[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...

 

[Trafficat]

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.

 

[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.

 

[Uber Crack]

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.

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

 

[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.

 

[peteyvavs]

Hey, what is a leveled headed person doing here, I thought this was for Uber mentally disturbed people only.

 

[SEAL Team 5]

Having zero taxable income is not the same as not having a profit.

Oh yea, I forgot that corporate tax deductions apply in this ever so desirable business of driving fare for hire for $.70/mile. In this business in which you use your own personal vehicle and have no employees then a zero taxable income IS a zero profit.

 

[Uberfunitis]

Oh yea, I forgot that corporate tax deductions apply in this ever so desirable business of driving fare for hire for $.70/mile. In this business in which you use your own personal vehicle and have no employees then a zero taxable income IS a zero profit.

The milage deduction for example is just an average and it is not hard to come in under that average if you are running an older vehicle that has already went threw the biggest part of the depreciation curve.

 

[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.

 

[MHR]

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.

 

[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.

 

[I_Like_Spam]

This is recurring in my car every other day. I pick up Pax from outer affluent suburbs and hear they talk about how "they did two trips and it was fun" or "sometimes I have nothing to do so this is fun to make a few dollars"

So the reason I hate and despise these people is that they're taking the business away from drivers who work full time. If you're driving a $80k car, how is $50 on Friday night going to help you? You can bash me all you want for posting this but this is common sense. Get a hobby, go have a drink, be with your family..

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.

 

[SEAL Team 5]

The milage deduction for example is just an average and it is not hard to come in under that average if you are running an older vehicle that has already went threw the biggest part of the depreciation curve.

If $.70/mile only when you have a pax in the car is money to you then you are turning a profit. However most business owners think that at least $100k/yr after paying themselves a fair wage is a profit. If your not writing a check to the IRS every quarter for at least $10k (with deductions) then your not making crap as a self employed business owner.

 

[Uberfunitis]

If $.70/mile only when you have a pax in the car is money to you then you are turning a profit. However most business owners think that at least $100k/yr after paying themselves a fair wage is a profit. If your not writing a check to the IRS every quarter for at least $10k (with deductions) then your not making crap as a self employed business owner.

Perhaps in your posting before you meant to say that it was low profit or not enough profit to be worth your time. But saying if you have no taxable income than you have 0 profit seems to not connect to your later response with it not being enough profit to be worthwhile.

 

[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.

 

[ShinyAndChrome]

This is recurring in my car every other day. I pick up Pax from outer affluent suburbs and hear they talk about how "they did two trips and it was fun" or "sometimes I have nothing to do so this is fun to make a few dollars"

Part time, hobby drivers are the virus that drag down rates and keep surge down. Rookies who have time to waste and pick up every single pool. Don't get me wrong I stand by the part timers who actually need the money. Those who have no choice but to work Uber because any other job would not work with their full time job schedule. Anyone working this for fun, can suck it.

Earlier today this guy in a brand new grey $80k+ Audi A8L pulled next to me. Maybe I'm assuming but he had people in the rear seats and GPS in the front so I figure it was a ride share vehicle. The reason I'm assuming it's because I saw Teslas and BMW 7-Series with Uber stickers before that were not "livery" vehicles.

So the reason I hate and despise these people is that they're taking the business away from drivers who work full time. If you're driving a $80k car, how is $50 on Friday night going to help you? You can bash me all you want for posting this but this is common sense. Get a hobby, go have a drink, be with your family..

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.

No one in their right might SHOULD join, but hundreds of thousands DID join Uber. According to hundreds of posts in this forum it appears that countless Uber drivers are working for free. I mean drivers are receiving operating expenses for their vehicles, however the driver themselves are working for free. Many posts especially in the Tax sub forum state that after standard mileage deductions most drivers have a zero income.

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.

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!

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 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.

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".

 

[Kodyhead]

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.

If your dentist doing uber, he should not be your dentist

 

[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

 

[MHR]

Husband was on vacation last week. As we have no money to actually go somewhere his vacation means a lot of together time.

I took a day to go Ubering. Its easier to get out of the house if I come back with money. Uber saved my husband's life and our marriage.

 

[steveK2016]

Theres a guy that used to post in thd Atlanta board that claimed he made $350k a year and drove a Tesla S for Uber. He posted photos so I do believe he drove a Tesla S. He said he drove for cigar and vintage whiskey money. Lol

I believe he had no friends but wanted people to ohh and ahh at his tesla.