You'll still come out better than minimum wage. People seem under the impression that most people make minimum wage, but it's not true. A very small fraction of people make minimum wage, with most menial labor jobs probably paying like $10-$15/hr. After subtracting expenses from driving, Uber drivers probably make somewhere around that.

In regards to your question about cars, there's tons of gig workers in NYC that either bike or walk. It's pretty rare to get your food or shopping order by car, at least in Manhattan.