Rideshare etiquette: How to act in an Uber or Lyft

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Some of you don't know how to properly close a car door and it shows. We spent the day hanging out with Uber and Lyft drivers and their passengers and discovered a few things that get on the nerves of both groups.

First of all-- be gentle with the door. One ride hailing driver, Asad Altaf, says, "Sometimes I feel like my heart is broken because the way they slam the door. It's so hard."

If you're saying to yourself, "No driver has ever commented on my door slamming," there's a good chance they were just being polite. Drivers we talked to say it happens all the time and they rarely correct you because they want to keep those five-star ratings.

Also, this seems to go without saying, but don't throw up. Some drivers now keep barf bags in their vehicles because sick passengers are becoming an unfortunate occupational hazard.

Far less gross but more common-- people eating in the cars. Drivers told us the smell can bother the next passenger and not all of you are the neatest of eaters.

Of course, not every driver is winning awards from Miss Manners either. Passengers get annoyed when drivers 'ghost', or cancel on them. Since Uber/Lyft drivers can't see the destination until they arrive at the pick-up location this can happen even after the rider gets in the car.

RELATED: Commute Challenge: Taxi vs. Rideshare

Another common passenger complaint about drivers? Chatty Cathys. Lyft driver David Makki is sensitive to the issue.

"If I ask someone a question once and they give me a short answer, I get that they won't want to talk. I might try again a second time if I get another short answer I'll give them their privacy."

Until Uber and Lyft drivers are replaced by robots (and, let's face it, we may all be replaced by robots at some point) ride-hailing etiquette matters.

RELATED: Research shows Uber and Lyft pay little per hour

The bottom line: Drivers want you treat them like humans and less like an ATM transaction...and passengers just want a clean car driven by someone who isn't going to talk their ear off or disappear like a ghost before they start a ride.

Good luck.

Watch ABC7's "Midday Live" every weekday at 11 a.m., right after "The View."

You can also stream it live or watch it on the ABC7 News App.