Drive: Scraping By in Uber's America, One Ride at a Time

by Jonathan Rigsby

One father, 3 years, and thousands of rides

Poverty, By America meets Maid in this dad’s darkly humorous yet humanizing story of working long hours and late nights behind the wheel as a rideshare driver

Jonathan Rigsby spends his days as a crime intelligence analyst and his nights as an Uber driver. Reeling from his divorce and struggling to pay rent while caring for his autistic son, Rigsby became a rideshare driver, joining the millions of people with a side hustle just to make ends meet.

With a compelling blend of honesty and sardonic wit, Rigsby invites readers into his car to reveal the harsh reality of gig work for so grueling hours, living paycheck to paycheck, and hoping to avoid disaster long enough to prepare for the next bill. Along the way, he showcases the humor and humanity in the private moments of vulnerability that happen when people are left alone with a stranger—from the amusing tales of drunk college students to a passenger getting sick on the dashboard, a mother expressing distress about her son’s addiction, and a violent encounter on the job.

Unflinching and raw, Drive exposes an ugly truth that hides in the gaudy background of the American you can do everything right and still fail. Buckle up.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Politics, Social Justice, Labor

Audible Audio

Published May 14, 2024

Reviews

[Umar Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has been both a taxi and rideshare driver full-time (without a full-time job or any benefits), I identified with a lot written in this book. Summer slow period, swapping life stories and problems with passengers, befriending passengers, dating passengers, fighting passengers, witnessing tragedy, living vicariously through them as they experience joy and attend sporting events, etc. . Also, as a dad who has been divorced, I identified with some of that portion (albeit not all - I'm much more old school). Bottom line, taxi driving was more dangerous, but also more lucrative, and the company had most of the expenses. Flexible hours and the lack of daily pro is good, but rideshare companies transfer all of the costs on the driver, and long-term, it's not sustainable or advisable. But many have to resort to the gig economy just to survive, and it can be beneficial if you approach it with certain goals.

[CatReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

In his memoir Drive, American man Jonathan Rigsby (b. ~1985) talks about the almost 10 years he's been driving for Uber (and Lyft). I have very mixed feelings on this book, as I often do about books of this genre (see also: Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Stephanie Kiser's Wanted: Toddler's Personal Assistant, and Stephanie Land's Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive).

Unlike (or like?) the typical Uber driver (it would have been nice for Rigsby to try to gather data on this topic for his conclusion), Rigsby worked for Uber during nights and weekends in addition to having a full-time, white collar job with the state of Florida with benefits including PTO and employer-sponsored healthcare. In his early 30s, he found himself financially strapped after buying a house, having a baby with his wife, and then getting divorced in rapid succession. Rigsby found that his full-time income and his money managing skills were insufficient to provide for child support, half of the mortgage on the home he no longer lived in (he blamed his ex-wife for making him pay for this -- but also he agreed to this in the divorce settlement?), and his own living expenses. So, he felt like he had no choice but to sign up to drive for Uber, Lyft, and even donate plasma on a regular basis (another shady industry - see Kathleen McLaughlin's Blood Money: The Story of Life, Death, and Profit Inside America's Blood Industry). Meanwhile, much of his income was going toward copious amounts of alcohol, fast food, etc., and Rigsby didn't have the knowledge or tools to practice better budgeting to dig himself out of his hole. The sad thing is that Rigsby seemed socially isolated and didn't have friends to rely on for support, and though it seems like he had supportive parents in a nearby state, he seemed too ashamed or proud to ask them for support or move back closer to them. The good thing is that he had access to affordable healthcare and was able to get help for his physical, mental health, and alcohol issues when he decided to seek it out.

Much of the book consists of Rigsby telling anecdotes about his wildest rideshare driver experiences -- many salacious and even violent -- though a few featured more pathos than anything else. Overall it seems like Rigsby viewed most of his passengers as entitled and regarded them (particularly the college students) with some degree of contempt. As someone who's never driven for rideshare apps but has taken maybe a hundred Uber/Lyft rides as a passenger over the last 10 years (>95% being on work trips or airport rides), these stories made me somewhat uncomfortable for a few reasons: 1) many passengers behaving very badly, in a way I'd never on my worst day treat other people, and 2) I don't know if these passengers consented to having their stories told in this way, even though they've been anonymized here. I remember a particularly bad Uber experience I had on the way back from the funeral of a very close relative where I had delivered a eulogy, where the driver had tricked out his car with cameras and neon lights and was wanting me to participate in a game show he'd put on Youtube (a side revenue stream he was hoping to grow, I guess) -- clearly it was horrible timing, yet I felt obligated to make awkward small talk the duration of the ride because the driver wouldn't stop talking (though I insisted the cameras remain off). The social niceties go both ways, and it can be emotional labor for both riders and passengers. (Side note: there is a PC game called Neo Cab which simulates the emotional labor involved in ridesharing and other gig economy work that is quite apt here.)

