That means there are plenty of stories to tell, both from the driver’s and the rider’s perspectives. From lost purses and Halloween costumes to hair-raising questions and super-cool cars, get ready to read all kinds of stories about this growing practice.
An Extra Fluffy Passenger
Most people love dogs, and that includes people who ride in, or drive, cars. One Uber driver needed to bring along their service dog, and that means the lucky passengers got to experience the joys of pet ownership in small bursts.
For those that don't live with a dog – or any pet – of their own, this means an extra-special trip. As a bonus, service dogs are by definition extremely well-trained, so the riders knew there wasn't going to be any trouble with a rowdy animal. It seems like some of the passengers might have requested longer trips, just to spend a little bit of extra time with this proud pooch.
It Finally Got to See the World
When a woman loses her purse on New Year's Eve, that's usually that. She knows she should get a new purse. Thankfully, this woman left her purse in an Uber, and the driver was kind enough to return it – phone and contents intact and undisturbed.
Except for all the pictures that had been added. It seems the phone had taken a trip to see the sights. It visited friends, had some fun at the park, hit the climbing wall, and even visited a scenic lookout. It almost seems like the purse had a better day without its owner.
Play Whatever You Want
Most drivers from ride-sharing apps have a few rules. One of them is, commonly, don't fiddle with the radio too much. One kind driver named Seth, however, is deaf, which means that passengers could play or say whatever they want without fear of reprimand or judgment.
Some people might be hesitant to get into a car with a deaf driver, but some tech has come out recently that allows those who are hard-of-hearing to be just as safe as anyone else when they get behind the wheel. Have no fear, and crank up the tunes. Just like at home.
Whatever You Need, It's Here
Getting into your driver's car might be a gamble sometimes. Often it's just a simple car that takes you from place to place, and a lot of times that's all you need. Then there are the people that go above and beyond, like this guy.
With a travel bag full of supplies, passengers are able to get bandages, tums, ibuprofen, flossing sticks, or even lint rollers, along with plenty of other handy supplies. As the sign at the top of the bag says, this is an easy way to earn a five-star rating for any driver, and we wouldn't be surprised if it's the kind of thing that starts to happen more often.
Look For the Bubbles
When one Ryan Eccles ordered an Uber, his driver decided to do something to make him and his car stand out. The message he sent to Ryan was “I'm out front, look for the bubbles.” While Ryan didn't know what this meant at first, it became pretty obvious, pretty quickly.
When he stepped outside, he saw a car that had a driver blowing bubbles out the driver-side window. In crowded urban areas, picking out your driver among the other drivers, or just the parked cars, wastes precious seconds, so kudos to this driver for finding a fun way to stand out.
Look Familiar?
A number of Uber or Lyft drivers will bring their dogs along for the ride to save on pet-sitting or keep the dogs from getting lonely. There are also a few, apparently, that will bring their birds, too. Including one driver that has a little...canary, we think...that looks just like Jack Nicholson.
We aren't exactly going to call the resemblance uncanny, but that's still a pretty fun addition to a ride. It's the kind of thing that you tell all your friends about the next time you get to talk to them.
An Unforgettable Experience
Most of the time when you order a car off of a ride-sharing service, you're going to get a Honda Civic or a Toyota Camry or something like that. And you're going to get somebody in your everyday shirt and jeans, and that's going to be just fine, as long as they get you where you're going.
But one guy decided to step it up, arriving in a handsome wood-paneled station wagon that looks right out of the eighties. He dressed the part, too, with a dashing trilby, a sport coat, and a sick tie. He knows what he's all about – he's all about looking good.
A Little Bit of Halloween Ambiance
We all expect a few decorations once we hit October, but not when we get into a stranger's car that we ordered off the internet. Man, that's a weird sentence. Anyway, the picture here is of an Uber that was driven by a grandparent that let their grandchild do the decorating.
There's no way that could possibly end up poorly, and it certainly didn't. There are some orange string lights hung up in the windows, and a spooky lantern hanging from the handle. It's purple, which everyone knows is the evilest of colors.
The Spookiest Drive Ever
We're sure that drivers getting dressed up for Halloween is more normal than it seems, but it's still a ton of fun to see it in action. One driver chose the character of Jack Skellington, and we wonder if the outfit would work for Christmastime, too.
The details and elements of the costume are wonderfully on-point, with a skeletal hand, a skull that has a fabric-like appearance to mimic the movie, and a full set of clothes that are pinstriped from head to toe. It's the little things that make a ride exciting, but this person went all out.
