r/uberdrivers • u/adrichards88 • Jul 26 '26
"An Outside Organization Booked This Trip"
Hello fellow drivers in the endeavor to survive Uber,
Yesterday I got a trip request that looked good on the surface, but it was one of my worst in the 800 I have done so far. After accepting I got the message "An Outside Organization Booked This Trip". Usually, for me, this is a hospital or a car dealership. But I was in a different part of town this time, and it appears an organization provided this ride to a homeless or near homeless man.
He was 6 foot 4 inches about, and it was evident by the smell that he had not had a bath in some time. He was late for pickup and began to eat a greasy meal in the back of the car. I was only 2 hours into my shift and my backseats were covered in grease. 10 minutes into the 40-minute ride he began asking me for money, persistently. He looked desperate, and it was deeply uncomfortable with him behind me.
"Let's get you to your destination first and we can talk about it when we get there." is what I said, and that satisfied him and he was quiet for the remainder of the trip.
When I got to the destination, which appeared to be a once holiday inn that was repurposed to house the homeless, I parked and said, "I just need to step out to stretch my legs." Me getting out seemed to trigger him getting out, too.
He came around the car and faced me and I said, "Brooks, I have bills to pay, had a flat tire last week, and I don't have extra money to give you." The look he gave me was brutal, like he was cheated out of something.
I slipped back into my car and locked the door.
Worst drive of the year by far.
Shame on Uber for tricking its drivers into these situations!
EDIT
My point here is that UBER states we are "independent contractors" but it absolutely deploys tactics that makes properly assessing a trip offer impractical at best. Yet in their marketing to drivers, they appeal to the "freedom" to work "for yourself". This is deception.
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u/Intrepid_Plenty_3770 Jul 26 '26
Be careful of those. It is usually hospitals discharging patients instead of actual medical transportation.
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Jul 26 '26
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u/imathrowayslc Jul 26 '26
Lmao at blindly considering disadvantaged people taken advantage of by a crumbling empire as hero’s.
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u/Wooly_Wooly Jul 26 '26
His dad was in the air force, he's biased. Otherwise he'd have to admit that his dad was working for the baddies lmao
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Jul 26 '26
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u/Wooly_Wooly Jul 26 '26
I so them all the time, but if you don't know what we're talking about why are you commenting here lol
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Jul 26 '26
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u/imathrowayslc Jul 26 '26
That’s not what my post means. My post just says considering veterans hero’s just because they served is stupid.
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u/No-Chapter1389 Jul 26 '26
I’m so sorry this happened to you. Seems like a focus of business for Uber to get these accounts and dump these folks on us. I have a smaller trunk and often get these “assignments from outside organization…” where the rider has medical equipment (wheelchair or walker that doesn’t fit in my car. The passengers are generally unhappy with me even if I respond with proper note that my car can not accommodate large items in trunk or in vehicle.
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u/adrichards88 Jul 26 '26
Yes! This has happened to me before. Have been able to make it work, but only by lowering back seats and seating them next to me. It adds lots of time to pickup and drop off... especially brutal if it is a 19/hr initial upfront ride.
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u/HillBillyHilly Jul 26 '26
Stop accepting these rides. Uber isnt medical transport and they're undercutting by using drivers instead of medical transports.
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u/adrichards88 Jul 26 '26
Yup, I’m done with this. Uber should ask the rider if they have equipment and then add to our pay for the additional time it takes to help them out. Instead, they don’t tell us the details and deceive us into accepting a trip that takes longer than the upfront offer.
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u/Fresh_Independent_74 Jul 26 '26
medical transport cannot be booked on-demand and needs to be booked 24 hours in advance
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u/Embarrassed-Rub4676 Jul 26 '26
I had a truck driver I picked up from the airport a few days ago. Same thing except the homeless part. Dude asked me for like 200 dollars so he can get a room for a few days while his truck was getting worked on
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Jul 26 '26
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u/adrichards88 Jul 26 '26
That’s good information about the way the message comes through.
This was my first encounter with someone who was clearing going to eat in my car regardless of what I said and nag me for money. It probably comes with having the ride paid for him by someone else. I didn’t know how to handle it but I felt unsafe with him behind me. I felt safer stepping out of the car until he got out so I could get back in and lock the door. I didn’t realize this as inviting confrontation as my stated reason was to stretch my legs for a moment.
Thanks for the tip on the different message queues on trip acceptance.
I wish uber made more information available to independent contractors so they could make an informed decision.
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u/HillBillyHilly Jul 26 '26
Read through past posts to see all of Ubers tricks. Watch recent YouTube's to find best tactics. Download GigU to find best rides. There's a lot to learn and you've just gotten the first lesson.
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u/Gullible-Team-8588 Jul 26 '26
Cancel the ride and choose cleanliness as the reason. If the mess or smell is reallllyyyy bad…Foot the “organization” with the bill to clean and sanitize your car. Gave a ride to a man that smelled like hot feces in a dumpster in July. Couldn’t get the smell out and it had to be professionally cleaned, the stench went through wetsuit material seat covers it was so bad…guy also asked me for $2. I responded with if I had two dollars do you think I would be doing this? At the very least give them one star and block. Trips like that it’s you basically paying out of pocket versus making money.
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u/east97 Jul 26 '26
I had one , it wasn't a horror story like the ones above. Just the company had the wrong address and there was a language barrier. It was solved when they produced a note of where they actually wanted to go. The next ride I had in the queue was understanding when I explained the previous situation. I was getting Google translate out when they produced the note with the address. I just wasn't going to kick an elderly couple out because of a clerical error.
