MY FAVORITE RIDER COMMENTS IN JULY 2026

I asked her if her dad has any siblings and she said, "He has 16 brothers and I think four sisters. He was the youngest and my grandma had him when she was 60."

I told her when I asked a mom with two kids why she was in town and the mom said, "For the Future Strippers of America." (Her daughters were in a dance competition.) My rider said, "It's the only transferable occupation. I'm a scientist and a dancer."

I said to the young guy, "I know you're intelligent." He: "Don't tell me that, it goes right to my thighs."

The mother of three young boys said, "We'll eventually get a female dog to get another female in the house." She: "It's not a hobby, but I really love taxidermy. I once saw a bunch of animals on top of a shelf above a bar I went to. I take pictures of animals and think about it. I know it's not socially acceptable, but I could see doing it to a dog." Me: "So you like animals dead and alive?" 

The young male flight attendant said, "I revere Uber drivers. They sacrifice their time, car and gas to get me to work." Me: "Have you had many good conversations with drivers?" He: "No, not at all. I just expected to sit here in your car."

He said, "My rich girl friend wouldn't marry me, but she took me around the world three times."

He wanted to give me something so he drew a picture of a frog. He: "Drawing frogs is a hobby of mine.  My dad used to raise them and my mom would needlepoint frogs."

He: "My wife and I were in an Uber in Tampa and I told the driver we wanted to go to the strip.  He didn't understand and started playing music and shaking maracas. He thought we wanted to go to a couples strip club with he and his wife."

I asked, "How did you become a tattoo artist?" She: "I "whoopsied" my way into it. I was working in a clothing store that I hated and going to a tattoo artist. She offered me a job in the office and a year later offered to train me as a tattoo artist. Now I'm traveling around the world and doing some tattoos in other countries."

The truck driver from Ethiopia said about the United States, "This is a great country, one of the best in the world. I love this country."

I asked the couple in the afternoon of July 4th, "What have you been up to today?" She said, "We were out shooting goats this morning." Me: "What were you doing?" She: "We were out shooting guns this morning."  

His father taught him this, "If you want to change the world you have to treat people better than they treat you."

She: "I don't have any mannequin stories, but my friend has an eccentric neighbor who drives around with about six mannequins in her car like they are her family.  When she pulls up to you she expects you to address the mannequins too. I think she rotates all the mannequins."

The hospital director told me this mannequin story: "When I was at the Arkansas Medical University we had three high tech dummies that were worth $60-$70,000 each for our sim lab. One day I went into the morgue and one of the dummies was lying there with its mouth open and no one was supposed to be there." It scared the hell out of him.

MORE RIDER COMMENTS

He: "I used to work in an art gallery in Guatemala and I got into real estate working in the art gallery."

Her ten-year-old did not want his mom to take any pictures of him. She said, "Dude what do you mean? Let's take some selfies!"

The older man said he was 88 and I said, "I'm 65." He replied, "Don't worry, you'll reach 100."

"I went to school with two people who were named, "Chandelier" and "Get D Money."

I picked up "Happiness." She told me, "My parents were very happy I was born although it was difficult. My middle name is blessing."

She: "My boyfriend says I have a maniacal giggle."

Having just moved to Alexandria, Virginia near Washington, D.C. she said, "I love the outdoor coffee shops."

I complimented her on her English and she said, "It should be good I have two masters and one doctorate and I'm teaching people."

With an unusual background, she told me, "I have been accused of being a spy."

"My three friends and I and our dads have just did our 19th and last golf trip together."

Living in Hawaii, she learned that her name Marisa, "It means, "Star of the Sea." Since I'm from Wyoming they call me, "Wyoming Star."

"New Yorkers are nice, but not kind. In Chicago, people can be mouthy."

"I used to work at the United Nations with the Security Council.  I got the job through an internship."

The Uber driver from San Diego told his passenger, "If you don't want to talk on this ride, you should get another driver."

"I once had an Uber in Vegas that was all decked out with Elvis. It was like "The Jungle room" in Graceland and he had Elvis music playing the whole time."

She: "I left Michigan five years ago to get away from an abusive father."

After acquiring another company he said, "My business has tripled this year."

The truck driver who goes cross country said, "Nothing beats it."

He: "I was six feet tall in sixth grade and I only grew to six foot three inches."

She: "It was so hot in Wisconsin we had an hour of heat lightning."

UNIQUE JOBS

Water Resource Engineer

Two chemists

Post Partum Doula

Hospital Director

Professional Movers from California

Radiology Doctor in France

Home Day Care Business Owner

Electrical Engineering Professor in Germany

Worked at United Nations With the Security Council

Performance Analyst for The State of Colorado

Philanthropic Business Owner for Environment Issues

Training and teaching repair for portable cranes

Business owner teaching how to do hair extensions

House Flipper

I PICKED UP PEOPLE FROM THESE COUNTRIES:

Mexico, India, Chechnya(Soviet Union), Nigeria, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Philippines, The U.K., Zimbabwe, Eritrea. 

