COEUR d’ALENE — When a notification pops up on Bruce Twitchell’s iPhone, he grabs his keys, jumps into his 2013 Toyota Prius and hits the roads for an afternoon pickup.
Twitchell the teacher doubles as an Uber driver.
He can earn nearly $300 a week.
“If I’m not making money, I’m spending it,” said the Coeur d’Alene High School photography teacher. “I need to do something to occupy my time.”
He’s been driving steady the last three months and his passengers have included former students, late-night drunks, business travelers and celebrities.
When “Dancing with the Stars” judge Julianne Hough got married in July, Twitchell transported guests to and from the ceremony.
When starting out, he did pickups during last call at the bars, but learned that wasn’t his thing. He now drives during the day or early evening to the Spokane Airport or local downtown runs.
“No one has puked in my car yet,” Twitchell said. “For the most part, there is no wild and crazy.”
His favorite part of the job are the passenger interactions. People will talk either non-stop or will be on the phone. Twitchell enjoys posting his experiences on Facebook.
“It’s always a surprise when I pick people up,” Twitchell said. “You never know who you will get.”
The Coeur d’Alene High School teacher heads back to the classroom in September and plans to continue to drive on the weekends.
“My wife enjoys the extra money and it keeps me out of trouble with something to do,” Twitchell said.
