Shutdowns and storms make big news, but on the road they mostly shift when and where riders move. The ongoing U.S. government shutdown is entering another week, which means fewer dawn commuters into federal districts, longer mid-day errand trips, and choppy museum and tourism demand downtown. Airports remain open, but lines and pickup timing can wobble as travelers rebook or delay plans. Read your city, not just the app heat map.
Weather adds its own curveball. Tropical Storm Lorenzo is spinning harmlessly in the central Atlantic with no coastal watches or warnings, a reminder that even during an unusually quiet landfall season, travelers still adjust plans when they see storm headlines. If you drive airport edges, watch for late arrivals and last-minute drop-offs; if you work in suburbs, expect more local dining and shopping runs.
Your playbook this week is simple: start at steady anchors (hospital shift changes, university class blocks, neighborhood retail corridors). Test the airport once—if the holding lot churns, take a turn; if not, bail after ten minutes and return to your best zone. Keep the cabin neutral and calm; confirm the destination, avoid political debates, and focus on a smooth ride.
Say yes to long trips that land you near another productive area or give you a clean highway back. Say no to rides that strand you far from demand or push you past your planned stop time. The winners string together the right rides, not every ride, though.
I wake up naturally around 3:00 a.m. (no alarm—I’m not sure why I wake at this time). I meditate for 30 minutes, then take my vitamins.
Then until 8:AM I read and learn everything I can get my hands on.
8:00 a.m. — Longevity Bowls I make both of these bowls for my mom every morning, she takes all day to eat them both. I handle the grocery shopping and driving each week; she’s very small and over 70 and these bowls are almost too much for her, so I portion them accordingly.
These bowls stacked on top of our daily vitamins, exercise, and sleep are extremely helpful.
Savory Bowl
Walnuts & almonds
5–6 large pieces of mushrooms
½ Hass avocado
2–3 pieces of raw broccoli
A dusting of turmeric and black pepper
Note: On Wednesdays, I toss the broccoli and any leftover mushrooms because they expire.
Sweet Bowl
Walnuts & almonds
½ mini orange, sliced
½ banana, sliced
1 large slotted-spoon scoop of thawed but previously frozen fruit medley (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries—or whatever’s on hand)
A dusting of true Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka (far better than common cinnamon)
.
Exercise and Sun
I do indoor cardio and outdoor full-body resistance training (spread across the week to avoid injury and be casual.) Then I sit in the Florida sunshine, listen to an Audible book each day for 15 minutes, and practice breath-work. This entire block takes about 1.5 hours total. So everything is done casually by 930 AM sometimes 10 though.
5:00 p.m. — Salad
I eat a salad with tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions, topped with the best extra-virgin olive oil I can find and apple cider vinegar. After dinner, I add 20 more minutes of cardio.
6:00 p.m. — Sleep
I aim for bed around 6:00 P.M. which is pretty early. Consistent, high-quality sleep and regular wake times are extremely important. This creates a Health Safety belt only, things can and do still happen at anytime though.
After years as both a rideshare driver and passenger, I’ve learned that these tools make every trip safer and smoother: a sturdy cell-phone holder, a reliable dash cam, and—above all—excellent cell service. Coverage maps are nice, but what you really need is consistent, high-quality connectivity everywhere you actually drive, plus the ability to send/receive files and keep calls from dropping. The phone holder and dash camera that I use I got from Amazon.com.
I’ve tried many carriers since the early days of mobile. Today I use Mint Mobile because it delivers the most service for the least money: a solid signal in my normal driving areas, simple billing in 1, 3, 6, or 12-month chunks, responsive support, and no brick-and-mortar overhead—savings they pass on to customers. If you love your phone but not your monthly bill, Mint Mobile is an easy win. Give them a try : http://fbuy.me/sCyTk
Be like these passengers and always buckle up, because you just never know, you could be sitting at a stop sign even.
Let’s be honest—rideshare driving isn’t just about picking people up and dropping them off. It’s part navigation, part customer service, and part survival of the weirdest. After thousands of rides, I’ve seen it all: people crying, people making deals, people passed out, people rapping their mixtapes at full volume (without asking). Most rides are fine—some are even great—but when things go south, it’s usually because the passenger forgets one simple thing:
We’re people too.
So here it is: from someone who’s been driving the graveyard shift, the airport runs, the Friday night chaos, and everything in between—what actually makes a good passenger.
1. Be Ready When You Request
Nothing kills momentum like pulling up to the pin and… nothing. No passenger in sight. No movement. Just a building or a driveway or a parking lot. Then I get the “Coming out now!” text—and I sit there watching the timer run, hoping I don’t get a parking ticket or block a driveway.
Ordering a ride? Be ready to go. I’m not trying to rush you, but the app doesn’t pay me to wait. Those two or three minutes you burn scrambling for your shoes or saying bye to your friends? That adds up—especially during busy hours.
