I don’t have "rules’, per say, since most anyone who drives with me is a friend or family, and thus, wouldn’t consider doing something like smoking or anything intentionally dangerous. Most behave better in my car than they would in theirs, since it’s just courteous to do so.
About the closest I’d have to “rules”, are my minor quirks, but those aren’t crazy or anything. That and they all know my driving style, so no surprises, there.
I will let you listen to your shit music but if it starts to make me want to drive us all off a bridge I reserve the right to switch to talk radio.
You may use the floor as a trash can.
My cup holders don’t work - front-seat passenger must hold my coffee while I manoeuvre. Also please take one half of the sandwich out of the packaging and put in on a napkin on my lap. Thanks.
Front-seat passenger should not lean forward when I’m trying to make a tricky left turn.
You may smoke a joint but I prefer it if you ask first. Keep it out of sight when we pass a cop.
no smoking (smelly)
no seatbelt free passengers (it’s the law)
no messy food (sauces, moist or sticky stuff)
and
no startling the driver. Don’t suddenly blurt out something and possibly cause a panic reaction. If you think I haven’t noticed the parked car ahead of me just say something calmly, because I know it’s there and am just timing my lane change. Yell out , “LOOK OUT!!!” and I may think I’ve missed seeing something and make some stupid mistake.
Aside from most of the obvious ones like seatbelts, I used to have a rule for my brother when I was driving the two of us: No car dancing. (Imagine Conan O’Brien behind his desk.)
We had a ban on the question “are we there yet?”. This worked until the kids were 6-7 when they started rephrasing in order to get around the ban. What town are we in?, How far is that from “destination”?. Damn creative kids.
I did tell them my father’s way of dealing with the question though. After my brother asked the third time in an hour Dad pulled over to the side of the highway, turned off the car and said “Yep”.
Other than the dreaded question rule there really aren’t any others. I’d say no smoking but I don’t actually know any current smokers. Weird.
I don’t have any rules beyond don’t do anything that will get me pulled over and if you volunteer to be the designated driver at the end of the night, that means you stay completely sober and not just be the least drunk person at the end of the evening.