OAKVILLE, ON — Seven-year-old Ryan Driftwood has been making the most of his newfound love of riding his bicycle by “making bank” as a self-employed Uber Eats food courier.
The second-grader’s side hustle comes just one month after learning to ride without training wheels, making him more than qualified to become an Uber Eats courier.
“It was so hard to get him off his bike,” said Ryan’s father, recalling how happy his son was after he learned how to ride his bike all by himself. “But once we signed him up for Uber Eats and he started bringing home a little money, I thought, ‘Hey, that’s one less mouth to feed.'”
Asked if he thought his son could get another job that was more kid-friendly, Mr. Driftwood admitted he hoped Ryan would get a paper route like he had growing up.
“But since everyone now gets their news from Grok, Uber Eats it is.”
Response to Ryan’s work has been overwhelmingly positive, with one customer saying how cute he looks pedalling across the city with a sushi platter strapped to his back.
But while some critics believe Ryan’s age and love of biking around makes him susceptible to exploitative labour practices, one customer insisted he’s being compensated very well for his work.
“Sure, he isn’t earning minimum wage, but at his age it isn’t about the money. It’s about getting outside, riding your bike and having fun. At least, that’s what I tell him when I tip him with a juice box.”
When asked if Uber should face penalties for allowing a seven-year-old onto its platform, Ontario Labour Minister David Piccini downplayed the incident by insisting that employing children would be “maybe the twelfth-worst labour violation Uber has committed.”
At press time, Ryan’s teacher was reportedly concerned that their student would be hitting more deliveries than them.
