When Your Uber Driver Hits On You: Is Uber The New Dating App?

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First, let me be clear. I am not a single lady so I am in no way capable of saying if using Lyft or Uber for dating purposes is successful or not.

However – I mistakenly came across the realization by a series of events that is still too odd for me to fully comprehend that they might be in the running for a dating app in no time.

On a lovely Friday morning when you’re ready to use that #TGIF on every post and sing songs in your head all mentioning the word Friday, my car came to a sudden, sunken halt. The atrocity! A flat tire! Never fear, it’s the 21st century.

I pulled aside and immediately took out my phone to request an Uber/Lyft (keeping it in general because I don’t want to get kicked off of one of my most used apps). The second I get in the car, my beloved safe driver makes me immediately feel uncomfortable by yelling, “WHOA! You’re GORGEOUS.”

There’s a way to say this in a creepy way and a non-creepy way. Ladies know this… and it was the creepy way alright.

I spent the next 20 minutes on my way to work hearing him talk about how he works from home and driving for Lyft/Uber is the way he meets people. He proceeded to tell me he’s never sure if he should ask someone for their number at the end of the ride.

My insides were panicking. “How do I escape?” “Should I lie about where I work?” “Should I scream I have a boyfriend and run into my office?”

The Epiphany

After getting into my office and having a moment to decompress from the utter creepiness and awkwardness of it all- it dawned on me. Is this the new way for people to meet each other now too? Is my daughter going to bring home a boyfriend she met that gave her a ride home late one night? Is the sharing economy creating more one-click ways to find a mate?

Use These Forces For Good

Although my feminist nature would want to ramble on and on about how horrible it is that women are objectified even when they should feel safe using a Lyft/Uber, I’ll focus on the positives.

Maybe using Uber/Lyft for dating opportunities is a good thing. Instead of a right swipe on a screen and wasted gas money, you can already see if this person has personality, is the real deal and what kind of car he drives upfront. Is he messy? Are you attracted to him in real life (what a concept, I know)? Is he driving Lyft/Uber because he can’t be tamed or because he wants extra money to nurse his grandma back to health? I know I’m stretching here.

Not For Evil

I’ll refrain from naming names, but a friend of mine. Let’s call him Bill because I don’t know a Bill. My friend Bill once told me when he was driving for Lyft/Uber he was getting hit on by a woman he was driving home after being out at the bars. They ended up hooking up at her place and when he got back in the car, he realized he had kept the ride going. He ended the ride after the “conversation” they had and she left him a large tip.

I have all too many thoughts about the hookup culture but this little anecdote is to let you know how to not to use Lyft/Uber now that I may have clued you in on this untapped dating app. All great dating apps eventually fail to attract committed people because people take advantage of the system.

Don’t use it to date three different people in three different zip codes (true story) and don’t use it to hit on taken women who are clearly not interested (true story, too).

In conclusion, I don’t really have one. Is Uber and Lyft the new dating app? You tell me what you think. And by all means, share some funny stories in the comments for my personal entertainment.