Getting Away With It
When schlepping people to an airport, taxis have more space to unload since that's how most people get there. Since the arrival of ride-sharing, however, their special taxi zones have started to get crowded, and drivers can get tickets if they aren't careful.
One way to avoid it is to be a relative, which is what someone named Nick Bilton said his driver pretended to be, giving Nick a hug and telling him “I love you” in order to keep costs down. Why they allow relatives in the taxi zone but not ride-sharing is beyond us.
That Just About Covers It
One of the grand things about ride-sharing is that it's the kind of thing everybody can use at one point or another. A sign that showed up in one driver's car basically laid out who was allowed to ride with them, and it turned out to be everybody.
We can't really find a loophole, except for maybe zombies. The one caveat is that you're welcome...as long as you don't throw up. It's happened to all of us, and it's a pain getting those kinds of stains – and that kind of smell – out of a vehicle.
Should Probably Have Some Racing Games
If you aren't the one doing the driving, riding in a car can get pretty boring. If you're a youngin' you can get antsy, too. The solution to these problems, as with many problems in life, is video games. This driver hooked up a little TV and an N64 for riders to pilot Mario around while getting to their destination.
“Mario 64” is a classic game that any self-respecting video game connoisseur should have some time with. We guess you could also read a book, but how often do you get a chance to play N64 in the car?
The Place is Just Crazy
The car that you see in this picture is a McLaren. That's the make, anyway. We aren't sure what the model is. But even some of the cheapest models will go for around two hundred thousand dollars, and here one is being used as an Uber. Of course, this picture was taken in Dubai, which has gained a reputation as a place for big spenders.
Among the tallest buildings in the world and endless gleaming places of business and pleasure, the fanciest cars in the world drive to and fro. Does it cost more if your driver has a fancy car?
Dinesh, Please Come Back
Jokes about Apple Maps aside, we can't explain how this happened. Dinesh has a 4.8-star rating on the app, which makes it seem like he knows what he's doing. We all get lost every once in a while, but this driver has really taken it to the next level.
We hope for Dinesh's sake that he has one of those cars that can turn into a submarine, like in a James Bond movie. Otherwise, the rider might need to wait quite a while to get picked up. Dinesh saying “am lost” is a little bit of an understatement.
At Least it Was Cheap
Uber and Lyft have done a lot of good getting people home safely after a night of carousing. Of course, when you're drunk, you don't tend to make the best decisions, which is how we got the map that this person showed off.
Having someone take you straight home feels pretty good if you're in an inebriated state, but we have to admit just walking around the corner might have been the better choice here. The detailed map that Uber sends afterward is the icing on the cake, but at least the price wasn't that bad.
*Need to Charge Something? Anything?
Drivers for ride-sharing services are always trying to one-up each other when it comes to the passenger experience. This driver, for instance, not only has pain killers, snacks, hand lotion, and sanitizer but charging cords. Lots of charging cords.
It really doesn't matter what you need power for: any of your phones, maybe your laptop, your iPod. We think that you could charge things like a blackberry or your electric razor. This driver, at the least, is dedicated to making sure everybody who rides is comfortable.
A Multimedia Experience
When your job is driving around in a car with random people in the back seat, sometimes you have to do things that make your job more interesting. Plenty of drivers like to add a bit of noise to the proceedings, such as when someone's Uber driver made race car sounds with his mouth as he changed lanes and took corners.
We've all done it at least once, don't deny it. As the passenger who tweeted about it said, it deserves five stars each and every time. As long as it isn't too annoying, you can do it with every passenger, and they'll never know.
Some of the Finest Decoration We've Ever Seen
Lots of drivers like to decorate their cars to make them a little more memorable to riders, easier to find in a crowded lot, or just more interesting than your standard car. This person really went the extra mile, creating a scene that is unique in any car, and more than memorable in a ride-sharing car.
There's a fireplace with tiny snow-capped fir trees on top, a cloud that flashed with lightning, and a moon that hovered over all of it. We don't know how safe it would be to drive with that thing obscuring your vision, but we bet everybody who rides takes a picture of it.
What a Wonderful Season
Giving and getting cards around the holidays is ingrained when it comes to family and friends, but how often have you given a card to your garbage man, or gotten one from your grocer? Abdul decided to do something a little different and has been handing out cards to his passengers, thanking them for their patronage.
Of course, he couldn't personalize them much, but no doubt Abdul is happy to be able to earn money using nothing but his car, and is willing to shell out for some nice cards to hand out to customers around the most wonderful time of the year.
