7 ms·

I used to drive for Uber, a few hours a week during my downtime when I was bored and had nothing better to do. The earnings weren’t great, but it was very help

by dannyw 6y ago

I used to drive for Uber, a few hours a week during my downtime when I was bored and had nothing better to do. The earnings weren’t great, but it was very helpful as an extra. I had a fuel efficient car and kept track of all my expenses for deductions and made above minimum wage. I’ve met plenty of lovely and fascinating people and had great, enjoyable conversations. I barely had any issues with riders. This extra income helped me buy more stocks and make just a little bit more progress towards my financial goals. These stocks are still compounding away. I’m a bit sad that this opportunity is now taken away from Californians.

xenospn 6y ago
My close friend drove for Uber and Lyft in Los Angeles. He was constantly abused and berated by drunk and rude passengers (which he couldn't refuse), drove more just to have Uber slash his take-home rate by 60%, and even invested in a larger van so he could drove pool (or whatever the name is for large groups) which never materialized. He's extremely happy to see them go.
- creaghpatr 6y ago
  How much are Uber and Lyft paying him now?
  - xenospn 6y ago
    He left them a while ago. Couldn't make a living driving for both.
cafebabbe 6y ago
Cool story, like a mini american dream! Some drivers have differing views on the topic though :(
- stronglikedan 6y ago
  If driving is what someone has decided to solely do for a living, then they should get a driving job. There's plenty of driving jobs that aren't driving gigs. In my mind, the definition of "gig" sets the expectation for the type of work it will be.
  - CountSessine 6y ago
    then they should get a driving job Why? I’m a consultant - and this is what I do for a living. Why isn’t freelance work respectable or acceptable in your view?
    - stronglikedan 6y ago
      I suspect you're being disingenuous since I never said either of those things, so I will ignore your second question. As to your first question, I've never met a consultant that enjoys all the benefits of the full-time employees at the companies they consult for. The term "consultant" sets the expectation that one would not enjoy those benefits during their work there.
      - CountSessine 6y ago
        I suspect you're being disingenuous since I never said either of those things, so I will ignore your second question. You used the word should - should get a full time job. Based on what you say, you don’t think freelance work is acceptable. If you considered it acceptable then you wouldn’t be admonishing people, telling them what they should do. I've never met You’re just full of assumptions. I get paid crazy-well - much higher than the salaried employees I work with, and unlike them I can bill off-hours. I don’t have a company retirement plan but that’s cheap with the excess I get paid over salary. And I write my own vacations. The term "consultant" sets the expectation that one would not enjoy those benefits during their work there. No, it sets the expectation that I’m consulting. That’s all.
        stronglikedan 6y ago
gyrgtyn 6y ago
I used to drive a taxi...
SheepSlapper 6y ago
Hopefully the companies and government can come to a middle ground that solves both problems. There are quite a few people that drive for supplemental income and don't need all the stuff that the law is now requiring, and there are some people that do it full time and would benefit from the perks of a more traditional full time job. The bummer is, as usual, the policy makers aren't seeing the nuance between the two and now drivers have to suffer the consequences and lost wages until the dust settles. Either the politicians are ignorant, or they're willfully ignoring the facts. Honestly neither would surprise me, it is CA after all :)
lefrenchy 6y ago
This is where the gig economy shines, when people want to use it to make extra money on the side or push to achieve financial goals. However, by your own admission you did it because you were "bored" and wanted to make some money. Unfortunately many gig workers don't have the privilege. I'm assuming here but you probably had another job and benefits. There are many workers who don't, and are turning to Uber or Lyft just to put food on the table and are being forced into working without paid vacation, sick leave, or benefits simply because they have no other options. I think corporations taking advantages of the imbalances is a race to the bottom. I believe we should find a 21st century approach to fixing these imbalances so that we don't take opportunities like yours away, but also work to protect labor rights/power that has been much eroded in the last decades.
- manigandham 6y ago
  Driving jobs already exist if that’s what they wanted. Turning ridesharing into full-time employment doesn't solve anything other than removing the freelance opportunity for many who find it fits their situation best.
  - axlee 6y ago
    > Nobody is being forced into anything. They're choosing this because it's the best opportunity. That is such a lazy take. Of course people are forced to take whatever job is available: humans need food, shelter and healthcare. If society doesn't collectively agree about a minimum standard of what a job entails, you inevitably ends up with the "bottom of the barrel" living in inhumane conditions. As a society, it is our duty to lift up the standards, not lower them and trample on the already destitute.
    - etchalon 6y ago
      Anybody who thinks you can't be "forced into a job" has never been desperately poor.
    - manigandham 6y ago
      Why don't these people accept the existing full-time driving jobs then? Is it because flexibility is paramount and they might already have other commitments? Why convert many existing opportunities into fewer worse jobs? What's that solve exactly? Do you think there should be no independent contractors? Do you also object to freelancer writers or artists?
Balgair 6y ago
How much did the wear and tear on the car take out? I've been thinking of doing the same, but i keep hearing that when you factor in all the repairs you'll have to do, then it comes out at pretty much a wash.
- AgloeDreams 6y ago
  Fun fact: the average pay per mile is less than the US Government's Standard driving deduction.
  - slfnflctd 6y ago
    I can personally testify to this. My rule of thumb as a driver was that I had to drive roughly twice as many miles as dollars I needed, i.e. $0.50 a mile. It was absolutely a lifesaver and exactly what I needed at the time. But it's debatable whether it could have been sustained long term. Personally, I think if instead of chasing imaginary Level 5 autonomy madness with billions of dollars, they had done the unsexy thing and simply paid drivers better, they might not be in this mess. It's pretty insane that they take half of every fare and still can't turn a profit-- seems like a clear sign somebody screwed up &/or made the wrong bet.
    - Balgair 6y ago
      The IRS driving reimbursement rate where I am is $0.575/mile. So, if you make less than that, it seems as if you're not making money (as an 'average' driver). You'll just be trading the mileage on your tires/transmission/axels for cash today. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-20-05.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-20-05.pdf

by dannyw 6y ago

xenospn 6y ago

My close friend drove for Uber and Lyft in Los Angeles. He was constantly abused and berated by drunk and rude passengers (which he couldn't refuse), drove more just to have Uber slash his take-home rate by 60%, and even invested in a larger van so he could drove pool (or whatever the name is for large groups) which never materialized. He's extremely happy to see them go.

