MY FAVORITE RIDER COMMENTS IN FEBRUARY

The young woman who told me last year she was going to a reptile convention, told me this month, "I  rescued three tarantulas and the first day one of them got loose and my sister found it crawling up my back.  I was screaming and gave them all to someone else that night."

The two women are new to Charleston and new friends. I asked, "How did you meet?" One of them answered, "I'm her Madam." (Kidding)

I brought the entertaining woman to a dress shop after 5:30 pm on a Saturday night. "Are you sure they are open?" I asked. Making fun of her size she replied, "Yes,  I only need a few minutes, they close at 6. It may be a whole store, but it's not a whole store for me."

The woman told me this, "The best comment I ever heard in an Uber was when my male driver in Chicago asked me this, 'Where is the closest Starbucks? I need to make a bowel movement."

Woman with one child: "She keeps asking me for a sister, how about I just get her a puppy dog?"

The two women were going to work together and they were both very happy. I asked them, "What do you do when you're not working?" One said, "I love going to the mall," and the other said, "I love watching TV." I said, "My wife and I have been here five years and we don't have a TV." Her eyes got very big and said, "I would die."

I asked Tiffaney (maybe 40) how she got an "e" at the end of her name and she said, "Mama wanted to zhuzh it up." (Make it more interesting or lively)

I asked the truck driver how tall he was and he suggested I guess. "Are you 7-1? 7-4?" He said, "I'm 7-8, I once played against The Harlem Globetrotters. I played the bad guy." (I have a pic with him)

She: "I was in an Uber going over the Ravenel Bridge and heard a big pop, the tire blew out.  I'm terrified of bridges and the car scraped it's way off the bridge. The driver made sure I was okay and offered to pay for the ride, but he was upset about the tire. I ordered another Uber and when I got in the car I was so excited about what happened I talked for three minutes without realizing the driver was deaf."

I asked the Russian man, "Why did you leave Russia in the last year?" He said very clearly, "Putin is crazy."

When talking about the two brothers who are going to turn ashes into diamonds, the guy who works on a boat said, "Just throw this vessel in the dumpster."

He: "I went to school at Coastal Carolina, there were a lot of northern assholes there." Laughing, I said, "Don't worry, I'm still going to drive you, I'm from New Jersey."

The couple are from South Africa and then lived in New Zealand and now live in Charleston. I asked, "How did you wind up here?" She: "We like to say that Charleston found us.  We traveled to many states for six months and a woman working in a store in North Carolina asked us some questions and told us to visit Charleston-we didn't have any idea where it was."

She: "I had an Uber driver here in Charleston who was 87 or 88 years old and he said he had the most rides of any Uber driver, but after some heart problems he's slowing down some."

She told me that when she was a child she would , "Walk around carrying a large, pig faced doll." I asked, "Why was it pig-faced?" She replied, "I don't know, I'll have to ask my sister."

The three college girls were talking about one of the ex-boyfriends who keeps texting her. They asked me for advice, but all I had heard was the woman saying, "He calls me "Butterbean."

She has been with her boyfriend for 13 years and they have a 9-year old son.  "Our son keeps asking when we're going to get married. I'll say yes when the time is right."

She: "My daughter was my wild child and when she was 19 or 20 she got a DUI when she left our house drunk after fighting with her boyfriend.  It ruined her life for a year, but it was the best thing that ever happened to her." Me: "Does she think that too?" Her: "No."

The three players from the local hockey team were joking about a lot of things, when one joked, "We have kissed other men." 

Looking at the 24 foreign bills in my car, the female college student said, "I've probably been to 80% of these places." Me: "What do your parents do?" She: "My dad is a retired NBA player.  He played for the Bulls with Michael Jordan." (Two years before the first championship)

She: "My dad used to say, 'If you're early, you never have to worry about being late."

She said she was a, "Recovering hypochondriac." She: "I worked with a guy who said he had a sore throat and it was esophageal cancer. I told him, you have COVID dumbass."

I was promoting Lewis's Barbecue to a local in Downtown Charleston who had never been there. He: "I'm going today, you're the first person who made me want to go."

The woman and I agreed on what the world needs to do: "Everybody needs to come together."

