LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A Lubbock Uber driver is gaining attention online for his unique ride. Rannel Villamor first started driving for Uber two years ago, to help support his family through a difficult diagnosis.
“I was doing it part time and my wife got diagnosed with cancer,” Villamor said. “She had to ease off of working, so I thought I needed something to fill that gap.”
The idea for a karaoke Uber didn’t come right away. Villamor said he first asked his kids to help him make a playlist for his rides. Then, they suggested people might want to sing along.
“I was like no… I don’t think people will be singing inside an Uber,” Villamor said.
He first set up his car with a small speaker and a singular microphone. When people started enjoying it, Villamor said, he upgraded to a bigger speaker, interior lights, and accessories.
Villamor says it wasn’t necessarily the singing that surprised him, it was the response of the passengers after he dropped them off.
“Some of my passengers are students, nurses working the night shift, and single mothers. Whenever they get out, they always appreciate that five, fifteen minutes they were in the car and they were singing,” Villamor said. “The story is not with me, but with them, the experience of being in my van.”
He says his wife and kids then encouraged him to share videos to TikTok. He now earns thousands of views on his videos.
More than the passenger experience or the online support, though, this experience has served as a chance to bring the Villamor family together.
“I would ask my kids, ‘hey can you help me edit these videos?’” Villamor said. “It made our relationship more nuclear, it made our bond much stronger, especially for my wife. I can say she’s much happier.”
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