WHAT RIDERS SAID ABOUT ME AND MY CAR

He: "You're connecting with people. With everything going on in the world, you're seeing the beauty in people."

"This is the coolest museum I've ever seen."

"It's rare to meet someone like you. This is the highlight of my day, God bless you."

The 23-year-old going to work at Amazon said, "You deserve a cash tip." ($20)

Getting out of the car after taking pictures she was at a loss of words, "I can't even explain this."

"This was kind of magical."

"These days it's refreshing to see someone caring about something."

"This is like a New York City bar."

"This was a treat."

"This was the best Uber ever."

"This takes the cake."

Returning from Japan he said, "Don't mistake my jet lag for a lack of excitement."

She: "Can I give you a hug?"

"I love the positivity."

"This was the most interesting Uber I've ever had."

"It's a beautiful thing."

"I love it, this is really cool."

"Keep doing this."

"I like how you set this up."

"Thanks for sharing."

"Thank you for the talk."

"Great conversation."

"This is so cute."

"I like what you've done with this."

"Very nice display."

"That is great. I love it."

"Continue to be you."

"This is dope."

"This was the best Uber ride."

"You have a lovely car."

MY FAVORITE RIDERS IN JULY 2026

MOTHERHOOD AND TAXIDERMY?

My great conversation with a woman from St. Louis took an unexpected turn.  She's the mother of three young boys and she told me, "We'll eventually get a female dog to get another female in the house." She then explained to me that she's fascinated with taxidermy, which is the process of, "preserving, stuffing, and mounting animal's skin to make it look lifelike." She once saw a bunch of animals stuffed on a shelf at a bar she was at. She likes to take pictures of animals and think how they would look if they were mounted.  I think someone in her family has a squirrel that is stuffed around a stripper pole which she said was very funny. She was a lot of fun to talk with and I'm certain she would not hurt a fly.

A FLIGHT ATTENDANT LIKE NO OTHER

He told me he was named after his aunt, which in itself is unique for a guy, but he is easily one of the most interesting riders I've ever driven.  In his first two months as a flight attendant he absolutely loves it and when I asked what the best part was he couldn't say, because, "It would be like comparing gold and silver." I said to him, "I know you're intelligent," and his reply was, "Don't tell me that, it goes right to my thighs."

He said, "I revere Uber drivers because they sacrifice their time, car, and gas to get me to work." I asked him if he had a lot of good conversations with Uber drivers and he said, "No, not at all. I expected to just sit here in your car." He learned from his parents how important it was to have an "attitude of gratitude." He also said to me, "These days it's refreshing to see someone caring about something."

He said "sonder" was his favorite word. I looked it up and found out that, "Sonder: the word for realizing that every stranger has their own story." I always talk to strangers about strangers like this and of course it's in the title of my book. What my rider did not know is that the word was created in 2012 by John Koenig and of course I'm Jeff Hoenig. I could have talked with him for hours.  As I dropped him off he gave me the below badge he got when he was training in Texas. I'm not sure exactly what it means, but I'm going to clip it on one of my Elvis socks in my car and talk about him.

TATOOING ACROSS THE WORLD

In her twenties her career took an unusual turn. She told me that, "I 'whoopsied' into it." She was going to a tattoo artist and she was offered a job to work in the office.  She hated working in a clothing store, but she liked her new job. A year later the woman offered to train her to do tattoos and now, "I'm traveling the world and doing some tattoos in other countries." She has a goal to visit all of the seven continents before she turns thirty and she's well on her way to doing it.  She has been to 71 countries so far and also has a money collection from the places she has visited. 

IS SHE WONDER WOMAN TOO?

I've driven a lot of very unique people over the years, but my rider on a Saturday morning really surprised me.  She's a Regulatory Scientist who majored in bio-chemistry. She gets to read a lot of clinical trials in her full-time job.  She has a small thrift shop where she buys and sells clothes. She told me she was in a lot of dance competitions so I shared the funny comment a mom once said to me when I asked why she was in Myrtle Beach with her two daughters. The mom said, "I'm here for "The Future Strippers of America." " Her daughters were in a dance competition. 

The scientist then told me that she's been dancing for years in a club or bar, because she's, "An exhibitionist, and I love sitting down with the customers and talking to them." She also said she has seen many lawyers who are dancers also.  Unfortunately we had a short ride, but I wonder how she juggles three very different professions at the same time.

NOT JUST AN AUTHOR!