I said to the tired guy as he got out, "Get some rest." He replied, "It's difficult when you have a girlfriend who wants to stay up and talk."

"My Uber in Chicago gave out chocolates for Valentine's Day."

The woman said to me, "You should get paid by the city of Charleston for what you do."

The professor of Neuroscience at MUSC was very enthusiastic about the 24 foreign bills in my car. On a call with his boss, he said, "Do you want to see the swag my Uber has in his car?" and then he showed it to her.

The man from Detroit told me this, "A month ago we had temperatures below zero and this is what my backyard looked like."

"I am a popular Neuroscience professor, when people in the media have questions about the field, they call me."

He: "My sister and I started a company called "The Two Oh Three," and we sell merchandise that advertises clothing from Connecticut." (The area code for Connecticut is 203)

She: "I wanted to be a cardiologist like my dad because he's the hardest worker I've ever met and he loves it and he was able to raise a big family being so dedicated to his career."

When I asked her what she did for work, she said very slowly and confidently, "I....sell...kitchen.....cabinets."

Woman: "I like when people are happy."

He's been married six years and I asked, "How did you meet your wife?" He replied, "We met at the Lollapalooza Music Festival with 200,000 people."

The woman who is an architect, is in charge of planning inside a New York City hospital, told me the key thing they do now is, "Look for flexibility in our footprint."

The young guy said, "I'm just cooling out the day." Me: "Isn't that like chilling?."

The Atlanta Braves fan was teasing me: "We tortured the Yankees in the 90's." Me: "Really, I watched the 1996 World Series when the Yankees lost the first two at home and then beat the Braves four straight."

She: "There is so much to like in Charleston, it's a beautiful city."

Asking if I had a Super Bowl ring to give him, the Carolina Panthers fan said, "I'll even take an NFC Championship ring."

The former member of the Libertarian Party and Republican Party, told me, "The dark horse in the Republican primary is Nikii Haley.  I think she's going to beat Kamala Harris and be elected President." 

She: "I like to tell Uber drivers I can't drive because I got a DUI, but it's really because I had some seizures."

I told the woman in housekeeping that I'm terrible at keeping my car windows clean and she said, "Get an old pillowcase that's been washed and it will eliminate the streaks."

Bringing her to Hardees I said that I hadn't eaten there in years.  She said, "Ain't nothing spectacular there."

I asked what she was majoring in and she said, "Exercise Science," it's for health and fitness instructors."

I asked the retired CPA, "Was it an easy transition becoming retired." He: "I'm unhappily retired."

She: "I like being an only child. I'm very close my mom and I'm comfortable by myself."

                                              SOME MORE ABOUT ME AND MY CAR

The hockey player said, "Do you use many of those lines, you have some good zingers."

He said, "Thanks for the museum."(The money hanging in my car)

Getting out of my car, the Communications Manager said with a big smile, "This has been the best part of my Charleston vacation."

She: "This is a historic Uber."

"You are awesome."

The woman said, "I've never been in an Uber like this."

She: "You have joy in everything you do."

She: "I'm impressed I got to see money from other countries."

As the woman got in the car she looked at my "Rider Money Museum" and said, "I'm so excited, I love it." She absolutely loved looking at all the money and hearing my "money stories.

When I asked the couple from New Jersey, have you ever gotten a gift from an Uber driver? He answered, "This ride has been a gift."

MY FAVORITE RIDERS IN FEBRUARY

MISS TARANTULA

It doesn't seem to be very nice to refer to a woman as "Ms. Tarantula," however, in this case I am sure she will laugh about it.  One of my favorite rides last year who had one of my top comments of the year, was a young woman who told me, "I'm going to a reptile convention. I help rescue exotic animals and right now we're helping a tarantula." I'm not sure who was more excited about this ride this month, it was great to see her again. She wasn't wearing a fancy hat, so I didn't recognize her.  She told me that she was 21 which surprised me because in addition to being extremely personable, I thought she was in her mid twenties last year. 

