I have been driving for Uber since the spring of 2015. I started on Newport, RI. I was one of the first Uber drivers there. There are many rich yachters, wedding parties, bachelor parties, bachelorette parties and the like. It is usually surge pricing and very lucrative. I love driving there because it is scenic and I enjoy the conversations with my customers. I find it satisfying to get them home safe after they’ve had a few drinks at a wedding. I even do narrated, historic tours of Newport. I have completed over 8,000 fares with no accidents or complaints and have a 4.95 star rating.
I closed Saturday night to avoid community spread of coronavirus. My income has stopped. I have an elderly parent on oxygen (a former cigarette smoker but medically stable) who relies on me for meal preparation etc . Coronavirus would probably be fatal for my mom. If I go back to work, I will contract the virus and most likely pass it on to her, killing her. If I don’t continue rides, I will be in bankruptcy. No one should be in this situation.
I set my Uber business up as a small business, d/b/a (doing business as) a taxi. So I could use a disaster relief small business loan right now. People need to be able to stop driving temporarily to protect our elderly population.
Not enough is being done by Congress. Last week, I had a happy life. Now, I am trying to change jobs to one where I won’t interact with people. Uber drivers need help. We need loans. We need unemployment insurance. We also need to stop landlord evictions during the coronavirus crisis. Not enough is being done. Drivers will repay the loans after the virus spread starts to subside and business picks up again.