I’m a software engineer and I make around $300k a year. Recently, I’ve been curious about what it’s like to work as a delivery driver, just to see a different side of the city and understand how the logistics work behind the scenes. I decided to sign up for Uber Eats to try it out for a few hours a week.
When I told my girlfriend about it, she got really upset. She thinks it’s incredibly **rude** of me to do this when I clearly don’t need the income. Her main argument is that I’m essentially "playing" at a job that people actually rely on to pay their rent, and by being on the app, I’m taking delivery opportunities away from people who truly need them.
I can see where she’s coming from, but I don’t feel like I’m doing anything wrong. It’s more about curiosity and personal interest for me, and I don’t think my being out there for a couple of hours is going to make a massive dent in the job market. I also don’t see how it’s "rude" to provide a service that customers are asking for.
Am I the asshole for wanting to do this?
NTA. Nothing is stopping anybody else from doing the job.
uber eats needs more drivers not less
Nta you can unlock new skills if you make it right
Nope. Anybody can work there and they need drivers.
NTA she just doesn’t want to admit she would be embarrassed by you doing that.
Not the asshole I think you are just curious and that is a good thing also this does not interfere with your other part time work as a Nigerian Prince.
NTA I think it’s really cool that you want to learn about a completely different field. Curiosity is a sign of intelligence. Enjoy.
NTA – your girlfriend seems like a total snob, sorry.
I think it’s awesome
NTA – your girlfriend is being weird.
There are people who don’t have transportation and they rely on this for not only a hot meal but groceries as well. NTA! Have multiple streams of income
Technically NTA but to add perspective. The $20 an hour you will make is nothing to you. But it could mean making the rent payment or not, to someone else. Your fun, informative experience is clogging a market where the other drivers are scraping pennies together to put food on the table and pay the electric/water bill.
I hope you use it as an opportunity to understand a situation that you may not have been otherwise exposed to. And perhaps improve it somehow. Which I highly encourage.
NAH. I mean, when you make $300k you can absolutley afford to be ‘curious’ about what it’s like to deliver someone’s Chipotle at 10pm. Your girlfriend isn’t wrong that it has big ‘poverty safari’ energy, but also Uber isn’t exactly turning down drivers because they’ve got too many. She’s more worried about how it looks at brunch than actual economics.
NTA, I’ve done gig delivery off and on for years because sometimes life needs extra money. Also, I think more software engineers should have to actually use the stuff they make. If every DoorDash developer actually had to spend one day a week delivering food on the app maybe it would be better designed.
NAH. I understand her concern, but there are plenty of Uber Eats slots to go around. It’s not like you’re proposing to occupy a tenured faculty position just for kicks.