[MadTownUberD]

I suppose I shouldn't tell you about my BMW 3 Series that I've done probably more than 500 trips in (out of 1300+ since February), and my 4.9+ rating. I've even had a few days where I've operated at a slight loss, just to keep my ratings up or move money into a separate bank account.

If you really want to get mad, read my thread "I'm Sick of Disgruntled Full Timers!".

Free market's a *****, ain't it?

 

[MadTownUberD]

I despise people who despise people.

Also... Is this a counter argument to the post about despising full time drivers?

Finally - when you realize that the only person you can control is yourself, you'll be well on your way to inner peace.

I never said I despised FT drivers. I said I was sick of disgruntled FT drivers (i.e. the ones who keep doing the same thing and expecting more money, while making less and less).

 

[MadTownUberD]

I despise uber drivers that drive bemmers

Good thing I used the profits I made with my Bimmer (which I paid only $10k for) to buy a used Sonata!

 

[MadTownUberD]

My apologies. I will edit my comment. I am also tired of disgruntled drivers.

The nice thing about driving as a profitable hobby is you can do it when it's fun, and stop when it isn't. Full Timers who need to pay bills *have to* pick up that staggering drunk, or drive while half asleep, etc. I can just say "no, I don't think so". I'm still waiting for the first pax who decides to really go toe to toe with me over something trivial, assuming I'm some kind of desperate guy....that will be interesting.

 

[MadTownUberD]

I can't afford to drive full time, or I would. Uber can't be taken seriously as a main source of income anymore - especially with a nice car. My POS Versa is worth 3K on a good day, and I don't even feel good driving that car into the ground. Uber is only good for paying for happy hour drinks at this point.

No one is really trying to feed a family doing this, right?

That was the whole point of my other thread. And I got crucified for it. (Admittedly I was pretty mean)

 

[MadTownUberD]

There have been s few retired people who say they do it just to have something to do. They don't need the money.
One that will remain nameless even refuses tips.

But yes, most do it for the money. But just like the l example I gave before about McDonald's, some Uber to save for a big vacation.
Or some wives make their husband keep Ubering after the vacation so they could buy a Gucci purse.

Others Uber to survive.

Still, no one has more right to be out there driving than anyone else.

Jerk!

There's a retired-ish guy in the Madison market (he may be younger than retirement age, but I'm not sure) who drives for something to do. He's on these forums sometimes and I've spoken with him at the airport...a really nice, easy going guy and he's not worried about much. Very articulate/erudite...perfect driver for a college town.

yojimboguy

 

[MadTownUberD]

My dentist said he was going to try uber.

These people see the beautiful propaganda put out by uber and think it's a dream *side gig/hustle*. It's so cool to have a *side gig* now, when really that's just a polite way to say you are unemployed or can't pay the bills with your regular job. Remember the old term *moonlighting*. Sounds romantic, lol!

Nothing could convince him otherwise. I haven't heard from him since last visit but I hope he tried it!

I want him to see how well reality matches up with propaganda.

I think you've touched on an interesting point here. Even with a very handsome paying career related job, life has become so expensive that many of us are motivated to find some sort of side gig. This could launch into a whole side discussion about macroeconomics. Suffice to say I am in the camp that believes it is not necessarily a partisan issue but has more to do with massive credit expansion brought on by the central bank decades ago, as well as the continuation of low interest rates in modern times...

 

[MadTownUberD]

I don't despise any driver who wants to drive. For me the best thing about rideshare is the freedom. Drive for fun? Drive to pick up girls? Drive for fun money? Drive to put food on your table? All sound like good reasons to me. Some might say it is not fair that a guy trying to put food on his table has to compete with a millionaire picking up chicks. Meh, nothing is fair. I resent no one for their choice to drive. I do not see it as theft that someone has taken advantage of the opportunities to improve their life no matter where they are starting from. I see it as great.

And I personally feel that as long as regulators don't stand in the way that as technology develops, at least in the long run and on the average, the standard of living for all will get better.

Getting upset at a guy driving for the "wrong reasons" seems like wasted energy when chances are self-driving cars will be taking over in a few years anyway. Hopefully you have a backup plan.

Like, except for the SDC's. I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[MadTownUberD]

Best comment I've ever seen in my life. Thank you.

I think Trafficat is possibly the most sensible, level headed person on here.

 

[MadTownUberD]

I think SEAL Team 5 is saying that paying yourself is a business expense, and therefore the business is showing no profit. Especially when what you're paying yourself is nowhere near what a respectable business owner would want to make.

 

[MadTownUberD]

I've had a few pax lately talk about how they would like to try driving for U/L.

First words out of my mouth lately have been, 'please, whatever you decide, do not consider doing this as a full-time job. I do this to supplement my husband's full time job.' I then explain why I cannot have a good part-time job and how U/L work well in my situation.

The looks on their faces are priceless when I tell them how much/little we get paid per mile/minute.

