Procedure: Drivers asked to carry an item with no passenger

Politely decline every time. You are never wrong to say no. This protects you: you don't know what is inside, who it really belongs to, or whether the person on the other end is the rightful owner.

What to do

1. Do not accept the item, even "just this once" or for something that seems harmless.
2. Use the script below.
3. If they say the item belongs to a C&J passenger who left it behind, send them to Customer Care. If Customer Care sets up a return, it comes to you through Section 3 — with a log number and the owner's name.
4. Let Customer Care know about the request (time, location, what was offered) so they can follow up if needed.

What to say

"I'm sorry, I'm not able to take items without a passenger. C&J only carries passengers and their own luggage. If this was left behind by one of our riders, please contact Customer Care and they'll arrange the return."

Give them the Customer Care contact: customercare@ridecj.com / 603-430-1100.

If the person pushes back

Stay friendly and repeat the same answer. Don't argue or explain further. If they leave the item on the bus or at the curb anyway, treat it as an unattended item: don't open it, notify your supervisor or dispatch, and follow their direction.

Applied to the laptop case

Under this procedure, the driver would have declined the laptop and given the passenger the Customer Care contact. If the owner had called Customer Care, the laptop would have been logged and returned to a verified owner with photo ID — with a record of who handed it over and when.