Your Uber driver notices some pretty personal things about you right away. Here's what you need to know about being a good rider and keeping your rating high.
This Is What Your Uber Driver First Notices About You
Updated on Jul. 09, 2025
What neighborhood you’re in
Whether you’re Ubering to the airport, the office or home from a party, the very first thing your driver notices about you is the area of town you’re in for your pickup and the area you want to be dropped off, says Tio M., an Uber driver in New Orleans. Not only does it tell them how much money you might have, but it can also give clues about your age, family situation, culture, job and personality. All these factors can affect the ride, he adds.
“It’s a stereotype, but it’s a stereotype that’s usually true: Nicer neighborhoods equal better fares and tips, so yeah, I’m going to pay attention to the location. Bad neighborhoods—you may even be getting set up [to be robbed],” he says, adding that this goes beyond implicit bias. He is hyperaware of this since three New Orleans Uber drivers were killed while on the job in the first three months of 2023. “There are places where I just won’t accept a ride.”
However, Uber says that drivers who routinely decline rides from poorer neighborhoods will get hit with a “destination discrimination” notice from the company, which can lead to them getting fewer rides or even being fired.
Your passenger rating
Before your driver picks you up, they know just two details about you: your name and your passenger rating. This rating is an average of what other drivers have rated you, as a rider, and you can see your rating under the “privacy” section on your app. How other drivers have rated you really does have an impact on future rides. “If it’s lower than I’d expect—the average is about 4.8—then I will wonder what you did, and I may not accept the ride,” Tio says.
You may have lost points on your rating for smaller infractions, like making your driver wait for too long at the pickup location or trying to add extra stops. Or your rating may have taken a hit for something big, like stealing something from the car, leaving a big mess, trying to run an Uber scam or making the driver feel unsafe. A bad rating doesn’t mean three stars or lower, like on Amazon—any rating under 4.7 will make the driver think twice, and under 4.59 is low enough that Uber may consider banning you from the service. Want to dispute a low rating that an individual driver has given you? You can take it up with Uber. But you can’t dispute your rating overall.
How chatty you are
“I’m fine chatting or not, depending on what the rider wants,” says Kelly. “And I know for a lot of people, that is a big factor in the comfort of their ride, so I try to pay close attention to their cues of how much talking they want.”
Your chattiness (or lack thereof) can show how introverted or extroverted you are, but it can also clue the driver in to your mood, well-being, status and energy, she says. Keep in mind that speaking too much, or too intimately, is one of the polite habits most people dislike. What you say will also inadvertently provide other clues about you.
Your physical health
Uber isn’t supposed to be a health service, but many people use it to head to the doctor and even as a low-budget ambulance. “I always look to see if someone seems like they’re sick, injured or otherwise unwell,” says Angela J., an Uber driver in Las Vegas. “One of my biggest worries is getting sick from a passenger since we’re in enclosed spaces a lot.”
Angela adds that she does feel a lot of compassion for people who use Uber to go to the hospital or medical appointments, saying she recently drove a woman to a colon cancer appointment and felt so bad for her that she ended up refunding the fare. “Cancer’s bad enough, but to have to go alone?” she says. “Where is her family?”
However, some of these are positive experiences, and she’s driven more than one pregnant woman in active labor to the nearest hospital. “I always joke that they have to name the baby after me,” she says. “Angela for a girl, Angelo for a boy.”
What music you like
“I don’t mind letting riders use the Aux or Bluetooth in my car to play their music,” says Angela. “I learn so much about people from their music!”
Your taste in music can reveal a lot about your personality, culture, language, age, taste and other tidbits. And it’s not just what you listen to but how. “The volume, whether or not you argue with other riders (or me!) about songs, how often you skip tracks and if you sing along are all things I notice too,” she says. “I once drove a professional singer who basically gave me a mini karaoke concert. I loved it!”
If you wear your seat belt
“‘Seat belts on’ is rule No. 1 in my car,” says Kelly. “And I absolutely will notice if you don’t put it on or if you put it on and then take it off.” She adds that it’s even more important for small kids and babies to have car seats, be strapped in properly and stay in them.
Whether or not you follow these rules says something about your personal risk tolerance and your parenting style—something Kelly is very sympathetic about. “I’m a nursing mom, and I understand what it’s like to have a little one who just needs your attention for a minute,” she says. “But you still can’t take them out of the car seat while the car is moving.” Not following safety protocols is one of the most common travel mistakes.
