A Day in the Life Of Your Uber Driver
With no ability to access trip time, trip duration, or estimated pay per service, Uber drivers are left at the mercy of the app.
Jesse Pike was laid off from his job as a performer last year. In the interim, he’s picked up a part-time job as an Uber and Lyft driver. Well, it’s not exactly part-time. He works 55 hours a week.
When I call an Uber on my phone, here’s what I imagine:
The driver gets the request. They show up. They take me to my destination. Then they get on with their life. My trip took 12 minutes, so they worked for 12 minutes, right? My $7.32 fare is great income for that.
Here’s what actually happens.
I put in a request for an Uber on my phone. Jesse receives my request, and accepts it. He could be 5 minutes away, or he could be 30 minutes away. He drives 20 minutes to your destination. He then waits 5 minutes to pick you up.
Only once you get in his car does he find out where you are going. When he accepts the trip, he has no idea if it’s for a 3-minute ride, or a 30-minute one. It’s basically a gamble.
Once he starts the trip, he’s given the address of your destination within the app. He then starts driving. Sometimes you need…
