How to: be a Good Bla Bla Car Rider

Dear Mark,

We’ve already talked about the ride-share company Bla Bla Car and how you can find the best option for you. However, I believe if you want a positive experience then it’s just as important that YOU, as the rider, provide a good experience for your driver. That being said, sometimes it takes time to figure out the ins-and-outs of a new service so let’s talk about some of the details.

 

Before Your Trip:

1.) Send your driver a Whatsapp message a couple hours before your trip to confirm the details. This also ensures they’ve got you right at the top of their inbox in case they are running late or need to contact you for another reason.

Pro-Tip: If there are not a lot of details on the trip when you reserve it, I would recommend getting in touch with the driver even sooner to confirm the pick-up location, etc.

 

2.) Arrive at the decided pick-up location on-time and don’t bring along extra baggage unless you’ve already discussed it with them―keep in mind your car may have a total of 5 people in it and space can get tight!

Pro-Tip: Be sure to revisit your driver’s page before you arrive so you have an idea of what model and color car you are looking for as well as a general concept of what your driver looks like. Please, please, please remember their name! Depending on the pick-up location and time, there may be many other ride-share drivers waiting in the same place and it’s really embarrassing if the person you walk up to asks “Who are you riding with?” and you don’t know their name.

 

During your trip:

3.) Make an effort to get to know your driver and anyone else in the car! I’ve been on some trips in which the conversation flowed on until we reached our destination and others in which the small talk died out 10 minutes after leaving; it really depends on the people. Still, I always notice if there’s one rider who doesn’t make an effort to engage at all―don’t be them!

 

4.) It’s not unheard of to ask for a more convenient drop-off location, once you’ve got a good conversation and buen rollo going with your driver. Drivers who don’t have a tight schedule tend to be pretty accommodating so there’s no harm in asking. At the same time, keep in mind that some drivers are not fond of straying from their planned path so be ready for them to say no as well.

Pro-Tip: This is why I definitely recommend you choose a driver who puts a clear drop-off location in their ride description or who agrees to a location that works well for you ahead of time. You may luck out if, for example, the driver’s house is closer to your destination than the pre-established drop-off location, but don’t count on it.

 

After your trip:

5.) Give your driver feedback by filling out the quick survey about your experience. Remember those opinions you read that helped you choose a good driver? Well, others will hope to find the same assistance from you. In addition, you’re gonna want your driver to write a good review of you so that you have more credibility the next time you try to reserve a trip. Just take the extra few minutes to do your part.

Pro-Tip: While the system works reciprocally and people therefore tend to say nice things about each other, do not hesitate to write a bad review if you feel it is necessary!! Your driver will not see what you wrote until after they write your review (or two weeks pass) so it will not affect your reputation. However, it’s important that others are warned about poor drivers or inappropriate behavior. For serious cases, this can also be reported to Bla Bla Car directly.

 

It may sound like a lot at first but trust me, mastering the etiquette of Bla Bla Car is pretty intuitive. As long as you’re connecting with the right people to get where you wanna go amicably (and being a decent human being in the process), you’re sure to have a positive experience. Let us know in the comments below how your experiences go!

Sincerely,
Spain