36 awkward Uber experiences every rider has lived through

Illustration by Twylamae
Words by Tara Smith

Long live my 4.69 star rating.

In the six short years since it arrived on Australian shores, Uber has grown from a funny-sounding app to a household name.

There’s no denying that in the meantime, the app has completely shaken the system in what was a heavily monopolised, broken taxi industry. Fed up with expensive fares, rude drivers and no-show taxis, we welcomed Uber with open arms.

In return, Uber welcomed us back, but that’s not to say we’ve haven’t had our fair share of awkward ride-sharing experiences.

While some are worse than others, a car ride with a complete stranger will always be slightly uncomfortable. There’s no easy way around it.

From one rider to another, here’s 36 awkward Uber experiences we’ve all lived through at some point.

Long live my 4.69 star rating.

Cried to your driver about the terrible night you’ve had
Sung to your heart’s content
Offered your driver your McDonald’s as they look at you in disgust
Promised not to spill any of said McDonald’s before dropping a chip down the side of the seat
Hoped your driver didn’t notice you dropping a chip down the side of the seat
Fallen asleep and woken up 10km past your destination
“Can you turn the volume up?”
“A little more?”
Apologised profusely as you vomited out the passenger door
Hoped that point 8 won’t affect your rating
Sat politely while your driver showed you his mixtape
Asked your driver’s opinion on your outfit
Received unsolicited advice on your outfit from your driver
Listened to a convoluted story about how your driver is really an ex-CSI agent but drives Ubers for fun
Accidentally stolen someone else’s Uber
Watched on as someone else stole your Uber
“So how’s your night been?”
Heard your driver’s life story about what they plan to do after uni
“What time did you start?”
Struggled to breathe over the scent of cheap air freshener
Accidentally ordered an UberBLACK and thought you were royalty
Convinced your driver you know a better route than Google Maps
Got slammed by traffic on your ‘better route’
Got into a car that was not an Uber
Asked if your driver can go through two different fast food locations
Sat in an Uber without being offered Mentos or water (seriously WTF?)
Screamed at your phone as you watch your driver do laps trying to find your location
Realised you entered the wrong location
Woke up the morning after an Uber trip to discover you accepted a 4.6x surge
Played Russian Roulette with surge pricing, waiting five minutes in the hope it will go down
“Nice weather outside”
Had the same driver twice
Got an Uber home at 6am and hoped your driver didn’t judge you for your questionable appearance
Attempted to include your driver in a conversation they did not want a bar of
Ordered an Uber for your drunk friend and given your driver a set of explicit instructions to get them to the front door
Smiled and waved as you successfully send your drunk friend home in an Uber against their will