Bonus tip: If you’re ordering a ride for someone else, tell them it’s on the way. No one likes surprising a stranger with a 5-minute wait.
2. Respect the Ride
Treat the car like you’re borrowing it from a friend. Because in a way, you are.
Don’t slam the doors. Don’t eat messy food. Don’t leave trash. I once found a half-eaten burrito under my passenger seat two hours after a ride. That’s not just gross—it’s disrespectful. I keep my car clean for a reason, and when someone wrecks it, I either have to clean it up or lose money turning down rides while I fix the mess.
Same goes for drinks. Water is fine. Open cocktails? Not so much. If you spill beer in the backseat at 1 a.m., congratulations—you’ve just ended my night early and I’ll be reporting it for a cleaning fee.
3. Don’t Treat Me Like Your Chauffeur (Or Therapist)
I’m driving you, not serving you. There’s a difference. Most drivers want to help—we’ll adjust the music, we’ll make stops, we’ll talk if you want to talk—but we’re not your personal assistant. I’ve had people snap fingers for the AUX cord, bark directions like I’m a butler, or expect me to make five “quick” stops on a ten-minute ride.
And while I get that rides can sometimes bring out emotions (breakups, job interviews, family fights), I’m not always in a position to carry your full story at 2 a.m. Especially if I’m five rides deep and still caffeinating to stay sharp.
I’ll listen if you want to talk, and I’m always down for real conversation. But I’m not a therapist, and it’s okay if we just ride in silence.
4. Use Your Seatbelt. Every Time.
This isn’t optional. You might think it’s just a quick trip or that the back seat is “safe,” but I’m responsible for everyone in the car. If I get in an accident and you’re not buckled, it’s not just your problem—it’s mine too.
Don’t make it awkward. Just click it. It takes two seconds and keeps everyone safe.
5. Share the Space
Late nights, packed Ubers, group rides—it can get crowded. But it doesn’t have to get uncomfortable. A good passenger understands that space is limited. That means no sprawling out, no laying across the back seat, no blocking people’s exits.
If you’re in a group, keep the noise reasonable. You’re not in a club, and drivers can’t focus when four people are yelling over each other while GPS is trying to give directions.
And if someone else is already in the car (like during shared rides), don’t act like they’re invading your space. We’re all trying to get somewhere. A little chill goes a long way.
6. Rate Fairly. Tip Honestly.
The star rating isn’t Yelp. It affects our livelihood. If I drive safely, get you there on time, and treat you with respect, that should be a five-star ride—even if the music wasn’t your favorite or I didn’t laugh at your joke.
Low ratings hurt. Enough of them, and we risk being deactivated. So don’t treat stars like a hotel review. If something genuinely went wrong, bring it up—or leave a comment. Otherwise, five stars is the default.
And tips? Look—I know it’s not required. But if I went out of my way, waited patiently, handled your bags, or drove through late-night traffic so you didn’t have to—throwing a few bucks shows you noticed. We remember that stuff.
7. Don’t Be Creepy
This should go without saying, but here we are.
No hitting on your driver. No weird comments. No asking if I’m single or where I live or if I want to “hang out” after my shift. Men do it. Women do it. Drunk people especially do it. And it makes the whole ride uncomfortable.
I’m here to get you from point A to B. Respect that boundary.
8. Communicate Clearly
If you have a preferred route, let me know—nicely. If you’re waiting at a tricky pickup spot, drop a pin accurately or send a quick message. If your building has a weird entrance, describe it.
The app helps, but it’s not perfect. A little clear communication saves time, confusion, and frustration. Plus, it shows you care about the experience being smooth for both of us.
Final Thought: We’re Just Two People Sharing a Ride
That’s it. That’s the secret. This whole thing works best when both the driver and the passenger treat each other like people. Not like an employee, not like a robot, not like a threat—but like two humans who just happen to be sharing 15 minutes of road.
Be decent. Be aware. Be a little thoughtful.
That’s what makes a good passenger—and makes me want to pick you up again the next time you need a ride.
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As an Amazon Associate and affiliate marketer, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases
Got your own do’s and don’ts as a passenger or driver? Drop them in the comments—I’ll read them between rides.
The Accident That Changed Everything
_________________________________________
I am broke right now 09/02/2025, please Zelle to me directly
I need help pretty bad.
at scoopinfl@gmail.com
___________________________________
On March 25, 2023, what should have been a routine Uber ride turned into an event that altered the course of my life in ways I’m still dealing with today. I had been driving full-time for Uber in Florida for years. I knew the roads, the traffic patterns, and the best routes between Pinellas County and Hillsborough County like the back of my hand.
That day started like many others. I picked up two very nice Uber passengers at the Hotel Zamora, my favorite hotel on St. Pete Beach. They were headed to a major hotel in Downtown Tampa, Florida. It was a perfect trip—long enough to make decent earnings, since rideshare drivers only get paid when the wheels are turning. Everything about this ride fit my criteria: the location, the length, and the timing.
