Driver types: Flexible or Stingy?

Just like there's different slug personalities and tendencies that I encounter during my commute, there's also a lot of different driver types. The driver’s decision on how many people he/she can take says a lot about their personality, I think. Most drivers will take the following into consideration:

1. How many people are in line
2. How many cars are behind them
3. If they have a big or small car
4. If they have a carseat or something else in the backseat

Some will say they can take two, and two only, no matter what the situation. But here's some insight into the different variables most of them will take into consideration.

If there are a ton of people in line, and few cars behind them in line, hopefully the driver will accept taking three riders in their car. If there's a ton of people in line, but also a sufficient number of cars, often the driver will just take the minimal two riders because they know that the cars behind them need to get filled up, too. If there's a long line of cars, and few riders, the people in the cars behind the first car will actually get angry if the first car takes more than necessary because then there are no slugs left for them and they have to wait.

The other two variables have more to do with what's physically possible with the driver's car. When there's a long line of people it's physically painful sometimes when a big SUV or van only accepts two riders. That's kind of rare. And most slugs, at least at the lines that I go to, will walk up to the car if they're that third person and ask if the driver can take three rather than just two. When a driver turns that request down, barring the aforementioned variables in line length, and has a spacious car and no carseats or large objects filling up their backseat, it's kind of annoying. I know it's the driver's prerogative, but if it were me I don't see why I wouldn't let the third person come if it wasn't takings slugs away from other drivers behind me.

And you can really tell the difference in personality between those people who won't let three people ride even if they have roomy cars, and the people that will get out of their car to move stuff from their backseat to their trunk in order to make more room for riders.

What I have noticed is that there are many drivers that used to be on the other side of things as a slug, and these are the drivers that clearly try to help the slugs out whenever they can and be flexible. It's like they're on our team. A few of them have even said, "Oh I used to be a slug, I know how it goes," on days when the wait was particularly bad and so they've adjusted to make the process go more quickly or smoothly. Some drivers will change their destination if the destinations aren't too far apart to pick up slugs that are getting bypassed by other more convenient slug lots.

I definitely have some favorite drivers because I know they're flexible and try to help out when they can, and I have some drivers that I groan about riding with because of one thing or another. This one particular variable of how many riders a driver allows to ride with them in certain situations is definitely a trademark one to notice people by, though.