Category: Uber Driver Diaries

  • Predators and Their Prey. Uber and Lyft Rental Programs…A Drivers Perspective.

    I am a Los Angeles driver with 7 years of experience and more than 18,000 rides overall. Over the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to use the Uber rental program while my primary Ubering vehicle is in the shop being repaired. Fortunately, I did not have to pay for the rentals and their increased […]

  • But Wait, There’s More

    A couple of nights ago, I picked up a well dressed man. He spent a lot of time talking about the vacations he’s going to and the expensive restaurants he goes to. I asked what he does, and he said he has a business. I was extra nice to him, because now Uber is allowing […]

  • It’s Not a Surge, it’s a Damned Red Herring

    Let me tell you something, folks, I’m convinced these goons at Uber are masters at playing tricks on its drivers, riders, and even the public at large. They create software loops within the app that serve a specific purpose, including evading law enforcement or taking a bigger chunk of gross fares than promised. It’s all […]

  • Seeing Red and The End of the World

    Last night I found myself down at the Bicycle Casino at the end of a ride, about 10 miles southwest of downtown L.A. As I closed out the ride, I consulted my trusty map and noticed that Korea Town was blazing red, like a ripe tomato high on Miracle-Gro. The surge had to be soaring […]

  • A Little Advice From One Uber Driver to Another

    Well, my friend, you’re talking to someone who knows a thing or two about rideshare and putting together a resume that will make hiring managers take notice. It’s a delicate dance, you see, between highlighting your accomplishments and not coming off as too much of a self-promoting pile of pomposity. But let me tell you, […]

  • What Ever Possessed Me?

    Last year was a nightmare, let me tell you. My old lady ran off with the kids, leaving me alone with nothing but a fistful of insults she’d been flinging my way for the past ten years. Then, just to really twist the knife, I got canned from my job of five years. My confidence […]

  • There Had To Be a First

    I found myself in a peculiar situation just moments ago. Let me give you the rundown. I had been welcoming writers with my signature catchphrase, “Welcome to the party, Uber. The only rule is there are no rules.” It had always been a crowd-pleaser, but little did I know that I was about to be […]

  • What Is It With These Damned Ratings Part 2

    There he was, a man with a mission. A man with a singular focus. A man obsessed with one thing and one thing only: his ratings. You could see it in his eyes, the way they darted back and forth across his phone screen, the way he clicked frantically on the rating tab, hoping against […]

  • What Is It With These Damned Ratings?

    I’m beginning to think this obsession with ratings is a disease that infects more than just me. Maybe even most the minds of rideshare drivers across the land. It’s a sickness that eats away at sanity, driving them to constantly refresh their app, hoping for a bump in their score. And I, dearest reader, am […]

  • Hot Summer Nights, Nike’s, and a Speedo

    The sun had long set on the City of Angels, but I wasn’t done for the day. I had to keep moving. Too much nervous energy. So, after my nine-to-five grind, I laced up my running shoes and hit the pavement for a few miles, then a quick cool-down swim at Belmont Plaza before starting […]