Being an Uber driver in Milwaukee is a one-of-a-kind experience that let’s Dave Begel meet some of the most interesting people, residents as well as visitors to the city. Everybody has a story and Tales of the Road will highlight some of those stories. The stories have been edited into quotes from riders. Names have been omitted or changed to preserve the privacy of his passengers.
I have now passed the 1,000 mark in my career as an Uber driver, and that doesn’t even count friends who’ve gotten rides for free.
Uber keeps very careful records, every ride, starting point and destination. Length of the ride and the distance. How much each ride goes to me.
I live in Riverwest, and that’s where I start. Most of my rides are on that side of town. Things might be different for a driver from another side of town.
In those 1,000 rides, I’ve learned there are some popular and frequent destinations. Here’s the top 10 destinations in order.
1. Water Street
By far the most popular. Limited to Friday and Saturdays pretty much. McGillycuddy’s is the top destination. A slight surprise is that a lot of riders get picked up at home after 11 p.m. and then head to the bars. Who gets started at 11 p.m. on a Saturday? Or maybe I'm just old.
2. Summerfest grounds
It’s a seasonal thing, but during the big festival – plus all the little ones – the pings on Uber are spread out throughout the day. Start about noon and run until 11 p.m. It’s a zoo during Summerfest.
3. Old World Third Street
A really diverse crowd. Ugly’s is by far the most popular destination, and from my experience, it’s a largely black crowd that goes there. Top destination rivaling Ugly’s is Lucille’s Rockin’ Piano Bar.
4. Brady Street
Home of the number one single destination on weekends, Jo Cat’s. This Brady Street legend is the place Don Nelson and I used to go day drinking after playing tennis. Joe Cataldo had a long reputation of having one of the greatest music selections in the city, and the tradition continues even though he’s no longer there. Now the place crawls with polo shirts, docksiders, skinny jeans and white halter tops. It’s as if you moved Whitefish Bay High School three miles south.
5. Miller Park
About the only rides I give to the park are several hours before game time. It’s a trip to tailgate, often accompanied with a 24-pack of beer the rider is bringing to the party. Once the clock passes one hour before the first pitch, the number of Uber riders drops dramatically.
6. Johnson Controls
On 60th street on the near South Side, for some reason, the company has lots of people coming to visit or work. Many of them are from India, and many of them stay at the Aloft hotel Downtown. A heavy preponderance of IT consultants.
7. Miller Coors
On 39th and Highland. A lot of people who work for the company come in for training. They have a panel made up of employees who are beer tasters. During the day, they may sample as many as two dozen beers, trying to develop a nose for what’s good and what’s not.
8. Mitchell Field
The two big days are Monday and Thursday. Monday is when Milwaukee people get on a plane to go somewhere. Thursday is when the people who have flown in from elsewhere are returning home.
9. Bad Genie
The top destination by far in the cluster of places on Jefferson Street. Plum, Taylor’s and The Belmont are all there, but Bad Genie is the killer destination by far for those millennials heading out with love and liquor on their minds.
10. Metro Market
Not the one in Shorewood but the original one on Jackson Street. I’m stunned by the number of people who call for an Uber, take it to the store and call another one to take them home again.
Other big ones are the US Bank Building, Northwestern Mutual, the 411 Building, the Milwaukee Public Market and the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Still on my docket are the following places to which I have never delivered a passenger: a church or temple or mosque, a county park, a funeral, an elementary school, a television or radio station, the Humane Society, City Hall or a fast food restaurant.
Stay tuned and I’ll get back to you after then next 1,000.
With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.
He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.
This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.
Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.