We left Pinellas County and crossed over into Hillsborough County as I made my way toward their destination in Tampa. The trip had gone smoothly up to that point. Traffic was normal for a Saturday, the passengers were pleasant, and there were no weather concerns. I had no reason to expect anything unusual as I exited the interstate and approached the final stretch of the trip.
I was completely stopped at a Stop Sign
After getting off the interstate, I approached a stop sign near their destination. I came to a complete stop and waited for cross-traffic to clear.
One car passed by in front of me and made its turn without issue. I waited patiently for the next car to pass before it would be my turn to go. But what happened next still doesn’t make sense to me, even after replaying it in my head countless times.
The second car didn’t continue past me. Instead, the driver suddenly turned directly into my vehicle and struck me head-on.
I saw the car coming in those final moments, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. My vehicle was completely stationary. There was no evasive maneuver I could make. The impact happened so fast that even my passengers were in shock.
The driver who hit me appeared to be in her 30s. She wasn’t a teenager or someone you would expect to be reckless or inexperienced. That’s partly why it was so hard for me to understand how or why she did what she did. I had never experienced anything like that in all my years of driving.
Police Report and Insurance Problems Begin
The police were called to the scene and arrived promptly. They completed an official accident report, clearly placing the other driver at fault. That was no surprise—it was obvious to everyone there what had happened. I was completely stopped. She drove into me. It couldn’t have been clearer.
I thought that would be the end of it in terms of fault and responsibility. But that was only the beginning of my problems.
In Florida, Uber uses Progressive Insurance for their rideshare drivers. Unfortunately, when I filed a claim under my personal policy for uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, it was denied.
The at-fault driver’s insurance turned out to be one of those bare-minimum coverage policies. The kind that is technically “legal” but essentially useless in a serious accident.
Meanwhile, I carried full coverage with Progressive for my personal auto policy as well. My own insurance covered my vehicle repairs after I paid the deductible, but here’s the kicker: that deductible was never reimbursed by the at-fault party or their insurance. I was left paying out of pocket despite not causing the accident.
The Medical Bills Nightmare
If that had been the end of it, I probably would have moved on eventually. But it wasn’t.
The so-called “driver only” coverage—turned out to be a nightmare. Because of how their contract is structured , their insurance left me stuck with emergency room bills from the accident even though I was working on their platform when it happened.
It was as if every insurance company involved was trying to point the finger at someone else, while I was left holding the bag.
I wrote a detailed letter, complete with the full explanation and even the video footage of the accident. I sent it via USPS, hoping someone at Uber would review the situation and realize how unfairly I was being treated.
I got no response. Not even an acknowledgment. Nothing.
No Accountability
The physical injuries I sustained in that crash are not minor. I will be dealing with them for the rest of my life. What makes it even worse is knowing the entire situation unfolded because of another driver’s negligence—yet I was the one left to pick up the pieces financially, physically, and emotionally.
The at-fault driver carried useless insurance. My own insurance repaired my car but left me paying And the at-fault driver never paid a dime toward my car repairs or my medical costs.
It felt like a system designed to protect everyone except the actual victim.
Lessons from a Broken System
Before this accident, I had no idea how little protection rideshare drivers really have. Promotions are not agreements. Promoted to me was that there was a $1 million policy for drivers, but what they don’t emphasize is how limited and conditional that coverage actually is for drivers.
If a passenger had been hurt, the coverage would have kicked in for them immediately. But because I was the driver, I was treated as though I didn’t matter.
It didn’t matter that I was actively working for Uber.
It didn’t matter that another driver was clearly at fault.
It didn’t matter that my life was turned upside down in seconds.
The system is set up in a way that leaves drivers like me with lifelong injuries, unpaid bills, and zero support from the very companies and insurance providers that profit from our work.
Moving Forward
This accident changed how I view rideshare driving, insurance companies, and corporations. I went from being a full-time driver who enjoyed the work to someone permanently injured, facing medical bills, and realizing how little protection drivers truly have.
I’m sharing this story because I don’t want other drivers to go through what I did. If you drive for any rideshare company, understand this: you may be one accident away from discovering just how broken the system really is.
I did everything right that day. I was stopped at a stop sign. I carried full coverage insurance. I followed all the rules. And yet, because of one negligent driver and a web of insurance loopholes, I was left holding the bill—financially and physically—for an accident I did not cause.
It’s a hard reality, but one every rideshare driver deserves to know up front.
Please subscribe, like, and share this video that is posted on the rideshare sean channel on YouTube, it is only 6 seconds long. It is a quick video recorded from my Vantrue dash camera of an rideshare accident I was in, you can hear one of the passengers say “Jesus”
Comments, and shares are the best subscriptions and likes are awesome too.
