My first what car thread. I feel giddy. 7 row for Uber XL musings.

In reply to SVreX :

a very particular customer service job that i hate that recently the owner seems to think needs more E36 M3ty waiters to compensate for the E36 M3ty ones he already has.

then you add the worst customers in the world.  Having said that I'm not moving to a new restaurant.  They're all a special kind of hell.  They make being nice to people suck.

I uber'd a lot once and I could mop the floor with 90+% of the drivers on customer service. 

Debt if not crippling is a heck of a motivator and driving people around who mostly don't want to talk to you is easy.

Insurance will be the big qualifier.

Unless there are any 'vehicle' suggestions out there other than Caravan. 

In reply to skierd :

My current landlord picked up a few catering gigs recently and it would fit an Uber side quite well.

Just tied myself to D.C. with the new apt.  which is funny as a manager is moving to Colorado for 5-6 months.

And there's a Windstar that could be bought cheap.  Van life would be odd for sure. 

I will definitely make a note of recommendations.  Thanks.

I’ve  never heard a good thing about Windstars and the newest is about nine years old at this point. Run.

Edit- you were typing as I was posting, I’m gonna leave this as-is though. 

There are very few of us that truly work at what we love. Working sucks, that’s why it’s called work. Restaurant work sucks a lot less at $20-30+/hr vs <$10/hr, the former being what a lot of seasonal servers, bartenders, and caterers end up making. There are states and municipalities that require restaurants to pay all workers full minimum wage for example  

Also hating the general public is part of my suggestion to get in to catering. You’re not really dealing directly with the customer beyond putting the coffee out and refilling the chafers. Most of the work is side work: prepping the room, rolling silver, polishing glassware, and rolling tables in and out. The work is different for every event and it’s not something that can get off-shored or replaced with automation. Some hotels might be union, which would be good or bad depending on dues and any benefits that might have netted the workers. 

Back to cars, I personally wouldn’t stake my income on an aging high mileage Chrysler product but that’s just me. I also cant see how driving an Uber in the off hours as a de-facto gypsy airport cap in order to avoid bars and drunks, will have you interacting with people less and making more money.  I don’t know how Uber pays though.

That being said my only experience with caravans are as rentals and I could easily see owning one as a family truckster. 

In reply to nutherjrfan :

I’m not trying to piss in your cornflakes. You are communicating frustration with customer service that seems to go beyond a single place of employment. 

You say it’s a particular customer service job, but then follow it up by saying “They’re all a special kind of hell”, and you refer to some Uber riders with disdain because they soiled  their pants. 

You NEVER get to choose your customers when you are in a customer service job. What are gonna do when some 400 lb smelly dude with broken English wants a ride from the airport?

Skierd is trying to help you see some of the assets you have, and how you might be able to capitalize on them in a positive way. I know someone who made over $100 per hour (in 1980) waiting tables- but he didn’t do it the way you do.  

Customers who want service are ALL  difficult.  Even GRMers.  You can play your skills positively and choose how to capitalize on it, or you can blame the customers.

I am trying to help you see the business side of customer service in a transport business (since I had one).

You will not be an employee with Uber.  You will be self-employed.  Have you ever been self-employed?  You will have to pay your taxes quarterly (or monthly), carry insurance, pay accountants, be licensed, etc, etc.  It MAY work, but don’t underestimate how hard it can be.  

I wouldn’t commit to a car loan unless you have AT LEAST 3 or 4 months operating expenses in the bank.  

+1 on there being other things to do.

I do understand being stuck in a rut, I've been in some pretty deep long ruts, myself. But spending a lot of money to make some money seems risky to me. Especially on something that wears out. A car is not an investment. That's just my opinion, it's worth what you paid for it.

However, on to things you ACTUALLY asked about: I cannot at all relate to people's positive experiences with Grand Caravans/Town & Countrys. I am happy that they had good experiences. Now let me tell you mine. I have an '08, I'm the second owner. I got it 4 years ago with 130 on the clock.

• I've replaced the coil pack 3 times
• it eats brakes -- I've had to do full brake jobs once a year on avg. I understand they came with bigger brakes after my year, but if nothing else it goes to show how little forethought they put into this thing, if one were to ask me my opinion.
• both rear calipers seized and replaced
• $100 tire pressure monitors are all broken now, they just FALL APART on this thing. now I have the standard ones in there and that light is constantly on
• driver's side automatic sliding door was inconsistent about opening, finally the plastic piece disintegrated that held the cable to open and close it. that's going to be SUCH a hassle
• replaced fuel injector
• replaced alternator
• replaced radiator
• occasional misfire, can't find it, it comes and goes as it pleases
• lower intake manifold leak
• sometimes the key fob comes out. sometimes it doesn't.
• the passenger hvac blend door gets stuck a lot. and last weekend we found that the driver's one gets stuck now too.
• the worst part of all is that they put a plastic coolant y pipe over the exhaust. it breaks. and the new one breaks. and sometimes it just leaks here and there just because. i got an aluminum aftermarket one and i still get leaks.

Honestly, and I mean this, I have intended to sell it off for the past two years but it has NEVER been working well enough to sell. And now with the door and the intermittent misfire and the occasional new coolant leak... it's mine 'till it dies >:(

Check Consumer Reports, too. In a recent annual car issue they said at least three times that one should never buy one of these. Haha I'm getting so mad just thinking about it right now. hahaha oh well

For things you didn't ask about: office jobs are not the most fun (as someone said, it's called work because it's work) but find a big company and you'll find yourself with good potential to move up. I used to wait tables too and if you're as conscientious about good service as you say, you can easily spin that customer service angle to your advantage. I mean you can get into call center jobs that pay $30k

I drove Uber a bit in my offseason a couple of years back in miami. It was horrible and I generally like everyone. It reminded me of being a waiter in college. I’d look into Shipt. It can take a month or so to get hired, but might fit you better and pay seems to be better. 

I know a couple people who drive Uber in Chicagoland, and hear their stories almost daily. 

After seeing their experiences and how much they make, I really couldn't recommend it to anyone unless the did it as a side job, and already owned a cheap efficient vehicle that they didn't mind destroying. 

I suggest getting an apprenticeship in one of the trades. 

Interesting link: https://medium.freecodecamp.org/190-universities-just-launched-600-free-online-courses-heres-the-full-list-3d9ad7895f57

There are all sorts of university courses available for free.  You can then pay a nominal fee for a certificate if you need to prove your efforts to an employer. (I'm assuming there's an exam?) In a tight labor market, a few of these might be enough to get a foot in the door.