[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]

Henpecked husband reporting for duty!!!

 

[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 would put in a few hours a week driving by luxury car just to get away from the gf and kids. Driving can be therapeutic for some and it doesn't hurt to decompress. I'm guessing drivers like this are rare and I wouldn't worry so much that they are stealing rides lol

Ding ding ding! Thank you!

I have been accused in this thread (and others) of "not having a life". Did it occur to the accusers that I like to drive TO GET AWAY FROM my very busy life? And I can legitimize it because it makes a few bucks.

My job is very high pressure, my children are all very active and in sports/scouts, and my wife is very intelligent (which means we often butt heads). Driving for Uber is an escape. It's so low stress compared to everything else I have going on, at least in my market.

Some guys golf...I can't justify spending that much money, and not making any, so I Uber.

 

[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]

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 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]

Yea screw real jobs and set schedules

Uber for life, i can sign up as another user and get around the 10 hr a day limit! Ill have millions while you all have to wake up for a job !!!

Millions of pennies?

 

[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 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]

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]

Bull. Pure bull.

You're a completely useless, unemployable imbecile if Uber is all you can scrounge up. I mean that, from the bottom of my heart.

My company will hire anyone with a beating pulse and a clean record (same you need for Uber) and pay them $18 an hour to fish Cat6, with benefits, paid time off, and if you show up and do it you'll be at $20 an hour in a few months. We haven't had a single full time Uber guy ever show up...mostly it's Mexicans or guys who can't piss clean and get tossed.

Pathetic excuse making to say that Uber is all you can do full time. You're a complete working failure if that's true. Piss anyone off? Good, it should.

Swingset as usual I don't disagree with the content of your post but I wouldn't have delivered it in quite the way you did (occasional drunken rant notwithstanding).

 

[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]

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]

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 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]

Hey everybody! Do you know what tomorrow is? It's BMW day! I drive it every week or two to keep the old girl active.

 

[MadTownUberD]

Featured thread! Awesome. Controversy sells...just ask DJT.

 

[MadTownUberD]

Just to keep ratings up? Now that's sad.

TBH sometimes I'm not certain I'm operating at a loss until I can plug numbers into my spreadsheet at the end of the "shift". And even if I have a sense I'm cutting it close, there's always the temptation to stick it out and get "one last awesome trip" lol.

I suspect most of you never do any kind of periodic profitability analysis and therefore don't even realize when you have a losing day. It only sinks in when there is a $3000 repair.