My Everyday Hustle

My Everyday Hustle: The On-Demand Driver

On-demand drivers are becoming a vital and sometimes controversial part of every American city. But these drivers face challenges in their “everyday hustle”, from road rage, to personal safety issues, to low pay. Cecilia Brentlinger came to New York from Peru in search of a better life for her son.  She started working as an on-demand driver for the freedom of determining her own hours, but quickly learned this flexibility comes at a price.

We see them every day and often depend on them. They are an integral part of the fabric of any city, including New York. They are the people who make our lunch, deliver our dinner, drive us around, walk our dog, and sing for us in the subway. “My Everyday Hustle” offers five fascinating first-person profiles that reveal the struggles, successes, and “daily hustle” of everyday people.

Meet a dog walker, street cart vendor, on-demand driver, courier, and subway performer that are all working hard to just get by. Who are the people behind these jobs? How do they make ends meet in one of the most expensive cities in the nation? Is the American dream achievable for them? Learn about the everyday hustle for these New Yorkers and how they support themselves and their families, and how they see themselves “Chasing the Dream.”

This series was produced by Geraldine Moriba, Ed Hersh, Hazel Gurland-Pooler, Maya Navon, Julie Florio, Andrew Robertson, and Rich Abraham.

Premiere: July 28, 2017 | 0:05:37
TRANSCRIPT

[Uptempo music] (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: You want

to know the truth. How I

started? Ok. I was in Times

Square looking around.

Thinking what I'm doing in

this big city that is very

famous for money and

everything and I have no job.

And I saw a lot of womans are

driving yellow cabs. And I say

what? If they do, I can do.

(Already subtitled) Cecilia: I

work for Uber, five days a

week. And I make around $700

to $1,000 a week, working 10

to 12 hours a day, sometimes a

little bit more. (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: I started

to drive when the car was ten

thousand miles. Now it is 100.

I kill this car. (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: My name is

Cecilia Brentlinger. [Uptempo

music] (Already subtitled)

Cecilia in car: New York City

is hard to drive because there

is a lot of traffic. And there

is trucks, buses, bicycles,

skateboards... (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: I was a

single mother. (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: Oh, when I

came here I was scared because

I have no family no friends. I

don't know no one. But I feel

strong enough to do it because

I saw a lot of people do it,

why not me? And I did.

[Uptempo music] (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: Now I'm

working Uber part time and

another part time for my boss

like a housekeeper. (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: I came

from Peru (Already subtitled)

Cecilia: And I wanted change

and give different life for my

son. I'm already a citizen.

(Already subtitled) Cecilia:

And I live in Flushing Queens.

(Already subtitled) Cecilia:

And I have one bedroom and I

pay $1,200 dollars a month.

[Uptempo music] (Dropping off

a customer): Cecilia: Oh

you're welcome! Customer: Have

a good one. Cecilia: Have a

good day! And have a lovely

weekend. Customer: Thank you

very much. You as well.

(Already subtitled) Cecilia:

It is really true, you can do

what you want. But have to

work hard to see your money.

[Melancholy music] (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: Yeah, they

give a ticket. (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: If I'm

alone, they give a ticket.

(Already subtitled) Cecilia: I

have a lot. A lot of tickets

and points. (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: Earlier

today, I have to go for

traffic court to fight a

ticket. (Already subtitled)

Cecilia: It's not good to have

points, not for TLC. They

suspending... if I have 12

points. I already have 11.

[Melancholy Music] (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: And I win.

The judge decide "“not guilty"”

because there is not a big

reason. It is a silly ticket.

[Melancholy Music] (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: I lost all

my family time. It is not like

before: I make food and we eat

together for dinner. Not

anymore. More than three

years. (Already subtitled)

Cecilia: To be a woman driver,

sometimes, I don't feel safe.

It's a lot of crazy people on

the weekend nights. I have a

lot of bad experiences.

(Already subtitled) Cecilia:

The worst part and a scary

time was with one client

around 10pm. (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: He started

to masturbate. I don't know

what I do. It was a bad first

experience. (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: And of

course, the next day I went to

explain what was going on.

They say they are gonna take

this client out. They don't

want a problem with drivers.

[Uptempo music] (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: But I

really need to work because

the rent is not cheap. Taxes

need to pay. (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: New York

makes me more strong than

before, of course. (Already

subtitled) Cecilia: Oh, when I

came here I was a waitress,

housekeeper, nanny. All the

jobs that women can do when

they are immigrants, but I

really want to study, go to

school, learn to speak good

English, write and read. I'm

on my way. [Uptempo music]