The other main point of discomfort for me was how Rigsby talked about his ex-wife, and the mother of his child. At some point his child will be old enough to read this book.

I feel compassion for people in Rigsby's position, though I couldn't shake the sense that there was a pervasive victim mentality coating this book's pages. I'm glad Rigsby's fortunes have improved and wish him well. The only people who can truly benefit from the gig economy are those who are the helm.

Further reading: Uber and the gig economy
Hired: Six Months Undercover in Low-Wage Britain by James Bloodworth
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber by Mike Isaac
Whistleblower: My Journey to Silicon Valley and Fight for Justice at Uber by Susan Fowler
The Everything War: Amazon’s Ruthless Quest to Own the World and Remake Corporate Power by Dana Mattioli

My statistics:
Book 311 for 2024
Book 1914 cumulatively

[Sarah Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

I chose this book because I was curious to an inside look at driving for a ride share company, I assumed that there’d be unique stories from passengers coming and going, but what this story is is so much more.

The tale of an exploited and overworked divorced man trying to survive for himself and his son by investing his life into a job that seems impossible to stop once you start. Heartbreakingly real.

This is definitely one of the more fascinating memoirs I’ve encountered, and it was entirely unexpected!

[Deep Frey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. On a whole, it was very engaging. I found myself sympathetic to the author, but also frustrated by his choices. I was disturbed by the exploitation of workers in the gig economy, but was surprised that the author did not encourage the reader to avoid using services like Uber. Above all, I saw how the author struggled. Some of his problems were of his own making, but he was in true need of community.... friends, family who could help him. It seemed like he tried to do it all alone for far too long.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads and it was a real eye opener. If you have questions about the gig economy we live in, you must read this book.
Very well written and thought provoking!

[Preacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I understand everything he talks about because for 3 years now I've tried every gig app their is and still daily use 2 of them. Granted I have other income one is monthly and one is based on sales but at times I do depend on gig work to pay bills etc and yes the toll it takes is a lot.

[Liz Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

A searing—and stunningly personal—indictment of the gig economy. I’ve followed Jonathan Rigsby for years on Twitter as he wrote his funny and often poignant Friday night treads about being a rideshare driver in Tallahassee. In “Drive”, he pulls back the curtain and exposes the toll that driving for Uber took on his health, his family, and his life. This should be must reading for anyone who uses on Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other apps to make their lives easier at the expense of their fellows.

[Jason Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonathan weaves a captivating narrative of what it's like to be abused by today's gig economy, and just how we as a society seem to let the corporations get away with it. Equal parts funny and depressing, you're guaranteed to walk away from this book with a better understanding of the other side of the Uber/Doordash/Instacart/Lyft coin.

[Katy O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

(free review copy) Back in 2004 I was assigned to read Nickel and Dimed in my graduate program and I have often referred to it as a seminal work in my understanding of this nation's dysfunctional treatment of the people who are the backbone of our society. Then I read Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive and so appreciated that it wasn't written by a journalist pretending to do hard work for a story, but was instead a memoir of someone who had actually lived paycheck-to-paycheck and could enlighten the middle and upper class masses.

And now Drive. Drive is the book I want everyone to read NOW. The story of someone who had done everything right, according to the bootstraps contingent ~ graduate degree, solid job, married, kid. But shit (divorce) happened and Rigsby found himself unable to cover his expenses and did what so many others do in this era ~ joined the gig economy.

I so appreciate that Rigsby never talks negatively about his ex-wife and keeps his family drama respectful and in the background to the real story here ~ that of Uber and all of the other gig apps that are, as he says it, raising the waterline to cause more and more working people to drown. The rules have changed and anyone who insists that "anyone can make it if they try hard enough" is willfully ignorant and completely lacking in empathy about the true plight of anyone trying to live without a safety net. One of the only things I loved about teaching Personal Finance classes was evangelizing about the treatment of gig workers and I am sad I can't assign this to high schoolers to help combat the insanity of our current economy.

