee in a moving vehicle.

But spills are unavoidable in a moving car. Especially when you’re sitting in the backseat. Acceleration, potholes, sudden stops, turns, or unexpected driving conditions can result in spills. And riders need to accept responsibility for their spills. [See video below of an example]

Rider spills her coffee and then her boyfriend blames it on the driver.

So, in the unfortunate event of a spill, the rider should offer to cover the cost of cleaning or repairing any damage caused by the spilt drink. It’s not only the right thing to do, but a courteous gesture that drivers will appreciate.

But what riders should not do is blame the rideshare driver for spilling their drink. Because as you previously read, it’s the rider’s responsibility for handling their drink in a moving vehicle that can unexpectedly accelerate, turn, or make sudden stops.

As you can clearly see in the video above, I accelerated from a standstill to 17mph while changing lanes, hitting a city pothole, and making a left-hand turn. This was enough to cause an unexpecting rider to spill their drink.

Instead of the riders taking responsibility for the spilt drink, they immediately blamed it on my so-called speeding. Which I was going 17mph in a 25mph zone. I did brush off the first gaslighting comment - accusing me of speeding. I was confused at first, asking if it were a joke.

But when I realized that they were serious, I began thinking about how I was going to get these riders out of my vehicle without conflict. A million things were going through my mind, as I wasn’t near a safe place to drop them off. And I doubted that there was going to be a safe place to drop them off along the way to their destination.

But then came the second comment about my driving. This time accusing me of “peeling out,” which was false. I did, however, accelerate so that I could quickly cross two lanes of traffic. But I did not “peel out.” And if they both didn’t have their faces buried in their phones, they would have realized that it wasn’t my driving that was the issue, but their inattentiveness in handling drinks inside a moving vehicle.

Now, I am aware that I could have responded more professionally. Or not respond at all. But after back-to-back 12-hour days of driving, I was too exhausted to put up with their gaslighting. And it quickly escalated from there.

I kept my mouth shut from that point forward. Still thinking where and how I was going to get the riders out of my vehicle. But then a miracle happened! They demanded I pull over and let them out. I couldn’t unlock the doors fast enough!

Now, I know this type of situation is rare. And doubt it will happen to me again anytime soon. However, going forward, I will jokingly let riders with drinks know that the “city streets are rough, so please let me know if your drink spills so that I can assist you with cleanup.” Hopefully this light-hearted communication will help set clear expectations from the beginning.

BE RESPECTFUL

Drivers put a great deal of effort into keeping their vehicles clean and presentable. Grease and odor from food or a drink spilling can disrupt this effort. Resulting in unpleasant stains, odors, and a less than satisfactory experience for future passengers. As well as loss of time and money for the driver.

So, ask the rideshare driver for permission. And respect the driver’s rules and vehicle. Just as you would expect someone else to respect your boundaries and belongings. It’s the universal code of common courtesy. As well as a fundamental aspect of rideshare etiquette.