Is ride-sharing an amateur event?

Dear Miss Manners: I have been driving for one of the independent taxi services that people call on their smartphone with an app.

My main goal is to get them safely to their destination.

I don’t want to portray myself as a know-it-all driver, but I want them to understand that sometimes, traffic happens.

Passenger perception is pretty important, as my driver rating is based on how they feel and not on the quality of my driving.

Most interactions are pretty good.

I don’t need to “tune out” any passengers, barring making sure I’m attentive to the road.

My trouble is controlling how I to respond to backseat or passengerside drivers.

I’m not against suggestions from passengers in general, especially if they know where they’re going and know it includes a weird turn or other pitfalls.

Sometimes, however, the route can take me through streets that are full of fast-moving cars, and I will have to adjust my vehicle position quite quickly in order to avoid danger from oncoming, unaware drivers.

In this case, passengers occasionally start to make suggestions on how I should proceed or how I should have proceeded.

Often they don’t take into account many key details, such as things I can see through my mirrors and they can’t.

I wouldn’t be incorrect to simply point this out to them, but then I feel it would sound dismissive and won’t calm their nerves.

How can I politely assure passengers that I have their safety in mind (and well in hand)?

Gentle Reader: Unfortunately, Miss Manners finds, this is the problem with making ride-sharing an amateur event.

Everybody feels equally equipped for the task.

“Thank you for your help; I assure you that I am very much invested in the safety of us both,” should quell any concerns. Adding, “Are you a driver as well?” would further illustrate the point that if the passenger wanted to do it instead, they easily could.