Tip You in the App

05/23/2026

They handed me a kind note and a cannoli with a smile.

Honestly, it felt like a temporary truce in the ongoing war between delivery drivers and restaurants, and it’s a real battle sometimes. Restaurants overwhelmed and running behind. Drivers storming in, shoving phones in employees’ faces. Everybody stressed and frustrated. Not good.

But the truth is, we should probably be allies in the larger war against the apps and algorithms pushing everyone harder and harder.

That’s a battle for tomorrow though.

Today I just want to say thank you to Mangia Italian Restaurant for the kindness, the cannoli, and the reminder that there are still humans behind the counter and behind the wheel. ❤️❤️❤️

05/19/2026

Is Uber driving a gig, profession, or lifestyle?

05/14/2026

An Uber driver told me people in New Jersey are making $15/hour.

But maybe the real problem isn’t Uber. Maybe it’s that we’re all fighting in the same red ocean while the puck has already moved somewhere else.

Daily Drive 2274

05/14/2026

May your travels be safe, fares pay fair, rides smooth, and passengers tip well.

05/12/2026

Be safe out there!

05/11/2026

This morning a passenger pre-tipped me $13 before I even picked her up.

And strangely… it made the tip feel less meaningful.

Not because I wasn’t grateful. But because for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t sure I had actually earned it.

Daily Drive 2271

05/07/2026

The Uber algorithm sends the ride. The human driver makes the experience.

05/04/2026

I’m not sure what I did.

And it wasn’t just the accidental eye contact either. She gave me the death stare the entire Uber ride.

No “nice weather today.” No “busy out there?” Nothing.

But I could feel her, her eyes carving into me through the mirror. Every time I checked traffic, our eyes met. She didn’t blink. Her face stayed fixed. Stone.

I stopped looking. And I started to spiral a little. Replaying the last few seconds before she got in. Making up imaginary problems. Things I might have done or said, things I’ve heard drivers accused of. I even started preparing a defense with Uber customer service for something that didn’t happen, “I have dashcam footage to prove it!”

Maybe I looked like someone she knew. Someone who hurt her. Or maybe she was preparing too, like for a negotiation with a used-car salesman or a poker game.

The trip ended quickly. No goodbye. No slamming of the door. And thankfully, no bad rating either.

Just silence.

And honestly… I feel for whoever ends up on the receiving end of whatever she’s got in store for them.

04/30/2026

“Unfortunately, he tried to kill me.”

I don’t think she meant unfortunately, but I understood.

It sounded like she did the right thing though. She escaped in the middle of the night, came upstate, and started over with a new identity. The other man, the one in prison, didn’t end up there for trying to hurt her. No. If anything, it sounded like he had tried to protect her from the one who did. Either way, the protector is the one behind bars. The other, I don’t know.

Our Uber ride was quick. Just a stop to grab a few things to keep the kids happy on the flight. But along the way, a lifetime of stories rushed out, like they had been waiting for someone to take them in. And I took as many as I could.

She has a place now and a little income from side jobs. A car is next on her list. The kids are doing well in school, thanks to her rule: no screens.

Still, this upcoming trip had her on edge. Because she had to go back. Back to where it all started.

04/28/2026

I drove a Prius for a day… and made MORE money than my Tesla. Same rides. Same hours. Same $341.

So why do Uber drivers show up in “cheap” cars?

Because the Uber math rewards being cheap.

6 likes, 5 comments. "Why Uber Drivers Use Cheap Cars"

04/24/2026

Uber’s advantage has always been owning the marketplace. But if maps, voice, or AI agents become the interface, Uber becomes one option, not the destination.

I was checking directions in Apple Maps, and it showed Uber and Lyft prices, without opening either app.

Small moment, but it changes the starting point.

3 comments. "I Didn’t Even Open the Uber App"