Ask A Driver

Is it okay to have my driver wait while I smoke?

This is never okay. In Houston, drivers are paid 13 cents a minute. That is hardly minimum wage, and doesn’t take into account the money wasted idling away. It’s one thing to ask you driver to stop at a gas station and you run in real quick to grab a pack of smokes, but to make them wait while you smoke? No. #smokingcanalwayswait. Furthermore, if we are letting you smoke outside, chances are we do not smoke ourselves. As a non-smoker myself, the lingering smoke smell that comes with you really makes me want to start coughing. I understand, smoke smell is going to happen, it is part of the job, but it still doesn’t mean I want it. You may get lucky and get a driver that is like “smoke? Let me join you!”, which is probably the only case that this is okay. However, it is still highly disrespectful to ask someone to wait for you to smoke in the first place, especially if you ordered a Uber or Lyft and it took 5 minutes (or more) for them to arrive. You should of been smoking as you were ordering it!

I once traveled 14 minutes to a rider. If you are a driver, you are probably mumbling to yourself, how dumb I was for traveling that far. Well, back in the day, before there was a driver on every block, this was normal. Anyhow, I wait for about a minute before the riders got out of the house. Keep in mind, 14 minutes has already passed by. They wave to me, pulled out a couple lighters and lit up. I was like really? Are you kidding me?? (of course, I was in the car speaking to myself.) Anyhow, I said screw this and took off. They ended up running into the street yelling at me. How privileged do you feel that after 14 minutes of me driving there, you decide to START smoking when I come? Sure, I wasted 14 minutes and gas. (basically cancel fee was gas money), but I just couldn’t believe it. Personally, if I pull up within 5 minutes and see you smoking, I do not mind you finishing it off, but don’t sit there and try to light up as I arrive. That is highly disrespectful.

Disrespectful riders that decide to light up as you arrive are often the ones that non tip and often rate 4 stars or below for little things. It’s just not worth it.

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