I drove airport shuttle for two companies - it made good enough money, and was fun as hell at times to boot.

Hell, yes. StupidShuttle may have been an absolute hellhole of a company by the time they laid me off (and reports I've heard from people who have ridden with them since they went exclusively owner-operator tell me it's only gotten worse - "a cratered turd" was the phrase one of them used), but the first six of my eight years there were possibly the best working experience I have ever had. It amazes me to think it's been almost three years since they let us go; I may not think about it every day anymore, but I still check van numbers and look for familiar faces when I see one drive past.