“I get to listen to music and you can see… If it was any other city I’d probably hate it, but New Orleans is so fun to look at. Besides the streets it’s all really fun.”
Ian Wilkinson
Ian Wilkinson traded in his electrician uniform for a job that is self-scheduled, profitable, full of Jazz music, and contains four wheels. Ian is from Elkhorn, Wisconsin, and now lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he drives for Uber around thirty to forty hours a week. His primary motive for joining Uber was to rent a car provided by the company for personal use when he was not on the clock. However, Ian has found the job to be very fulfilling. Starting the work day bright and early, Ian picks up and drops off passengers while observing the beautiful scenery of New Orleans and listening to the music genre of the day, typically something heavy or Jazz to please the riders. Not only does this interview show the ease of driving for Uber, but it also shows how employees can financially get by. Ian shows how he follows his weekly goals to make what he needs and then goes home to relax with his wife and children.
“It’s a lot less stress on me to just take people where they need to go, and I actually make more money anyway. So elect…the electrical world can have itself.” – Ian Wilkinson
Wilkinson, Ian. Ian Wilkinson Interview. Interview by Isabel Borges. Audiorecording, transcript, November 3, 2022. The Gig Economy Collection. Documentary and Oral History Studio, Loyola University New Orleans. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT1iYy6q6ZA.
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