Well, They're Still Warm
Twitter user “Alison Leiby” once slid into the seat in the back of an Uber and was pleased to find that the seats were heated. When she voiced her pleasure aloud, she then heard the only thing that could have cooled her pleasure – the driver told her that someone else had just gotten out.
Taking warmth from someone else's haunches isn't how most of us want to maintain our comfort, but at least it's better than finding a warm toilet seat. It's the only thing worse than a cold toilet seat. Still, that definitely cooled her jets.
The Perfect Way to Improve a Bad Day
We all have bad days every once in a while, and sometimes on those bad days, you're going to have to ride in someone else's car. But, if you're lucky, you might step into a vehicle that is prepared to make your bad day that much better.
This Uber driver's car has tons of glow-in-the-dark ceiling stickers with stars, moons, planets, and rocket ships. All you have to do is sit back and experience travel up in the heavens as your driver takes you to your destination. Whether or not his kids helped decorate the car or it was his choice, somebody made the right decision.
Back to the Basics
When it comes to some quick fun that older people these days will remember fondly, nothing beats the original Nintendo Entertainment System. One ride-share driver realized this was the perfect way to bring in a little more cash, so he set up an NES and included a little tip box.
There are probably a couple of games to choose from, but the person who took this picture has chosen one of the classics – the original Legend of Zelda. You might end up ordering a few more rides with this guy just to get through a few of the first dungeons.
Isn't There Supposed to be a Driver?
Driverless cars are a big discussion right now, with some people saying they don't want cars without a human element behind the wheel on the road, and with some other people being totally off their rocker.
One person who ordered an Uber must have been part of the second camp since they rode in a self-driving Uber. It was clearly branded so nobody could miss it. Isn't the point of Uber letting people earn a little more money with their cars? Seems kind of weird to have this cyberpunk addition under their brand. This is really just a taxi, if we're being honest.
Curious Musical Accompaniment
Most ride-share drivers will play some tunes on the radio, just so there isn't any awkward silence during the ride. That means that they, and the passengers, are at the mercy of the airwaves when it comes to what they listen to.
Twitter user “laina622” was riding when the song “Let's Get It On” started playing, which is a song that...is often used in specific events, not riding in the car with a stranger. Laina and the driver still managed to make awkward eye contact in the rearview mirror!
Smooth? Creepy? You Decide
One gal, Julie, used an Uber to get around during the day, and her driver, Jeffrey, forgot to give her a promo code for the ride. Really, he asked her out on a date through Uber, and we're going to have to pass this one off to our readers to determine if this one landed.
We have no information about whether or not Julie accepted this promo code, but she did take a screenshot and posted it on the internet. This isn't the way most of us would choose to ask someone on a date but at least it's kind of clever.
Getting All Kinds of Festive
Lots of ride-sharing drivers take the holidays to spruce up their cars to be a little more festive. According to the story that came along with this picture, one person stepped into their ordered car and said that the driver should consider wearing a Santa hat to be a little more celebratory.
That's when the driver pointed at the ceiling of the car. Yes indeed, there is a line of bright red tinsel strung up between the hangers, bedecked with small green presents. There are also candy canes hung and ready to be snatched by riders that need a little holiday treat. Somehow, the rider got into the car and missed all that.
A Really Dedicated Driver
Drivers get plenty of interesting characters riding in their cars, but some of the drivers themselves are pretty weird, too. Weird isn't always bad, though. Case in point, this driver's trim, which has the name and symbol of the service that he provides. Is that going to make the tips go up?
Is he going to get a higher rating? It's at least pretty funny. And it's memorable. Sometimes being memorable is just as good as being good, especially when the line between a “good” driver and a “great” driver can be so slim.
These Just Keep Getting Better and Better
There are a couple of really fancy setups in some of the cars on this list, but this one might take the cake. In fact, the only way it could be better is if there was cake. This car boasts a collection of hand lotions and sanitizers, screens you can use to watch movies, and what even appears to be an entirely separate screen that is attached to a Playstation device.
Finally, there is a dewdrop-shaped metal object, with a use that escapes use. It has buttons, it's plugged into something, and it has some holes on the front. Let us know what it does!
It's a Cousin to “Hold My Beer”
Now, why would a picture of a smashed-up car make it onto this list of crazy ride-sharing stories? See if you can put the pieces together. If you can, you're probably smarter than the driver of this car.
According to the story we found, the driver turned to the passenger, said “Watch this,” and then started putting the car into a drift. He immediately crashed into a post. If you're going to say “watch this,” make sure you know what you're doing, or your passenger might be walking home through two miles of freezing rain, giving you a one-star rating.