I've had pax insist that driver for Uber is "lucrative". Ha! I try to go with the flow and not ruffle their fathers too much.

 

[MadTownUberD]

I think you need to become a bit more tolerant of your fellow man.

Not everyone who works needs the money, to quote the late, great George Michael "Some people work for a living. Some people work for fun, girl, I just work for you"

I know a man who works every day in a government office in downtown Pittsburgh, worked long enough that his pension would be more than his wages. Gets him away from his wife.

This is funny. I had a very astute (probably Jewish) college student pax basically tell me that I was driving Uber to get a break from my family. There is truth to that.

 

[MadTownUberD]

I'm one of these people. My wife and I make good money. I do rideshare on the side "for the heck of it" and "just because".

I woke up this morning at 5 am because I had a good sleep and instead of making noise around the house for a few hours I went out and just drove people around. I made a few bucks.

I have as much of a right to do this for whatever reason as you do. And this will never change. If you can't make good money doing uber (nobody can), you'll have to find a profession that pays better. There are many.

Here's the thing: when your profession is easy to learn, easy to access (many people have cars), relaxing, flexible, competition is going to force the pay down. Uber currently pays terribly and that won't change. The market has essentially found how low people are willing to go and still do it.

Zero taxable income != zero income. Hint: If I make $1000 and my mileage deduction was $1000 my "income" was zero. But what if it only cost me $400 in actual, real expenses, to make that $1000? There you go.

That may often but true, but isn't always. My regular income has me putting money into retirement/savings. I like the extra uber money because, at the end of the day, I'm a cheap bastard. I can buy a tv or a piece of sports equipment with even less guilt than before.

I drove early this morning and at 9:00 am I got home to be home for the day. Immediately I got tasked with things by my wife to do. I'm still proud of myself for not saying "if you keep giving me tasks I'm going back out ubering".

+1000

 

[MadTownUberD]

That's what I'm saying... He BELIEVES the uber propaganda. They are beautiful commercials. Make $30-50 per hour driving beautiful, smiling, fun people in your beautiful expensive, paid for BMW. LOL.

I haven't seen any commercials because I don't watch TV really. That said, I make $5-10 per hour driving often beautiful, sometimes smiling, sometimes fun people in my beautiful inexpensive paid for BMW (on the day every week or two that I take it out so it doesn't atrophy). Not bad!

 

[MadTownUberD]

Wasn't that the post where you were bragging about how great you are?

Hey! You get a gold star for the day. I do tend to have an arrogant streak sometimes.

 

[MadTownUberD]

If you own a Tesla S and drive for Uber you really are way over your credit limit.

What if it's paid for, like my 325i?

 

[MadTownUberD]

What if it's paid for, like my 325i?

If you had the opportunity to buy an 8 year old BMW with only 15k miles on it for $10,000, are you telling me you'd rather spend $20,000 on a new Toyota?

 

[MadTownUberD]

Then you are donating the equity from your car back to Uber for nothing or almost nothing.
Not smart.

I'm not planning on selling it unless repairs become costly. By the way, I have never had any major repairs...and it's got 76k miles now. It's only worth less than $10k now mostly due to its age. I have freely admitted I used it as an ATM a bit, but I only put a few thousand Uber miles on it, part time, until I could afford to buy another car. I have put WAAAAAY more miles on it commuting to and from Milwaukee and Madison.

See my avatar? I drive a used Hyundai and the Bimmer stays in the driveway/garage most of the time.

You mean to tell me you didn't read every single one of my posts before commenting?

 

[MadTownUberD]

You're not that important.

I'm important enough for you to spend time criticizing. Have a nice day.

 

[MadTownUberD]

The hobbyists are the only ones using Uber correctly.

It's the desperate, math-stupid full timers who are screwing everything up.

You're the ones over-saturating, you're the ones allowing Uber/Lyft to treat drivers poorly because you'll drive regardless (because you need it). You're the ones enabling bad pax and their behavior, because you need the gig and you'll put up with it. You're the reason there's pool, and no bonuses, and low pay. You're the ones making it unprofitable, you're the ones signaling to the rideshare companies that the drivers are too stupid to treat ethically. You're the ones sitting in queues earning nothing because you're desperate.

Yes. You.

If you didn't need Uber, you'd do it for fun or extra cash and the INSTANT it became a bad deal or unprofitable, you'd bail and Uber would be forced to do better because they couldn't put enough people in a market to operate efficiently. They even tell you it's a side gig, but you foolishly threw all in instead of getting a real job...now you're trapped by a bad financial decision, and double down on it. Some of you are so stupid you lease cars through Uber, or buy a new one on a hefty note just to do this job.

You don't need a union or 180 days if you can walk away freely and without issue. But, you can't, because you're desperate.

You're the problem.

Sorry, truth hurts.

This is kind of what I was trying to say in that other thread we won't mention...