The Uber Driver Whom Helen Paul Asked Her Doctor to Treat

My name is Elizabeth Aleraye. I met Helen Paul while doing Uber. I studied Accounting at Yaba College of Technology. Presently, I am running a Distance Learning Institute programme at the University of Lagos (Accounting year 5). I started driving in October 2018. I was working in a bank while also studying. It wasn’t easy because the job and my degree programme required my physical presence. So, I started looking for another job that would give me more flexible hours to be able to concentrate on my studies and still provide the funds. Before I quit my job, I decided to join the Uber platform and see if I could cope with it. So, during the weekends when I don’t have anything to do, I would do Uber rides. A few months later, I quit my job and focused on Uber fully. I work for 14 hours during the week. I start my day at 5:30 am and close by 8 pm. I do observe 30-minute breaks every day. My weekend hours are not fixed but I don’t work on Sundays. I do not work at night. But during the last Christmas, I worked at night for a few days. My family was cool with it. They checked up on me every hour. I am not one to let my gender define me.

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My nicest customer was Helen Paul, the comedian/actress. I picked her at the local airport on a Friday. I wasn’t feeling too well that day, but it wasn’t obvious. We got talking and something led to the other and she got to know I wasn’t feeling too well. She was so concerned and ensured that I booked an appointment with her doctor and followed up on me. My health means a lot to me but that day I needed to work so I had no choice. Helen Paul’s kindness had a great impact on me. Driving Uber is a very useful means to an end – it is a means to achieve a very important goal in life. Gender discrimination is something most female drivers experience on the job. Not all riders are comfortable with having a female driver. Some tell you when they get into the car.  Some people cancel the trip immediately after they realise they will have a female Uber driver.

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I picked up a particular rider from the Island to the Mainland. He started making advances immediately I started the trip, asking questions like how much is the cost to spend a night with him. I told him I don’t sell my body to feed myself. He didn’t get the gist, so I had to end the trip. There are a lot of female Uber drivers. We have a WhatsApp group strictly for female drivers.  We have 81 women in the group. I am sure there are many female drivers yet to join. I was scammed by a female passenger who lives in Lekki. Is it not ironic that I have been scammed by a lady? She did a fake bank alert. I kept calling her to pay me and she kept promising to pay. But after one week, she exploded “f*ck off, bitch. How much is your money? I make more than that a day”. Well, I still haven’t gotten my money even after a year. I have learnt a lot, but all I will say is: be kind in any situation you find yourself. Life is a circle. I take security very seriously. I always share my location with my family and friends. If I am not comfortable with either the pick-up location or destination of a rider, I cancel the trip. And as an extra security measure, I have a lethal portion of snipper mixed with kerosene that I keep by my car door side. I have never had reason to use it, and don’t pray the day would come. But I keep it just in case. After working for 14 hours and removing all deductions like toll-gate fee, feeding, and so on, I would still have N10,000 to save daily. I see myself going back to the corporate world in 2-3 years, using my accounting skills and other relevant acquired qualifications to secure a very good job. Uber is making this dream possible.