creaghpatr 6y ago
How much are Uber and Lyft paying him now?
- xenospn 6y ago
  He left them a while ago. Couldn't make a living driving for both.

cafebabbe 6y ago

Cool story, like a mini american dream! Some drivers have differing views on the topic though :(

stronglikedan 6y ago
If driving is what someone has decided to solely do for a living, then they should get a driving job. There's plenty of driving jobs that aren't driving gigs. In my mind, the definition of "gig" sets the expectation for the type of work it will be.
- CountSessine 6y ago
  then they should get a driving job Why? I’m a consultant - and this is what I do for a living. Why isn’t freelance work respectable or acceptable in your view?
  - stronglikedan 6y ago
    I suspect you're being disingenuous since I never said either of those things, so I will ignore your second question. As to your first question, I've never met a consultant that enjoys all the benefits of the full-time employees at the companies they consult for. The term "consultant" sets the expectation that one would not enjoy those benefits during their work there.
    - CountSessine 6y ago
      I suspect you're being disingenuous since I never said either of those things, so I will ignore your second question. You used the word should - should get a full time job. Based on what you say, you don’t think freelance work is acceptable. If you considered it acceptable then you wouldn’t be admonishing people, telling them what they should do. I've never met You’re just full of assumptions. I get paid crazy-well - much higher than the salaried employees I work with, and unlike them I can bill off-hours. I don’t have a company retirement plan but that’s cheap with the excess I get paid over salary. And I write my own vacations. The term "consultant" sets the expectation that one would not enjoy those benefits during their work there. No, it sets the expectation that I’m consulting. That’s all.
      - stronglikedan 6y ago

gyrgtyn 6y ago

I used to drive a taxi...

SheepSlapper 6y ago

Hopefully the companies and government can come to a middle ground that solves both problems. There are quite a few people that drive for supplemental income and don't need all the stuff that the law is now requiring, and there are some people that do it full time and would benefit from the perks of a more traditional full time job. The bummer is, as usual, the policy makers aren't seeing the nuance between the two and now drivers have to suffer the consequences and lost wages until the dust settles. Either the politicians are ignorant, or they're willfully ignoring the facts. Honestly neither would surprise me, it is CA after all :)

lefrenchy 6y ago

This is where the gig economy shines, when people want to use it to make extra money on the side or push to achieve financial goals. However, by your own admission you did it because you were "bored" and wanted to make some money. Unfortunately many gig workers don't have the privilege. I'm assuming here but you probably had another job and benefits. There are many workers who don't, and are turning to Uber or Lyft just to put food on the table and are being forced into working without paid vacation, sick leave, or benefits simply because they have no other options. I think corporations taking advantages of the imbalances is a race to the bottom. I believe we should find a 21st century approach to fixing these imbalances so that we don't take opportunities like yours away, but also work to protect labor rights/power that has been much eroded in the last decades.

manigandham 6y ago
Driving jobs already exist if that’s what they wanted. Turning ridesharing into full-time employment doesn't solve anything other than removing the freelance opportunity for many who find it fits their situation best.
- axlee 6y ago
  > Nobody is being forced into anything. They're choosing this because it's the best opportunity. That is such a lazy take. Of course people are forced to take whatever job is available: humans need food, shelter and healthcare. If society doesn't collectively agree about a minimum standard of what a job entails, you inevitably ends up with the "bottom of the barrel" living in inhumane conditions. As a society, it is our duty to lift up the standards, not lower them and trample on the already destitute.
  - etchalon 6y ago
    Anybody who thinks you can't be "forced into a job" has never been desperately poor.
  - manigandham 6y ago
    Why don't these people accept the existing full-time driving jobs then? Is it because flexibility is paramount and they might already have other commitments? Why convert many existing opportunities into fewer worse jobs? What's that solve exactly? Do you think there should be no independent contractors? Do you also object to freelancer writers or artists?

Balgair 6y ago

How much did the wear and tear on the car take out? I've been thinking of doing the same, but i keep hearing that when you factor in all the repairs you'll have to do, then it comes out at pretty much a wash.

AgloeDreams 6y ago
Fun fact: the average pay per mile is less than the US Government's Standard driving deduction.
- slfnflctd 6y ago
  I can personally testify to this. My rule of thumb as a driver was that I had to drive roughly twice as many miles as dollars I needed, i.e. $0.50 a mile. It was absolutely a lifesaver and exactly what I needed at the time. But it's debatable whether it could have been sustained long term. Personally, I think if instead of chasing imaginary Level 5 autonomy madness with billions of dollars, they had done the unsexy thing and simply paid drivers better, they might not be in this mess. It's pretty insane that they take half of every fare and still can't turn a profit-- seems like a clear sign somebody screwed up &/or made the wrong bet.
  - Balgair 6y ago
    The IRS driving reimbursement rate where I am is $0.575/mile. So, if you make less than that, it seems as if you're not making money (as an 'average' driver). You'll just be trading the mileage on your tires/transmission/axels for cash today. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-20-05.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-20-05.pdf