February's Best Rider Stories

HOW MANY TIMES WAS SHE ENGAGED?

Over the years there have been some rides that I wished I had a camera so I could watch the ride and enjoy it again.  My rider this month said so many funny and unusual things, I'd want to watch this ride again just to write down all the things she said.  Unfortunately, some of those things I did not get.  She is in her early thirties and runs a maintenance business.  She's been married for six years and has one child, but indicated she wasn't really a big fan of marriage or having kids.  As we pulled out of the parking lot, she had trouble putting on her belt since she's pregnant.  I said, "Is this your first child," and she replied, "no, it's my last." She said, "I was funnier before I got married." (I can't imagine that.) She was engaged five times before she was 25, because when someone asked her, she said, "sure." Her first two weeks of her life she lived in Siberia, Russia and then in many European countries. She said, "I waited until I was 21 to come to The United States, so I could drink legally." She met her husband when she worked on a cruise ship. "I told the person next to me, "he's so hot, I'm going to marry him." They pretended to be engaged so he could cruise with her while she worked. She explained her real engagement, ""We were watching the movie, "He's Not Really Into You," and he thought I reminded him of the character who really wanted to get married.  I told him, "I am not desperate to get married and he said, "would you marry me?" She did say yes, and I think she's happy about it.  She was unique and fun to talk to and I'd love to do it again in the future.

A TRAGIC AND INSPIRING STORY

She is soon to graduate college majoring in Psychology and Pre-law.  She is going to law school, because a relative of hers inspired her, but unlike anyway you've ever heard someone be inspired. The relative wanted to be a lawyer and was working to improve his test scores to get into a law school.  One night he had too much to drink and drove into an oncoming car on a bridge. Two family members were killed in the car he hit and another person was badly hurt.  At his trial, the family that was suffering an incredible loss, pleaded with the judge that the young man(who had no prior problems),  be given a lenient sentence.  The judge agreed and my passenger's relative served only one year in prison and agreed to serve as a public defendant for two years.  He helped other drunk drivers through his own experience.  He is an attorney today, but is still suffering the guilt from what he did. My passenger is determined to succeed as an attorney and help other people who are in need and I'm certain she will.

THE VERY ANGRY WOMAN

I've given around 4,000 rides wearing a mask since May 2020. This woman was only the second person to be unreasonably angry about it. Pulling up to the woman in her late 50's/60's, she was on her driveway on my side. Seeing my mask she said, "You're not going to make me wear a mask, are you? " I calmly said, "It's Uber's rules." Visibly angry she replied, " They don't work. I'll wear it, but you're the first driver to make me wear it." As she got in I said calmly, "when you agreed to the ride, you agreed to wear it, when I start driving in the morning, I agree to wear it and when I drop you off, Uber asks me if you were wearing it."  She said abruptly, "if you don't mind, I don't want to talk. I'm going to the BMW dealership." I was silent for 12 minutes and as I went to drop her off I said nicely, "Have a nice night." Her reply was unforgettable: "I hope you don't die with that on, it gave me pneumonia. I usually tip extra, but not when you do something like this." She walked away believing that she had made me angry and that she had won. Her words clearly say more about her and her problems. 

SHE DOESN'T LIKE THE TASTE OF ANYTHING SWEET? I was taking the cook to work and she really surprised me. She was called in on her day off and only had a couple hours of sleep. I asked her what keeps her awake on a day like this and she told me, "wine." She had just had a big glass(around 10:30 am) and she was ready to go.  The woman was in her 30's-40's (?) and she gave me one of the biggest laughs I ever had in my car. She told me that she doesn't eat any sweets, but it's not a health thing. She explained, "I don't eat any sweets, no cookies, candy, or cake. I never have. I don't like how they taste." Me: "Did you get a birthday cake when you were a child?" She: "Yes, but it was for everyone else, these days I just get fruit." Me: "Has not eating any sweets your whole life made your teeth good?" Her: "HELL NO!" I am glad I wasn't drinking anything when she yelled, "hell no" at me. Her brother and her daughter don't eat sweets also.  It's a very unusual thing, but she was just a delightful woman who I hope to drive again.

ONE GREAT CAREER

The man is in his seventies and said he will never retire.  He has 60 published articles in journals and some books in his life. He's an Organ Transplant Surgeon and Psychiatric Specialist.  He told me, "I can take care of you from your head to your waist." He was put into the Navy and Marines and he was sent hundreds of thousands of miles in his career to help our military personnel.  "I also was involved in interrogations, but if I told you anymore I'd have to kill you." Obviously he is a very well educated man who spent his career helping others in a way very different than almost anyone.

TWO BROTHERS

I picked up two brothers who were from Connecticut and are now living together in the Charleston area. They are in there early twenties they were extremely personable and enthusiastic. They are just starting their careers and not sure where it will lead, however, I could tell they have a terrific future ahead of them.  I told them some inspiring stories and they loved them and loved my book idea and also my title. It almost seemed I could say anything and they would have been enjoying it and interested in it.  They wrote down a couple book suggestions I gave them and the name of the greatest car salesman who ever lived, since one of them was in sales. I think I could drive with them every day and never be bored. When I dropped them off, it did cross my mind, could they have been putting me on? When they tipped me $10 for the ride, I knew they were not only genuine, but also generous. I'm sure their parents are proud.

THE BICYCLE WOMAN

For three years this woman has been working in Downtown Charleston giving rides to people on a bicycle which is hooked up to a small carriage for people to sit in. It's good exercise for sure and she's one of the few females who are doing it. She's an independent contractor like myself, who rents the bike from a company and pays them 30% on what she collects.  She enjoys doing it and it does not cost the rider much, $7 for the first ten minutes and more afterwards.  She told me that most of her riders tip and was very interested that most Uber riders don't tip. I asked her if she thought being a woman increased her tips and she said it was possible. (a study did once show that happens to female Uber drivers) She also gave the suggestion that on very long Uber rides there should be a premium put on the ride. My last ride of the day was interesting and fun to talk to and you have to give her a lot of credit for what she does.