Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Passport
  • Support WSKG
Donate
  • Donate
  • logo
  • logo
  • Donate
  • Home
  • News
  • TV
  • Your Radio
  • Schedules
  • Events
  • Arts
  • Education
  • History
  • Science
  • Donate
  • More
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Passport
    • Support WSKG

WSKG - Local news and arts, broadcasting NPR radio and PBS TV.

WSKG thanks our sponsors...
  • Donate your vehicle to support WSKG

WSKG (http://wskg.org/news/ride-hailings-in-ithaca-now-so-we-rode-with-an-uber-driver/?c=news)

  • Donate
  • Home
  • News
  • TV
  • Your Radio
  • Schedules
  • Events
  • Arts
  • Education
  • History
  • Science
Listen Live WSKG
Listen Live WSKG Classical

Watch Live WSKG TV
Watch Live PBS Kids
Learn at Home
Covid-19 information

Ride Hailing’s In Ithaca Now. So, We Rode With An Uber Driver

By lrosbrow | October 2, 2017
More
  • More on ithaca
  • Subscribe to ithaca
72013fd2-2db9-4b00-b9c7-55c633978d6b
http://wskg.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/lr0929fe1.mp3

ITHACA (WSKG) – Ride sharing became available in Upstate New York in late June. However, since the school year started, demand is surging in Ithaca, home to Cornell University and Ithaca College. We wanted to know what it’s like to be an Uber or Lyft driver in Ithaca right now. Ultimately, is it a good job?

At the start of his Friday evening shift, Thomas Harris sits behind the wheel of his enormous SUV. He lives in Buffalo, but drives hours to Ithaca just to work for Uber. Initially, he tried it in Buffalo. But when he saw how much money Uber drivers made per hour in Ithaca, it was a no brainer.

Thomas said, “I love it. I get to meet a lot of people.”

A lot of the time, he likes his riders. Early on in this night, a few women headed to a movie got a little flirtatious. “I took an Uber ride with this really cute guy. Well you’re cute too Uber driver,” said one female passenger. “Yeah, it seems to me a correlation. There are like cute Uber drivers in Ithaca.”

But, Thomas doesn’t always get love. Sometimes, he picks up drunk college students.  That happens about once a night. Thomas tries to drop them off as quickly as possible. While drunk college students can be annoying, dark trips to the woods in the middle of the night are worse.

“I got another trip request that took me up into the woods, on the side of a mountain. And, it was 3, 4 o’clock in the morning. And, you know, they had a couple beers in them — well, more than a couple,” said Thomas.

The riders were freaked out, and worried about being tracked.  Thomas then noted, “I had to remind them that Uber’s tracking the both of us.”

For his personal safety, he contacted Uber. They were never paired together again.

At about 10:30, at a stop sign, Thomas leaned his head against the steering wheel. He was talking to a client who could not figure out how to update the pickup location.

After he hung up the phone, he said, “I ain’t got time for all that. Now that means I have to waste time finding him, and waste gas, trying to find him.”

Wasting gas and money is another concern for Thomas. Uber does not offer benefits to drivers, or deduct taxes.

But, he does earn more money than he once did; probably about $16 an hour. That’s a lot for Uber. That’s probably because there’s high demand for it in Ithaca and not enough drivers. Uber’s prices surge during popular times, like a Friday night. For example, at one point, there was a price surge of six times the normal rate.

That could be temporary. In most American cities, Uber and Lyft drivers make less than what Thomas earns per hour

So far so good for Thomas. He makes more than he did as a radio DJ at Buffalo’s urban radio station. And he definitely prefers Uber over his old day job as a telephone support professional.

“If you’re, independent, and working for yourself, in a sense, then you can sleep in in the morning, when you want. You don’t have to go clock somebody’s clock,” Thomas explained.

For Thomas, except for the riders who can’t set a pickup location and the drunks, it’s an empowering job.

Recent Posts

  • New York Announces Agreement To Decommission Indian Point Nuclear Plant

    BUFFALO, NY (WBFO) - New York state leaders say an agreement has been reached concerning the decommissioning and cleanup of the Indian Point nuclear power plant in the lower Hudson Valley. If approved by the state Public Service Commission, the agreement would transfer ownership of the facility from Entergy to Holtec International.

  • PA’s House Speaker Tests Positive For COVID-19

    HARRISBURG, PA (WSKG)– The speaker of the Pennsylvania House has tested positive for the coronavirus. Rep. Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster County) started quarantining three days ago, after learning he was exposed to someone with the coronavirus.

  • COVID-19 Hospitalizations Drop in New York, While Vaccinations Climb

    NEW YORK NOW - More than half of eligible adults in New York have now received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and hospitalizations from the virus dropped to their lowest point since the start of December, Gov. Cuomo said Thursday. Hospitalizations, in particular, had plateaued in recent weeks, with the hope that higher vaccination rates would lead to fewer patients requiring treatment for the virus.

  • A view of the Greenidge Generation plant with steam billowing from one of two cooling towers
    Torrey Board To Consider Greenidge Cryptocurrency Plan Monday

    Updated: 4/16/21 – 2:15 P.M. ENDWELL, NY (WSKG) — The fate of Greenidge Generation’s plan to expand cryptocurrency mining operations at its power facility along Seneca Lake will be decided by the Town of Torrey Planning Board Monday. Environmental advocates have been pushing back against the proposal, which they allege will lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions by the plant and other detrimental impacts.

  • Binghamton Advocates Push Parole Reform, Thank Lupardo For Support

    BINGHAMTON, NY (WSKG) — Advocates in Binghamton gathered on Thursday to back parole reform legislation pushed by some lawmakers in Albany and ask for further changes to prevent re-incarceration. One of the bills garnering attention would expand parole eligibility to those who are 55 or older and serving long sentences.

WSKG thanks our sponsors...

About WSKG

WSKG connects you to local and global news and the arts online, on the radio, and on TV. NPR and PBS affiliate.

Contact Us

email: WSKGcomment@wskg.org

phone: 607.729.0100

address: 601 Gates Road, Vestal, NY 13850

DONATE

Pay an underwriting invoice

  • WSKG
  • Arts
  • Education
  • Science
  • News
  • Your Radio
  • Schedule
  • TV
  • About
  • WSKG Staff
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
  • Public Reports & Policies
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
  • Protect My Public Media
FCC PUBLIC FILES
WSKG-FM
WSQX-FM
WSQG-FM
WSQE
WSQA
WSQC-FM
WSQN
WSKG-TV
WSKA
Disabled and need assistance with the online FCC public file?
Contact Gregory Keeler
WSKG
601 Gates Road
Vestal, New York 13850
607-729-0100
gkeeler@wskg.org

Stay Connected

Like Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on YouTubeFollow Us on InstagramSubscribe via RSS

© Copyright 2021, WSKG

Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News.

Back to top ↑

Change Location
To find awesome listings near you!