BOISE, Idaho — Before you could order a ride at your fingertips, you could walk, ride a bike, jump on a bus or call a cab to get to where you needed to go.
In 2009, Uber launched in the United States, first in big cities like New York and San Francisco. Now, it is in over 10,000 cities in 70 countries.
It didn't launch in Boise until 2014 - and one man jumped at the opportunity to be one of Boise's first Uber drivers.
Dave Yahn, 72, has been a Boise Uber driver now for almost 9-and-a-half years. KTVB confirmed with Uber that Yahn has been with them for that long.
Uber said Yahn is "a five-star rates driver."
Driving for Uber started as something for Yahn to do after retirement. Prior Yahn was in the Air Force, stationed in Mountain Home - after that a car finance manager. Not even a year into retirement he signed up to drive for Uber.
Customers didn't exactly roll in at the beginning, Yahn said.
"Back then, I might get one ride, every two hours, because nobody knew about it,"he said.
But requests quickly picked up.
"It only took about six to eight months," Yahn said. "And all of a sudden, it started picking up and I was getting a ride an hour type thing. And it's now progressed to where I do two and a half to three rides an hour."
Some could say Yahn drives to drink.
"My retirement takes care of all the bills, Uber takes care of my bar bill," Yahn told KTVB.
Yahn goes to The Lift, a Boise bar on W. State Street, every day for happy hour after a day of Uber driving. He's been doing that routine for the last four years.
"That's my day, and it's the same every day," he said. "All my friends are here. This is my family. I call this my living room."
It's also his neighborhood bar.
Yahn starts his days off early.
"I'll go at four o'clock, and I'll do a whole bunch of runs at the airport," Yahn said.
After, he'll nap for a bit before going back out in the afternoon for a few more hours. But he's always done in time to make it to his bar seat at The Lift for happy hour.
"He knows a lot about all our families," The Lift's general manager, Eva Pursifull, told KTVB. "He's always very invested in what's going on with everybody, which is again, that great sense of community so we love him here."
Yahn sits in the same, every day. A few months ago, his seat got marked with a plaque that the staff puts out every day for Yahn. The plaque was made by Yahn's friend, Armando Mirales.
The plaque reads "Uber Dave" - the same as what Yahn's license plate reads.
Yahn and Mireles met about two years ago, quickly connecting over sports. Mireles gifted Yahn this May for Yahn's birthday in May 2024.
"This is hit spot," Mireles told KTVB.
Yahn said his favorite part about driving is the social interactions.
"I mainly did it because I live alone. I get to get out and talk to people," Yahn said.
Not for the pay rate.
"I actually crunched the numbers (a) few months ago... take into consideration depreciation on the car, the maintenance involved, the gas, money and everything else," Yahn said. "I gross about $22 an hour, but I only net using real figures, probably $12 an hour."
Yahn's drink of choice is a Two Towne Hard Apple Cider. He said he also has a handful of food favorites he'll grab for dinner at The Lift if he doesn't cook for himself that day.