We Hope Everyone Survived
Getting into someone else's car is always a little interesting. How fast do they take corners? Are they extra careful or do they go as soon as they can? Do they understand what a yield sign means? All good questions.
Twitter user Tyler Coates's driver actually asked that last question, apparently unaware of what the simple yellow signs mean. Has anybody heard from Tyler Coates recently? Is he okay? Maybe just go for a walk next time. Five miles won't take you that long, and it's healthier than getting into a car accident, at least.
An Uber Compliment
We all like to be told we're looking good. Or that we smell good. Or that we bake good cookies. Whatever your compliment of choice might be, you probably don't mind have a stranger give you one, as long as it isn't weird.
It will have to be up to you whether the compliment Twitter user “harmonysaccount” received was reasonable. “I like your hat. U got a hat face. U ever heard that?” (That's a direct quote from the tweet, btw). Doesn't seem too bad, honestly. Harmony does note that the day's hat was a cowboy hat. Well, everybody looks good in a cowboy hat.
An Extra Passenger
Drivers for these ride-sharing apps are busy people. Sometimes they have kids and families to take care of as well as being drivers. So, that means sometimes kids get to meet all those who ride their parent's cars. This picture is of one such time.
We're told that the rider was laughing so hard he had to apologize. Why, because there was a kid in the car with him? It's unexpected, sure, but we don't really get why it's funny?
Maybe He Learned How to Drive on the Computer
If pressed, we really couldn't tell you why this person has a computer keyboard strung up on their steering wheel. Our best guess is that the driver uses it to communicate with passengers he or she is on the way to pick up. For a lot of people, that's certainly faster than using your wee little thumbs to text.
Also, two phones? This person likes to stay connected. It appears this person is driving in one of the countries with cars on the left side, and we don't know how the rules are in each of those, but this probably wouldn't fly in the states.
No Other Details Whatsoever
Some people manage to make a connection with their driver, but it usually doesn't go as far as this story. A Twitter user with the name Evan Edinger related a story about a driver saying he loved Evan. Literally, that's the entire tweet: “My uber driver told me he loved me.” Was this a casual thing as Evan was getting out of the car? A way the driver helps other people feel appreciated?
Or was this...the real thing? Did Evan miss a love connection that could have blossomed into something wonderful? Since Evan tweeted about it, we're going to go with no.
Above and Beyond the Call of Duty
There have been plenty of people who have called an Uber or a Lyft to get them to medical attention. Ambulances are pricey, and if it isn't an emergency, people just use their app. That's the story with this guy, but there's more!
Not only did the driver, Beni, take his passenger to the hospital, but he also stuck around to keep the patient company, since the patient's family lives mostly out of state. What a mensch.
Well, He Was Telling the Truth
Drivers for ride-sharing services may offer some crazy stuff sometimes, but the bare minimum they offer their riders is a bottle of water. One passenger got into the ordered car and was told by the driver that there was a bottle of water under the seat with “your name on it.”
But, how could the driver have possibly known what the name was? The picture was the result. If the passenger had looked at the driver, would it have been his or her dad? Maybe it was YOUR dad! It probably wasn't your dad. But...it could have been.
The State is Famous for Them
Did you know that Georgia is the peach state? There are tons and tons of peaches grown there, and the soil, weather, and moderate humidity are well known for making the tastiest peaches you've ever had.
One Lyft driver from Atlanta is all about spreading the word about these pitted fruits and offers a sweet, succulent peach to each and every one of her passengers. This driver knows what's up. Peaches. Peaches are up.
It Looks Like Your Going to Space
There are a couple of cars on this list that have screens in the back that allow passengers to play some childhood games or tune out the world for a little while. This car is doing far more, with three whole screens that offer video games, Netflix, web surfing, and even karaoke!
Some drivers specialize in party transportation or the nightlife crowd, and it looks like this is the kind of guy that is getting five-star scores and big tips. How often have you been able to sing karaoke inside the car? We'd like the opportunity, at least.
Riding With a Living Legend
Getting to ride with the highest-rated driver in New York City doesn't happen to just everybody. Mustapha, the man on the right of the picture, studies computer programming at night. He can speak four languages, and has driven over ten thousand people!
He has a rating of 4.96, and in such a cutthroat place as the Big Apple it must be hard to maintain that high of a ranking. He seems like a great guy, and those languages probably help. Nothing beats good communication.
They Didn't Plan It
If we could just post this picture and not write any words and get away with it, we would. But rules are rules.
The guy who ordered the Uber, on the left, got into the car to discover that he was being driven by an older, slimmer version of himself. Basically the same outfit, the same hairstyle, similar facial structures, and even similar boating shoes. There was nothing for them to do but jump out of the car and take a pic.
