[PortlandDriver123]

Since we don't have coworkers to talk to I need to vent to all of you. Yesterday I made the mistake of discussing politics and opinions with a couple of drunk passengers. Basically it ended in me getting yelled at by the guy sitting behind me calling me a racist against white people. Even though I'm also white... This was followed by the other male passenger in the back saying something I thought was actually racist. Then the girl sitting in the front seat next to me kept mouthing how sorry she was as she was getting out of the car. But that apology didn't make me feel any safer while I was driving, nor did it prevent the rider from giving me 1 star and reporting me to uber for arguing with him. I know I made a mistake trying to debate with a drunk passenger but that doesn't mean that he needed to scream at me and call me racist against my own race. Have any of the rest of you made the mistake of talking about sensitive topics with passengers? I think knowing I'm not the only one would make me feel a lot better haha.

 

[Z129]

Welcome to the UberPeople.net forums.

 

[IthurstwhenIP]

Dude you will not survive Portlandia if you cant get it together. Everyone in Portland is an independent free thinking open minded person who all arrive at the exact same conclusions about everything. Grow a beard, stop eating....insert long list, and get your politics inline

 

[dauction]

"I mistakenly discussed politics with a drunk passenger"

I do that daily with a drunk member here

 

[DirtyRead]

The real mistake was investing yourself in any conversation with drunk pax. I talk to everyone even drunks but I don't put myself out there with them. Wait until you get incoherent angry drunk insisting on your input. With those my only responses are I don't know, thank and I am sorry. Doesn't matter what they ask me and it doesn't matter which of the three I use. Those three replies keep things from escalating. The next time a pax drunk or sober starts degrading you remind them its your car and you can drop them off "anywhere"!

 

[1.5xorbust]

No politics, religion or drunks.

 

[Irishjohn831]

Who cares, drunk boy has in his head he dropped knowledge and destroyed your points.

1 star means nothin, we’ve all gotten then from closed minded and intoxicated imbeciles.

Guessing with the racist crap these were liberals who probably think Antifa is the greatest organization ever.

 

[amazinghl]

But that apology didn't make me feel any safer while I was driving, nor did it prevent the rider from giving me 1 star and reporting me to uber for arguing with him.

 

[mrpjfresh]

♫ Cause we find ourselves in the same old mess, talking drunken pol-i-tics ♫

Anything you say to drunks can be taken the wrong way as fast as flipping a switch. As mentioned, minimal engagement is key when it comes to impaired brains and lowered inhibitions. Any disrespect or threats however and out they go.

 

[Uber's Guber]

Since we don't have coworkers to talk to I need to vent to all of you. Yesterday I made the mistake of discussing politics and opinions with a couple of drunk passengers. Have any of the rest of you made the mistake of talking about sensitive topics with passengers?

I won't mention names, but I've had better discussions talking politics with pax in my car then I have discussing politics with several of the anonymous snowflakes who frequent this forum.

 

[Tdizzle22]

yeahhh i did that once too and the conversation ended with him talking about how great communism is good for the usa lol

 

[DirtyRead]

I won't mention names, but I've had better discussions talking politics with pax in my car then I have discussing politics with several of the anonymous snowflakes who frequent this forum.

I can attest to that. On the very few times, maybe 3 total where conversation lead itself to politics all 3 were very intelligent and civil talks. These however, were discussions about politics in general and not debates. Talks like those are rare anywhere but a pleasure when experienced. My hard fast rule for both my personal and professional lives is to never divulge whom I voted for.

 

[welikecamping]

I play the odds. That is, I drive early mornings to noon, primarily to avoid drunks. This morning I scored the big one. Frat boy standing there at 0530 with an open bottle of beer. "Is this okay with you?" he slurs. No, I said. Chug it or get rid of it, there are no open containers in my car. He then started babbling about can I tell him how much is this gonna cost him. I told him I could only guess, I don't see any numbers until the trip ends. He didn't believe me and starts mumbling about uber and lyft drivers. Next, I pull up next to a cop at an intersection, frat boy starts gesturing crazily. I ask him what he's doing, he says if you make some gestures, cops will pull you over every time. Cop is just ignoring us, I'm thinking I wish he would pull me over, I could then lose this drunk. I"ve still got a 25 minute ride ahead of me.... Some more babbling ensues, then he whips out the smokes and asks "Is this okay with you?", Um, HELL NO I think, but say simply this is a no-smoking car. He tries again. I tell him, dude, you can hold out for the 10 minutes left in this ride...He mumbles and grumbles the rest of the way. Geez, I was glad to get rid of that guy. 1-star and a note to lyft about obnoxiously drunk people.

