The Ride Share Driver Experience

Welcome to the Ride Share Driver Blog!

Hi...my name is Jan and I started driving for Uber Detroit as an Uber X driver in late November, 2015. I'm from Detroit, Miciigan. 

 

 This blog is about my personal experiences working for the ride share company. 

These are my stories.

THE INAUGURAL RUN.

My very first run as an Uber x driver! I didn't know what to expect!  Even though, I had previously viewed the video from Uber informing me about what is expected from their driver/partners... I was a noob...a newbie. 

 The request was pickup of a passenger at a local shopping Super Center. I did everything according to Uber's instruction video...using the navigation app to find the store and found my client without incident. I was actually nervous but tried not to let my client twig on to that fact.  She had several large shopping bags and items and I thought:" I drive a Chevy Cruze...how will it all fit?!". My client was very sweet and I offered the use of my trunk but it was declined  Between the two of us, we somehow manged to get all items including passenger to fit in the back seat!

SOCIAL ANXIETY ATTACK.

My thoughts are at this time...
"Please, Please, don't expect me to engage in small chat!" 
Of course, the client was on the talkative side and not wanting to across as being rude...I had to oblige by answering the queries of the passenger.  The ride ended up very nicely.  The passenger offered me a tip but I declined due to the fact, they were saving up for a new TV.  I ended the trip, rated my client 5 stars and moved onto the next ride.. All in all... a great start!

SUBSEQUENT TRIPS.

Much later on, I wrapped up my first trips, that Friday night and was feeling quite chuffed!  I had made some money, the passengers were friendly and nice, gold stars all around to those who rode with me. Easy Peasy...or so,  I thought. I decided to drive the next night...Saturday.  Since, it was my day off from my full-time day job(I work for a major drugstore chain)I knew I could chill in the morning and drive for Uber that night.  After all, I did want enjoy my day off.

It was already dark when I received the first request. This time, I was picking up a passenger from a residential address. Turned on the navigation app and was off!  I arrived at the destination after several turn arounds trying to find the correct address which was quite difficult as to some of the houses had the numbers on the curbside mailboxes and the others were on the house! I used the app which tells the driver when I had arrived at my destination which a green bar pops up with a person icon to indicate I'm at the right place. Honestly, I took me awhile to figure out how that really works.
 Finally, I find the home, park in the drive way, a message on the screen tells me the rider has been notified and thusly, I begin...THE WAIT.

THE WAIT.

THE WAIT is my term that I use when parked, waiting on a passenger and it is going onto the five minute mark. I try to be fair and have heard from other clients that they appreciate a patient driver. I've learned to contact the client via text message or call them to inquire if they have requested an Uber pickup.

 So, here I am parked in someone's drive and no one has come to the door to acknowledge me! I look at the time and decide to cancel the ride citing 'rider no show" as the reason. Driving off onto the main road,  my screen starts pinging with a new ride request. A driver has 60 seconds to accept the ride which I promptly did.  Lo and behold, this request turned out to be my ride which I had cancelled! Wait..what?  Long story short, the passenger had entered the pick up data and somehow, don't ask me how, there was a glitch and I received the wrong pickup information!  I apologized to the passengers, there were two,informing them I  had been directed to go to a residential area not a shopping mall! Mind you, I quickly sussed out that both had been imbibing in alcoholic beverages. Both of my riders were nice and the caller had mentioned to me that the ride had been cancelled and was concerned about being charged twice.  Not knowing how to answer that issue, I suggested that my client contact Uber.  My very first Saturday night wasn't getting off on a good note but thankfully, the rest of my trips were uneventful.  I was feeling frustrated, having issues with my phone dying and not being able to charge it, listening to the comments being made by first passenger about being charged twice...I called it a night. 

I started making notes to self...i.e.extra phone charger, taking breaks etc.





Side Note: At this time, I have to inform the reader  that I can come across as being aloof.  I'm not anti-social but selectively social. There are some people I warm up to very quickly and there are others that....well, um...not so much.  At times, not at all! Unfortunately, my day job requires a perky, gregarious person and it's quite a stretch..at times for me! However, driving for Uber...I found out that it depends on my passenger(s)! What Luck!