What do a US senator, a university president and the voice who used to greet you when you checked your email have in common?
All of them have taken a spin as Uber drivers.
It’s unlikely the popular ride-sharing app is becoming the latest way to earn extra bucks between book deals and guest appearances. Some celebrity stints are publicity stunts. Others are social experiments. But either way, they made us smile.
Here’s a look at some of the famous people we’ve seen behind the wheel:
When you get tired of navigating DC politics…
Sen. Ben Sasse took a turn driving for Uber this week. The Republican lawmaker from Nebraska tweeted that the trips in his GMC Acadia were part of a “work tour” aimed at getting to know his constituents.
And it wasn’t long before he was offering advice to Twitter followers who use the service.
Your Uber is arriving, and you’ve got mail!
Most Americans don’t know Elwood Edwards’ face. But they know what he sounds like. Edwards is the voice behind AOL’s famed “You’ve Got Mail” greeting. And last week, a passenger visiting Ohio to canvas for Hillary Clinton was floored when he turned out to be her Uber driver.
“I’ve always enjoyed driving,” Edwards told The New York Post last week. “I might as well capitalize on it.”
Studying during summer break
Oglethorpe University President Larry Schall tested out driving Uber in his Volvo S60 during the Atlanta liberal arts college’s summer break in 2015 to “gain insight into a changing economy.”
“If I hadn’t started this little experiment, my path would probably never have crossed the lives of any of these people whose life stories continuously surprise me,” he wrote in a column about the experience for the Washington Post. “After three weeks, my earnings are approaching $100, but I sure feel richer for the experience.”
Behind the music
In 2014, DJ-producer Deadmau5 became an Uber driver and picked up passengers in Toronto in a McLaren 650S, chatting with them about traffic, the weather and his cat, according to a video posted online by the company.
No word on what tunes the electronic dance music DJ played while he cruised on the Canadian city’s streets.
Not a fan of Uber? You might still be in luck
Basketball great Shaquille O’Neal recently donned disguises as he picked up passengers as a Lyft driver in Atlanta for the company’s “Undercover Lyft” series.
As for Uber, you might want to act fast if you’re hoping the app will bring you a brush with fame.
The company is testing out self-driving cars in Pittsburgh.