[devsoftech]

I love to keep my interiors clean and smelling fresh. I have gone to the extent of immediately cleaning the car and removing footprints after people eat in my car or we complete a trip. I travel with a limited circle of friends and family since last 16 years. They understand that I do not treat my car as pure utilitarian and they keep close tab on my body language. I'm not picky on music or language. My passengers do not take long calls on their phones when I'm driving, partly because we do not get to hear music. I've moulded my passengers into the perfect payloads you would want in your car including how to open/close the door and pick after themself. My passengers do not sit like robots. I'm fine with them playing with their seat adjustments and controls specific to them. Picking up GLE350 with 4 zone climate control and 4 adjustable seats was my way of conveying - Hey I appreciate you for being nice, this is your private space, go ahead and tinker. People are often happy when they speak of their kids on how they have been raised. Likewise, I have raised my child to be respectful and maintain cleanliness in car just like house and that's my bragging right. I'm dying for some autonut to compliment me one day - oh! your child's been a perfect passenger. You've raised him well.

My primary goal is to deliver comfort to my passengers and not make them feel too grumpy about following rules. They understand that it's for their safety and comfort.

[throttlehead]

Lovely thread! A lot of of ground is already covered by other members but no ones ever asked me this question so I’m going to merrily answer

1) No eating in my car, I am willing to stop, you can step out and eat whatever you want or we can take a break at a food mall but the whole ‘let’s cover more ground by eating in the car’ nonsense I will not tolerate.

2) Seatbelt’s for all, especially once I’m on the highways. Like everyone, I’ve gotten into arguments especially with rear seat passengers but I always argue back saying if you don’t care for you’re life, I don’t want your body falling on mine incase of a crash and crushing me to death so do it for my safety please.

3) No multiple phones being synced, control the music through my device but I don’t want 300 phones paired to the system and everyone taking their calls through the cars audio.

4) No tips on which lane I should take during tolls, traffic etc. If you think the 2 minutes you’ll save by juggling through lanes are too precious for you, charter a jet.

5) No smoking and alcohol, which is pretty obvious. No grouse against folks who smoke / drink (I do the later!) but I’d rather just not deal with the mess should things go south.

6) Kids no matter how small will sit behind, if you want to carry them on your lap, please sit behind. This isn’t a roller coaster and there are no thrills sitting in the front seat.

Phew, I think I’ve covered all.

[Thad E Ginathom]

More door stuff.

Do not open the door without looking, both ways, for oncoming traffic or pedestrians. Apart from the damage, this is one way the passenger can kill a biker.

Do not open the door onto a nearby car... or any other solid object.

Do look to see that the pavement is not too high and you can open the door (I get this wrong with the driver's door sometimes).

[bblost]

I have changed over the years. Now if a passenger does something I don't like, I say nothing.
Nor do I acknowledge it.

Just that the person will realise later that he is no longer welcome in my car and I don't even bother to explain the reasons.

Life is too short to be fixing others because no one really needs fixing.

[saisailendra]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

More door stuff.

Do not open the door onto a nearby car... or any other solid object.

Do look to see that the pavement is not too high and you can open the door (I get this wrong with the driver's door sometimes).

Having experienced these first hand, I decided to not stop too close to another vehicle as much as possible and instead will stop the car a few feet before or later. Will then ask the passengers to get down and then park carefully.

If the car is too close to another vehicle, I ask the passengers to wait and personally open the door for them. Gives a gentleman look and more importantly avoids hitting others vehicles.

[7000plusrpm]

I have a few of my own

• All the seat belts, all the time, please
  
• Please don't tell me how to drive
  
• I prefer to follow rules of the road. I don't mind if it takes 10 mins more. And I adjust my schedule accordingly. So please don't tell me to violate them to save your precious time
  
• No eating, drinking or smoking in the car please
  
• My music from my phone when I'm driving
  

[supremeBaleno]

No eating/drinking/smoking in the car. Don't slam the doors. And don't ask to drive it.

[rajivr1612]

Only my near family members have travelled in my car so far.
For me mainly:
1) Wear seatbelt. And kid on booster seat.
2) Nothing on parcel tray impeding view.
Apart from these no other rules apply. After every long trip car is washed, interior cleaned and vacuumed.
Passengers should remain happy, safe and enjoy the trip.

[adisan]

Rules:
1. No smoking inside the car
2. Drink only soft drinks, water when inside the car.
3. Eating chocolates, peanuts inside car is ok, other items are better avoided.
4.No one in the car shall give feedback of any kind (including stares, ironic smiles, words) to anyone else on the road, no matter how much wrong they think the others have done.
5. No one shall carry any prohibited items in their baggage.

Things I dislike:
1. Passengers who are in just for a few hours in the car, changing the music system settings (other than volume level).
2. People changing the driver seat position when they have to just get the car in or out somewhere.

[CArspeed]

Rules only for safety:
1. wearing a seat belt when I hit highways.
2. windows shut only when doing high speeds (since the wind noise will lead to early fatigue). Infact, when they want to open the windows, I slow down to a comfortable speed.
3. No part of hand out of the window line.
4. No reading lights in the front.(have provided a separate light for them in the rear)

I don’t mind anything else and they do whatever they want to including playing the music loudly, have a loud conversation, sound sleep (I adjust my speed so that they are not disturbed), eat or drink anything, pass comments on my driving, backseat driving, even making noise when I have to do something in panic. I just want to enjoy and concentrate on my driving, that is all.

Less rules more enjoyment. Is that not all we want to have, when going out with family or friends?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by CArspeed

Rules only for safety:
1. wearing a seat belt when I hit highways. ...

Do, please, consider making that wearing a seatbelt always! Anywhere, any speed, any length of journey.