She had a couple great stories: "I was in an Uber going over the Ravenel Bridge and heard a big pop, the tire blew out.  I'm terrified of bridges and the car scraped it's way off the bridge. The driver made sure I was okay and offered to pay for the ride, but he was upset about the tire. I ordered another Uber and when I got in the car I was excited about what happened I talked for three minutes without realizing the driver was deaf."

Of course, her adventures with tarantulas continued, "I  rescued three tarantulas and the first day one of them got loose and my sister found it crawling up my back.  I was screaming and gave them away to someone else that night." She promised to send me some pictures of the tarantulas, but I'm still waiting. If I could give her a ride every month, I think I'd be writing about her every month.

INCREDIBLE

If I didn't see him get in my car, this would have been only a good ride.  My next to last ride of the month, was a very personable and outgoing guy.  He had a good sense of humor and was very comfortable with who he is.  He drives a truck, but since it was a short ride our conversation was limited.  From New Hampshire, when he was younger, he played basketball and actually played against the legendary Harlem Globetrotters.  He told me that he played, "The bad guy," against them. In school, he also was very good at throwing the discus which he enjoyed I think more than basketball.

Did I mention how tall he is? I did see him walk towards my car and once inside I said, "I'm sure no one has asked you this, but, how tall are you?" He suggested that I guess and I said, "7-1?" My second guess was 7-4, but, he finally told me, "I'm 7 feet 8 inches tall." His dad was 6-9 and when he was born, "They knew I was going to be 7 feet tall."  I asked him a number of questions about his experiences with his height and I could tell that he's had a lot of fun with it. and accepts who he is. I was almost at a loss of words, but it was a pleasure meeting him and he was nice enough to take the below selfie with me.  He's a pro at doing this too, notice how much taller he is then my van!

 GOING OVER THE BORDER

I was taking him to one of his two jobs and he said he was Russian.  I made mention of the Russian bill I had hanging in the car and he told me he left about a year ago. I asked, "Why did you leave Russia?" He replied, "Putin is crazy." He spoke good enough English that I could understand most of his story.  He tried four times to leave Russia and once was put in jail. He was able to get a sponsor and was able to seek asylum. A friend helped him to get a job at a hotel and at a restaurant in Charleston.  He is very happy to be in the country and he will soon have to go in front of a judge I believe to extend his visa.

THE PROFESSOR OF NEUROSCIENCE

I was impressed immediately by him, but he didn't strike me as a professor.  I thought he was in sales with his very outgoing personality.  Working at MUSC- The Medical University of South Carolina in downtown Charleston, he was heading to the airport. He really enjoyed the 24 foreign bills in my car and he had to take a call with with boss. He said to her, "I'm in an Uber, do you want to see the swag in his car?" I was laughing as he showed her a bunch of things in my car.  He does a lot of media events and takes questions from them concerning neuroscience and there's no question he's good at it.  I'm hoping to drive him again since our conversation was interrupted by his phone call.

MOVING FROM NEW YORK

When you move from New York to South Carolina it's a big step, but what if you're legally blind? The 29 year-old woman had a 16 year-old cat and she did have a truck move some furniture for her. Her mom did come down to help her get settled, but unfortunately, she moved into an apartment complex she called, "The projects." She didn't stay there very long and when I met her she still had a few more things to get over to her new place, 25 minutes away. When I pulled up she said, "You've got a lot more than you bargained for." I filled up my van with stuff including a litter box that did not stink, and we were on our way. She was very nice and told me she moved to, "Get a change of scenery." We arrived in the dark and I had to point her in the direction of the back of the building and I brought everything upstairs for her.  She had said I should leave everything on the curb, but I'm not leaving a legally blind woman in the dark to carry a bunch of stuff up stairs. The ride turned out to be fifty minutes all together and I believe she had her parents in New York give me a $45 tip for my efforts on the app.  It was my final ride of the day and I got some serious exercise.

"CHARLESTON FOUND US" 

I often ask people how they wound up living where they are, but this couple had a very unique answer. Originally from South Africa, they've been together for thirty years. They moved to New Zealand and two years ago decided to live in The United States.  They knew they wanted warmer weather, so they spent six months traveling looking for the right place. In North Carolina they were talking with a woman working in the store. "She asked us some questions and told us to visit Charleston-we didn't have any idea where it was." They love the area and you could tell they made the right choice. She's a pastry chef and he's a retired CPA.  I asked him, "Was it an easy transition for you to be retired?" He said, "No, I'm unhappily retired, I'm going to get back to do something soon." They were a pleasure to drive and both had a good sense of humor.

