1. Don’t hail a car that doesn’t have enough seats
Whether you have one extra person or three, don’t try to squeeze your whole friend group into a taxi sedan. Driver’s need to observe general safety precautions and traffic laws and are not allowed to accept extra riders so you can save a few bucks. Do everyone a favor and hail the correct number of taxis for your number of riders.
2. Treat your driver with respect
Okay, just saying, your driver is a person too. They’re helping you get from Point A to Point B, and just because you’re paying them doesn’t mean that you can be disrespectful. Observe typical courtesies like saying hi, please, and thank you and keeping their car clean, etc.
3. Don’t sit in the front seat
Unless you have 4 people and need to utilize that seat, do not sit in the front seat. Drivers tend to use that seat as a place to keep anything they may need to access quickly, paperwork, towels, snacks, etc. It is always appreciated to fill up the back seats first and only use the front seat out of necessity.
5. Don’t make an unnecessary mess
Your driver works hard to keep their car clean for all customers. Don’t make an unnecessary mess! They’ll spend hours at the end of their day cleaning up after you. Take your trash with you, stamp any dirt, snow, or slush off before you get in, and try to be mindful of where you put your feet on muddy days.
6. Be mindful of eating in the car
Each driver individually will have a policy on food in their car. That said, even if your driver is okay with it, make sure that you’re being mindful of their space. Their car is essentially their office and filling it with the scent of a bean burrito or Indian food for the next 8 hours while they work isn’t very considerate.
7. Tipping is important
While this should be general knowledge, taxi drivers depend on tips to make their living. You should always be tipping your taxi driver 10-20% of the fare.
