This is a thank you to the person who tracks me down in the middle of downtown on the weekends and goes out of their way to ensure my friends and I get home safely in the early hours of the morning. This person brings me my favorite local grub when I’m sick, and drives me to work when my car is in the shop. And most importantly, they are the person I can always count on to pick me up and drop me off at the airport on time, because no one wants to be at the airport longer than they have to.

No, this isn’t a thank you to my boyfriend, not even to my best friend; this is a thank you to my Uber drivers.

I know what you’re thinking, how silly. But let me tell you, long gone are the days of bribing someone with pizza to drive you to the airport, flipping a coin to figure out who will be the designated driver for a night out, and God forbid, you actually have to go out to get your favorite burger from the local sports grill.

Since their launch in 2009, Uber has completely changed the way people travel--and with the addition of UberEATS in 2014, they changed the food delivery industry. With Uber, it’s as easy as opening an app and requesting a ride right from where I’m standing, and at any moment there’s plenty of drivers around eager to take me to my next destination in a matter of minutes.

It’s safe to say that Uber has changed my life. However, over the past couple of years it’s been no secret that Uber has faced a lot of corporate blunders and controversies, including sexual harassment allegations, a lawsuit from Google, leaked emails, a viral video, and as recent as last week, the resignation from Travis Kalanick, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Uber, after major investors in the company asked him to step down.

Beyond the corporate scandals and negative publicity, I have remained a loyal consumer. This is all due to the drivers I have encountered the past three years I have been using the app. Now is my opportunity to be there for the people who are always there for me. Here is my thank you to all the amazing Uber drivers I was lucky enough to ride with all over the country during this crazy and uncertain time in the company.

Dear Uber Drivers,

I remember when I took my first Uber in 2014. It was on a vacation and I remember my entire travel party being amazed with the efficiency of the entire process. Everything from booking a ride to the pick up, drop off and payment was seamless. And to this day, every single ride, no matter what city I was in, was just the same.

Thank you for understanding my confusing instructions. I have learned that I am not the greatest at communicating where I’m at, especially at a place that I am unfamiliar with. Thank you, thank you, thank you for always interpreting my crazy sentences and finding me (possibly a little under the influence).

Thank you for the interesting conversations. I 100 percent know that every single millennial rider you pick up is going to ask if you’ve had anything crazy/weird/unforgettable happen on a ride, and I’m no different. I’m genuinely curious, and I thank you for pretending it’s not the tenth time you’ve heard that question tonight.

Thank you for always keeping your cars immaculate. I know from the crazy stories you’ve told me that there have been some questionable spills in the backseat and the fact that your car still emits “new car smell” is much appreciated.

Thank you for being so understanding when I change my destination halfway through the ride. I try to do this as little as possible, but sometimes plans change. I'm sorry.

Thank you for saving me money. Seriously. The amount of money I could have paid to park in various locations is ridiculous. For example, I could’ve paid $68 to park at the airport for my last trip, but instead I paid $40 to ride with you round trip.

Thank you for making me feel safe. It’s scary trusting a stranger to drive through insane traffic, but from what I’ve experienced, I’m beginning to trust your driving more than my own.

Thank you for building a sense of trust. I think this is one of the most important things to me as a consumer, and after a multitude of successful rides with Uber, I trust you to get me where I need to be in an efficient and courteous manner.

So thank you for delivering food and exceptional guest service. No matter the time of day, the distance or the location, you are always there for me and I am so thankful.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

So what’s next for Uber?

On June 27, 2017, in the midst of the turmoil of Kalanick’s resignation, Uber remains to continually update features to increase their product experience for consumers. They launched their newest feature that allows app users to get rides for people who don’t use the Uber app. In short, when you’re at work (or too lazy) to go pick up mom and dad at the airport you can send an Uber straight to them. Mom and dad will get a text to their cell phones with all the Uber driver’s information. It's literally that easy!

Thank you Uber. Thank you for looking past the corporate controversy and focusing on what’s important: the user experience. And thank to all the drivers who bring the user experience to life. Thank you, for having reliable drivers that I can depend on to always be there for me.