THE TWO OH THREE 

The young man was impressive and told me about the business he and his sister had started. In their twenties, their business focuses around their home state, Connecticut. The area code is 203 and they have a local brand of clothing and products that they now sell in two stores.  I checked out their website and they are very involved in local events.  They realized that there wasn't any good business that advertised the state and now they have two stores.  They do hundreds of local events to advertise their business also.  He just got a full-time job in advertising and he will still spend time helping his sister out with the growing business.  Below is one of their pillows for sale.

Laughter Yoga Lost a Very Big Fan

This past Monday, my mother-in-law Erna, passed away at the age of 86.  She had lived a difficult life with many health issues.  Five years ago, we brought her to South Carolina and for a couple years she was able to enjoy the warmer climate and a better environment. When COVID happened in March 2020, like many people, she wasn't able to do the same things she was doing. 

The first time I met her was 43 years ago this May when I picked up her daughter for our first date. Over the years,  I've spent a considerable amount of time with her talking and taking her to different places, such as: the park, greenhouses to look/buy plants and flowers, stores and a slew of supermarkets.

During the last five years she's lived in an assisted living facility not far from where we live. One of the things she enjoyed doing was laughter yoga. It's a combination of voluntary laughing and breathing exercises.  I did it with her a few times and watched a guy laughing on her phone.  If someone is laughing a lot, it is difficult not to laugh right along. (Unless of course it is someone in Temple and you can resist because you know it's very inappropriate)

You can't help but feel better laughing a lot because of all the endorphins that are released when you laugh.  However, my mother-in-law did not tell me the disadvantages of laughter yoga.  This is a real list, I am not kidding:  "Hernias, bleeding hemorrhoids, persistent cough, epilepsy, heart disease, high blood pressure, incontinence, and major psychiatric disorders."  I wish I could talk to her right now about this, we would have a very good laugh.

Below are a few pictures that were taken over the last few years which I think is a nice way to remember her:

1. With her daughter (My wife), Monika and her sister Irma

2. With my wife Monika

3. With me

4. Just her

5. Holiday party two months ago with her

6.  Her

 

Solving One Problem You Have Walking a Dog

You didn't know that there's a problem when you walk a dog? Well, not only are you going to learn what one of the problems are, I'm going to give you a solution and throw in a little bonus. Here's the bonus: how many dogs are there in the world? I didn't know, so I checked with Mr. Google and he said there are approximately 900 million dogs in the world. I kid you not. Sometimes, I think that half of them are in my neighborhood.

I'm still new at this dog thing, it's been only two years since I got my first dog. (I mean that as it's the first one I got and not that it's one of many dogs I will have in my life) One of the problems I have walking a dog, after getting the dog ready for a walk, putting his snazzy vest on and actually getting him out of the house-is the big moment when he decides to poop on a neighbor's lawn.

I'm not comfortable with him doing it, but it's after I actually pick the poop up, once I figure out how to open the bag and scoop it all up and then attach it to the leash, then I really have a problem.  Why do I want to walk around the neighborhood with the smell of poop? Don't tell me you've never noticed, you're lying. It is awful, just awful.

When I'm with my wife, she takes care of it and then I have to figure out where to walk.  I can't walk behind her, because the stench can knock you out. Right next to her? It doesn't work well walking close to poop, trust me on this. I have to walk on the other side of the dog and the leash and then switch sides when he does. I'm good if I walk in front, unless the wind is blowing from behind us.

Taking our dog for a walk today, I did come up with a solution when it's just the two of us.  The dog is on my right, the leash and the poop are on the right and if I hold the leash with my left hand behind my back, the poop is directly behind me and I can't smell the poop!  I did this for a couple blocks and I did have a slight strain on my hand, but it's better than smelling poop.

Here's a picture of the leash and our dog.  To take this picture I had to get the phone ready with my right hand and then hold the phone with my left hand and take the picture with one finger on my right hand, which was still holding the leash and the poop. Our dog, Odin, may be looking for a bird.

