The Adventures of Uber-Man

Making the Uber Lifestyle Choice -- And Maybe Even a Few Bucks

A little broke, a little socially isolated and a little in need of new adventures.

What do all these conditions have in common aside from being applicable to me in the present time? The promise that all could be remedied by becoming an Uber driver.

I’m at the stage in life where I’m not very interested in jobs that offer “a bright future.” Not that there’s anything wrong with such wishful thinking on the employment front, but I regard such a promise in much the way I have when working in a restaurant and being warmly told, “we are all family here.”

It took less than a shift to understand that this meant that you were fair game to be berated mercilessly for your shortcomings and denied your allowance come pay day, because you’ll have already quit by then.

Uber, on paper, would seem to mitigate fear of ending up in another environment like this. Working when you please, for how long you please and with minimal oversight of inconsequential mistakes feels very appealing to me.

Also, the ability not to have to adhere to a schedule means that I can slack off at the end of the week or churn extra hard, depending on what my financial requirements are at a given time.

At the moment, I’m also feeling a little socially impoverished. I’m in a new location, single and not really feeling much enthusiasm for the people I do acquaint myself with. Not a terrible situation as I’m independent by nature. But I do begin to wonder if I’m going to lose my capacity to speak, as I sometimes go days without conversing with anyone other than my cat. Although she is the GOAT, and not to be immodest, but my vocabulary is much better than hers. And besides, she insists that we speak in her language, anyway.

It would be nice to have someone to talk to with some depth on occasion. Uber promises long drives. Might it occasionally set me up with passengers with common interests? In the intimate setting of a car, two people who know their paths are unlikely to cross again might be inclined to open up in ways that would be difficult in other environments.

And finally, the range of human behaviors I’m sure to encounter in my travels virtually guarantees some bizarre scenarios. As someone who’s always embraced adventure, this promises to be a virtue of the job, not a drawback. That these scenarios are completely unforeseeable should keep me on my toes and encourage maximum spontaneity and quick thinking — two more conditions which have been absent from my life of late.

And who’s to say that romantic opportunities might not crop up now and then? Giving so many rides to strangers, it seems almost improbable that there won’t be intriguing moments to report back on.

So with all this in mind — and blithely ignoring the wear and tear it will put on my car — I’m going to give it a try. I’ll have fun chronicling my experiences.

There is one other motivation for embarking on this endeavor. The thought of listening to the music from my iPod on random shuffle and getting paid for it is intoxicating enough. But sharing the songs which have brought me delight and strength throughout my life with new people is extremely enticing. My music collection is filled with artists that never got a lot of airplay on the radio, so it will be falling on virgin ears. I’ll try to make it a point to report on the reactions I receive.

On some days I hope a single ride will be interesting enough to recapture in as much detail as I can recall in this space. On other days, there might be a smorgasbord of small events worthy of retelling.

So sit back and enjoy the ride — and maybe from time to time, buckle up!