 

[touberornottouber]

Over the course of a decade in transportation I learned to stay clear of religion and politics. Every once in a while I don't follow my own advice though and usually put myself at risk. There have even been some passengers where I suspect that they were trying to "rope me in" to taking a position by pretending to be sympathetic to it just so I would feel free to express it -- then they would claim they were offended.

 

[Ssgcraig]

You mistakingly had a conversation with drunk pax. Yes, no, I don't know are the best. Never politics, never.

 

[Erin C Banning]

Since we don't have coworkers to talk to I need to vent to all of you. Yesterday I made the mistake of discussing politics and opinions with a couple of drunk passengers. Basically it ended in me getting yelled at by the guy sitting behind me calling me a racist against white people. Even though I'm also white... This was followed by the other male passenger in the back saying something I thought was actually racist. Then the girl sitting in the front seat next to me kept mouthing how sorry she was as she was getting out of the car. But that apology didn't make me feel any safer while I was driving, nor did it prevent the rider from giving me 1 star and reporting me to uber for arguing with him. I know I made a mistake trying to debate with a drunk passenger but that doesn't mean that he needed to scream at me and call me racist against my own race. Have any of the rest of you made the mistake of talking about sensitive topics with passengers? I think knowing I'm not the only one would make me feel a lot better haha.

It happens :/ as others have said above, it's best to always be mindful of passenger signals when conversing with them. I try to avoid that outcome by a) giving the shortest polite answer I can to any question asked of me (and then cheerfully asking it right back) and b) being as diplomatic as possible when forced to get into politics or any other sensitive subjects. I view the vast majority of conversations with passengers like a game of ping pong I have to play in the back of my head while focused on more important things (i.e., driving & navigation), so just do the bare minimum in most cases to avoid being rude or offending the tender passengers.

 

[Wildgoose]

Haha. I never discussed any things any matter with any drunk guys. Whatever they said, I replied , Oh.Yeah. I totally agree with ya!!!!!!
They kept talking what they believed in. I kept saying, Oh. You are right about that!!
They felt better and I was laughing inside. :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

 

[Clarity]

Oh man I feel for you. Well one thing someone told me is to just let them be right even when they are obviously wrong. Pretend as if you are agreeing with them. Do not argue with stupid.

One time a passenger started angrily discussing with me about the time a previous driver argued with him on the phone because he couldn’t find him. I was calmly giving him perspectives with compassion, but this guy was committed complaining so angrily. As soon as I realized that I stopped responding to him. This was also a shared ride with another pax in the car so I didn’t want to say anything else to encourage the complainer to carry on. Plus I felt disrespected that he was raising his voice at me like that. When I got quiet I think he quickly realized how he came off and finally shut up.

One time a brought up the late rapper 2Pac’s death to someone who I thought would be interested in discussing it. When I started giving my opinion I noticed pax stop responding to me so I just shut up after that.

 

[Yulli Yung]

"I mistakenly discussed politics with a drunk passenger"

I do that daily with a drunk member here

Tyy

 

[UsedToBeAPartner]

Since we don't have coworkers to talk to I need to vent to all of you. Yesterday I made the mistake of discussing politics and opinions with a couple of drunk passengers. Basically it ended in me getting yelled at by the guy sitting behind me calling me a racist against white people. Even though I'm also white... This was followed by the other male passenger in the back saying something I thought was actually racist. Then the girl sitting in the front seat next to me kept mouthing how sorry she was as she was getting out of the car. But that apology didn't make me feel any safer while I was driving, nor did it prevent the rider from giving me 1 star and reporting me to uber for arguing with him. I know I made a mistake trying to debate with a drunk passenger but that doesn't mean that he needed to scream at me and call me racist against my own race. Have any of the rest of you made the mistake of talking about sensitive topics with passengers? I think knowing I'm not the only one would make me feel a lot better haha.

Never discuss politics......Period. Drunk or sober......Never discuss politics. Lesson learned the hard way.