This has created another problem.  In doing this important research, I discovered that it is recommended to take dogs three to four times a day for walks of 15 minutes.  Are you "pooping" me? Sometimes we go twice in a day, but three to four times a day? I don't think the strain in my arm can survive that.

 

"The Power of Fun"

Back in December I read a short article about a book that came out in 2021, "The Power of Fun," by Catherine Price. I read some other info on the book and knew that I had to read it. I asked my wife to get it for me for the holidays and I just finished reading it this past week.  

The subject of "fun" has been interesting to me for about three and a half years ago. As an Uber driver I picked up four young women in Downtown Charleston and after the 1.2 mile ride, the young woman wrote a comment on the app that we, "Had a magical evening ride." It was a great ride, mainly due to her sense of humor. I gave it a lot of thought on what made it a great ride and my conclusion was that is was just pure fun. I put a note above my printer and it simply says, "FUN." There have been many times since then I have thought about it and decided I was going to do something fun or turn something into fun.  

As I write my book about my Uber adventures I have realized that many of my favorite rides were simply a lot of fun and it has been sometimes difficult to explain the fun I had.  That ride in Charleston is ranked as my second favorite ride partly because I realized that any ride could be a great ride and I wanted to have more fun in my life.

In the book, she describes what fun is and what "true fun" is.  She explains that "true fun is like magic." Frequently "true fun" comes when you are interacting with others, and it's good for your health, mentally and physically.  She explains what happens when you are enjoying "true fun" and how you can do more fun things in your life.  She used many personal experiences that her and husband had, friends and people that she met. When she asked her young daughter what fun looked liked, she said, "sunshine."

Since 2009, my business name has been the, "Sunshine Man," and right above my head while I drive is a sign hanging that says, "If you can't find the sunshine, be the sunshine." I like to think that one of the things I do is spread sunshine to others. If you're looking for more fun in your life, you should read this book-it was fun to read.

                                                  

How Old Do You Have to Be To Play Pinball?

It sounds like a joke, but it isn't.  What if I told you that in South Carolina you have to be 18 to play pinball? When my oldest daughter sent me the information I was sure it was not correct, because it seemed ridiculous. South Carolina is the only state in the country that still has this law and currently there is a bill to get rid of it. It has existed for over sixty years although the law is not enforced.

Why would they do that? What could possibly be the problem with pinball? In the 1940's and 1950's states and towns banned pinball because it "Lured children into delinquency and school-yard debt." Back then, the game was looked at as a game of chance and not skill. It was created in the 1930's and before flippers were invented on the sides of the machine, players would be jostling the machine to score points.  Store owners would give out rewards for high scores and the game was very popular with young people, some who spent their lunch money.

In the early 1940's New York City's Mayor Fiorello La Guardia ordered raids to crack down on pinball due to organized crime being involved.  In 1942, the city banned pinball machines entirely and the law would remain on the books in New York City until 1972. 

And, that brings us to 1978 and Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey. I was a college freshman and my roommate, Steve, introduced me to pinball.  We did not spend any lunch money, but we did spend some money on the machine pictured below.  It was a lot of fun and we set many, many records on this machine and another one called, "Pioneer." We left many free games on the machine for the next player because we had to go to class, or lunch, or dinner, or sleep.

My pinball skills came in handy after college when my wife and I went over one of her co-worker's house in the 1980's. The woman's husband had a pinball machine in his basement and in a very short time I set the high score on the machine. I knew my college roommate would be proud. I often thought that one day when I got older I would get a pinball machine for my basement, but now I don't have a basement and I don't have a television set either.  I may not be a pinball wizard, but I am confident that I can still play pinball well and I'm over 18 too!

What I Learned At The Comedy Show

How much can you learn at a comedy show? The purpose of going is to be entertained and when we saw Jim Gaffigan, I was entertained. I was surprised that I learned three interesting things which I did not know.  You, however, may find it amusing that I did not know these things and hopefully my view of what I learned is some entertainment for you.