Everyone needs to read this book, excepting perhaps those living the nightmare described, as they're already well aware of the hell gig workers face. If you have ever used a ride share, read this book. If you have ever had groceries delivered, read this book. If an Amazon driver in their own vehicle has ever shown up at your house, read this book. If you have ever once shook your head in wonder at why people just can't live within their means, read this book.

This is hands-down on my shortlist of most impactful books read in 2024.

Source: digital review copy via Edelweiss

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never used Uber or any of the food delivery apps. I've always been fortunate enough to have my own transportation or a friend who could give me a lift. I've also always had the inkling that they exploited people. As for the food apps, they always seemed a bit pointless. I'd rather just make myself a sandwich than wait 45 minutes for someone to bring me a sandwich.

I felt really bad for the author. Especially since I was reading his book in large part, on a slow work from home day, lying in bed. I kept thinking of solutions for the author. The main one being, tell your parents, so they can help you. It would be far less costly to repay your parents than credit card companies.

But I believe his conclusion is correct, which is this model cannot be maintained and eventually these companies are going to implode. Like a pyramid scheme some will get rich, but the vast majority are going to go bust.

One obscure detail I did want to mention -- Rigsby takes his unwanted alcohol to a Florida State fraternity house, where he walks in the unlocked back door, finds no one around, and leaves it in their refrigerator with a note. In 1978, it was Ted Bundy that walked through the unlocked door of a sorority where he bludgeoned two women to death and injured more. Danny Rolling murdered five college students, including a man, in Gainesville, Florida in 1990. I can't believe in this age of constant murder podcasts and television true crime documentaries anyone still leaves their doors wide open in Florida. Remember the past folks.

Remember the past would also be a good reminder for those rich folks who make their dividends off the backs of the perpetually in debt, exhausted working class. Remember what happened to the rich folks during the French Revolution. (Hint: it's the same thing that Ted Bundy and Danny Rolling did to some of their victims.)

[vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir has a great flow and readability to it. You quickly lose yourself in Rigsby's life: his choices (whether smart or questionable or in between) and his plight in Florida (where a 40 hr state government worker cannot make ends meet). He is squeezed with child support, alimony, and a mortgage for a house he doesn't live in anymore before he starts driving for Uber and then Lyft (and giving plasma!!). This is a great companion book to Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber which explains the founding of Uber, the venture capitalists behind the scenes, and the illegal and exploitative shit Uber has gotten away with in their 15-year history. Ultimately, this is a story about working and middle class America surviving by being promised flexibility all the while being short-changed. Meanwhile, Travis Kalanick is worth 3.6 billion dollars. This book lays out why I try hard (though some of it is due to privilege) to limit my use of ridesharing apps, Amazon, and why I never use Doordash, Instacart, etc. It shows you why the system morally needs an overhaul.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This easy reading book is part memoir and part discussion of the gig economy and its role in making the rich richer and the poor fighting for every dollar. As a middle aged professional, there were times I found myself questioning the author's choices. That said, looking back to my days as a young adult who struggled financially, I could empathize with the feeling that sometimes there was just no good choice. Lack of accountability to their "employees" by the company has always been a concern when it comes to the gig economy and the author's personal experiences shows a few examples of just how much of an issue that can be when we don't have universal health care, easy access to transportation, and a heightened cost of living. I received a copy of this book as part of a goodreads giveaway and I'm glad to have been able to read it.

[Douglas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to read about his adventures, and his challenges with having an autistic son and dealing with divorce.

BUT, we keep coming back to his horrible financial wisdom. Somehow he worked out an agreement where he lives in a rented room, eating cup of noodles even though he has a good job. Over educated, but has no common sense about money.

I also just discovered that there are a bunch of books about Uber driving. I guess that old joke about your New York cabdriver being an actor is also true about your drivers. They are all writers or artists "between jobs".

I think I'll try another one.

[Bryce · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have long been a critic of Uber's business model and the perils of the gig economy, but Rigsby's personal account of his experience as a gig worker seems to put too much blame on Uber. Rigsby documents the policies and practices that serve to exploit many drivers, but seems to ignore the role driving for the app played in allowing him to dig out of his (largely self-created misery). Being poor in America is difficult, that much is obvious from Rigsby's account. But in a world without gig work, how would things have been better?