Please enter a comment! They help me out so much!
YouTube Link
https://youtube.com/shorts/aChqKx8de9E?si=o9J7iJD6faZHx7aR I can be contacted at driver at ridesharedriver dot .blog about this article
Uber Crash Reality (Read This Before Your Next Shift)
My friend was online with Uber when a driver clipped the rear-left corner of his one-year-old Tesla. The finish was scuffed, no visible dent. Small hit—big lesson.
What most drivers don’t realize
While you’re on trip, passengers have up to $1,000,000 in medical coverage.
You (the driver) use your own PIP first, then you chase the at-fault driver’s BI for medical bills.
Uber’s policy won’t typically pay your medicals. For your car, you can use Uber’s contingent coverage—$2,500 deductible—to repair damage.
Even a “few hundred dollars” in cosmetic damage can easily price out near $1,000 when done right.
The hidden cost nobody budgets for
More time on the road = higher crash odds. If your car goes to the shop, that’s downtime—no rides, no income. I once sat a full month without pay after a stop-sign hit and the other driver never reimbursed my deductible.
Do this now
Confirm your coverage: PIP, rideshare endorsement, and UM/UIM.
Plan for the deductible: keep an emergency fund or a credit line ready.
Document everything: photos, police report, app status screenshots.
Estimate the ROI: minor scuffs? Sometimes waiting beats losing weeks of income.
👉 Protect your paycheck before the crash happens. Save this, share it with another driver, and check your policy today.
I have and and have had accounts at various hosting providers and through my own personal experience with the various hosting providers, I have found the best hosting provider to be www.namecheap.com. I have an associate degree in network engineering, passed and held multiple Microsoft and Cisco certifications and have had many technical positions throughout my life and right now I am in my mid 40’s. I have scoured the internet and have had hosting packages with various companies to host various websites and this is what I have found. Around 6/20/2024 my hosting package at Bluehost was going to expire. I purchased and built this website on my Host Gator account using their baby package. When that account was about to expire, I spoke with a member of their tech team via chat and was told that I could not transfer this domain to another Host Gator account. I though this to be odd because I purchased this domain on their platform and have it there right now. They explained to me it was not possible. I wanted to keep this domain so I searched around for another provider. I checked on YouTube and I kept seeing videos that “Bluehost” was the best. I contacted a member of their support team via chat and was told in fact they do support .blog domains on their platform. So after some thinking about it, I transferred this domain to Bluehost (Host Gator and Bluehost are under the same ownership) and I stayed with them for a couple of years. Recently, my hosting package with them was going to expire, and I have an account with Namecheap now, I really like them a lot.
Transfer into Namecheap
I asked a member of the Namecheap support team if they support the transfer in and hosting of .blog domains, and they said that they do. I really like the folks at Name Cheap too. Since 04/09/2024 I have been without any income. Earlier this year, one of my other Bluehost domains
came due and when I renewed it via name cheap it was like $10.66 or something. So I renewed it with them. Then when this domain name became due, I though it was going to be the same price through Namecheap, I checked with them, and they told me it was going to cost me
over $24.00 to renew because it was a .blog extension. So I was like fine, and I paid for the renewal. I renewed the domain at name cheap but the DNS, Email, Content, and blog posts
were still hosted at Bluehost. Then on 06/17/2024, Bluehost detected that the domain had expired and the site went down. I had like 5 email addresses on the Bluehost domain and they too went down. So I recreated the emails on NameCheap through their cPanel and asked their support staff through chat what I needed to do to transfer that content into Namecheap. So they advised me that their domain concierge team could assist with that transfer. So I asked them if there was a charge for that, as with pretty much everything, and they advised there was no charge for their help. So I chatted with them and they told me I had to get a full backup from the cPanel of my old hosting provider and then upload to Namecheap. It takes forever to get it from my old host (It needs to be generated) to my computer and then to upload that file to NameCheap and then they would do the restore. I did that but when I got the file (it was a 7.2 GB tar file package), I amended the domain name to it for clarification. I then uploaded it to name cheap. They created a ticket and continued to email me status updates as they progressed.
Failed to Restore
I went to sleep and I woke up the next day and they told me in an email that the restore failed. They told me that they tried several things with the file I uploaded them but it had failed each time. They encouraged me to try again but this time DO NOT change the file name in any way. So I did exactly as they instructed. I generated a new tar file pulled it down to my PC and then pushed it up to Namecheap. I went to sleep again. Before I was able to sleep, I just kept thinking of what I was going to have to do to rebuild this site. I knew what I was going to have to do but it was going to be a P.I.T.A.
