What the heck is Zeitgeist you ask? The easiest explanation, according to Wikipedia, is that the word means “The spirit of the age.” This age is the age of opportunity and experiences. It is a world of connectivity where anyone is able to share and contribute in the life of others. Through my journey, I want to show people that no matter what your situation, the journey is about the many new experiences that are encountered when you open new doors. This is the Zeitgeist life. How is it I ended up making a podcast together with a complete stranger?
The past decade of my life has been a never-ending journey of self-discovery and persistence. After going through divorce and separation, I found myself also being out of work within a short space of time. After some soul searching I somehow found the energy to swing into action. I needed to find some options, and quickly.
As circumstance would have it, this all happened around the same time that Uber started to operate in Melbourne. The year was 2013 and the company was constantly in the news for its illegal status as a new way for people to get about around town. It was described as another option instead of using taxis. At this time Uber had been around for six months so the battle was already in full swing for a number of months. The Taxi industry was reeling from the Victorian Government’s decision to deregulate the way it distributed its licenses to new operators.
For the most part I was oblivious to all of the implications that arose through this new ridesharing industry. I only understood part of what was going on and I was only interested in the ability to find an income quickly . This was the opportunity for me to get on my feet again. Looking back, according to the ABC online news, the new ride share industry didn’t officially come into being until the legislation was passed in early 2016. It meant that my first stint as an Uber driver was operating illegally.
I remember vividly how it all started and my circumstances at that time. My previous job required a car which I had leased, so I still had it at my disposal. It was relatively new as I only had it for a couple of years at that point. After I did a bit of research on the company, I enquired online, and I quickly booked myself in for a meeting to get set up .
I did my orientation on a Thursday afternoon in a seedy brick building on Inkerman street, St Kilda which took about 45 minutes. I had a 5-minute interview, watched some training videos and I did my test on paper with a grey lead pencil. I was the only one that actually turned up for that particular orientation session. After I handed in my test, a guy gave me an iPhone to use and he walked me around my car with his clipboard. Within 5 minutes he ticks me off as being approved. My life in the new gig economy had started.
Little did I know at the time, this was the beginning of a quiet revolution. The Taxi industry had a monopoly in the hire car industry, and I quickly realised how big an impact Uber was on that industry. In a previous work life, I was a bookkeeper. One of my clients bought and sold Taxi licenses as part of their business. Some licenses at its peak could demand up to $1m. It was big business. At the time there were many people whose plight was written about on the front page of the Herald Sun and other local newspapers. All of their stories were all similar in that they were all about to lose their life savings.
Many people put their money into Taxi licenses as part of their Superannuation strategy. I started to get it. I slowly understood why Uber was so hated by all the Taxi drivers. There seemed to be a lot of angst on the roads as I encountered areas where I picked up people next to the city Taxi ranks. As much as I understood how they felt, I didn’t feel it was anything to do with me. Here is why.
- Firstly Uber served its purpose because I needed to stay afloat financially. This gave me time to look for what I called a normal job. In my eyes, if the Taxi industry was doing its job efficiently and was cost effective for everyone, then there would be enough business for everyone.
- Secondly, the good cabbies would always be busy, and they should be able to survive and still make a good income.
I did eventually find myself some more permanent work and lived a normal working life for a time. Fast forward five years, and I found myself again behind the wheel as an Uber driver. Things had changed since the early days. It was easier for me get back online, however, there was one major hurdle. My actual car was probably a bit long in the tooth and at the time had 280,000km already on the odometer. I possible could have used it, but I would have needed to get it checked and then I would have had to rectify any issues, which potentially would have taken time and money to get on the road.
It wasn’t as easy as one guy with a clipboard walking around a car and ticking it off as being ok to use. Conveniently, I found a way to drive on the Uber platform again and as a bonus be driving a brand-new vehicle was organised through a third-party provider. Now people can actually rent cars to use for ride sharing purposes.
I have been a full time Uber drive now for two years and it has been a tough grind, but it has kept me afloat all that time. There are a couple of reasons why I still drive.
- It suits my life at the moment.
- I travel regularly
- I study
- I look after my three teenage kids at the same time.
I am often asked whether I make money from Uber. The answer is of course I do, otherwise there is no point to it. It hasn’t been easy though. Like anything, it is hard work. I generally work a six- and seven-day work week and because of this my health and fitness has taken a hit. The positive is that I am flexible for my kids and I can adjust my week accordingly. It’s not what I expected to be doing for my career as I hit my 50th year on this earth, but I know this is what I needed to do to get to my plan B.
Its not rocket science and it’s not a hard job to do, but I tackle it like any other. I got better and better at it. I now know enough to understand the intricacies of the App and traffic patterns to keep busy even during the quiet days. However, the best part of all of this is that it gives me the freedom of being flexible for my current lifestyle. I also drive a new car every 8 weeks because renting a vehicle gives me the option to changeover to a different one all the time.
There is so much noise that surrounds Uber that is more than just the company itself. To me, it’s just noise. I have never worried about the politics of the industry or whether Uber is good or bad for the economy. What I do know is that It is good for me. It suits me and I use it as a means to an end. People are also able to use it as they please. It is convenient for everyone and anyone whether they are drivers or riders or even both. I do what I do for my family and this fact continues to drive me every day.
Being in the front seat is like being in the front seat of my own life, I own it and I drive it, and until the next destination, it is my life of convenience. It is the Zeitgeist life and here I am now on a podcast channel. Mind Blowing! More to come from my journey ahead.
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