The lack of awareness really drags down my interest, but the book was a short, quick read that didn't require a huge commitment of time.

[David Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very short, but the author did an excellent job. I found this a great read, factual at times, heartbreaking at times. While short, it is very well done and I think the author targeted the perfect length.. some books just seem to drone on and on, the author here knows how to make a point and move on instead of creating "filler".

This is someting everyone should read so they can understand the true impact of "the gig economy" (hint: it is not good).

[Will Gaines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drive is a fascinating dive into the perils of the gig economy: it is written with a deft hand as the author describes a dual narrative of his personal experiences as a ride-share driver as well as the larger story of the predations of app-based labor. Both parts of this story are compelling and the balance between the intimate experiences of the author with the larger forces that led to said experiences will definitely keep you engaged.

[Ruby Zheng · Rating 4 out of 5]

***These are my random thoughts after finishing the book. Some of the thoughts are an overall review of the book, or any questions/feelings that nagged at me throughout. There will almost definitely be spoilers. Read at your own risk.***   ‐----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



4 stars

Short and very readable
Reads more as an indictment of gig economy
Difficult and frustrating to read at times

[Chris Herpers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, next time I get an Uber ride I will look at it differently. Full of personal experiences and a great dive into the shady business practices of apps like Uber or Lyft which exploit workers 19th Century style while constantly having to attract VC funds to bankroll a faulty business model. It also gave me good insights as an investor, by the way. Finally it is well written, short, and captivating; I couldn't put it down for the 3 or 4 days it took me to read it.

[Marty Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was worth the read for me. It highlights the idea that most Americans are only an adverse event away from losing everything. Companies like Uber and other gig economy ventures manipulate and lie to get the majority of what their workers earn, all the while dangling various carrots that promise a decent living and a dream of entrepreneurship but offer something more like indentured servitude.

[Maria Simon]

Interesting look into the life of a ride share driver. i thought that these companies took advantage of their drivers, but some of the treatment is shocking. I felt for Jonathan and it was just gave me more proof that our country has a lot of problems particularly when it comes to our healthcare system.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but I was surprised by how repetitive the epilogue was. When giving an overview of the many different statistics and studies that support how exploitative Uber is, each paragraph doesn't need a separate sentence affirming that Uber is predatory. I feel like I read the same basic sentence many, many times in that short epilogue.

[Mark Noizumi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 stars. Rigsby's criticism of Uber and the gig economy is the strong point of this book. And some of his stories are interesting about driving. For me, it was hard to entirely empathize with his choices and sometimes it felt like he was blowing his own horn a bit, even while also showcasing some of his bad sides and poor choices. The journey is a bit disjointed and doesn't flow entirely.

[Venky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drive is more a savage and deserving indictment of a giant enterprise in a gig economy that cares two hoots about imperiling lives and futures than a stark story of a young man who leads a life in between two successive paychecks, despite holding onto a stable day job, boasting two college degrees, donating a little more than thirty-nine gallons of plasma until his arms resembled divots (you read that right), and doing all of these things when not doubling up as an Uber driver throughout the night.

Jonathan Rigsby’s life faces an existential crisis when a trifecta of calamities in the form of a broken marriage, burgeoning debts and an unceasing torrent of expenses raise their dreaded hoods. In desperation, Rigsby registers himself as a driver for Uber. Thus begins his life as a small cog in the gigantic wheel that is the gig economy. This work lends a sneak peek into Rigsby’s experiences spanning over eight thousand drives, hundreds of passengers, an eclectic agglomeration of emotions, an unpredictable bouquet of behaviours and a lasting memory of impressions and idiosyncrasies, nostalgia, and nightmares.

Rigsby’s diverse experience behind the wheel of his car, at times reads straight out a Wachowski Brothers – or sisters in the most contemporaneous sense – thriller. Getting an inside view into the trials and tribulations of his passengers as they spill out their woes and wisdom, Rigsby might have felt as though he was experiencing an alternative or parallel universe. From the sophisticated to the simple and from the refined to the rustic, Rigsby gets a ringside view into the entire tapestry of human emotions with every warp and weft lending itself to sharing, if not scrutiny.