Transfer success
I woke up the next day, and before I even checked my email, I went to this domain on my cell phone, and it came right up, exactly how it was before. I was elated. Then I checked my email and I saw that the restore was a success! So I logged in to my Bluehost account and did the exact same thing with www.justawesomeshots.com and it also was a success. Namecheap is awesome, their support is also awesome and there is never a charge for anything, pretty much. The names of their staff seem to be of Middle Eastern descent but I do not care, they are always very responsive, and super knowledgeable too. Their spelling is always very good too and their is a chat button on every page and there is an audible alert right before their response and you only get that alert from a human response, unlike Blue Host who spams you to death with their Audible alerts from their bots. I need to speak with a human, not a bot. Anyway, Namecheap is awesome for numerous reasons. They give free domain privacy to all the users on their platform, which is awesome because without that service you will get spammed to death when you purchase a domain without privacy, Bluehost and Host gator charge for that service, and they may discount their hosting packages but they never ever discount the domain privacy fee. Namecheap also gives you a free SSL certificate for the first year for free, which is very much needed. Needless to say, I am staying with Namecheap.
In conclusion:
Namecheap is the absolute best hosting provider I have ever had. Their staff is always friendly and knowledgeable and sometimes they have to deliver bad news. I appreciate that to, because I have learned that just because I don’t like the information that is delivered to me that does not make it incorrect. Namecheap is always very prompt with either type of news and the Namecheap provides the absolute best hosting service that have ever had the pleasure of being with. They provide tremendous value always. I am not sure where they get their support staff from but they are there around the clock and offer the best help that I have ever seen.
What are the top 4 best vehicles to drive rideshare in?
I have driven for Uber for over 6 years now and the best vehicle I have ever had and have ever driven is my Toyota Prius. These are the top 4 vehicles to drive rideshare in from my own personal experience. See, in rideshare driving actually any type of driving even just back and forth to work, what you want to purchase is the most fuel-efficient vehicle you can get your hands on. Then you want to search for and purchase that vehicle but with all the options on the inside that you can possibly find. That way you have a vehicle that is as cheap as possible at the gas pump but inside where it is actually important, is where all the good stuff is. Also, you need for it to have as much safety equipment as possible, for two reasons 1) is that when you enter the VIN number to purchase auto insurance you want your insurance company to give you credit for all of those safety features because that translates in savings on your monthly premium, and 2) in the event of an accident you need to be completely safe. Now that accident happened the day after my car rolled over 500K miles. I have viewed the footage from the impact of the accident and I could clearly see that all the safety equipment still worked perfectly which is exactly what you want. From my 6 years of experience while driving for Uber.
So with 1 Being the best. Here is my selection of the 4 best rideshare vehicles
The Toyota Prius. 53 MPG and in these new 5th gen cars they added 100 HP
The Honda FIT (Hybrid Edition) 49 MPG
The Honda Accord (Hybrid Edition) 51 MPG
The Lexus es 300 (Hybrid edition) 44 MPG
It is important that anyone considering any of these vehicles understands that these are all NON-PLUG-IN hybrid models. They all get the electrical energy from a battery that is recharged when the brake is pressed. That is the only place they get electricity from. A plugin model severely limits the range of the vehicle that is being recharged. The vehicles listed above are the only ones that I can recommend at all. The vehicle that is chosen to drive rideshare with. needs to get at the very least 40 MPG. Uber continues to decrease their pay to drivers and fuel is the only cost that a driver has any control over. I personally change the oil in my car every two weeks when I am driving for Uber. It is very important for anyone considering driving for Uber or Lyft to understand that driving in addition to a job, or to supplement any type of income, will cause the wear and tear on a vehicle to double, which means that the amount that will be paid for a mechanic to perform any work at all on a vehicle will also double. Also, the amount that is paid to fuel ANY vehicle is also going to double. This doubling will eat away any income that you earn as a rideshare driver. Also what will eat away at your rideshare profits is auto insurance and the fact that as a rideshare driver, you will be on the road a lot more so there will be a lot more risk to you as a driver because you will be on the road a lot more. You will get into an accident. I have been in 3 accidents over the past 6 years and NONE of them have been my fault. As the adage says, fault in a car accident matters very little if you are dead. I read a book recently by Dr. Peter Attia and he says in that book, he has worked in the hospitals over the years and he has seen the victims of car crashes and the person that usually dies or gets very badly injured is often the person that is not at fault. The person who was behind the wheel and minding their own business often is the one who ends up paying the price. As you can see from the footage of my dashcam. I was completely stopped at a stop sign and I was struck head-on by another vehicle there were two Uber passengers in the back so the Uber insurance took over, and Uber has no uninsured motorist coverage and they denied my Uninsured motorist claim because my policy wasn’t a commercial policy. If you have Geico commercial insurance there is some secret mileage number that if it is exceeded, Geico will drop you and they will never say anything to you about that number. Not before you sign up with them, and not even after they drop you. They just never say. I have tried googling it multiple times and I have been unable to get any answer at all. I am a full-time Uber driver. I do not do anything else, I do try to
Get income from other ways but in the past 25 years, I have been unable to make an online sale whatsoever. When I started driving for Uber in my first couple years the mileage on my vehicle was almost 100K in a year. I was with Geico personally before I started driving rideshare in 2018 and when I talked with Geico about rideshare driving, they immediately
made me cancel my existing policy with them and get a commercial policy with them. So I did, they force you to take a picture every year of your odometer and send it to them somehow. That is how I am able to remember the mileage I was driving then. Now in 2024, it is different. Last year that accident happened the day after my car hit 500K miles. Right now, it has only 547K miles on it. That means in a year I drove a total of only 47000 miles which is good for a single year. That is probably right around the mileage that will be driven by a rideshare driver who is just supplementing their other income. Progressive told me that the Rideshare “Rider” that I also have on my insurance policy only covers me while I am on the way to pick up a passenger and as soon as a passenger gets in my vehicle then the Uber policy takes over.
