Dear Senator Bradley and other Florida Senators,
As of April 13th, 2015, a bill sponsored by Senator Simmons is up to vote on the senate floor that could potentially end the Über business in Florida. Enforcing the ridiculously expensive and unnecessary insurance policy that the bill requires could put hundreds – maybe even thousands – of kindhearted Über drivers out of their jobs, and I am here to tell you why they don't deserve this. I've got your back, Über.
Let me just start by saying that I have never met a mean Über driver. I've come to the conclusion that they just don't exist. There is an extensive list of things that would be a lot more enjoyable than driving drunk people around all day, and yet these beautiful souls continue to do their job with a smile on their face and friendly conversation prepared for every new passenger.
As if being friendly wasn't enough, they are also great listeners. When I tell my drivers about my distress over the cute boy at the bar that never came up and talked to me or my annoying roommate that I have to go home to, they always wait patiently for me to finish my rant then respond with words of encouragement. And after we bond over my life story and become best friends, they're always up for a photo opp at the end of the ride.
After friendly, patient, and good listeners, you can add well prepared onto the list of traits that make Über drivers outstanding human beings. When I hopped into the passenger seat of my Über at two in the morning over spring break with a raw hot dog in my hand, I fully expected my driver to be extremely concerned and disgusted and ask me to throw it away. But instead, what did this perfect man do? He handed me a napkin. If that's not the ideal picture of kindness that this world needs, I don't know what is.
Aside from being the most wonderful people on Earth, Über drivers are also in high demand. Having a safe ride home is not just important, but necessary, especially in small towns like Gainesville where actual taxi service is overly priced and hard to find. Have you ever been stranded at a bar that's a 30-minute walk from your dorm, struggling to carry your friend that ordered one too many tequila shots? Well, I haven't either, but I have been the friend that ordered too many tequila shots, and I can tell you one thing: I am forever grateful that my friends had the Über app to get us home at a rate so cheap it doesn't even make me feel bad that I never paid them back for it.
Taking away Über would leave little to no options for safely getting from one place to another. Consequences of a world without safe rides include drunk driving, rape and assault, and attempting to sleep in strange and dangerous places such as alleys, benches, or some random guy's apartment. Über saves us from all of these horrific fates; it would practically be a crime to let this brilliant solution slip from our grasps.
In conclusion, Über drivers are magnificent specimens that deserve to be praised and rewarded for their heroic deeds rather than punished with high insurance rates that could end their careers. In addition, if Über ceases to exist in Florida, millions of people will lose access to safe, affordable rides that could (all jokes aside) be the difference between life and death for some. Save the men and women who save us from questionable situations every day; vote no to SB 1298.
