BUFFALO, N.Y. --  Drivers get into ridesharing for many different reasons.

In Buffalo, John Glose, a veteran and Bridgestone Corp. retiree, signed up three years ago to supplement his Social Security.

"What I like about it is you can work when you want to work and not work when you don't want to work. I worked my whole life. I didn't want to punch a clock anymore. It was just a fun way. I like people," Glose said.

He said it's nice to have the extra cash to spend on his grandchildren but he also feels like he's doing a public service, picking up people often in lower income parts of the city and places where other public transportation isn't always easily accessible.

"This gives them an opportunity to work instead of not working and these added fees are a big hindrance to them," Glose said.

The driver published an op-ed piece Tuesday on news aggregator website EmpireReportNewYork.com opposing a proposed new 50-cent fee on all Uber and Lyft rides across the state to help fund the MTA in New York City and other transportation projects upstate.

"It's just a continuous fee after fee after fee," he said.

Uber said rides in New York are already the most expensive in the country and "now Senate Dems want to make rides even more expensive." The company said compared to neighboring states Connecticut and New Jersey, taxes on a $25 ride in Manhattan are more than $5 more.

Glose says upstate the taxes add up too and eventually even 50 cents could be the tipping point.

"It will impact tips and things like that or they won't use Uber," he said. "It's getting so expensive now that they're just going to stop using the app."

Uber said roughly 19,000 drivers across the state have signed a petition opposing the fee while more than 14,500 customers have sent their opposition by emails to lawmakers. Still, Glose said his essay was not part of a coordinated lobbying effort.

"I'm not being paid by Uber to say this or do this," Glose said. "I just, I'm getting a little fed up."

He pointed out, notably on Tax Day, he is paying more income tax because he drives for Uber but also feels the state continues to cut into his revenue on the front end as well.

The governor's office released a statement, saying "Governor Hochul's Executive Budget makes transformative investments to make New York more affordable, more livable and safer, and she continues to work with the legislature to deliver a final budget that meets the needs of all New Yorkers."