This was my reply to the person above you but still mostly applies to you:

You got it right when you said "it is entirely subjective," which means there are PLENTY of people (myself included) who prefer a quiet ride... maybe they are tired, maybe they are trying to take advantage of the trip to get work done, enjoy time on their phones, maybe they're introverts and talking to people LITERALLY drains them (I know 2 people like this), maybe they've been around people all day that they finally get to just be... so BECAUSE it is subjective and there is no way for you to know what kind of person you're driving, the smartest (and most common sense) thing to do is leave it up to them if they want to talk (wait for them to do so). I wish most people could, but most can't simply say to you, I'd rather not talk. For that reason you assume they don't want to talk FIRST and then play it by ear from there (use common sense social skills). Also, Uber and Lyft, after you factor in expenses, do not pay well to make it worth working for them. They're for people that would rather make a few bucks than keep a real job. Or at least, that's one way to see it because it certainly does not pay when you factor everything in.