In Conclusion: The vehicle that you choose to drive rideshare in is VERY important. The vehicle that you have right now may or may not be the best thing for driving a lot of miles. The thing about rideshare driving is that, once you are approved to drive for Uber or Lyft then it is very easy to just go online and start earning. The revenue that you have to pay for each trip tends to be outrageous and now that Hyperinflation has touched everything, the efficiency of the vehicle that you drive is EXTREMELY important. Just remember that also after each trip the passenger judges/rates you as a driver and often they hear noises from other vehicles on the road and they rate you based on that. So fuel efficiency, safety, and ongoing maintenance costs are very important in a rideshare vehicle.
It was my last trip of the day. I was on St. Pete beach and I accepted a request to pick up a passenger from my Favorite hotel on this beach. Hotel Zamora. I love this place because it is very easy to pick up passengers from and then leave. Also, the rooftop bar they have here is pretty awesome too. I don’t drink alcohol anymore but if I did, I would certainly do it here. That bar has AstroTurf on the floor, nice couches all around and glass, I think to keep people from falling off when they see the breathtaking views. So I arrived, and it was a couple I was picking up not just a single person and they were ready to go which is always cool). I was taking them to another hotel in Tampa, FL about a 35-minute ride. I think they were going to the Hilton in downtown Tampa (very popular hotel which I have been to many times before.) So I drove them North on 275 like I always do and then over the Howard Frankland Bridge. It was around 3:30 PM so traffic was kind of light. When I get to Tampa I used to always just take exit 44 and just keep heading east until I get to the destination. But about 6 months ago there was an accident there and I was routed to take that exit but headed toward Scott Street and I noticed that if you take an immediate right as you get off on that exit, that is Ashley Drive and it takes you to the exact same street that the regular way does. But if you take the regular way, there is traffic coming from that direction and you need to merge into it, then if you take Tampa Street into DownTown Tampa, you have to take another right and then merge into oncoming traffic again and that is where the arena is and a lot of other fun stuff and people go there a lot! So after I saw there was a way to negate the most dangerous exit on I275, I just started going that way all the time. So when I was bringing these people there, I just continued on to Scott street and then took an immediate right on Ashley and headed toward downtown Tampa. I pulled up to a stop sign and I was completely stopped, so I thought I was safe. Then I heard the passenger say “Ooh” and I looked up and a purple car crashed into me. I checked and everyone was okay. So I used the Uber button to call the cops and the Tampa Police Department responded to the scene. That lady hit my car while I was completely stopped. If you look at the video, it looks like she was trying to hit me or something. Anyway, the cops came, and since everyone was okay and there were no injuries, and no lights that were needed out (it was still daylight) everyone was eventually allowed to leave. The passengers in my car had luggage but it had wheels and they both elected to walk the rest of the way. I told them they would make it for certain, but that it would suck and to just request an Uber. They elected to walk anyway. The cop that first responded was leaving for the day, so I guess he handed the accident off to a female officer. The person who hit my vehicle got nothing. She was not cited at all, she was not given a citation for anything, not for hitting me, not for her window tint being way too dark, and not for having no proof of insurance, all of which I have received tickets for in Tampa too. I did not really care that she didn’t get in trouble, they did place her at fault in the accident and that is all that really mattered to me, that it was known by everyone that I was not at fault here. So both vehicles were able to leave the scene without the need for a tow truck. The person that hit me was a woman and she told me, and the officers at the scene that she in fact did have insurance, I was like cool she has insurance and it wasn’t my fault. I later found that she in fact had none (Problem # 1). Also, she had “The general” insurance which I found out only sells bare-bones insurance to get a vehicle on the road and nothing more. If she even had that it would have been okay I think because I would have at least received my