I am an Uber driver. It’s how I pay my bills. When I started, I was nervous about what encounters I might have, especially when I thought about some of the horror stories from the news and social media. But I quickly learned that riders usually keep to themselves, especially when travelling alone. And while I don’t mind those who aren’t interested in speaking to me while paying to go from point A to point B, I look forward to the riders who do interact with me. They give me memories to share, and their stories help with the monotony of my nightly ubering.
One of my favorite passengers to recount is this guy I picked up from a casino in Oceanside. When I asked how he was doing he told me he had won more money than he ever had before. I congratulated him and we made our first stop at the Jack in the Box across the street. He offered me food—which I happily accepted—and gave me two twenty-dollar bills for our $15 order, explaining that one of the twenties was for me and the other was for the order but to keep the change. I was amazed! No other passenger had ever tipped me when their trip had barely begun.
After we got our order and started the drive to San Clemente, we got to talking. We shared our Uber experiences and I talked about my current school all the way up I-5. As we approached his destination, the rider asked if I wouldn’t mind stopping at a 7-Eleven for some tobacco chew and offered to get me something. I declined his offer but stopped for him and when he came back out with his change in hand, he gave it to me. I was thankful yet confused but he just said, ‘Keep it.’
I kept my excitement in check while driving the last few blocks to his destination. When we pulled up in front of his place, he told me, ‘Here, this is for you,’ and I turned around to see him giving me three casino-crisp hundred-dollar bills. I was dumbfounded! After everything that the rider had already tipped and offered to me, he wanted to give me $300. I was so speechless that I almost forgot to thank him. After that I drove straight home, signing out of the Uber Driver app and blasting music in celebration of the nearly $400 ride I had just done. This is just one of the many Uber stories that I have, and I promise to share more in the future.
Edited by Daniel Weaver
The Driver's Perspective 
Brandon, excellent post. I have driven for Uber in the past and know how you feel. I have always been service oriented and take pride in the job I did with Uber. I have used Uber recently and made sure I have tipped my driver!
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Riding in an Uber is almost always an interesting experience for me. I cannot even imagine how much the guy won for him to tip you $300 at the end of the ride after all the other times he offered. I do go to the casino often and there were times in the past when I won a good amount of money. But he must have won over $10,000 to be that excited. It is great to hear that there are still very generous people out there.
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