NO PHONE SHOW: We were standing in front of the entrance to the coliseum and there was one other couple there. They told us that the next night, comedians Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle would be performing there, but it was a "no phone show."  I had never heard the phrase, but a number of comedians and some Broadway shows have started doing them.

Below is a picture of what happens: you walk into the event and put your phone on vibrate or off, or a smart watch and you hand it to someone who puts it in a Yondr pouch and the pouch is locked.  Yondr is the name of the company that created it.  You hold on to your phone and if you need to use it, you go to a designated area and they open the pouch.  At the end of the show you do the same thing before you leave.

I can understand if someone is in the hospital or you have a babysitter you could do this, but wouldn't it be easier to just leave the phone in the car? Reading up on this it is advertised as a way for a show to go on without distractions. However, comedians in particular have gotten in trouble for things they have said at performances when they have been filmed or recorded by people who did not follow the rules of the show. I heard later that this show went on for three hours and that Rock and Chappelle made jokes about everyone at the show. Two couples told me that the phone bag was not a problem at all. 

THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT?: It's called Shazam? I thought that was a movie about a superhero. It actually is, below is the superhero, who has nothing to do with what I learned.

My wife and I were in the coliseum and there was music playing. Suddenly, she grabbed her phone and did something and I asked, "What was that?' She heard a song that she liked and the Shazam app identified what the song was and saved it.  I'm not sure what else it does, but that was pretty impressive. I wonder, does it know Allan Sherman songs and the Partridge Family songs too? Yeah it was cool, but I don't want to put another app on my phone.

DID THEY TAKE MY IDEA? On the way home my wife amazed me, as usual.  She told me that our youngest daughter had bought something that lets you track a wallet, keys, or luggage if you misplace them. I thought she was making it up, but The Apple Air Tag is a real thing.  Below is a picture of the pack of four for $99.

If you lose something with this on it, you can go online and it will show you where it is.  I've talked many times in the past that when I lose something it would be great if you could say, "I give up." Only then could you go to a computer and hit a button and it would show you where you lost it. In my example, you can no longer get the item, it's gone. Here, for a mere hundred dollars, you can get it back.

Technology continues to advance and it is not slowing down anytime soon. Fortunately, I don't have to participate in all of it, but maybe you do?

Comedy With Jim Gaffigan

 

Pictured above is the back of  the Charleston Coliseum and it looks like it is a very nice orange color, but it is not. The sun was shining on the building which is closer to a light pink. Last week my wife and I went to see the comedian Jim Gaffigan and we had a very good time. I have passed the coliseum hundreds of times over the past four years, but I've never seen the entire building because it's covered by trees from the road. It looks better as orange, but inside it looks like this:

We were in the parking lot early and got a great spot so we could get out quickly.  We were one of the first people in line and this picture was taken when we arrived.  When we walked in there was a big sign saying that we should text Jim and he would reply. My wife texted and attached the blog where I had Jim inviting my wife to the show.  During the show I kept asking her, did you hear from Jim? I stopped doing it after a couple days which I think she was happy about.  The message she sent did not go through, only the link to my blog.  The day after the show she tried again, but I think it's safe to say a week later, he's not texting back.

The show was only an hour and a half, with the warm up comedian doing the first half hour.  He was very good and had us laughing with his second joke which went something like this: 

"If I had a super power it would be to align my political beliefs with my Uber driver." 

He then said that you will be fine if you just learn to say three things, "I agree," "That's crazy," and "What is this world coming to." It's probably very rare for an Uber driver to talk politics, but the joke was very well done.

Jim Gaffigan started off with jokes about the pandemic, plane crashes, and diarrhea.  This was not your typical beginning to a show, but he pulled it off probably due to it's uniqueness.  He talked about his experiences with his five kids and that was very funny.  We enjoyed our whole day on our date, the barbecue, visiting a used bookstore and the comedy show. Here's a selfie we took in the coliseum.

The Best Barbecue in Charleston

For the past four years, I have been driving in Charleston, South Carolina and I have been telling riders all about the barbecue places.  There is a lot of them and some of them are very close to each other.  My wife and I ate at Jim & 'Nick's Bar-B-Que many times in Mt. Pleasant before the pandemic and before we drove home after driving for the day.  Two years ago, we ate at the one in North Charleston, but since we couldn't get into the restaurant, we ate out out of the trunk or our car and celebrated the birthdays of my wife and daughter.