My last ride of the month with a local couple surprised me when I found out that the husband had just published a book, pictured below.  In addition to working full-time at an H&R Block, he started a nonprofit organization, "dedicated to empowering youth through literacy, financial awareness, and real world life skills." He gave me his book as a gift and I've already read it.  It's mainly for children between the ages of 8-13 and the foundation is called, "Fi2Bi," Feel it 2 Believe It." I told him I was going to display the book in my car and I'm very impressed about what he has started and wish him and his wife the very best.

"I WANT TO GET OFF DISABILITY"

My most inspiring rider of the month was a young woman in her mid-twenties.  She has an unusual disability which causes her severe pain in her spine. She's been on disability for a good five years and she's looking forward to getting off it. This summer she's been able to do some work at a summer camp working with kids and she loves it. As we talked I encouraged her and by the end of the ride she was talking about doing more work in a family business. I told her I was going to check on her progress if I get to drive her again-wishing her the best of luck.

THEY HAVE A HOUSE CHURCH!

The couple was heading home to Hawaii with their son. He works in the mortgage field and she is in marketing full-time, but in their free time they have a "house church." I had never heard the phrase before, but I looked it up to find that between 5 and 20 million people in our country attend a house church regularly. They have a group of about 20 adults and children who meet in their house instead of a traditional church. It was great to learn something new and see a couple working together so closely.

THE ENTHUSIASTIC ENGINEER FROM NEW JERSEY

She went to a military type technical high school and became very interested in water after taking several classes in water preservation.  Her four-year degree is in Environmental Engineering and she's been working in Colorado for the past four years. She said, "I wanted to help people and I'm helping farmers manage their water and be compliant with all the rules." She enjoys what she's doing, communicating  with farmers and running tests on their water and making a difference in their lives.   

The Unknown Amusement Parks

I'm not a big amusement park guy, although I'm a huge Disney World fan.  Living in New Jersey I did go to Great Adventure in Jackson New Jersey. The two most significant trips to Great Adventure was my second date with my wife of almost 43 years and the cute picture below is the two of us sitting in the trunk of my car. I think I was trying to get out of the sun. The other one was the time that I helped raise a significant amount of money by going on four roller coasters and that is still hard to forget.

However, there are some amusement parks that are underrated and not very well known.  Here are a few:

1. Dollywood in the Smokey Mountains: Country music legend, Dolly Parton, owns 50% of the park and it is located 25 miles southeast of Knoxville, Tennessee. It is a family oriented park with festivals, southern food, and incredible scenery.  It just celebrated its 40th anniversary.

2. King's Dominion is located right on Rt. 95 near Richmond, Virginia.  It is the largest amusement  park in Virginia at 400 acres and includes a 20 acre waterpark. It is known for its thrill rides and you can see the roller coaster from the highway.

3. Hershey Park in Hershey, Pennsylvania is not a secret to anyone living in the northeast.  They have the amusement park, a waterpark and a zoo. They also have something no other park can match, Hershey Chocolate. My most memorable visit there with our kids was when we arrived two weeks before the park opened, but the Hershey Chocolate Bar ride was open.

4.Luna Park in New York City? I had never heard of this, but I do know it as Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. It is  right on the water with a boardwalk and it's been open 120 years even before Dick Van Dyke was born. 

5. Lake Compounce in Connecticut? It is the oldest operating amusement park in the country at 175 years old, older than our last two President of the United States combined. It has a wooden roller coaster which is only 100 years old and you can stay in a campground just outside its gates.

6. Story Land in the white mountains of New Hampshire? I never heard of this one.  No thrill rides here but the focus is more on smaller kids. Mainly designed for 3-12 years old so this one is very different for sure.

7. Silver Dollar City in the Ozarks of Missouri? This one is new to me also. It has an 1880 feel with crafts that are entertaining and educational.  They have many special events and festivals and also a few dozen rides.

8. Arnold's Amusement Park is located only seven hours from my house in Iowa. It has a roller coaster that is 99 years old and you can go in for free and pay for rides separately. 

9.Galveston Island Pleasure Pier I have hear of. It is on a pier over the Gulf of Mexico and the roller coaster takes you 230 feet above the water. There are a number of thrill rides and lots of games and good food too.

10. Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho? It's new to me also, but it doesn't have the crowds that other amusement parks have. (People don't know it's there?) It is one of the largest parks at 413 acres and has a lot of good sites to see.

If you want to go somewhere different take your pick and have a great time.

What Marilyn Monroe and I Have in Common

It will be 64 years ago in the beginning of August that actress and model Marilyn Monroe passed away at the age of 36. Her death was ruled a "probable suicide" from an overdose of sedatives. Two of her three husbands were very famous, playwright Arthur Miller and baseball great, Joe DiMaggio.

She was known for her beauty, but I had no idea that she was an avid reader as I am.  Her personal library consisted of over 400 books and today I have close to 500 books. She loved to read and she wasn't reading romantic novels she was reading mostly some of the great literature books of all time, unlike what I do.