What's Today's Special?
Depending on who you are, you might like to chat with your driver. Or, you might want the ride to be in silence from pickup to drop-off. This driver provided a handy menu for each of the passengers that are in the car, ranging from no sounds whatsoever to letting the passenger talk about life problems, to information about Alaska.
The driver also has taken a course in photography and offers to snap a pic if a passenger wants. We do wonder which one is the most popular? We'd go with The Restaurant Ride.
We're Sure Everything Went Fine
When one Uber driver's husband was worried about her driving out late on the spookiest night of the year. No, not April fifteenth – Halloween! Of course, everything went fine, but the driver did ask a few dolled-up zombies to take a picture with her for a little bit of Halloween fear to send to the hubby back home.
They have some pretty gnarly makeup that was no doubt a hit with other partygoers. The lady's eyes on the left, what's going on with those eyes? Are they contacts? Are we sure these were people dressed up? We need answers.
It's Like Riding in a Moving Bodega
A lot of drivers offer essentials like gum, band-aids, tums, or other items to passengers for no additional cost, but this one might have the widest array of items on offer we've ever seen. We see bottled water, soda, energy drinks, tea, chips, candy, and what might even be fresh fruit.
We're also told that the seats are warmed, and it looks like the upholstery is pretty top-notch, too. There's some fun lighting down there at the bottom, too. According to what we've been told, all of this is free to take and enjoy without cost – though there's certainly a place for tips somewhere in there.
Did That Cost a Lot?
Keeping your car clean is a pretty good idea if you're a rideshare driver. You should at least get them vacuumed and detailed regularly. We all know that hardwood flooring, tiles, or linoleum are easier to clean than carpet, so one person decided to make the car's cleanup that much easier.
He ripped out the carpet and replaced it with linoleum flooring in his minivan. It seems like a smart idea when you think about it since instead of hauling out a vacuum cleaner you could just sweep it out.
The Co-Pilot is Supposed to be the Navigation
Well, this is just about the cutest thing we've ever seen. This Uber driver was annoyed that it was getting hard to see his phone when the sun was shining on the screen, so he decided the best solution would be a hat.
He found a little straw hat that fits right over the top of the phone and blocks the sun, which reduces the glare. In a sunny area of the world, the bright star in the sky can be pretty annoying, which is what hats are for!
The Force is With Him
One of the advantages of ride-sharing apps is being able to log in and use them to earn money whenever, and sometimes wherever. Plenty of people use them to earn a little extra cash, and one hero uses Lyft to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House.
He's known as “Fluke Skywalker,” and he gets dressed up as the famous Jedi master to visit kids in the hospital. No doubt his passengers throw in plenty of bills to buy some toys for little Star Wars fans.
A Miniature World Inside a Car
Drivers love to decorate their cars to give passengers a better ride, and every once in a while we see some that really go wild. While the picture here is dark, there's no denying that the decorations that are in this vehicle really take you away from it all.
We can see snow-capped forests along the rising dashboard, buildings that look like a library and a small, cute little forest cottage, forest pools, clouds, and a little chandelier hanging from the rear-view mirror. Beautiful!
We're All Trying Our Hardest
Another great fact about ride-sharing is that as long as someone has a car, they can do it. Even someone who doesn't speak the language that well. As long as they stop at red lights and know how to zipper merge, that's really all you need.
This driver's car includes a message from the driver's daughter that says she loves her daddy and that he's working on learning the language. It's important to remember that every man is fighting his own battle, and it's cute to see his daughter is supporting him!
Shouldn't You Be Doing That in a Sewer?
It's not every day you get to see a real live comic book character. Most days, in fact. But one driver in New York City had an encounter that is pretty close to the real thing, though not the way it usually goes.
A driver who goes by needlenose87 said that a guy got into the backseat, stripped down to nothing, and changed into one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He was, as you might have been able to guess, pretty drunk. For the record, he changed into the orange one, Michelangelo. What was he up to? Eating pizza and fighting ninjas if we're lucky.
The Secondhand Story
One way to have a fun chat with a driver is to ask for horror stories, which is how we heard about this one. A passenger asked the driver, and the driver had this story: Late at night, the driver picked up a couple wearing nothing but black clothes. They had him drive to a cemetery. In the middle of the night.
The whole time he's trying to make conversation with the couple, but nothing is catching. He arrives at the cemetery, he checks his phone quickly, and the couple is gone. He never saw them again – he didn't even see them get out of the car.