Have you ever wondered what it would be like sharing your car with a stranger?

For thousands of Uber drivers around the country that’s what they do every day.

The ride hailing service has given the taxi industry a headache, while making life for people wanting to get from one place to another as easy as a few taps on their smartphone.

It has allowed ordinary people to use their car as a money making tool, without the expense, or negative connotations attached to being a taxi driver.

The beginning

Uber’s meteoric rise has flashed before our eyes quicker than you can order smashed avocado on toast. It’s hard to believe that Uber as we know it has only been around since 2009. Back then, it was called UberCab and the idea apparently came about when one of the founders, Garrett Camp, spent $800 on a private car service one New Year’s Eve and saw an opportunity to make a similar service more affordable.

Since then it has expanded around the world at a rapid rate and dabbled in autonomous vehicle research, helicopter services and even launched a patent purchasing program, among other ventures.

But it hasn’t been a smooth ride all the time, with countless lawsuits and a number of countries even banning the app. Even so, the only place Uber has ever failed to succeed is China, where it sold its holdings in the country to rival Didi Chuxing in 2016. Chinese operations aside, it remains a powerhouse and in May of 2017 Uber reached five billion rides globally.

Going Pro

But to find out what it’s really like sharing your car with a stranger Drive spoke to with an Uber driver. And, as it happens, it can be pretty interesting. It turns out if you combine intoxicated passengers with a friendly driver, things can quickly become YouTube worthy.

At least they can be for Melbourne-based Darren Levy, who left his job in corporate sales earlier this year and turned to the ride hailing service.

“I needed a bit of a change and at the time Uber was a good opportunity to make some extra cash,” Levy explains. “But as time went on I kind of realised that you can also meet some really, really cool people.”

Levy decided to fit a GoPro to his car, initially as a safety feature but it soon turned into something very different.

Levy got the opinions of three different police stations before fitting his Mazda2 with a GoPro, at first it was just to record the rides in case things ever turned sour with a passenger. Now, he’s picking the funniest Uber trips and popping them up on YouTube (with the passenger’s consent of course). While some trips have been memorable for the wrong reasons, most of the time passengers are respectful and he rarely has to shackle them with a one star rating. Although he has given a one star rating on occasion, it's usually because the passenger has been inappropriate or disrespectful.

How to Uber

The recruitment process is just as rigorous on the vehicle as it is for drivers. Uber drivers must be over 21 years-old, have held a full license for at least 12 months and pass a police and driver history check. Vehicles need to be less than 10 years old with no cosmetic damage and it can’t be a pre-2009 Ford Falcon if you’re in Sydney, perhaps because of its similarity to a traditional taxi.

Other than that, Levy says it was a relatively straightforward process when he first applied online four months ago.

“You need an ABN and now need to be registered for GST too,” Levy says. “Then I was invited to their Greenlight Hub to have my car looked over by a bunch of guys from Redbook.com.au and then you have a mini consultation with a millennial in an Uber t-shirt behind a MacBook and you’re good to go!”

The rules and regulations have become a bit tougher though as Levy explains.

“I think they have now gotten closer to regulating drivers with the Taxi Commission here in Victoria and I was asked to go into an assigned GP and get a physical and shortly after I received documentation from the Taxi Commission that I am accredited.”

It’s understandable with all the recent headline making lawsuits that Uber wants to do everything it can to ensure they aren’t putting any of their customers at risk.

Uber etiquette

Friday and Saturday nights are Levy’s busiest and he tends to make between $150 and $250 for a five-to-seven-hour shift. Of course, that’s after Uber has taken its 25 per cent cut but doesn’t take into account the income tax and GST Levy has to pay.

It’s clear that driving for a ride hailing service might not be the easiest way to make a quick buck. That’s probably why some drivers have started to think more strategically. They accept a ride only to find out how far the passenger wants to travel (which is actually against Uber policy) and then decide if the fare is worth their time and petrol. Levy explains why some drivers might pick certain fares over others.

“You really want to maximise the efficiency of being in the car and picking up passengers. Uber pay you per kilometre and per minute but the kilometre rate is considerably more than the minute rate you effectively don’t want to be sitting in traffic too much”.

But Levy’s method is a bit more organic. Accept a ride and see where it takes you.

From dishing out life advice to occasionally buying him McDonalds, passengers certainly take Levy on an interesting ride. When it comes to Uber etiquette Levy has a couple of ways you can guarantee a five-star rating.

“There is a rating system for a reason but it’s so easy to get a five-star rating as a rider.” Basically it comes down to being respectful, laid back and willing to have a chat, especially with drivers on a Friday and Saturday night but “it’s ultimately about being respectful of their car.”

The question everyone wants the answer to, should passengers sit in the front or back seat?

“If you sit in the back seat I don’t mind but if you sit in the front it’s kind of nice because I can see your face. I think most drivers prefer sitting in the front because it’s also a safety thing.”

Levy also has some helpful hints for drivers. Always keep plastic bags in your car in case of unexpected vomit and have lollies on hand because well, everyone loves a sugar hit.  

The future

At the start of Uber’s journey, the company emphasized the fact that driving for them would be a great way to make extra money. Not necessarily as a full-time or even long term career but as something to do either as a side gig or to get you through while between jobs. Even Levy isn’t sure whether Uber would be a good full-time job.

“It’s not the best way to make money,” he admits. “I think it’s a really good part-time job. Once you get to a certain point the cost of your car, fuel and things like that are going to be considerably more so you’re not really making that much money.”

Uber also hasn’t hidden the fact that the company is investing in the research and development of autonomous vehicles. In fact, the portion of profits that Uber takes from each driver is ultimately being put towards creating technology to eventually replace them. Levy acknowledges this and understands that there isn’t a whole lot he can do about it.

“It’s a company that is relatively open with a lot of the stuff that they do. It’s your decision if you want to drive for them or not,” he says.

Here to stay

Despite often causing controversy, Uber has managed to successfully park itself into our lives. Driving for services like Uber is a way for the average person to make a regular income without the need for qualifications or really any specific experience. For Levy though it’s become much more than just a job, it’s helped spark a passion for creating funny videos. So, next time you hop in an Uber be sure to smile for the camera, you might just end up on the internet.

Darren’s five tips for a five-star rating:

1. Be polite. You don't need to have a deep and meaningful conversation with every driver but at the very least, acknowledge him/her with a hello and goodbye.

2. Be respectful. Drivers use their own cars to take you from point A to B so try not to make a mess.

3. Keep it in your pants. For both the rider and the driver, Uber has a strict no hanky panky rule. The last thing you want is to be banned from the platform and a headline on the news about your misconduct in an Uber. Save it for the bar, club and monthly church singles meetup!

4. Let your driver know if there is going to be more than one stop made at the end of the journey. Drivers often will take passengers to the destination you have set in the app and end the trip upon arrival, meanwhile there are more passengers to drop off at another destination. Tell him/her beforehand that you'll be making a few stops to avoid the costly and awkward exercise of re-booking the Uber.

5. Drivers will usually go above and beyond to try to make your trip as positive and enjoyable as it can be (and get that five-star rating in return) but when making special requests, consider whether it is truly reasonable or if it could make your driver uncomfortable. For example, carrying more passengers than seats in the car or speeding to your destination because you're running late.