17 Places Uber Drivers Avoid At All Costs
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Uber drivers are supposed to pick up passengers without discrimination or making any arbitrary decisions to deny service. However, this is not always the case. If you live in an undesirable neighborhood, have a service animal, or want to get picked up at a supermarket or restaurant, then you may be out of luck. Here are 17 places Uber drivers try to avoid at all costs.
1. Supermarkets and Grocery Stores
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Uber drivers hate picking up fares from supermarkets and grocery stores because they think it will be an extra hassle for less money. The driver assumes you have many grocery bags, so you will need help loading and unloading them. A mess could be made in the car if bags of ice melt or food topples over. The driver also assumes you live close to the store, so it will be a financially impractical short trip.
2. Hollywood Hills, California
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According to a part-time Uber driver, many Uber drivers in California hate picking up fares in the Hollywood Hills. The wealthy clientele are usually stoic and aloof and don’t travel very far. So, what is the point of picking up rich clients and driving them short distances to get the minimum fare?
3. Sports and Entertainment Venues
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It isn’t necessarily that Uber drivers won’t pick you up at such venues, but they may go out of their way to avoid it if they can. Dense traffic might prevent them from reaching you. Police traffic agents might also prevent them from reaching you. Also, it might be impossible for your driver to distinguish you from the hundreds or thousands of people filing out of the venue simultaneously. Walk a few blocks to a known establishment and get picked up there.
4. Hollywood Bowl
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Some Uber drivers really don’t want to pick up passengers from the famed Hollywood Bowl in California. The Hollywood Bowl is a 17,500-seat capacity amphitheater in Los Angeles. An Uber driver would have to deal with traffic congestion, find their fare amongst thousands, and deal with disruptive cell tower signals.
5. South Bay, California
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Uber Drivers notoriously try to avoid picking up fares in the South Bay. Allegedly, the clients are usually drunk, entitled, rude, and indecisive young people more interested in creating contained chaos in the vehicle than going anywhere. Additionally, most of the clients only went short distances, so it was a lot of hassle for a little money.
6. Multiple Stop Rides
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Some Uber drivers avoid multiple-stop rides because they are time-consuming, potentially dangerous, and waste time. If you need to make multiple stops, you may need extra time to pick up people or things at each stop. Anything can happen at such stops which can increase anxiety levels for the driver. Also, Uber drivers don’t get to wait; they could lose money and additional fares if a multiple-ride fare takes too long and wastes time.
7. Restaurants
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Uber drivers don’t like picking up fares at restaurants. Firstly, they don’t know if you’re drunk or unwell; it’s not uncommon for restaurant fare pickups to get sick and puke in vehicles. Or it could be someone who had a bad date and wants to talk the driver’s ear off. Sometimes restaurant fares bring takeout that can make the car smell. There is a lot of uncertainty in restaurant pickups that Uber drivers like to avoid.
8. Wrong PIN Marker App Location
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From 2017 to 2020, there were reportedly over 24,000 assaults on Uber drivers from 2017 to 2020. So, Uber drivers like to stick to a protocol for safety reasons. Uber drivers and passengers get a PIN to recognize each other. Additionally, the app allows passengers to see the driver’s status and the driver can see the passenger’s location via a pin marker on the app. Changing the pickup location or creating a situation where the Uber driver is unsure where to pick up could cause them to cancel the ride.
9. Drive-Thru Restaurants
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Uber drivers don’t enjoy picking up restaurant fares but they really hate when passengers insist on an extra stop at a drive-thru restaurant. The food can make the car smell, the passenger could make a mess in the car, or get sick and puke. Also, the Uber driver can lose out on other fares by waiting in the drive-thru line. Offer to pay a big tip or don’t be surprised if the driver refuses such a request.
10. Carpool Destinations
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Picking up a group of passengers is just a lose-lose proposition for an Uber driver. There is the anxiety factor of not knowing if a passenger will get violent or sick. Also, passenger groups can be rowdy, excessively talkative, and try to corral the driver into conversation. This can be distracting to the driver and potentially dangerous.
11. Short-Distance Rides
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The Uber business model is predicated on drivers servicing as many short-haul passenger trips as possible in population-dense areas; however, that business model is only optimal during peak travel periods when prices can increase relative to demand. It may not be financially practical for an Uber driver to pick you up for a short-distance trip for a low price during off-peak hours.
12. Rural Areas
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According to a 2019 Pew Research Center survey, less than 19% of Americans in rural areas use ride-hailing services like Uber. Ride-hailing services like Uber are accessible in over 75% of the United States, especially in population-dense metropolitan areas. Rural areas in the United States have less infrastructure, cell tower coverage, and fewer people in need of ride-hailing; also, owning a car is a vital necessity when living in remote rural areas.
13. Non-Desirable Neighborhoods
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A “non-desirable neighborhood” is a relative term in the United States. The term usually refers to poverty-stricken minority neighborhoods. Depending on the state that you live in, an Uber driver might be able to reject your ride request if they decide that the location is undesirable. Uber drivers were given the right to reject ride requests from residents in the East Oakland and Bayview Hunters Points neighborhoods of San Francisco in 2022. Research if Uber drivers have this right in your state before hailing one.
14. Picking Up Passengers With Service Animals
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Uber drivers are bound by the Americans With Disabilities Act to pick up disabled passengers, including those who travel with service animals, just like any other transportation service. In April 2024, a blind and deaf woman named Robbie Esper made headlines in Florida when she and her service dog were refused entry into an Uber. The passenger had experienced the problem several times in the past.
While Uber drivers aren’t supposed to deny rides to disabled people or service animals, they can get away with it depending on the circumstances. Esper got an Uber driver suspended, not fired, for doing the same thing in 2019.
15. Multi-Hour Trips
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An Uber driver and passenger made headlines in 2018 when the passenger requested a 6-hour ride from Scranton, Pennsylvania to Buffalo, New York. Two other Uber drivers rejected the passenger before one agreed to the trip. It cost him $583. Most Uber drivers will avoid long-haul trips like this because they are unpredictable and disruptive to their personal lives and work routines. There is technically no limit to how far an Uber driver can drive you. Still, they have the right of refusal, so you should inquire first; they may also require specific licenses too.
16. Foodie Spots
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Uber drivers don’t enjoy driving passengers to and from dedicated foodie spots in certain areas of the city. So,f you’ve ever had an issue getting an Uber on during the weekend while at a food truck block or farmer’s market, it’s because drivers see such transactions as a hassle. Passengers might spill food in the vehicle, get sick, be drunk, or rowdy. Passengers at such events are usually traveling short distances; this would not be an issue but such events also cause traffic congestion and slow driver’s ability to get more fares.
17. College Dorms
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Most college students don’t have a lot of money. They also usually travel short distances from school to the dorm or some late-night event back to the dorm. Rowdy and drunk college students are young, entitled, rude, and can disrupt the peace of a ride. Dozens of college campuses have also been embroiled in protests and demonstrations in recent months making such destinations undesirable for Ubers.
Places Uber Drivers Avoid At All Costs
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Life is full of loopholes and Uber drivers are human beings. Many Uber drivers practically live in their cars, sleep in mall parking lots, and work 12-hour days to make ends meet. This fact does not excuse bad behavior; the point is that mutual understanding is only reached when two parties can understand the other’s perspective.
Don’t get discouraged if several drivers reject you. Go to a public area near a notable business for pickup. Keep your Uber account in good standing, leave reviews, and report any disrespectful driver you encounter. Always travel with a fully charged phone. Always conduct yourself respectfully in a driver’s car and tip accordingly if you request unannounced or multiple stops.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