Downtown Charleston has at least six barbecue places and it may be as many as ten.  The one that is most talked about is Lewis Barbecue which is known for it's out of  the world brisket.  One of my riders lives nearby and he told me, "There's nothing like waking up in the morning and smelling barbecue." Above is a picture of their brisket and some ribs on the top right.

My wife and I arrived around 2 pm and it was at the end of the lunch crowd. We ate inside, but above is what their outside area looks like. The brisket was amazing and the ribs were very good too. We took our time and finished everything except a little of the macaroni and cheese, which was also very good. These days almost everything is expensive, but the quality of the food was exceptional.  I was amused while I was sitting there and eating to see the below sign.  When I think of a "meat cutter," I think of a butcher, not a restaurant.

I've been raving about this place for four years and now that I've eaten there, I can rave about it more.  I may even show that brisket and ribs picture. Am I really going to eat soup now for lunch?

My Favorite Rider Comments in January

The first month of the year and below are my favorite comments.  The top 30-40 are the best of these and near the bottom I have a separate section on some of the comments about me or my car.

The intelligent and creative guy explained about a woman he used to be with: "I fell in love with all the moons that circulated around her."

Woman in sales: "When I was eight, I sold my younger brother's action figures door to door. The neighbors thought it was cute, my parents and brothers didn't."

After getting a pierced nose, she was pleading with her boyfriend to get some cream from the drugstore, "I don't want my nose to fall off."

Lawyer's advice about law school if you're not passionate about being a lawyer: "Don't pay someone to make you miserable."

The manager of the band, "Widespread Panic" said that "We hold the record for consecutive sell-outs in Red Rocks." (67)

She: "I used to have a crazy dog. The boxer was a killer. He had five skunks under his belt and we had to get rid of him after he got loose, broke into a neighbor's house and killed the cat."

Woman: "I usually get about five hours of sleep. I have 3 cases of Red Bull at home and I drink three cans a day."

Picking up "Speedy Montana" from Louisiana: Me: "I thought you'd come running out of the building." Him: "I am pretty fast." Me: "How did you get to be fast?" Him: "Running from the police."

Woman who lives in Italy on what she likes in the USA, "You can go outside in your pajamas and no one cares."

She is a bartender in Greece and she told me, "I think the pizza here in Charleston is better than in Italy. I'm here for the slices."

She moved from New Jersey to Vegas and then moved to the South. "I probably would have died if I moved straight to the South. Being in Vegas prepared me for the friendliness in the South."

Respiratory Therapist from the north on his first week working in the South: "I almost got fired the first week for talking to a supervisor. You have to be cocky in Boston or no one trusts you."

Male: "I'm 27 and I give relationship advice to people. I hit rock bottom and lost everything due to drugs and decided to change because I saw how it was affecting my mom."

Living in Colorado for 13 years, the chef and guitar player said, "I've seen 500 shows at Red Rocks. There's nothing like it in the world. If you have the chance to see a concert there, just do it.  Talking about it is bringing me to tears."

Cook: "There are two kinds of people in this world, people who make food and people who eat it."

She: "Sometimes you don't know how your personality can brighten someone's day."

The young female attorney just won her first big case after an Amazon tractor trailer hit her client's car from behind. "We won $30 million for her. I have a cool life."

He spoke almost no English, but two minutes into the ride, the translator he was holding said, "I don't speak much English since I've been here a short time. I'm going to give you a bill from Chile." (To add to my foreign currency museum in my car)

Woman: "Every time I was making a big change in my life I would have the same dream that my teeth had fallen out."

She: "I worked answering phones at a spa and when I saw people walk out after five minutes with a smile on their face, I said, 'I can do that.' I'm an esthetician now and I love it."

Getting out of my car the young Uber driver from Charleston said, "I have to step my Uber game up."

"In Greece most people wake up at 9 am, have dinner at 10 pm and the bars get busy at 1 am and close at 5 am."

The retired accountant said, "Being retired, I don't care what numbers add up to."

