The sound comes from the Uber driver app, the app drivers use to receive trip requests and navigate to passengers. Because many drivers hear the same alert during a shift, the tone is instantly recognisable to drivers and riders alike. Online it has moved beyond the app, appearing in short videos, skits and memes that play on the routine of waiting, accepting rides and driving strangers around a city. Its familiarity is the point: one short ping can set a whole scene without explanation, which keeps creators returning to it for rideshare jokes and day-in-the-life clips.