A new mod for Grand Theft Auto V, titled "Goober & Goober Eats – Realistic Rideshare & Food Delivery," has introduced the gig economy to the familiar streets of Los Santos, allowing players to take on the role of an Uber driver. The mod adds a new work phone to the game, through which players can accept rides and deliveries.
To begin a shift, players can mark their labor as commodifiable and then follow a guided line on their map to their pickup location. A second line then directs them to the destination. The mod simulates the experience of a rideshare driver, though acquiring a vehicle may still involve the player's typical chaotic methods, such as teleporting into a nearby car.
Deliveries, however, present a unique challenge within the game's environment. The mod requires players to reach specific destinations, often located across the sprawling map of San Andreas. While the intention is for players to drive to these locations, the unpredictable nature of Los Santos, filled with gang wars, traffic, and even airborne vehicles, complicates the task. The author notes that the city's inherent chaos often interferes with completing deliveries promptly. Despite these challenges, the mod aims to simulate a realistic rideshare experience.
One particular delivery attempt highlighted the mod's difficulties. The player was tasked with delivering a burrito to a distant location. The journey was hampered by in-game events, including the player being teleported to random locations on the map every 50 seconds, a mechanic the author uses in their ongoing GTA V modding experiments. This random teleportation, combined with the inherent dangers of the game world, made a swift delivery nearly impossible. The experience culminated in the player being paralyzed between pylons at a cable car station, providing a moment to observe in-game notifications about "The Nihilist Sailors" entering Los Santos.
Despite the obstacles, the player eventually managed to manually teleport to the destination and complete the order, earning a small amount of in-game currency. The experience was immediately followed by another in-game event where furries shot the player's bodyguard dead at the airport, underscoring the persistent, unscripted chaos that defines the Grand Theft Auto V experience, even when attempting mundane tasks.