Uber drivers reveal 10 rules to live by if you want a perfect 5-star passenger rating

It's fine to offer suggestions if you know a faster route than what Uber's GPS suggests, but don't be too pushy, a driver named Muhammed told us. And definitely don't ask the driver to do anything illegal, like stop in a bus lane or pull an improper U-turn. "I know my way around this city, and I'm doing my best to get you there as quickly as I can," he says.

Don't make your Uber driver wait too long. Muhammed says he'll start a passenger's trip if he or she takes longer than three or four minutes to meet him outside.

If you throw up in the back of an Uber, you'll be charged a cleaning fee, and you can probably expect to get a one-star rating from a reasonably angry driver. Don't leave your trash in the backseat either — just take it with you when you leave.

Don't bring smelly food into the car, slam the door, hail an Uber for a very short distance, or forget to enter your destination into Uber's app, a driver named Raul says. These things may not occur to you, but they matter to your driver and could make the difference between you getting a four-star rating and a five-star rating.

Drivers rely on good ratings from passengers to be able to keep driving for Uber. If your driver is providing good service, let him or her know you're giving him a good review — you'll probably get one in return, if you've been a good passenger, a driver named Syrah says.

Maybe you and your friends were a bit rowdy in your Uber. Maybe you took eight minutes to meet your driver outside. Feeling bad about it? You can always leave your driver a cash tip to make up for it, an anonymous driver told us. Uber doesn't let drivers accept tips through its app, so a bit of a cash tip is always appreciated.

It's illegal and puts your driver in the awkward position of having to tell you you need to order a second car, Uber driver Eitan says.

Uber's GPS isn't perfect, so when you select "go to pin" as your pickup ___location, it can sometimes be inaccurate and can lead to a miscommunication between you and your driver, one Uber driver tells us. Type in your address so your Uber driver knows where to meet you.

Some drivers have started carrying things like car phone chargers, auxiliary cables, gum, and bottled water to ensure they keep customers happy and get five-star ratings themselves. These are just optional perks, however, so don't get into an Uber car and start demanding amenities. "I'm more than happy to give passengers whatever I have on hand, but they should know to ask politely," one driver told us.

Manners matter. When asked what passengers can do to get good ratings, a driver named Sam told us the key was just to be polite. Don't make obnoxious requests — like asking for a detour so you can grab Taco Bell on the way home from the bar — and don't slam the doors. He says one passenger tried smoking a cigarette in his car — and got a one-star rating as a result.