An Uber passenger got a shocking surprise when her driver decided to make a completely bizarre, unauthorized detour mid-trip to stop at an automatic car wash. Content creator Alex Eden (@therealalexeden) shared the unbelievable moment in a viral TikTok video that quickly racked up more than 294,000 views, showing viewers exactly what happened while she was stuck in the backseat.
The footage shows the car moving slowly through an automatic car wash, with brushes, soap, and water spraying all across the windows. “When was my Uber driver gonna tell me we were stopping at the car wash,” she asked in the video’s text overlay.
Eden didn’t look thrilled about the unexpected spa treatment for the car. She panned the camera to show the driver, who appeared totally unbothered by the fact that he had a paying customer waiting to get to work. Eden stressed her main concern in the comments, stating, “Ummm like I’m bouta be late for work.”
When you hop on your Uber ride, this is the last thing you expect
You’d think the driver would at least ask permission, especially when you’re on a tight schedule. While the video doesn’t clarify how much time the detour added or if Eden confronted the driver, it’s crystal clear that this stop was not requested or approved by the passenger.
This situation goes way beyond a simple inconvenience or a few extra minutes on the clock. According to Uber’s own help center, drivers should not be making stops along the way that aren’t specifically requested or planned. More importantly, making personal stops during a ride actually violates the Terms of Service for both Uber and Lyft.
West Coast Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyers point out that when a driver accepts your ride request, they are contractually agreeing to provide transportation service. They aren’t supposed to use that time to run personal errands or complete business, like getting a car wash. This kind of behavior is serious enough that it can actually lead to the driver being deactivated from the platform.
The secondary issue is that you are paying for this detour. If it takes the driver longer, that gets paid to them, if they have to take detours, that gets paid to them. The driver was actually costing her more money this way.
Many people took the issue seriously, especially those who drive for a living. One driver commented, “I’ve been driving for 10 years, there’s absolutely no reason a driver should be stopping for anything unless its a mechanical issue.” Others focused on the safety aspect, with one commenter adding, “That’s kind of scary. If my male driver did this unannounced I would freak out.”
It’s definitely a reminder that sometimes, the ride from Point A to Point B is anything but normal. While this one’s far from the crazy Russian taxi story where music request took a violent turn, it’s still far from your everyday cab ride, unless, of course, you get yourself a barely safe Waymo robotaxi.
Published: Nov 30, 2025 07:00 am