Took an Uber and Found 30 Air Fresheners? Complaints Mount Over "Motion Sickness" as 'Vehicle Air Freshener' Controversy Grows in the US

From Excessive Air Fresheners to Demands for Scent-Free Cars
Uber Air Freshener Complaints Spread on Social Media

In the United States, complaints are mounting over excessive use of air fresheners in Uber and Lyft vehicles. As drivers use multiple air fresheners at once to eliminate various odors in their cars, more and more passengers are finding the strong scents unpleasant. Among passengers, there are growing demands for the ability to choose scent-free vehicles.

In the United States, passenger complaints are rising over the scent of air fresheners in Uber and Lyft vehicles.
Photo by Jacque Keener

On September 12 (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that complaints about air freshener smells in Uber and Lyft vehicles are spreading on social networking services (SNS).

William Hargrave, who works at a law firm in New Orleans, recently endured a cheap perfume-like smell while taking an Uber. He even experienced motion sickness, which was unusual for him, and when he looked up, he saw seven air fresheners hanging in the car. Since the Uber app does not offer a function to leave direct feedback for drivers, he chose the 'unpleasant smell' option. He remarked, "The driver might see this review and add another air freshener."

Jacque Keener, who works in the IT sector near Houston, took an Uber and saw the rearview mirror completely covered with air fresheners. "There were easily more than 20—maybe around 30," he said, adding that he took photos and sent them to his friends. He wrote on his SNS, "I feel like I'm going to develop a new allergy."

Demand for fragrance-free vehicles is spreading among Uber and Lyft passengers in the United States. TikTok screenshot

Passengers who are sensitive to scents are complaining of headaches, coughing, dizziness, and other symptoms. Some even wear N95 masks before getting into an Uber. A number of passengers are using online petitions to demand the introduction of a feature allowing them to select scent-free vehicles or for air fresheners to be banned altogether.

Drivers, on the other hand, have challenges of their own. Chris Jeras, who has driven for both Uber and Lyft for 10 years, said, "Passengers leave behind cigarette, vomit, alcohol, or strong perfume odors." This is why drivers use air fresheners to eliminate the previous passenger's smells.

Uber said it has provided drivers with guidelines on how to keep vehicles scent-free. The company stated, "What we want passengers to remember is not the smell of an air freshener, but the experience of the ride." Likewise, in December last year, Lyft advised its drivers to use ventilation or odor absorbers instead of scented products. Lyft also offers a paid service, 'Extra Comfort,' as a scent-free vehicle option.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.