Voices from the Road

"I started driving to pay for my daughter's college. Three years later, I've put 80,000 miles on my car and have nothing to show for it. After gas, maintenance, and the car payment, I'm barely breaking even. But I can't stop—I need the flexibility to be there when she needs me."

"They deactivated me on a Thursday for something I didn't do. No warning, no appeal, just an email. By Friday I couldn't pay rent. It took six weeks to get reactivated. That's when I realized—we're not partners, we're disposable."

"I keep a spreadsheet of every ride. Last month I drove 847 miles and made $612 before expenses. After gas and wear on my car, I cleared about $280. That's $7 an hour. But I keep driving because what else am I going to do? I'm 58 and nobody's hiring."

"The riders are great—I've met amazing people. It's the company I can't stand. They take half of every fare and act like they're doing ME a favor. I'm the one with the car. I'm the one with the insurance. I'm the one driving at 2am."