'It isn't just driving': Woman ends PHV stint after 1,400 rides, says experience changed how she sees drivers“这不仅仅是开车”：一名女子在完成1400次网约车行程后结束了她的网约车司机生涯，她说这段经历改变了她对司机的看法。
After more than 1,400 rides, a private-hire vehicle (PHV) driver has officially ended her stint.The driver, Michelle Lee, shared her experience in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Sept 8), reflecting on the unexpected lessons she picked up from spending hours behind the wheel and speaking to strangers.The Tesla, which she had used for her PHV work, is now "officially no...
After more than 1,400 rides, a private-hire vehicle (PHV) driver has officially ended her stint.
The driver, Michelle Lee, shared her experience in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Sept 8), reflecting on the unexpected lessons she picked up from spending hours behind the wheel and speaking to strangers.
The Tesla, which she had used for her PHV work, is now "officially no longer a PHV" after she removed the vehicle's decals.
Lee said she initially started driving simply because she wanted to try something "completely different".
But what began as an experiment eventually gave her a new appreciation for the work that PHV drivers do every day.
One thing that stood out for her was how quickly some passengers made assumptions about her.
She recalled passengers getting into her Tesla and asking how much she paid to rent the car.
"Why are you driving PHV?" was a question she said she has heard often.
Lee acknowledged that most passengers were likely asking out of genuine curiosity, but said the encounters made her reflect on how people sometimes associate certain jobs with a person's financial situation or social status.
"Whether your driver owns the car, rents it, is struggling financially or simply chooses to drive, that person deserves the same respect," she wrote.
Physically, mentally exhausted
She said she typically drove for only three to four hours a day, but even that left her physically and mentally exhausted.
She described having to constantly monitor the road, surrounding vehicles, motorcycles, pedestrians, navigation, pick-up locations and passengers —all at the same time.
Her experience made her think about drivers who spend eight, 10 or even 12 hours on the road to make a living.
"After experiencing a small fraction of that, I don't think I can ever casually say, 'Aiyah, just driving only.'"
"It isn't 'just driving'," she wrote, describing the job as requiring hours of concentration.
She also encountered difficult passengers, such as those who refused to wear seatbelts, people who asked her to stop illegally because they were running late, and those who expected her to wait for them.
But Lee said she did not want these experiences to define her time as a PHV driver.
Instead, what she remembers most are the conversations, saying she realised that "everyone is carrying something".
Passengers opened up to her about their jobs, families, relationships, financial struggles, illnesses, dreams and regrets.
Some conversations lasted only 15 or 20 minutes, but remained with her even after the rides ended.
There were plenty of kind passengers too, she said.
Moving on to a new chapter
Eventually, Lee decided it was time to stop driving.
With her PHV decals finally removed, Lee said she realised they represented a chapter of her life that she had never planned for but was grateful for the experience.
"I got a front-row seat to humanity."
She now plans to spend more time on money coaching through her project, Better Money EQ, and creating content around having a healthier relationship with money.
AsiaOne reached out to Lee for more information.
asyiqin.nadzri@asiaone.com
在完成了 1400 多次载客后，一名网约车司机正式结束了她的职业生涯。
司机米歇尔·李（Michelle Lee）周二（9 月 8 日）在 Facebook 上发帖分享了她的经历，反思了她在几个小时的驾驶和与陌生人交谈中学到的意想不到的经验教训。
她之前用于出租车辆的特斯拉，在撕掉了车上的贴纸后，“正式不再是出租车辆了”。
李说她最初开始开车只是因为她想尝试一些“完全不同”的事情。
但最初只是一个实验，最终却让她对网约车司机每天的工作有了新的认识。
让她印象最深刻的一点是，有些乘客很快就对她妄下结论。
她回忆说，有乘客坐进她的特斯拉车里，问她租车花了多少钱。
“你为什么开网约车？”她说她经常被问到这个问题。
李承认大多数乘客可能是出于真正的好奇心才问这个问题，但她说，这些经历让她反思人们有时会将某些工作与一个人的经济状况或社会地位联系起来。
她写道：“无论司机是车主、租车人、经济困难还是仅仅选择开车，他都应该得到同样的尊重。”
身心俱疲
她说她通常每天只开车三到四个小时，但即使这样也会让她身心俱疲。
她描述说，她必须同时不断地监控道路、周围的车辆、摩托车、行人、导航、接送地点和乘客。
她的经历让她想到那些为了谋生而在路上花费八小时、十小时甚至十二小时的司机们。
“体验过其中一小部分之后，我想我再也不能轻描淡写了，‘哎呀，只是开车而已。’”
她写道：“这不仅仅是‘开车’”，并形容这份工作需要数小时的集中注意力。
她还遇到了一些难缠的乘客，比如拒绝系安全带的乘客、因为赶时间而要求她非法停车的乘客，以及希望她等他们的乘客。
但李表示，她不希望这些经历定义她作为网约车司机的生涯。
相反，她印象最深刻的是那些对话，她说她意识到“每个人都背负着一些事情”。
乘客们向她敞开心扉，谈起了他们的工作、家庭、人际关系、经济困难、疾病、梦想和遗憾。
有些对话只持续了 15 或 20 分钟，但即使乘车结束后，这些对话仍然萦绕在她心头。
她说，乘客中也有很多好心人。
开启新篇章
最终，李决定停止开车。
李女士终于撕掉了她的PHV贴纸，她说她意识到这些贴纸代表了她人生中一个她从未计划过的篇章，但她对这段经历心存感激。
“我得以近距离观察人性。”
她现在计划通过她的项目 Better Money EQ 投入更多时间进行理财指导，并创作有关如何与金钱建立更健康关系的内容。
AsiaOne联系了Lee以获取更多信息。
asyiqin.nadzri@asiaone.com