So how did I end up driving for the biggest car-sharing service in the world? A few months back I had a conversation with a male Uber driver. On our ride to the airport, he explained how the process works: Uber gets 20% while the driver get 80%. It seemed like a pretty good deal, so I inquired some more. He said the application process was very easy and done entirely online. Uber can help a driver finance a car, but if you have a four-door car of your own that is a 2006 model or newer, you can use your own car. He said the key to making good money is to drive in major cities during surge hours, like holidays or Friday and Saturday nights. I mentioned that I was looking to make extra money and asked if this was something he would recommend for a woman to do. He said that his sister also drives for Uber, but that she operates under her own set of rules: She only drives in daylight hours. Also, she does not drive in college or party areas to avoid the drunk bar crowds.

I applied online and was accepted as an Uber driver within three days. I began to drive my own car — a Jeep Patriot — shortly after, and adopted those rules as my own, and then some.

I decline to pick up passengers in unsafe neighborhoods, even if they have a five-star rating. When a man asks too many questions, I quickly make it a point to mention my boyfriend, and I always place my purse in the passenger’s seat to deter people from sitting next to me. I've never broken these rules.

I haven’t met another woman driver since I started driving. If there’s a secret club of them, I’m not a member. A rider once told me that he knew of one other female Uber driver nearby. He said she averages $500 to $700 on a Saturday night. He also said that men are constantly trying to get her to come in for a nightcap when she drops them off. No thank you.

It’s a double-edged sword. On the one hand, when I follow my strict rules I am able to weed out the likelihood of unwanted encounters — but on the other, I am really limiting the amount of money I can make. For me, the only real money making rides are those to the airport, which are typically attached to a surge charge. But the real big bucks are made on New Year’s Eve and Super Bowl Sunday, neither of which I worked. For me, I’m happy if I make between $100 and $150 during a three-to-four-hour shift.