THE MOTIVATOR: I have given a lot of good rides, but this ride is definitely a Top 25 ride which will be impossible to forget. My passenger was an executive with Wyndham Hotels, which I believe he said is the largest hotel chain in the world.(they own many other hotels) It was an 11 mile ride that turned out to be a 45 minute trip due to construction. He's in charge of training sales reps and other employees and has spent most of his life in the Las Vegas area and is moving to Myrtle Beach soon. He told me he's given five outside speeches to groups and charged $10,000 for a 45 minute speech. I said to him, "I'm feeling a little guilty I haven't paid anything for your seminar today." Having read a number of success oriented books over the years, he was amused that I actually finished a couple of his sentences. His story is a great story on how he found his career.
"When I was 23 and about to graduate college I was selling cars and sold a $14,000 car to a 20 year old kid. He told me he was going to pay cash, but my boss didn't believe him and told me to go to the bank with him. I asked him how he could afford to pay cash and he told me that he sold time shares(in the 80's) and he made $23,000 in two months. I decided right then that when I graduated I would drive four hours away to California and get a job with that company. I did and I've been with them 35 years." Since he came from a working class background, his Dad cried when he saw his son first make $100,000 in a year in his 20's. He talked about how important passion and commitment are and that you become what you think about. I asked him if he ever thought about how different his life would have been if he hadn't asked that 20 year old what he did or if hadn't sold him the car. He said, "I believe that somehow I would have found the right track because it was my destiny." He gave me a $20 tip for my extra time and I went to pick up my next rider. Her name was-Destiny and I was pretty fired up to talk with her.
THE SAILORS: When the woman said that her and her husband were sailors, it caught me by surprise. It's not a typical occupation, but her story was even more unusual. They had both worked in management for Trader Joes and decided to give up their jobs to spend more time with their family. "We sold our house in Florida this summer and bought a sailboat. We are going to home school are three kids, 4,3, and 1 on the boat as we make memories for them as we make a life sailing." She was very excited about spending time with her family this way and had already sailed up the coast to South Carolina and was on the way back to Florida before heading out for some longer trips. She told me that her two favorite quotes were: "Time is a commodity you can only spend once." "Die with a memory, not a dream." Those quotes could be her motto since she is living what she believes in.
THE INDIVIDUAL: If I had to describe the 21 year old college student in two words I would say he is unique and brilliant. He has overcome a number of health issues and seems to be far more mature than his age. He seems very comfortable in his own skin. I told him some of my experiences being different than other people during my life and he said that me, "embracing being an individual helps me feel better about it." He used to ask people this question, "what makes you most happy?" I told him, "my wife does." I asked him my standard question for male students at the College of Charleston, "how are you managing with the 70-30% ratio of girls to guys?" His answer surprised me, "I haven't had sex in a year and a half and I'm fine with it. I found that it wasn't important to have sex with random girls several times a week." I told him that I often say that I talk to riders about just about every topic, but that's one I haven't really discussed. He wanted to make sure I wasn't uncomfortable and I told him I wasn't. He said he found that a lot of women who come here try to fit in by dressing and being like people from the south, instead of being themselves. "I'm the kind of person who craves chaos," which is why he enjoys being a chef. He's interested in psychology and the sciences and I have no doubt he will be very successful. When I asked him about other Uber drivers he explained that, "they all have different personalities. Sometimes a driver says almost nothing, but he's a good driver and gets me where I'm going and that's a good ride. Other times, I have someone that we talk so much that we hug at the end of the ride." We didn't hug, but we both enjoyed the conversation very much and I hope to see him again.
THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER: The young man from New York was taking an EMT class when someone suggested a different kind of job, doing COVID testing for actors and actresses working for production companies. "When someone suggested I be a compliance officer, I said, "okay I'll give it a shot." But when I found out that the pay for two days was equal to a week's pay, I said, "THIS IS A GREAT JOB!" The most famous person he's tested is actor Bradley Cooper. He wants to help people and is saving money now to go back to school to be a paramedic. His two brothers are both in jobs that serve the public and I have no doubt he will have a successful career.
THE POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR: It is rare for me to talk to be able to talk politics and I got lucky to have a long ride with someone who has spent some time in politics. He's not actively involved in politics now, but he shared some of his stories and thoughts on politics today. "When I was an intern working near the White House, President George W. Bush knew me by name and remembered what classes I was taking in school. He came across a lot differently in person than in his speeches." He also worked with Congressman Jack Kemp who was Bob Dole's Vice President choice many years. He said that Kemp was a very serious guy and was not into small talk. He wrote many articles for Congressman Kemp. I asked him if he thought if President Trump knew that the election wasn't stolen from him and he said, "he's just playing a game." We both agreed that we didn't think he would run again. It was a very enjoyable ride and I would have loved to talk with him longer.
THE TALKER: A few years ago I picked up a woman in her 50's and for twenty minutes she told me her life story. She was lonely, but she was hilarious and it's one of my favorite rides. It's the only time a rider has ever completely dominated the conversation, until the other day. I picked up a woman, also in her 50's, and in the same town of Summerville, South Carolina. She did not take a breath. Fortunately, it was only a ten minute ride, but she covered so many different topics, it was amazing. She talked about having three kids, two who pretend she doesn't exist. I heard about the little lizard she was given and how much she hated going to court, which was where I was taken her. Her daughter set up the ride and all she had to do was tip the driver, which she did not do. When she told me she had three kids, I jumped into the monologue and said, "I do too." I really wonder if every Uber ride she takes is exactly the same.
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