Columbia native Mike Sloan started driving for Uber in 2019, but it wasn’t until six months later that USC students dubbed his silver Nissan Armada the “Watermelon Crawl.”
The nickname references Tracy Byrd’s 1994 song, “Watermelon Crawl,” in which the Texan-born artist sings, "If you drink, don’t drive — do the watermelon crawl.” Sloan began playing the song early in his Uber career, and it soon caught on with his college-aged riders.
“Unfortunately, sometimes it takes something tragic for the light bulb to go on. That tragedy was Sami,” Sloan said. “So, I started thinking I had to do something to make it where we don’t see this again.”
At the start of every ride, Sloan gives safety tips to his riders. These include not taking drinks from people they don’t know, sticking with a group and checking the license plate of their Uber or Lyft.
Sloan serves on the Citizens' Advisory Council for the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. He said his position informs him on crime in Columbia, which helps him give timely advice to his riders.
To better spread the message, Sloan gives free rideshare safety seminars to fraternities, sororities and other student groups both on and off campus. Although Sloan operates through the Uber app, which sets its own ride pricing, he offers free rides home to people who are walking alone. By encouraging students to stick together and providing free rides to vulnerable individuals, Sloan said he is keeping students safe.
“What really stirred me to make sure we keep the ladies out there that are by themselves off the street is every USC lady that we've got missing and still missing to this day,” Sloan said.
Beyond his focus on rideshare safety, Sloan works to make the Watermelon Crawl a fun and welcoming environment. Some riders receive a nickname, third-year operations and supply chain student Taylor Parsons said. Two of her friends, both named Ava, were called "Ava Squared" when they rode in the Watermelon Crawl.
Sloan posts some of his rides on his TikTok account. The account, started in December 2025, currently has over 4,600 followers. His videos start by introducing the rider in the passenger seat, often followed by advice on rideshare safety. Then, Sloan passes the camera back and the other riders introduce themselves.
Celia Lambert, a first-year neuroscience student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, visited her friend who attends USC on April 18 and 19. She said Sloan was caring and kind, which was unusual for a rideshare driver.
“(He) kind of had an almost fatherly-like demeanor, which was very nice,” Lambert said. “Oftentimes, especially going out as a girl, you never know who you’re going to get as your driver.”
Each video ends with a familiar call-and-response, where Sloan says, “USC, if you drink, don’t drive,” and his riders respond, “Do the watermelon crawl.”
Sloan regularly posts "thoughts for the day," where he gives life advice for students on topics like success and second chances. He also answers questions about rideshare safety through TikTok’s direct messaging feature. However, Sloan said he doesn’t use the platform for financial gain.
“It’s not that it’s benefiting me,” Sloan said. “I don’t care if everybody at USC loves me to death and says, ‘I want to ride in the Watermelon Crawl.’”
Sloan drives about 65 hours per week. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, he starts driving at 4 p.m. and heads home around 10 p.m. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, he stops driving closer to 2 a.m.
Inside the car, Sloan hands out watermelon-themed stickers, pens and rubber keychains. He initials the back of the keychains with "WC" in black ink.
Sloan, who is a former school headmaster, teacher and sports coach, said his favorite part of working with young people is seeing their smiles. Every time Sloan’s advice resonates with a rider is a blessing, he said. The experience reminds him of his time as a science teacher.
“You could always tell when you reached (the students) because they had that glimmer in their eyes,” Sloan said.
Sometimes, Sloan receives phone calls from parents thanking him for getting their child home safe. Sloan said he refuses any money parents offer to him because when he gets a student home safe, four people win: the parents, Sloan and the student.
“I want USC to look at this car and say, ‘He cares — I know he’s got my back,’” Sloan said.