It's OK. I moved across the country without a job, so to have at least something providing a little income is nice and it's helped me learn to navigate the area.
Pros:
- Flexibility, work when you want -- by far the best thing
- Surge pricing, if you can hit it (yes, tricky and sometimes unpredictable or not long-lasting)
- People -- most are pretty cool, interesting and some give OK tips (I got $40 once for a half-mile ride)
- Tax deductions -- take the standard mileage deduction or itemize car registration, tires, repairs, gas, etc.
Cons:
- Overly drunk people on occasion
- Drivers don't know where the rider's destination is ... last weekend, I was doing "one last pickup" thinking it would be in my home area, but I drove 25 miles one way (50 round trip) late at night ... and that 25 miles back was not "paid"
- Wear and tear on your car
- It can be distracting using the app while driving
For the past two months, I've driven in a small, but touristy/boozy town. The good thing is, there's not much traffic to tie me up. If you're not moving, you're not making money. (I wouldn't want to Uber in a large city.) Plus, I bought a Prius for $3,200 with tons of highway miles, but still drives fine. I wouldn't use a 15-30k car for Uber, but that's just me. Earnings are hit and miss and definitely tough to make much during the day (but it's something). I've generally made between $15-25 per hour, but that doesn't include self-employment taxes, which I've yet to figure out.
I may not do it forever, and only have been Ubering for about 8 hours per week, but appreciate the opportunity in the current mostly jobless situation I'm in. I actually prefer Lyft as a company and from rider experience, but it's not here (yet).
