18 months of UberX in San Francisco

These observations are based on having lived in San Francisco for the last 18 months — and taking UberX many times per week. I usually chat with my driver for at least a couple minutes and almost always ask “Why do like driving for Uber?” Note: numbers are not scientific and entirely gut approximations.

1. When I first started taking UberX in San Francisco in the July 2013, most drivers seemed to be former taxi drivers. Fast forward to February 2015 and my last 3 drivers were a former high school administrator, an insurance broker and a college student.
2. 90% of drivers say they like Uber for the flexibility of working when they want to work; 10% because they like interacting with people.
3. 80% of San Francisco Uber drivers live in the East Bay.
4. 50% of drivers use Waze as their primary form of navigation, 10% still use a standalone Garmin-style GPS.
5. 30% of drivers are driving for both Uber and Lyft.
6. I’ve had at least 2 drivers who have been paid a $500 bonus to switch to UberX from another ride-sharing service.
7. When I ask drivers to guess what percent of riders enter an Uber and are immediately engrossed in their phone: 90%.
8. The most common complaint from drivers about Uber: incorrect pick-up location coordinates and having their rider subsequently give them a bad rating.