Everyone has their reasons for rideshare driving, paying the bills, saving for a vacation, etc. But why do we love to drive? What do drivers enjoy so much about hitting the road and switching on their rideshare apps?
Monday through Friday, I wake up thinking, “I do not want to do anything today.”
While I like my day trading, I don’t wake up excited and know that I will have to focus hard and stay very disciplined.
However, I do wake up excited on Saturday and Sunday mornings. I pop out of bed, take a shower, make coffee, and get in my car.
I drive down to the Arco, fill my car with gas, and then start my Uber app. I am in business. This article will look at what I believe are the real reasons we love to drive.
My Background
After over 28,000 rides, you would think I would know why I rideshare drive. I always thought it was the money. And then I thought it was the passengers.
But yesterday, something struck me, and I would like to share my observations with you in this article. Let’s see if my experience is the same for you.
5 Reasons Why We Love To Drive
Here are my 5 reasons why I love to rideshare drive so much:
1. It’s Simple
I have had many jobs during my past 50 years of work. My first job at the age of 13 was a paper route.
Even that job was more complicated than rideshare driving. Delivering the papers was easy. Knocking on the doors to collect the monthly fee was not so easy.
Rideshare driving is simple. We wait for a ping. We do a pickup. We do a drop-off. Done. As humans, we are attracted to simple things. It gives our brains more freedom to explore other things.
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2. We Can Be Of Service
Again, I believe we have an innate human desire to help others. It is my observation that people who make it their life’s work to help others are happier and more fulfilled.
As rideshare drivers, we provide a vital service. We help people to achieve their goals in life.
We drive them to work. We drive them to breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We drive them to a romantic getaway. We drive them when their cars are getting repaired. We drive them when they need to be someplace at a specific time.
We are of service, and it feels good.
3. We Love Immediate Gratification
As an adult, we have to learn the value of delayed gratification. We realize that some things are better when they are delayed. Some things need time to breathe. Some things are better later than sooner. However, we always like the payoff.
Driving gives up the payoff frequently and quickly. Most of the time, the passengers are very happy to see us. They are then even happier when they arrive at their destination. We can see their excitement as they arrive at their destination.
This is no more apparent when I drive someone to the airport. Whether it is a business trip or a vacation, my passengers are excited. They want to talk about their trip. They want to get to the airport on time. They want to continue their adventure in life.
We get to be a part of that, and it feels good (even if we aren’t going on vacation too).
4. It Gives Us Stories
Maybe I am unusual in this category, but I love to have stories. I was having dinner with my brother and his family just last Saturday night. On almost any topic that came up, I had a story. Funny stories. Serious stories. Inspirational stories. I enjoy being that guy who has something to say. I bet you do too.
Most people like to hide out from other people. Safety and security are high on most people’s “have to have” list. Not drivers. We are out there, meeting strangers, making them friends, sharing life experiences, and fully living out loud.
5. It Keeps Our Lives More Interesting
I often think about what I will be thinking about when I am near the end of my life. What will seem important to me when I won’t be able to do anything ever again?
I am sure I will look back on my rideshare driving and think:
“Wow, that was a wild seven years of my life!”
“Remember that time Joe Montana sat in my car!?”
I still remember driving a woman and her father to his hospice care. I’ll never forget driving tourists down Lombard Street for the first time. My mind is full of rich and vital experiences. Not boring. Extremely interesting.
Driver Takeaways
There are so many reasons to continue doing this thing that we all seem to enjoy. It’s easy to complain and find faults with the system and swap sob stories about low pay and how drivers are mistreated.
But, there are great things that happen when rideshare driving that no one else ever gets to experience and that’s pretty special.
My Takeaways
Oh, and we get paid for all of this good stuff, too. You and me, driver brother and driver sister, are part of a huge club full of drivers not only in the USA but all over the world.
I can tell you when I get into an Uber in Paris or a Grab in Bangkok, I enjoy talking to the driver. I know him, and he knows me.
We know that there is something special about what we do. It’s not just the money. It’s a whole lot more. Be safe out there.
What do you enjoy most about driving? What keeps you going?