When not trying to spill their inebriated guts out within the confines of Rigsby’s conveyance, people either choose to be an epitome of etiquette or a disgrace to humanity. An especial and dangerous illustration of the latter almost cost Rigsby an eye. When requested by Rigsby to get out of the car’s trunk and wait for another ride, since the car was already full of the stipulated number of passengers, an irate and inebriated man flings himself against an unsuspecting Rigsby, pummels him to the ground before unleashing a fusillade of punches one of which connects dangerously close to his left eye.

What follows is a continuing episode of blinding lights, a series of examinations and a potentially gloomy prospect of the loss of an eye. An excruciating Court battle follows and by the time the issue is set to rest after more than a year and a half, Rigsby is left with a compensation, terming which as paltry would be being virtuous to the grant, and his assailant is left with just a rap and a few hours of community service. Throughout the whole unsavoury process, Uber could not be bothered to be disturbed with such trivial issues.

Rigsby slowly masters the technique of identifying the right crowd, location, and time for optimizing his costs and maximizing his revenues. In the process he finds out the lies peddled by Uber in attracting drivers. Promising the world by proclaiming that a driver even when working at his or her own convenience could make as much as $90,000 per annum, Uber uses the technique of gamification to lure drivers to work as hard as possible. Fatigue for an Uber driver is as good as a veritable taboo. But the realities are tangentially different from the rosy proclamations.

Rigsby when struggling to maintain his own livelihood let alone providing for his son, unfortunately gets into the rut of regular drinking. When the consumption transitions from the regular to the copious, he fortunately grasps the enormity of the problem and seeks support. Writing for the New York Times, Mike Issac on the 22nd of February 2017, bared in a no-holds barred manner the workplace culture permeating Uber. In what employees’ term “Hobbesian” environment, the company pits worker against worker and turns a blind eye to even major infractions from the stand-out performers.

From managers groping women, directors hurling homophobic slurs and superiors threatening to beat underperforming employees head in with a baseball bat, Uber is a melting pot of reprehensible behaviour. Uber also is accused of regularly cheating drivers of their earnings. In 2023 Uber and Lyft agreed to pay $328 million after “cheating drivers out of hundreds of millions of dollars,” according to New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office. Uber’s share was $290 million while Lyft agreed to fork out $38 million. From 2014 to 2017, Uber deducted sales taxes and Black Car Fund fees from drivers’ payments when those taxes and fees should have been paid by passengers. Uber misrepresented the deductions made to drivers’ pay in their terms of service, telling drivers that Uber would only deduct its commission from the drivers’ fare.

Rigsby highlights his and his fellow drivers’ travails as they are left at the mercy of a hyper capitalistic animal that pays scant – if not nonexistent – heed to the predicaments of thousands of human beings which it fails to even classify as ‘employees.’

Drive is a candid quasi memoir of failings, resilience, and a reinforcement of optimism.

[Julie Houser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads. I thought it would be boring, but started reading it anyway. I was hooked from the beginning. This was a very interesting book. The driver went through alot to drive in this crazy world.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve followed Jonathan Rigsby (@ride_trips) for years now. He tweets weekly about the interesting fares he picks up as a Uber/Lyft driver in Florida.
I was excited to hear he was writing a book and even more so to read it! Jonathan’s story is mostly his, although he does weave in statistics and general information. This made the book even more interesting to read. If you’ve ever “grabbed an Uber,” definitely check this book out. Such a well-done perspective on the complexities of working in the gig/on-demand economy in 2010s-2020s America. 5 stars.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The gig economy is eating away at the foundations of American life, subjecting its participants to routine humiliation ...
With every app that is added to the gig ecosystem, the waters of poverty rise a few inches , and thousands more people begin drowning."

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've followed Jonathan on twitter for a while and was excited to finally read his book. Part memoir, part rider vignettes, and totally a take down of Uber and the gig economy. I highly recommend to anyone interested in social issues, economics, tech, and public policy. I read it in a day.

[Pamela Holcomb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good, I read it in a day and a half. It was informative, eye opening and well worth my time to read. I've never used Uber, but I have friends who frequently use it when traveling. I plan to mail my copy to them. It's just too good to let sit on a shelf and not be read again.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting peek behind the Uber curtain, through the perspective of a driver. The book also ties the author's personal issues with the app, such as a brutal attack by a drunk passanger, and the race to the bottom gig work creates.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rigsby has written a solid reflection on his years dependent on the gig economy. It's also a researched indictment of the exploitative behavior and advertising of Uber and similar platforms, as well as the current state of poverty in America. Quick read and an important one.