Zipping down E. Haggard Avenue, a dark blue Toyota Sienna picks up a group of girls from Provence and drops them off at the Oaks Apartment complex. Minutes later, an app went off, signaling senior Noah Sakin to pick up a new group of students.
Beginning this summer, Sakin has worked Tuesdays and weekends as an Uber driver, picking up Elon University students and Greensboro residents and bringing them to a new destination in the surrounding area.
“I had an unpaid internship in Greensboro that I had to do, and you have to make money somehow,” Sakin said. “I figured if I’m working 9 to 5, it would be hard to get a job that isn’t in that time.”
Licensed to Uber
He applied to be an Uber driver in his hometown of Baltimore. To be approved as a driver, applicants must be 21, with three years of driving experience, or 23, with one year of driving experience, pass federal, state and sex offender background checks and have a registered vehicle that has four doors and is a 2005 model or newer.
A week after Sakin applied, he was approved and after a 15 minute video explaining how to use the Uber app, he was on the road.
“[My first experience] was good,” Sakin said. “There’s not a lot of demand for it in Baltimore. But there was an Orioles game, so that night was real good.”
Sakin spent one night driving in Baltimore and then transferred down to North Carolina when he started his internship. A majority of his time was spent “Ubering” in Greensboro.
Now that students have returned, he spends most of his weekends driving students to different locations on campus. This gives him plenty of jobs, especially since Safe Rides, Elon’s designated driver service, hasn’t run the first two weekends.
“The weekend before classes was busy,” Sakin said. “It’s gotten busier since students have realized it’s an option. That’s why I drive with Uber stickers and a magnet on the side of my car.”
Sakin said it is more enjoyable “Ubering” around Elon because of the kind of people he picks up.
“Everyone is always really positive, really nice and really appreciative of the ride that they get,” Sakin said. “That’s something that’s been pretty unique to Elon. Sometimes in Greensboro I have adults, business executives who treat you differently, so the vibe here from Elon students is definitely better.”
Ubering with secrets
Even though Sakin has only “Ubered” for a short period of time, he has already had a few entertaining experiences while driving.
He has gone as far as to pick up someone from Moseley Center and drive them to North Carolina A&T State University.
“Every pickup is different, you never know what you’re going to get,” Sakin said. “Some people sit there on their phones, some want to talk to you — and the most interesting are when they pretend you’re not there, so they’ll talk to their friends about really personal things. There are a lot of secrets that Uber drivers — or anyone in the transportation industry — have heard.”
Although Sakin enjoys “Ubering” and making some extra cash, he will still participate driving for Safe Rides, where he is on the executive board and is head captain, supervising and training all the student captains and overseeing any problems that go on throughout the night.
Sakin believes Safe Rides has prepared him to be an Uber driver.
“I sort of know what to expect,” Sakin said. “I know how people [who] may be intoxicated act in a vehicle. You need to drive slowly, and don’t turn too sharp or they’ll fall out of the seat. I also know the area really well — where all the apartment complexes are or if someone gives you a street address. Without Safe Rides I would have to look that up. I’d be just like the other Uber drivers who are older and don’t go here.”
In comparison to Safe Rides, Sakin feels students understand how Uber works. Safe Rides vehicles are often slowed by students attempting to hail them on the street or getting in the car when they didn’t call.
“That’s one of Safe Rides’ biggest things we’re trying to get rid of,” he said. “We’re trying to get people to see it as a more legitimate organization and not a free taxi service.”
With Uber, Sakin believes people know they need to request a car on the app to get the service. Also because people are paying for the ride they take it more seriously and are more pleasant, especially because drivers have the ability to give them a low rating.
Often times Uber drivers will reject potential riders because they score a two out of five or come from a location known for reckless riders, making it more of a liability for the driver.
“I don’t believe in that,” Sakin said. “Because if I reject you I don’t make money. There are drivers that will not get you because it’s too much of a risk for them.”
Becoming the best in town
Uber drivers get ratings as well, and if it dips too low they lose access to the app. Currently, Sakin has a 4.85, which is good — but he’s still aiming for a 5.
“He was extremely professional and friendly,” said junior Claire Dockman, who rode in Sakin’s Uber. “Since he was a Safe Rides driver in the past, he knows his way around campus and how to deal with people in the car. I gave him a five star rating.”
As an Uber driver, Sakin receives 80 percent of the fare, which he said pays for gas and more. He also has $10 hourly guarantees, so if he’s online for an hour and only has one $4 ride, Uber will pay the difference. The guarantee rises to $21 between midnight and 3 a.m., which are peak hours.
Since Sakin’s car is a minivan, it is also considered an Uber XL. This means he can take more than four passengers in his car for a slightly more expensive ride, but he will also run as a regular Uber if he is the closest car in the area.
“On average, it’s anywhere from $50 to $100 per night,” he said. “I usually drive three or four hours. In a week the most I’ve made is $404. Some of it was hourly guarantees, and two were refer rides.”
Sakin also makes additional money through “refer rides” by giving non-Uber users a promo code for a free $20 ride. Once they redeem the ride, he receives $5.
Although there are other options such as Safe Rides or the BioBus, Sakin believes that Uber is still a great option for getting across campus even though it’s not free.
According to him, it costs about $4-6 to get across campus and if you split that among four people, you’re spending around one dollar.
He also sees Uber’s benefits in regards to safety on a college campus and is meeting with the director of the greater Piedmont area to see about a potential partnership between Uber and Safe Rides.
“It’s worth it, especially since we live on such a small campus,” Sakin said. “[Uber is] so much safer than walking or driving. Not only is drunk driving a problem, but so is drunk walking. People can get lost, fall or be a victim of some crime, and that’s something everyone wants to avoid.”
Sakin is currently Elon’s only student Uber driver and appreciates the business he receives, especially on Tuesdays when the out-of-town Uber drivers don’t come. He does see how the campus can benefit from more student and local drivers.
If there were more Uber drivers working during classes, afternoons and evenings, they could drive students to class or dinner off-campus. If a person wanted to drink at dinner, they could then safely take an Uber there and back to avoid any accidents.
“If there were more drivers, people would take it more,” he said. “So there’s opportunity for it to become a primary mode of transportation.”
For now, Sakin and his minivan will continue to roll down the streets of Elon, saving students from 30 minute walks across campus.
“It’s really fun, I enjoy it, I see some people I know,” Sakin said. “It keeps things interesting.”