I'm pretty sure I have never seen a picture of her reading, but there she is above with books all over the place.  Gale Crowther wrote a book, "Marilyn and Her Books," about her love of reading.  Supposedly she read for self-improvement to better herself and overcome her insecurities. 

The list of authors she read is filled with famous names such as Twain, Hemingway, Camus, Beckett, Faulkner, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, Shelley, Milton, D.H Lawrence, and a lot of others.  How many books in her collection did I read? Here they are below:

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"

"The Sun Also Rises"

"A Farewell to Arms"

"The Great Gatsby"

"The Magic of Believing" (Self-help)

"The Little Engine That Could" 

I think I would read the book about her love of reading because it is not something most people are aware of.  She lived in 49 different places in her life and her books were packed up and they went with her.  After her death her acting coach inherited the collected and when he passed the collection was sold in 1999, thirty-seven years later.

I read recently that in 2023, 46% of adults in this country did not read a single book and yet Marilyn Monroe read hundreds of books in her short life.

What Did You Leave In Your Uber?

In 2024 there were 30 million Uber rides given PER DAY around the world.  Yes, per day.  When those rides were over, there are things left in the Uber.  Some of them are returned and some just stay lost. They could have been taken by someone else or the driver, because sometimes it's difficult to know who lost an item.  But what kind of items are lost?

The most common item is a phone with around 1 million phones being left in Ubers. The city with the most frequently reported items is New York City. (Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles were the next on the list.)The other most common items are wallets, luggage, keys, headphones, clothing passports, eyeglasses, jewelry and laptops.

Personally, phones are definitely number one, but I've had keys, headphones, glasses, and also money.  Of course, my riders give me unusual things for my museum, including a mannequin which did make the list of unusual things.

When an item is returned Uber charges the rider $20 which goes directly to the driver unless they receive cash from the passenger. I had one passenger give me $50 and another everything in his wallet which was around $46.

What are some of the unusual things people leave in an Uber? You're not going to believe some of these, but this is an official list.  I'm going to list only 10 items.

Dentures with two teeth (Did they eat dinner without them?)

Oxygen tank (How far did they get without it?)

Live fish (I'm guessing they weren't sharks)

420 donuts (No milk?)

Two trees  (In the trunk?)

A dishwasher (How big was it?)

Shower pole (Is there a pole in your shower?)

Propane tank(I can understand that, they are heavy)

Meat slicer(Did they take the meat?)

A 75 gallon fish tank (They weren't holding it?)

Tell Her Your Good News

There is always good news, unfortunately we don't hear about it enough.  At 34 years old, Megan Keaveny was looking for some good news. She had posted flyers in New York City asking people to send her some good news, but she didn't get a very good response. So she made the below sign and stood on a corner and recorded people telling their good news.

The result was 78,000 followers watching her videos on TikTok and Instagram.  She works as a social media consultant and she wanted to convince people that the internet doesn't need to be a negative place. She said, "I want to build spaces for us to take deep breaths together and learn to celebrate one another as human beings again. I think there's a collective craving for belonging the times we're in."

How about that? Here's someone who is celebrating strangers in a different way than I do! People tell her about something positive in their family or with their health.  She explained, "I think it's beautiful for someone to invite me and a bunch of other strangers into these situation because it's really powerful to find hope together."

It is really powerful and I can relate to what she is doing and applaud her for her efforts.  As one of my riders said, "This gives me more faith in humanity."

 

GREAT ADVICE FOR EVERY AGE

There are a lot of interesting things you can find on the internet.  From time to time I'll see a video or list of things that people give as advice. This is one of those lists that supposedly someone made who is in their 70's and heading towards 80 and these are the changes he is feeling. This is a very good list for anyone to follow and worth posting.

1. After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children and my friends, I have now started loving myself.

2. I have realized that I am not "Atlas". The world does not rest on my shoulders.

3. I have stopped bargaining with vegetable and fruit vendors.  A few pennies more is not going to break me, but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter's school fees.

4. I leave my waitress a big tip. The extra money might bring a smile to her face. She is toiling much harder for a living than I am.

5. I stopped telling the elderly that they've already told that story many times. The story makes them walk down memory lane and relive their past.

6. I have learned not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.

7. I give compliments freely and generously. Compliments are a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me. And a small tip for the recipient of  a compliment, never, NEVER turn it down, just say "Thank You."

8. I have learned not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances. 

9. I walk away from people who don't value me. They might not know my worth, but I do.

10. I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the rat race. I am not a rat and neither am I in any race.

11. I am learning not to be embarrassed by emotions. It's my emotions that make me human.

12. I have learned that it's better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships, I will never be alone.

13. I have learned to live each day as if it's the last. After all, it might be the last.

14. I am doing what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself. Happiness is a choice. You can be happy at any time, just choose to be!