A New Hobby . . . UBER!
When Betsy and I arrived in Trenton, ME on May 8th we knew we had some time before starting our job in Bar Harbor on June 1st. We saw those three weeks as an opportunity to get out to do some sightseeing and explore the beauty of Acadia National Park. While we have been able to do those things, there was still some free time to maybe find another hobby. I did some research on the internet for temporary, flexible jobs in the area that sounded interesting. The flexible part was important because we are still committed to working our jobs at Coastal Kayak and Acadia Bike until mid-October. These requirements were a perfect fit to sign up and spend some time driving for UBER.
We are definitely not what I would consider “heavy” UBER users! In fact, I can only remember one time, last year, when we were in Elizabethtown, PA that we utilized the ride-sharing app. The Big Tow’er was getting some work done and our Pilot was in the garage getting an emergency repair. It worked like a charm and our UBER driver showed up and delivered us to our destination. But even from afar I always thought the concept of UBER was good and I could definitely see the value of the services it provided. After a little online research to make sure UBER operated in the Trenton area, I moved forward with providing UBER with the information they required to become one of their drivers. The application process was very easy to navigate and was all completed using the UBER app on my iPhone. The next day I was approved. I was now an official UBER driver!
I didn’t have any great expectations the first time I went “online” on the app. Everything I read seemed to imply that there wasn’t much demand for UBER in Bar Harbor, but there may be some activity towards Bangor, which was 45 minutes north of our campground. My logic was, “Hey, it didn’t hurt to go “online” and see what happened.” It took less than an hour for my phone to alert me of a request. I jumped into the car, with my co-pilot Betsy in tow, and headed out. The app makes it easy, including navigation, to pick up your customer and safely transport them to their desired destination.
In my first week using the app off and on, I learned a couple of things: 1) UBER is a great way to earn some extra money in your spare time; 2) UBER customers in the Bar Harbor area are friendly, courteous, and interesting to talk to; 3) A high percentage of the visitors to Bar Harbor come from an area of the country where UBER is available, and they expect the same convenience during their visit here; 4) Staying in a campground located directly next to the Bar Harbor Airport allows me quick access to the passengers and pilots who fly into the airport.
I would call my first week as an UBER driver a success and will definitely go “online” in my free time once I start work this week.
If you are interested in becoming a driver for UBER, we would love if you would use our invite / referral code (RUSSG572UE) to sign up. If you have any question about the sign-up process, send us an email and we would be glad to help you through the process. Don't want to drive, but need a ride, first time users will get a FREE RIDE (up to $20) using promo code (BETSYG100)!
