- Uber and Lyft leaders with Teslas said passengers want to know what they think of Elon Musk.
- Drivers said they do not like to speak politics because they are afraid they could damage their advice.
- They shared how they sail these conversations and try to keep the knights happy.
Some Uber and Lyft drivers with Teslas do not want to talk with knights about Elon Musk – but they will play together because it’s good for business.
Wesley Johnson said his passengers regularly mention Musk and that comments have reduced more negatively in recent months. Johnson said he disagrees with all Musk’s political views, but is a big fan of Tesla cars – and he keeps those thoughts about himself.
“When they bring Elon, I just roll with the cavalry,” said Johnson, who is in the 1960s and runs in the area of San Francisco. “I just want to keep them happy.”
Three Ridshare drivers told Business Insider that, in recent months, Musk has become a hot theme of the conversation during their travels because of their car. Musk, co -worker and CEO of Tesla, He has been in the spotlight lately as he works with President Donald Trump as the Deco leader of the Government Efficiency Department.
Drivers said their passengers – who run the range from Musk’s haters in superfans – regularly ask them what they think about Musk and share their thoughts. Drivers said they have carefully sailed these conversations because they do not want to endanger the advice and ratings they receive from customers – making a challenging profit environment even more difficult.
Redesome leaders get fewer tips than drivers for platforms like Dobordash and Grubhub, and some drivers previously told BI that poor customers in recent years have made their income growing more difficult in recent years.
Moreover, a low driver rating can make it harder to get a driver passenger and become acceptable for rewards programs. It can also lead their account to be disabled.
Uber, Lyft and Tesla did not respond to a comment request from BI.
Drivers want to keep knights happy
Jay Keleher said his Uber passengers regularly ask what he thinks of Elon Musk. Jay Keleher
Uber and Lyft leaders are not the only people who are reluctant to talk about politics during their working hours. Fifty -seven percent of American adults said they have sometimes avoided expressing their political views because of the fear of poor treatment or harassment, for a gallup survey of 9,894 Americans conducted in May. Moreover, some employers have asked the staff to refrain from discussing politics at work or banning them from doing so.
Trent T, which is located in Southern Florida, said his cavalier feelings for Musk have treated more positive in recent months. When someone brings Musk, Trent said he responds with a neutral comment, like, “He is really smart even though I do not always agree with things he is doing.” He then expects the knight to discover their opinion and adapt accordingly.
“If they tell me they can’t stand it, then I can’t stand it, and we will both agree on it,” said Trent, who is in his 50s and asked not to use his surname for fear of professional consequences. “So no matter what they believe, they will leave a better appreciation for me.”
Jay Keleher has not been so lucky. While clients’ tips can change based on several factors, Keleher said that some knights are not musk lovers – and, from proxy, his tesla. He added that his advice as part of his total profits have been plunged to 12% this year from about 17% during the last four months of 2024, according to his calculations.
He said that at least a few times a week, a knight asks how he feels about Musk and then shares their thoughts.
“I usually allow them to say what they want for Elon,” said Keleher, who is 42 years old and lives near Albany, New York. “My answer is that I don’t have a thought about it.”
Johnson said he had better luck to get advice from passengers since he moved from a Mercedes to a Tesla two years ago. He thinks this is partly because some knights have not been in a tesla before and see the interesting experience, but he knows that some other factors can also affect his advice.
“Some people like the car, but they don’t like it,” he told Musk.
Do you work in the concert economy And are you open to sharing your experiences? Please complete this quickly Google form.