deductible back. Which I could use right now, but even 1 year later I still have not received anything from her. This is the worst part. Because there were two Uber passengers in my car the Uber insurance takes over and there is no choice in the matter at all. There are some very bad things about the Uber policy that I did not know until this accident occurred. The Uber policy has no uninsured motorist coverage at all. That is a huge problem. Uber could not care any less about drivers. As far as they are concerned drivers are their biggest expense, and when driverless cars are allowed on these roads (which will be very soon) the need for drivers will go away and Uber and Lyft will stop onboarding drivers to their platforms. The Uber insurance policy taking over is a huge problem. In Florida progressive holds the Uber policy and they also insure me personally. Now the Uber policy has a $2500.00 deductible which I wanted no part of. If I did, I would have ended up paying that deductible AND my own $1000.00 deductible because I needed a rental car while they repaired my car. So, I worked with Progressive and because there were no injuries at the scene they allowed me to go with my personal insurance only. I was like that is cool because I did not want any part of that crazy deductible. I don’t even know how Uber has a deductible so high, I can’t even opt for a progressive deductible any higher than $1000.00 anyway, and Uber is constantly lowering the pay that goes to drivers, what Uber driver has $2500.00 just laying around, well I don’t lol. I was lucky to be able to borrow 1K to get my car fixed. So I was working with Progressive while I was getting my car repaired at Maher Chevrolet in St. Petersburg, FL. (Who is awesome BTW) And I learned that Uber no longer has Uninsured motorist coverage on top of their $2500.00 deductible. So I was like no problem, I got 50K of uninsured motorist coverage on my personal policy. Progressive denied that claim (huge problem). They told me that my coverage completely ended and the Uber policy had taken over each and every time an Uber passenger got into my car. When I got in an accident in 2019 I had a commercial insurance policy with Geico dropped me because I exceeded the number of miles limit and they never ever told me about it, even after they dropped me and I went with Progressive, Geico will still not tell me their mileage limit. Anyway, when I got in an accident in 2019 because someone rear-ended me also with an Uber passenger in my car. Uber had $250,000.00 in UM coverage at that time and I had $100,000.00 on my policy, but other than my deductible which was repaid, there was no need for UM coverage because the person who hit me had insurance. Okay, so Uber insurance has no coverage for me and Progressive denied my Uninsured Motorist claim after of course, I was going to doctor visits thinking that I was covered. I did have the Uber “driver only” coverage to lean on which I thought at the time was a good thing. So I contacted them and this was a Saturday and their office is completely closed over the weekends so a claim number is not issued at all until Monday morning. So I got a claim number from them. This is in March of 2023 and Uber has been deducting 4 cents a mile for every trip ever since July of 2021. I got it only because I am a full-time driver and may need it someday. Well, this was the day. So I gave that number to all the doctors that I had seen for this accident, so they could get paid and not have to see it on my credit report. Atlantic casualty or intact insurance A.K.A. Uber “driver only” insurance is the absolute worst company I have ever worked with in my entire life. Uber contracts with them, I do not know this for certain but I think that whatever Uber takes out of every mile that I drive Uber holds back a little for themselves and then gives the rest to Intact. This is what they do, they make you submit all kinds of paperwork to them to start the claim. It is a good thing I was able to function because if I was not, no one would have gotten paid. When they talk to the providers, they tell them “Your invoices have been approved for payment” When you are dealing with Intact that means pretty much nothing. These providers told me after a month had gone by that they were told they had been “approved” for payment, but they have not received a single penny from them. So I would email the adjuster his name is Chris Balentine. I was like Chris these people have not been paid but you told them their payments were approved. He says that is correct. They are approved and we have what we need from them. I was like they said they have not seen a single Penny from you since you said that over a month ago.
