Picture this. You’re working your favorite rideshare platform late at night. You pull up to a pickup location that happens to be near a bar, and no one is there. When the customer finally arrives, they’re visibly drunk. You brace yourself for a miserable drive and start hoping they don’t puke in the back of your car.

Sound familiar?

Rideshare is a safer option than driving under the influence. But safer roads for everyone else might mean a headache of a drive for you. How do you deal with a drunk passenger?

You Can Always Cancel

If you have reason to suspect your passenger is going to be intoxicated, you can always call. Doing so may let you know whether the driver is, in fact, intoxicated. If so, you can cancel the ride.

Likewise, if you’ve been waiting too long for a passenger, you can always cancel. Conversely, if you’re driving for Uber, you can sit and collect the increased fee now associated with long waits thanks to Uber’s 180 days of change.

Why to Not Cancel

First off, with a few simple tricks, dealing with a drunk passenger can at least be endurable. Secondly, there might be upsides to the situation if the passenger ends up making a mess in your car.

Dealing with Drunk Passengers

Alcohol alters your perception of reality, so keep that in mind when approaching the passenger. They are likely to be disoriented, loud, and attention seeking. Keep in mind that a drunk is likely to think they are more charismatic than they actually are—but let them continue thinking that. If they try to be funny, laugh even if you can’t see the slightest hint of humor. Let them have the spotlight if they want it. Let them think you’re enjoying their party of one.

On a more practical note, always be quick to roll down the window for a passenger that appears close to throwing up. Also, be sure to have a barf bag handy.

The Cleaning Fee

In the event that your passenger does throw up or otherwise make a mess of your car, you can file for a cleaning fee. This feature actually works to your advantage if you can do the cleaning yourself.

The cleaning fee is intended to cover the cost of having your vehicle cleaned. However, if you do the cleaning yourself, there’s no reason you can’t keep the money.

Here’s how:

1. Take photos. In order to file a claim, you’ll need to be able to back it up with photos. That means that you need to be sure to snap photos before you start cleaning up at all.
2. Submit a claim. For Uber, you’ll go into the app under “Trips and Fare Adjustments” and then to “Issue with a Rider” and then “A rider made a mess in my vehicle.” For Lyft, you’ll need at least two photos of the damage submitted within 24 hours of the incident as well as information about the incident and passenger.
3. Wait for a response. Some drivers have reported receiving as much as $150 for a “clean-up” fee. They turned around and did the cleaning themselves and then kept the payment. It can be an effective way to boost your income.