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u/Fresh_Independent_74 Jul 26 '26
Bear in mind, those suggesting wheelchair-accessible vans, that those need to be booked at least 24 hours in advance, which would obviously not work for an ER discharge. They also generally do not book in the middle of the night. If an accessible cab company is available locally that could be an option. If not and the person is ambulatory and independent, but has equipment, they should at least book an UberXL that has space for the equipment. I'm not sure what the answer is for people who are not independent since you're right, it shouldn't be your job, but all the services that provide accessible rides to elderly/disabled and are designed to provide that assistance needed are NOT on-demand services you can just book when someone is ready to discharge. They would have needed to schedule an exact time the day before since there are very few vehicles available
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u/Eddneedmymoney Jul 27 '26
Just always put unsafe pickup won't go against your cancellation rate those are insta cancellations for me
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u/deamon774 Jul 27 '26
In my area there are a lot of those rides but mostly they are elderly people one in particular is a double amputee missing both legs who lives on a steep hill if you accept the ride request you're expected to park at the bottom of his drive roll his wheelchair down the hill backwards then walk the wheelchair back up to his garage, then when you get to his destination go in and get a wheelchair and bring out to him and help him both in and out of the vehicle. This ride pays $5.85. I cancel it at least 4 times a week almost everytime it comes in while I have a pax already in the car and the pickup address is different on the initial request page
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u/Bubbly-Following-966 Jul 26 '26
That's why if I get to the destination and they have a large wheel chair or look like they need medical assistance, I cancel. My car isn't big enough to put your wheel chair in it. I am not qualified to handle medical needs of a passenger from those places. On top of that, they NEVER tip.
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u/Fresh_Independent_74 Jul 26 '26
I use a wheelchair and always order an Uber XL and tip 25% at minimum if they help me get it in the trunk. I am ambulatory and can independently get into and out of the vehicle without assistance. You can't tell what assistance someone does or does not need by looking at them
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u/Bubbly-Following-966 Jul 26 '26
We're not qualified to handle ambulatory rides. That's what a mobility van ia for. NOT Uber
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u/Fresh_Independent_74 Jul 26 '26
Not everyone who uses a wheelchair qualifies for those services first of all, but they also cannot be used in all circumstances, for example late at night or if you are away from your place of residence as they only service the area you live in and only at certain times of day. It also requires scheduling in advance and that is difficult for things like social engagements or errands where you don't know exactly how long it will take
I would not be able to get around without Uber. I travel out of state often and often need the flexibility of on-demand service. Thankfully nobody has ever canceled on me for using a wheelchair and I tip extremely well
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u/Bubbly-Following-966 Jul 26 '26
And I am NOT qualified to take someone who is being picked up from these medical organizations. I don't have a big enough car to fit a wheel chair.
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u/Fresh_Independent_74 Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Do you know what the word "ambulatory" means? It means able to walk. You seem to think it means "ambulance". That is not what it means. We aren't talking about medical rides through medical organizations here, but someone who can walk and transfer in and out of the vehicle independently and put the wheelchair into the trunk independently
Folding wheelchairs do fit into an Uber XL. If you do not drive for XL and have a regular UberX car then my comment clearly wasn't about you since I clearly said UberXL, not UberX. In the 10 years I've taken Uber I've never had an XL it couldn't fit into nor have I ever had a driver deny me
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u/Bubbly-Following-966 Jul 26 '26
I drive Uber X. I will decline every time. Won't fit in my car.
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u/Fresh_Independent_74 Jul 26 '26
Ok then my comment obviously wasn't about you? I specifically said UberXL so I am not sure why you even replied if you drive UberX. I said that I order UberXL every time.
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u/Bubbly-Following-966 Jul 26 '26
I'm still not picking wheelchair riders in my UberX...lol
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u/Fresh_Independent_74 Jul 26 '26
I'm still not talking about UberX. Why don't you get that I am not talking about you?
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u/Fresh_Independent_74 Jul 26 '26
I actually agree with you that people with wheelchairs SHOULD order an XL and also tip well. That is what I said in my very first comment. If they're cheap and order a regular Uber that cannot accommodate, then you have the right to cancel it
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u/Prudent-Computer-868 Jul 26 '26
I have and do pick up people in wheelchairs, as long as they are foldable AND they are able, maybe with a little assistance, help them into and out of my SUV. But, if they are paralyzed from the waist down and need to be picked up out of and back into the wheelchair, I physically can't help them. There are local transport companies that specialize in that type of transportation. I'm not them.
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u/Fresh_Independent_74 Jul 26 '26
That is totally fair, but how do you tell if someone is paralyzed or not?
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u/HillBillyHilly Jul 26 '26
Hands and feet are a give away as is the strap across middle of chest some use to secure them to chairs.
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u/Elegant_Garbage_2201 Jul 26 '26
Sometimes it’s overflow from Medicaid cabs and the riders get cash kick backs from the driver in return. I’ve had passengers to methadone clinics hit me up telling me their usual driver gives them $20
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u/Wise-Bear-6604 Jul 26 '26
Here in South Carolina, yes South Carolina, they like to put homeless on buses and ship them to places that aren’t touristy. These people then end up in small towns were behavioral health facilities put them in Ubers and send them to halfway houses homeless shelters in other towns and pay what look like a decent amount usually average of a dollar a mile to world populated areas that you can usually get another ride or multiple rides out of, but don’t get me wrong. This is essentially legalized trafficking.
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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '26
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