That is out of his control lol. Then I started to get text messages from the health care place from around the corner about their bill. So I sent an email to Chris and he contacted them and after a few weeks they finally stopped texting me. So then he said to me “if I sign this document intact will “settle” (that was his terminology) out with me for 5K”. He sent me this contract and on the very top of that contract, it said something about the release of ALL claims and responsibility. He also sent me an email that said he would be gone for the next week on vacation and he would email me when he got back. So I had the contract and I read it. I am not a lawyer, but I can read and that was in BOLD print. So since this accident, I have been having some problems with my speech and I first noticed it at the scene when I was talking to the cops. I thought it was just because I tend to get nervous talking to cops, but then I noticed it several more times when talking with passengers. So before I executed and returned that document to intact in exchange for 5K. I went to the Dr. right around the corner, which I went to right after this accident to get checked out. So I filled out their paperwork, and I gave them the claim number from Intact insurance, and was at their front desk and they told me to hold, they had to make a quick call. So they made that call and I listened to both sides of that conversation, and the lady at the desk in front of me said “The computer says to call you before I admit him so that is why I am calling” The lady on the other end of the phone said “that I was now good and to go ahead and admit me.” This was several months after the original accident. So I went in and told the doctor about my speech problem and he did not do anything at all and he told me I need to go see an ear nose and throat specialist because he thought the problem was with my larynx. He also told me he could not write me a prescription and to just go to one. I told him I didn’t think that was what the problem was at all. So I left there and went to Manatee Memorial hospital emergency room. All I wanted was a scan of my brain and a doctor to look at it and tell me it looks okay so I could sign this document and send it to Chris. So they admitted me right away, it was about 3PM. They put me in this room kind of thing and this lady came in to find out how I was paying. I gave them the claim number that I got from intact insurance. The doctor came by about an hour later and asked me why I was there. So I told him. Then I waited and waited and about 700PM this dude that I have been looking at for the past 4 hours came over to me and took my blood. Then this other person comes and gets me and takes me like 50 feet over to this room and someone then leaves that room in a wheelchair. Then a lady comes out and pushes my wheelchair into that room. It was dark in there and she gave me instructions, I followed them and she was the cat scan lady. So that took about 10 minutes or so. Then she wheeled me back to the makeshift room where I was waiting for hours. It was about 715 PM or so then. She told me to wait to talk with the doctor. So I waited and waited again and around 8:15 PM or so I was thinking. I don’t need him to go over the scans with me, I will have my Dr. in Pinellas County do that. All I really needed was the scan. I could ask my regular doctor to go over the results with me. I almost never have to wait to see him, and he is a surgeon and he would be better at reading these results anyway. So at about 8:30PM I left Manatee Memorial Hospital “against medical advice” so I called my Doctor in Pinellas and asked if they could get the results from Manatee Memorial Hospital and go over them with me, they were like sure no problem, but just FYI this doesn’t change anything we can still see you, but we haven’t received complete payment for your prior office visits. I was like huh? We are now in early July 2023. The lady told me they have sent us payment for some of your visits but not all of them. I was like okay I will call you back. Chris was still out of the office. Then I received an invoice in the mail from Manatee Memorial for over 30,000.00. I scanned it in, then I typed out a letter and sent it back to them with the claim number and advised that this must be a mistake because I gave Manatee Memorial this claim number at the point of service. I started getting calls from this place (first choice) that would have paid for it. I was thinking it was just a clerical error. So when Chris got back in the office the following Monday, I emailed him that bill. Now it is like mid July after a week goes by he told me to fill out this paperwork so that they could retrieve my hospital records from Manatee Memorial. I was like that is strange, but at least they are working on that invoice (Chris told me they have contracted rates for these hospital bills) so I emailed him about that bill every week and asked him if it had been settled yet, it had not. Then one day in September 2023 he sent me an email that said Intact would not be paying that bill because I had never had a condition like that before or some mumbo jumbo. I was like fine . I picked up the phone and called First Choice and they told me that I did not respond to them in a timely manner so they could not help me. So I took the invoice from Manatee Memorial and typed out a letter and sent it to Uber headquarters in California and then I copied that letter and submitted it to them somehow electronically and they never responded to it at all. So here is the moral of the story. I made a mistake, I thought I had plenty of insurance coverage. I told the people at Progressive Insurance that I even have a rider on my insurance for rideshare driving. They advised me that what that does is cover me AFTER I drop off a passenger at their destination. I did get my car fixed, and I did get a rental for a month and I did only have to pay a $1k deductible. So I did not have to pay the crazy Uber deductible. I was also denied any PIP (personal injury protection) insurance at all.
In conclusion:
This is what I learned from that accident: If you want to be covered for an accident during an Uber trip, have a commercial insurance policy. If I had a commercial policy my UM coverage from that policy would have carried over with no problem. The Uber policy in Florida anyway is for the protection of the rider(s)/passengers and NOT the driver at all. The Uber insurance Policy Carries a very high deductible and that policy will allow the driver to die. Also, they will only pay cash value of any property damage to the car owned by the driver. This accident happened the day after my car rolled over 500K miles. So what do you think the cash value of my car is? I checked it and Kelly Blue Book says it’s worth 3K? Everything works in it like new and it may be worth that much to me, but if I was buying a car I wouldn’t pay more than a grand for it. Also, the Uber policy does NOT protect the driver at all. Let’s speculate and say that an Uber driver picked up 2 passengers and then on the way to their destination that Uber driver drove off a cliff with them in the car and then landed on a person but didn’t kill them and everyone goes to the hospital. The only policy is the Uber insurance policy and this make-believe accident happened in Florida. Everyone would be covered by the Uber policy except for the driver. The driver will get cash value for their vehicle minus the $2500.00 deductible. Uber is a $130 Billion dollar company and they are going to always do whatever they can to keep more for Uber. That means Uber driver’s will continue to get the same thing they have been getting for a long time now, the short end of the stick.
The 2 Uber passengers in my car during this accident were very good people (they often are, just like you, and me.) Uber gave them their money back for that trip and they transferred it to me via VENMO which really helped me out a lot!
