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As a passenger, I was going to sit up front with a driver recently - he pulled up in his minivan and stopped with the back seat directly in front of me and punched the button to automatically open the rear sliding door which left me no chance to even consider the front seat at that point without saying "I'm good, I'll sit up front" which would have made it uncomfortable...
 
I keep a tissue box on my front passenger seat. I've seen a couple pax initially reach for that door, see the box on that seat, then change course and pull open the rear door instead. I'll move the box if they seem intent on sitting up front. Not a big deal to me but, yeah, they also might need to move the seat back. Ive had a few large pax elect to sit up front for obvious comfort reasons.
I've had food, my purse, a ton of other stuff in the front seat pulled almost to the dash. I will STILL get that person who says "I like to sit up front. Do you mind?" So badly I want to say yes. So I make them wait until I empty the entire seat. More than half "never mind, I'll jump in the back".

My mentor for Lyft (not driving for them) told me that Lyft people EXPECT to be in the front seat. REALLY??
 
In Montreal, you'll get a panicked, "Sit up FRONT!", if at least one person doesn't hop in the passenger seat. They also never use trade dress. There are serious issues there with the city (a fine, and 10 day impound), and taxis. You're also supposed to act like you know the driver, so it looks like a friend is picking you up. It's a very underground setup.
 
Discussion starter · #27 ·
Same here, but if they automatically go to the back I always assume they are uber pax or could care less about talking etc, if they ask and go to the back I am totally cool with it, I guess it's just the fact if they asked and acknowledged me as a person instead being "the driver" cause to me it's basically saying to me just stfu and drive me lol, which in fine with too. If only the apps could add that option pre ride, hey driver just drive me and stfu.
 
A lot of pax will sit in back. Some ask to sit in front. I don't mind if they do. It was funny one time I picked up drunk female and her boyfriend. She sat in front and the boyfriend sat in back. He went into the store and she wanted to take selfies with me lol
 
Folks will tend to migrate to the rear because that's where Taxis have put us for nearly a century. Lyft tried to buck society by encouraging front seat riders and fist bumps. Uber tried to buck society by taking away tips.

Anyway, I committed - by virtue of joining this mad gig economy - to have four seatbelts available. So to prevent an inconvenience to myself or passengers, I will always have all seats available and allow pax to choose.

That being said, I find it disgusting that MOST men can't open the doors for their women these days.
 
I drive with a service dog so I prefer they sit in back. Not that Mattie isn't friendly, she loves the attention she gets from the pax. I even had pax fight over who sits in front with her. But I have Mattie in a harness connected to what looks like a leash but the other end clicks into the seatbelt so Mattie is safely restrained. When a pax sits up front, I have to unbulkle her. If I'm picking up four pax who don't mind riding with her it's one thing. But when it's two or less I really push for them to be in back.
 
In Montreal, you'll get a panicked, "Sit up FRONT!", if at least one person doesn't hop in the passenger seat. They also never use trade dress. There are serious issues there with the city (a fine, and 10 day impound), and taxis. You're also supposed to act like you know the driver, so it looks like a friend is picking you up. It's a very underground setup.
I should've updated this a while ago. Since Uber became "legal", they now show trade dress, and don't seem to care where you sit. You can almost tell how long they've been driving, by where they expect you to sit. Pre-legal guys (I've yet to have a woman driver in Montreal), will pull up so that the front passenger door is in front of you. Newer guys pull up like they you're gonna pump their gas. One guy even had a bunch of stuff piled on his front pax seat, and had it pulled all the way forward. Not sure what was supposed to happen if he picked up a group.
 
I prefer they sit in the back with the exception of airport runs.

If it's two pax they sit in the back and if one tries to get in the front I politely ask them to sit in the rear because I have a clip board etc in the front seat. I mean a lot of people do that I guess but to me it's just weird. Sit in the back with your fellow pax and keep them company and you can both simultaneously engage me if you're in the mood for conversation, and they almost always do.

If it's three or more I'll open up the front seat which involves sliding the clipboard between my seat and the center console.

Single pax are not allowed to ride behind the drivers seat period.

I'll ask them nicely to move over to the passenger side of the vehicle, and if they ever refuse I'll cancel the ride. I've never had one refuse yet.

All riders without exception wear seat belts. This happens before the ride begins, or the ride never begins. A simple "How y'all doing this morning? Hey, would y'all mind putting on your seatbelts for me?" as I turn on the rear overhead lamps.

I've only had one pax "jokingly" complain, and she was brought into instant compliance by her co-riders who brought her to task for trying to refuse a simple safety request. I've had several pax question having to put them on, and many comment that I'm the only driver that ever asked them to wear them, and I've received many disgruntled looks, and frankly I really don't give a shift because every last one of them knows it's in their own best car riding safety interest to put the dang things on.

One of the reasons why I insist on seat belts, beyond the obvious reason is my next point.

I drive the dark hours so for me I consider it a driver safety issue for pax to sit in the rear in plain sight if possible, if not (two or more pax situation), they have their seat belts on so if they're planning anything nefarious I'm going to hear their seat belt release clicks and if I hear that mid ride I'm immediately alerted. And if that's preceded by a verbal issue I know to prepare for a physical confrontation. I've never had that issue, but it's better to be prepared for it and not need it than not be prepared for it and it happens.

If I have to deal with an unruly pax I get a lot more warning if they're sitting the back with their seat belts on then next to me.
 
Interesting, this must be a regional preference. Here in So. Cal, I would guess that over 95% of my riders sit in the back. It’s rare for anyone to sit up front, and those that do always seem to ask if it’s ok, as if they’re breaking some imagined rule. One rider even went on to explain how they feel claustrophobic in the back, saying that they know it’s “unusual” to ride up front. I really don’t care, sit wherever you want is my response if asked, although given a choice, I’d rather they sat in the back.
 
I think it is about 50/50 for me. Women seem more comfortable sitting in back, but not always... more guys sit in front if they are local, but the out of town guys often sit in back. Makes no difference to me.
 
Right on, isn't that weird?, Out of thousands of rides I have only had a few of those.. and they have all had me wondering wtf...why would you sit there lol
I picked up a guy a few weeks ago at night; about a 4.9 rating. He initially got in on the back, right side(like most solo pax's) but half way thru the ride, he slid over to the left. Freaked the living sh*t out of me because he was very quiet from the outset and didnt want to chat when trying to make some small talk to hopefully get a better feel for whovhe was and what he was about. I keep a small pocket knife in my door console and reached down and grabbed it, expecting to have to use it for the very first time. Thankfully, I arrived at his destination and he exited without incident. I had to go offline for about a half hour after that ride, just to regain my composure. Yes, I 1-star'd his ass... Just for being freakin' creepy!
 
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