If you’ve been drinking
One of the first things a bartender notices about you is whether you’ve been drinking, and Uber drivers are quick to pick up on this too. After all, a top reason people use a ride-share service is so they can drink without worrying about driving under the influence. That shows good judgment and a sense of social responsibility … as long as you’re not so drunk that you puke. “Vomit is the gift that keeps on giving. You lose time and money cleaning it up—even with the extra fee the rider is charged—and the smell lingers forever,” Kelly says. “So if you look like you’re so drunk you will puke, I will decline the ride.”
However, being tipsy is fine. And if you do get to a point where you think you might throw up (for any reason!), just let your driver know ASAP so they can hand you a bag or pull over.
Who you’re riding with
Solo riders are the easiest to deal with, say our drivers, especially because Uber doesn’t pay them more for multiple riders as long as everyone is going to the same destination. “The larger the group, the more likely people are going to be loud, leave trash, ask for unscheduled stops and argue about the tip—which means I’m more likely to get tipped badly,” says Tio. (FYI, this is how much you should be tipping Uber drivers and other workers.)
Also, who you’re with says a lot about you and your lifestyle. For instance, a group of business associates traveling to a conference gives off a professional vibe, as opposed to a man riding with multiple young women or a herd of college kids who are bar hopping, Tio says. That said, Uber drivers usually don’t avoid picking up groups and say most people are polite and well behaved.
What you talk about
Riding with a group? Talking on your phone? Be aware that your driver can likely hear a lot of your conversations. If you’re just talking about family gossip or work meetings, it’s no big deal, but Tio says he’s overheard drug deals, cheating spouses, trade secrets, credit card numbers (spoken into a phone) and other highly personal or sensitive information.
“Am I judging you? Yes, I’m human. But I’m not gonna say anything to anyone—I know to mind my own business,” he says. “But if you don’t want your driver listening in, put on music, keep your voices low and don’t use speakerphone.”
What you smell like
Perfume or body odor—it all gets magnified in the small confines of a car, making your personal scent one of the first things your driver notices about you (and likely one of the first things you notice about them too). “Any strong scent is going to be really noticeable inside a small car,” says Angela. Your body odor not only tells the driver about your hygiene habits, but it can also offer clues as to the kind of food you’ve eaten recently, if you’re a smoker, if you have pets and what your smell preferences are (say, fruity or musky).
All the Uber drivers we spoke with said that they prefer people not spritz on perfume, body mists or other scented products inside the car.
What your job is
Even if you’re not Ubering to your place of employment, your driver may discern your type of work based on your clothing, name badge, baggage and things you talk about. “I shuttle a lot of nurses and doctors, so I get to hear all kinds of medical stuff,” says Lisa P., an Uber driver in New York City. “During the pandemic, this was a real advantage. I still think it’s cool now.”
Does your job really affect your ride, though? “I’ve found that people who also work in service industries, like health care or food service, tip better,” Lisa says. “That said, of the few people who don’t tip, they are usually surgeons.”
How you breathe
This one may sound strange at first, but close quarters mean you can often hear every sigh, burp, sniffle, swallow, hum and sharp inhale, says Tio. And breathing patterns can tell the driver a lot about you. “I can tell if someone is trying not to cry, if they have allergies, if they’re chewing gum or if they’re feeling anxious or impatient,” he explains. “I always try to match their energy, maybe offer them a tissue or ask if they want to talk about something.”
How you give directions
Ride-share apps handle most of the details, including addresses, maps and directions. But that doesn’t stop some folks from trying to do a little backseat driving or offering extra tips. “I don’t mind if riders point out a tricky intersection or an unmarked turnoff I might miss, but please keep the backseat driving to the important things,” says Lisa. “If you do it a lot or if you question my driving skills, I am going to assume you’re a control freak.” If you cross a line, here’s how to apologize.
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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of etiquette stories that help readers navigate communication in a changing world. We regularly cover topics such as the best messages to send for any occasion, polite habits that aren’t as polite as they seem, email and texting etiquette, business etiquette, tipping etiquette, travel etiquette and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on what an Uber driver notices about you, Charlotte Hilton Andersen tapped her experience as a longtime journalist who specializes in etiquette and communication for Reader’s Digest. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- The Rideshare Guy: “Will Destination Discrimination Become More Common With Recent Uber Changes”
- Inshur: “Why Your Uber Star Rating Is Important And How You Can Improve It”
- Ecolane: “Ride-Hailing vs. Ride-Sharing: The Key Difference”
- The Guardian: “How Uber Quietly Took More Of Your Fare With Its Algorithmic Change”
- Uber: “Avoiding Discrimination on Rider Destinations”
- Kelly J., a platinum-level Uber driver in Denver
- Tio M., an Uber driver in New Orleans
- Angela J., an Uber driver in Las Vegas
