Happy Holidays from Uber South Carolina!
Written byWe consider ourselves extremely lucky to partner with a remarkable and diverse network of drivers across the state of South Carolina. To show our appreciation, we sent Josh the Uber Elf down to Charleston to help spread some holiday cheer!
Below are just a few of Charleston’s incredible driver partners who were happy to share their front seats and their stories. Happy holidays, from Josh the Uber Elf and the Uber South Carolina team!
MEET JOHNNY
How long have you been driving with Uber?
I’ve been driving with Uber for about a month and a half.
Why do you drive with Uber?
I was a manager at a finance company. I did that for 8 years right here in Charleston, and it was a high pressure job. I actually was in a situation where the doctor was telling me that I needed to find a way to release that stress. I knew the job was causing it, so I just started looking for other opportunities. I started looking at Uber, went through the paperwork and I tried it for two weeks during the evenings part-time, and the stress was gone. I said, “You know what? I’m quitting this job, I can do this!” So I started driving full-time right around I believe the first of November, and I’ve been doing it ever since. And I tell you what – I’m feeling a whole lot better these days.
What is your favorite part about driving with Uber?
I like it because first of all, I am in charge of my own life. In other words, I have to get up and go to work just like anybody else, but I’m not marching to the beat of somebody else’s drum – I’m marching to my own drum. I have to motivate myself to do that, but I like that.
I also like the fact that when I take people where they want to go, I automatically get paid and there’s no hassle. It’s just a very relaxing job. The people that I encounter, 100% some of the nicest people I’ve ever encountered. So I’m loving it. I like Uber, I like the way you guys operate, and I’m pleased 100%. I love this! There’s no pressure, there’s no tension. Believe me, man – I feel free.
What do you love about Charleston?
Well I’ve been in Charleston for 8 years, but that’s after coming back, because I was originally born in Charleston. I left for 37 years in the military, had a military career, and then came back. The main thing that brought me back was my mother. She passed away a year ago, but I came back because my mother was just the best southern cook you could ever imagine. When you think about southern cuisine in Charleston and some of the finest restaurants you go to, my mother cooked that at home. So that brought me back.
What are you most excited about this holiday season?
My brother is here, my sister, and all my nieces and nephews, so we’re going to have a big family gathering. It’s just going to be real simple. We’re going to have a nice dinner together, let the kids get their gifts, and just enjoy the day.
MEET MARYANN
How long have you been driving with Uber? How did you first hear about Uber?
A year ago I first heard about Uber from a friend of mine who lives in DC. I’ve been driving with Uber since October, and I like it.
Why do you drive with Uber?
I do it as a secondary job. I had a friend of mine who was doing it, and she did a referral. She is my Uber buddy. On Friday and Saturday nights, what we do is we text each other every hour when we get a break and tell each other where we physically are, as a safety thing. Even though there’s somebody in San Francisco who knows where we are, and I’ve never felt for my safety, we still like the idea of having a local buddy.
What is your favorite part about driving with Uber?
My favorite part about driving with Uber are the different people. Normally I’m sitting in front of a computer. It’s nice to hear where they’re from, how long they’ve been using Uber, and usually they tell me when they heard about Uber. I really enjoy it a lot. And actually you’d be surprised, the people who are the most respectful to me are the college guys. Because they ask me, “Why are you doing it?” and the second they hear I’m a single mother of a son in college, the mom guilt gets into them! I get the “Yes, ma’am” and “No, ma’am” and I notice that they clean up their language and the volume goes down.
What do you love most about Charleston?
Last week was my 21st anniversary here. I love the people, and everybody backs everybody around here. Unfortunately we’ve been through some incidents, like I lost a friend in the church shooting, but everybody came together and we did a unity bridge and that’s why we didn’t turn into [violent riots like] Ferguson. I like that everybody is really friendly and nice, and people who come here love the historical aspect. I like that there’s enough culture, but it’s not super busy traffic-wise and attitude-wise like a big city is. Charleston is wonderful. It’s a great place to raise a family.
MEET GERALD
How long have you been driving with Uber?
I’ve been driving with Uber for one year, one month, and three weeks. I’ve done around 3,600 trips!
Why do you drive with Uber?
I had worked at Boeing, and I thought I was going to retire. I was just gonna ride my bike and throw the dog the frisbee, and my wife said, “You’ve got to do something.” So Uber had come to town in July, and I was really suspect on it! I didn’t want it to be a scam. And I found out real quickly it was really lucrative. So I was motivated by my wife to do something besides throw the dog a frisbee and ride my bike.
What is your favorite part about driving with Uber?
I like it! It affords me the opportunity to have a life and make money, and it’s all I do. I try and hit it everyday, even if only for two hours, because you learn pretty quickly the movements of the public. It’s a lucrative market, it’s a superb deal, and I can’t say enough nice things about it.
I enjoy the interaction with the people, picking up on the community vibe. I’ve been in Charleston 25 years, and I believe I’ve learned more about Charleston, just the personality and the temperament of the community, what’s going on, through driving with Uber. Charleston’s going through a bit of a renaissance right now. I’ve learned the hot spots, the restaurants, the concerts, the bars, where people go to. And I’ve learned that there’s a high demand, particularly in this city, for some kind of transportation.
What are you most excited about this holiday season?
Well my wife owns a small business over in Mt. Pleasant, and she’s always really busy and she’ll work through New Year’s Eve, so we’ll take off Christmas and kick back. I’ll sit around my house with my phone on, and if someone wants a ride, I’ll do it!
MEET JACK
How long have you been driving with Uber? How frequently are you on the road?
I’ve been driving for a year, and I’ve done about 570 trips just part-time. I would say I drive about three or four days a week.
Why do you drive with Uber?
I decided to get into it because I wanted to make some extra money, and the idea of it sounded really intriguing and interesting. It’s been awesome, I love it.
What is your favorite part about driving with Uber?
You know, my favorite part — other than making extra money– is meeting people from all over the world. I’ve met some people from Egypt, actually. That was neat, it was a while ago around graduation time back in May. They had their whole family here from Egypt because a girl was graduating. It’s been great! It’s kind of a blur because I’ve met so many people. I just went and got my car all fixed up and ready for another year, so I’m looking forward to it.
What is your favorite part about living in Charleston?
I’ve lived in Charleston a little over 10 years and my favorite thing is the downtown area. I love it. I love the restaurants, I love the vibe of the city, I don’t know what it is about Charleston, it’s just awesome here. It’s great. The people are very nice and the food is excellent, and there are beautiful people here! It’s just a nice place to live, the quality of life is good.
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