I’ve been an avid fan of Uber since I started using it three years ago. At that time, I was still working for a digital marketing agency and as an account manager, I always had a lot of meetings with clients—be it in Bonifacio Global City, Makati, Ortigas, and places as far as Quezon City and Alabang.
I remember the struggle of hailing cabs or finding one that would agree to take me to wherever I needed to be. And then the technology of Uber arrived in the Philippines and since then, life has been so much easier. Not exaggerating, but I feel like the quality of my life improved immensely when Uber came along. I never have to worry about my safety, having to look for parking, or finding a way to get from point A to B. I can just sit back, relax, share stories with my Uber driver, or enjoy my quiet time and get a much-needed recharge from a long and tiring day at work.Never have I encountered a negative experience with an Uber driver—be it here in the Philippines or when I was traveling all over the West Coast a few months ago. In fact, I have so many stories and memories to share about Uber drivers but one particular favorite is a female driver in Orlando who picked me up to bring me to Wrestlemania 33. She was probably in her 40’s, and was sharing that Uber was just her way to get extra income while the kids were at school. She drove me from my Airbnb to Camping World Stadium, which was supposedly just 5 minutes away, but because of the traffic build up, the trip took longer than expected. I started telling her how worried I was about having a hard time booking a ride back to my Airbnb after Wrestlemania, because for sure demand was going to be high and surge would be crazy expensive. And for a girl like me travelling alone and being extra praning over all the possible scenarios that could happen, I started overthinking. My Uber driver must have felt my anxiety because then and there, she offered to give me her cellphone number and that if I had a hard time booking a ride after the show, I could just give her a call and she would come pick me up. It was honestly one of the sweetest things a stranger could have done for me.
And you know—these stories? You would think they’re rare, but they actually happen frequently even here in the Philippines! We hear about drivers returning forgotten wallets and phones, drivers whose lives have improved since they joined Uber, drivers who are also students to help pay their tuition fees, etc. These are the kinds of stories you read online that warm the heart, and I really hope that Uber continues to support their drivers.
I’m also eager to know what your favorite Uber stories are! Please feel free to share them in the comments below.