SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Troy Boyer works for the Onondaga County Water Department by day, and is an Uber and Lyft driver by night.
Boyer, though, is not your ordinary driver. When you enter his backseats, there is a stash of candy for riders to choose from. This is how he got the nickname, “The Candyman.”
The rules of his car, which he refers to as “The Candymachine,” are simple: have fun, eat candy, request music, do not smack talk Syracuse University, and follow him on social media.
Last month, The Candyman achieved a new milestone. He reached 10,000 rides between Uber and Lyft combined. He described his 10,000th as “lit.”
He was determined to reach this goal before Syracuse University students left for Spring Break, but little did he know, not long after that he would have to take a break from driving.
Once the first cases of COVID-19 appeared in Onondaga County, he decided to stop driving The Candymachine. Even though The Candyman cleans his car regularly due to the large number of people that ride in his car, he thought it would be too risky to continue driving.
The Candyman said he is now losing about $1,000-$1,200 per week, extra money to him as driving is only a side hustle. He does not live off the money he earns from giving rides.
The reason why The Candyman drives, is because he enjoys it and finds his passengers entertaining. As of now, he has not driven in over a month. He misses driving around town and hopes for everything to get better soon.
