They say that everyone has a story and as a part-time Uber driver I've been able to hear some interesting stories and meet some very unique people. These are some of my riders and our conversations during the past month:(spoiler alert-I have saved the best for last)
THE WEDDING PARTY: I picked two guys up who were in town from Indianapolis for a wedding and one of them was going to be the best man. The wedding was in two hours and they got in my car having already starting the wedding celebration. They were wearing matching cowboy hats and told me that they picked me because I was "a great conversationalist."(drivers can indicate this about their driver as a compliment on the app) I asked if I could get a matching cowboy hat and they said they could get me one. Since one of them was going to be giving the toast I shared with him some tips on public speaking that I've learned in the past and he said, "You are a great conversationalist!" I took this tongue in cheek, since I knew they were not completely coherent. As one of the them left he said, I'll tip you on the app, which usually means he won't. However, they were coherent enough to remember and a day later I got a tip for a short ride. Two minutes after I dropped them off I came up with a great toast, which I'll have to save for another time.
THE BORDER AGENT: As the young girl(about 24) got in my car I never would have guessed what she did for a living. She was headed back to Arizona where she had been working the past year as a border agent. She told me that she wanted to get into law enforcement and that's where there were jobs available. Some days it's as hot as 115 degrees and the biggest issue is keeping everyone hydrated. I was really impressed with her dedication and her empathy for the people who were trying to get into our country. She did make it clear that we have laws and she was trying to help implement them. I thanked her for what she did and really enjoyed hearing her story and perspective.
THE SURGEON: The Myrtle Beach resident is a Trauma Surgeon at the same hospital I deliver packages to as a surgeon. I told him that I admire people who are able to work in such difficult circumstances and are able to stay calm and perform at such a high level. He told me that it's difficult and that everyone doesn't always stay calm due to the emergency they are facing. He has lived in many places around the country mostly as a military surgeon. He wanted to know if with all the driving I do if I have learned anything from observing other drivers. I told him it is very easy for me to notice drivers who are lost, tentative or just scared to drive based on watching the movements of their car. It was interesting to hear his experiences, but I'm happy that I've never seen the things he's seen.
THE REALTOR: My last trip of the day one Sunday took me only a couple miles away from my house as I drove a realtor home from the airport. She was very enthusiastic about the area and what she does for a living. She had just worked with her husband and their travel agency to get 130 people onto a cruise. She told me there are 4,000 realtors in the area and I said to her, "you're competing with 4,000 other people?" Her reply I thought was perfect, "no, I give excellent customer service."
She offered to send me her list of fun things to do in the area and her optimistic and enthusiastic personality was a great way to end the day. Their travel agency is walking distance from our house in case we need one and they now have a couple Uber drivers who practically live in their neighborhood.
THE MAYOR: I am certain I will be using a couple of his lines for a very long time, they were that good. He was visiting Myrtle Beach and although he had lived in several places he was currently the mayor of a small town of 350 people outside Harrisburg, PA. He told me that he ran for mayor because he always heard people say, "someone should fix that" and he decided to be that person. When I asked him if he was a Democrat or a Republican he said, "When people ask me that I always tell them, I'm an American." I think it's one of the best non-political answers I've ever heard. The mayor was funny and when I looked towards him and saw his profile he looked like comedian Tim Allen. He laughed when I told him that and said it's been awhile since someone made that comparison. What really cracked me up was when he told me he had spent three days on the beach and "it was nice, but I always feel like a rotisserie chicken on the beach." I told him, " I'm not a "beach" person, but I love rotisserie chicken- I've just never put the two together." I wish I could have driven him longer, we really did hit it off and he did give me a very generous tip too. I should have paid him for a couple of those lines!
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