I'm a Lyft driver with disco lights, snacks, and karaoke in my car. Riders love that I'm a party on wheels.

• Shelly Castle is a Houston-based rideshare driver who has driven for Uber and Lyft.
• During the past five years, Castle has given over 10,000 rides in her party-themed car.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Shelly Castle, a Houston-based rideshare driver who has driven for Uber and Lyft. It has been edited for length and clarity.

During the five years I've been a rideshare driver, I've dealt with the good, the bad, and the ugly.

On my best days, I've sung karaoke duets and danced in the drive-thru lane at fast-food restaurants. I've also given pep talks to young girls who have had their hearts broken. On my worst, I've been cursed at and harassed.

But I wouldn't trade my job for anything, because the good outweighs the bad. Plus, I love meeting new people, making a difference in people's lives, and having fun.

I began driving for Uber in 2017

At the time, I was also working full-time in food service and catering at ExxonMobil's headquarters in the Woodlands, doing everything from dishwashing to food prep to working the cash register in the corporate cafeteria. I was also working a second full-time job at Culver's, a fast-food restaurant.

In the hopes of quitting Culver's, I posted on my Facebook page that even though I was working two full-time jobs and clocking in 80 to 90 hours a week, I was barely making enough to survive as a single mom. A friend suggested I start driving for Uber.

That friend started driving for Uber two months earlier, and was making good money. I signed up that April while still working my other two jobs.

At first, I was very nervous

I mean, let's be real, you're picking up strangers in your car at all hours and going to all sorts of random places. But soon enough, I was talking and laughing with passengers — not to mention, it's a good hustle when the money is good. I was hooked.

After a few months of driving, I quit my job at Culver's.

Then, a month after COVID-19 hit, I got laid off from my position at Exxon. I took a job at the post office but wound up quitting after a year because it was the worst job I've ever had.

I've gone from three jobs to one, and I've held onto my favorite

I drive five days a week and between 6 to 12 hours a day.

I drive for Lyft and have recently started my own business called Impeccable Rideshare. I've started to recruit local drivers to join me.

I typically take Mondays and Tuesdays off — unless it's a holiday, because the money is usually good when people are going out. I always make sure my car is decorated and looks festive, which passengers appreciate.

The struggle to make a dollar is real. Gas prices have skyrocketed, and I still support my 22-year-old son and pay for all his expenses, including his college tuition, room and board, medical and truck insurance, food, gas — you name it. During the pandemic, we both drove for UberEats, but he quit soon after starting. I only did that for a while myself, just to make up for the fact that no one was hailing rides.

I like my car to reflect my personality

Since I like to have a good time and party, my car has everything you'd find in a club.

From karaoke and dual microphones to disco lights and a banging subwoofer, it's all at your disposal. So, whether you like '80s music, hip hop, or country, I've got your jam. If I grab the mic, chances are I'm going to belt out Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" or Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance."

I've even got tambourines that light up.

What can I say? I'm a whole party!

I pick up a lot of people after they get out of work, and a lot of them are looking to freshen up, so I also provide practical things such as perfume, cologne, spray deodorant, wipes, and mints, along with bottled water and snacks.

When it comes down to it, I'm just trying to earn a living and put a smile on people's faces, and this is the best way I know how.