Her Campus at UPR took an Uber drive with a current gallito Uber driver so that he could share his experience from applying to drive for other people to his troubles with taxi drivers. This is what he’s lived, this is who he has chauffeured around.
HC: Why did you apply to be an Uber driver?
Gallito Uber Driver*: I decided to drive Uber about two months ago because it gave me the opportunity to work whenever I wanted.
HC: Who, do you consider, to have been your favorite clients?
GUD: I usually get people that are heading to work, the airport, and sometimes I get a lot of tourists. I once had a passenger from Brazil, who had family in Puerto Rico, therefore he came here to visit and at the same time was working for an organization that works on organic farms. We had an interesting conversation about the farms and also about Puerto Rico as a country and our culture. I haven’t had a bad experience with people, nobody has brought up any alarms.
HC: Have you confronted taxi drivers?
GUD: Taxis tend to give you problems when you get into an area that’s busy for them… Sometimes they try to tell you you can’t go places and they bring up conflicts. It’s kind of stressful. The first time, I didn’t know what was going on so I just brushed it off, but the second time I just lied to them and kept going my way.
HC: Do you recommend people to use Uber as an income source?
GUD: It’s good as an extra income, although I don’t think it’s stable enough ‘cause it depends a lot on different hours and areas you get in to.
HC: Why should people Uber with you?
GUD: For that new car smell!
There you have it, guys! Ubering people around can be fun, even though you might get to hate your car. As an Uber driver, you will also experience random cultural encounters and conversations that might serve as connections in the future. The best part? You get to DJ for random people and show off your supreme musical taste. Try it!
*Identity has been protected to avoid confrontations or problems with taxi drivers, other Uber drivers and between clients.