Please Save Uber and Lyft in Chicago

To whom it may concern,

A little birdie told me there's a possibility of removing ridesharing from Chicago. Here is why I feel like ridesharing is a necessary feat. Even though you can't hail an Uber or Lyft driver, we are all just people wanting to provide a quality service to those in need of a ride home. What if someone was intoxicated and needed a ride and didn't know where in their wallet their money was? Well, not a problem because everything is done on an online system that takes care of the money transactions for you. That way, you don't have anyone being like "oops I can't pay sorry byeeeeee" and not paying the fare at all. The online system avoids those types discrepancies, as well as fumbling and possibly dropping your money; it also makes the transaction faster. It also avoids the possibility of a whacko person trying to steal your money. I have heard some stories about taxi drivers being nasty to passengers and driving like jerk faces. One time, a girl in high school who didn't own a debit card told me she once handed a taxi driver a 20 dollar bill and needed change and the driver told her to "get out of the car or he'd beat the shit out of her". Thanks to ridesharing, the number of drunk/intoxicated drivers has decreased as well. Us rideshare drivers need to keep the road safe too!

Also, Uber and Lyft are very handy for those needing more flexible schedules. This is applicable for people such as performers and parents who may never have a static schedule. This is also helpful for people like me who are in between careers and trying to make more than minimum wage (aka a liveable wage). Someone I was driving around once told me that Uber and Lyft are the next generation waiters and waitresses for artists needing to make a living. I myself am an artist and this service has not left me fearing paying my bills. If this service were gone, some people would be running around in circles with their arms up freaking out about how to earn money, especially because all "regular jobs" are very competitive and sometimes very difficult to attain. What if a mentally disabled veteran needed something to do and couldn't hold a regular job? I also am a blogger and am using my experiences of driving to enhance my career.

Another thing I might add is how there may be "horror stories" of Uber and Lyft drivers doing things as extreme as killing another person (while not on duty). No matter what job and industry you are in, there are bad eggs. There are also murderers. An Uber or Lyft driver is not a murderer; a murderer is a murderer.

There is also a petition to sign for saving Uber at least: https://action.uber.org/illinois/ - PLEASE SIGN IT! And share this post to show why Uber and Lyft are necessary feats in Chicago!

Thank you very much!

Signed, Your Friendly Neighborhood Uber Driver!