For me and my family, it works perfectly. I work three jobs and this is one of them, but one that I can drive around 15 hours a week and make 300-400 bucks. I usually drive early AM weekdays (3am-7am) and weekends (9pm-3am). 3-5 shifts a week.

There are downsides, The car does take wear and tear due to the shitty roads in STL, but you can manage that by driving slower and safer. Be more keen of your surroundings.

Also, as anyone can see if they follow me on social media, some passengers are going to go behind your back and give you a shitty rating FOR NO FUCKING REASON. It’s called the ability to not be decent, and there’s nothing you can do about it. I am a safe driver, kind person, and keen speaker when required-but I got a 1 and 2 star rating on my shift this late evening/early morning. People are shit sometimes, and it’s unstoppable. Just make the money and don’t take it personally. It is okay to rant, vent, and swallow a lot of bourbon after you are done driving.

Do people puke? The pukers are always a threat, but I’m 2283 rides in and no accidents. If you think someone is about to puke, have that hand on the unlock button and be ready to Jason Bourne that shit to the side of the road. I have had two close calls in my 18 months as a driver. Be alert!

Does Uber take a cut? Sure they do. Uber takes around 25-30% of the fares, and I think that’s more than Lyft. But Uber is used more and gets more rides. You do not know where you are going until you accept, and there will be plenty of 5-10 dollar rides. But there will be 20-30 dollar ones too. One night, I had a ride from Brentwood to Chesterfield back to Brentwood. 40 dollars just like that. Ups and downs like any jobs.

Do you have a boss or oversight? Not really. You make your own hours and don’t really have a boss. However, passengers can be asshats and give you a 1 star rating for no reason in order to get a refund because they are a cheap piece of shit–but that’s life.

Overall, I like it. I don’t really love it, because it’s a stressful job, people can be assholes, and I can’t show off my proficient road rage habits. It works for me, I like to drive, and I don’t mind people. It’s a good gig.

Be ready to talk. You can’t be quiet and be an Uber driver. There’s a popular strand of bullshit out there that riders don’t want to talk, and please disregard it. 95% AT LEAST of riders want to talk, get to know you, ask you about your other jobs, favorite songs, high school, if you grew up here, and why you are the way you are. People are curious fuckers, and can stop thinking about themselves if they find out stuff about you. Be ready to talk.

Outside of that, sign up and make some extra cash. Driving can be therapeutic for me, and on several nights, I go home with about $22 per hour and a nice spin around town. You’ll get to know your city, learn restraint in not losing your shit on people, and possibly meet a few good men and women.

I’ve been doing it for 18 months, 2,280+ rides, and haven’t lost my mind yet.

Also, you get to drive by the gorgeous Busch Stadium just about every damn shift, St. Louis folks. Check out that picture at the top!

Cheers. Leave questions below or find me on Facebook, Twitter @buffa82, or Instagram @buffa82. I’m all over and will drink your coffee.