Telling the man who was with his adult daughter, that one woman thought the Ravenel bridge looked like a bra, he said, "They look like pointy nipples."

She: "My dad has written down his dreams every night since college.  One night he had a dream about a guy that he hadn't seen in many years.  The next day he got a call that the guy suddenly died giving the eulogy for his mom."

She: "My dad always told me that, 'Above the clouds there is always the sun."

The navy guy told me, "During the pandemic I was in a supermarket and I sneezed and the look I got you would have thought I had said a racial epithet." Me: "Were you wearing a mask?" Him: "Probably not."

Female Uber driver: "My sister and I used to make fun of my cousin who was an Uber driver. We called him: "Uber Everywhere Ron."

She: "I was born where the gila monsters live. They were cute." (Southwestern US and the lizards can be 20 inches long.)

The woman said, "My life is a comedy."

The cancer colon researcher told me on a Sunday, "I have to go in and feed the cells every day or they will die."

She: "We didn't find many French restaurants in Paris, there were a lot of restaurants for Americans.  We had to look one up online and found one down an alley in a basement and it was packed and the food was amazing!"

The luxury chef from Long Island said, "My business really took off after the first few months of the pandemic. A lot of people wanted to have private dinners in their home."

Bartender in strip club: "I once had a 67 year-old man who came in on his birthday looking to take one of the girls home with him. It didn't work out well for him. He wasn't tipping them well enough to even get them to talk with him, but he gave me a lot of details what he wanted to do with them."

The assisted manager of a gas station: "The customer told me there was a naked man in the bathroom building a bird's nest. I walked in and there he was with newspapers all around him on the floor. I walked out and said to myself, 'What do I do now?"

The 20 year old guy and his brother, a jeweler, are starting a new business, turning ash into diamonds. "We have an LLC and a patent to turn deceased ashes into diamonds. I got the idea when I told my brother that he liked diamonds so much that when he dies I'll turn his ashes into a diamond. Two cups of ashes equal one karat."

The woman from New Hampshire gave me some good news about their famous squatter, "River Dave." She: "He ended up moving away and living with family in a different state."

She: "My friend was going to her college orientation and asked me if I would come with her. I signed up and went to school for a year."

The woman in HR said, "I once had someone who was upset so he left his urine sample on my desk."

She: "It's going to be a good day."

She: "My name, Noemi, means happiness in Italian."

"In Washington state, summer always begins exactly on July 5th.

A woman named Xavier: "I don't know how my mom came up with the name, maybe she wanted a boy or she was drunk."

The cook said, "We're just throwing it down in the kitchen."

She: "We were going to Dollywood once and the GPS took us on a dirt road up the side of mountain and we wound up in the back staff parking lot."

When she moved from Harlem, NY to the south where her family was, she said, "It felt like I was from here."

The only woman to ever talk about Hugh Hefner, "He must have had a bad childhood."

Intelligent guy advice to his wealthy clients: "The most important thing is figuring out who you really are."

The lawyer said, "When I realized I could help people, I decided to be a lawyer.

The very large guy used to work in construction. Working in a restaurant his manager told him he shouldn't lift all those plates. He said, "I can squat those plates."

He: "The highest state paid job in every state is a head football coach."

Male: "I used to be a Tugboat captain in Staten Island and now I'm a Harbor Pilot helping ships dock."

He: "I once picked up a baby alligator and it bit me."

He said, "I had a pizza career. I went from dishwasher to manager. I said I'd quit every year until I did."

She was named Maleiva after an African singer. The "i" is silent but causes many to mispronounce her name so she gave her daughter the name as her middle name, without the "i".

Citadel cadet: "They say that they want you to walk about 120 steps per minute on campus, but it's really around 160 steps."

He: "I find insects to be very interesting, how they build their homes."

When she moved from Harlem, NY to the south where her family was, she said, "It felt like I was from here."

She: "I moved out of Washington state, because nothing was going for me."

The Ship Surveyor was leaving for Buffalo, New York to check on some ships. Me: "Can you do that in this weather?" Him: "I'm going to find out."

She: "I do U-tube videos with six of my friends, we're trying to promote our channel."

Male: "I used to be a Tugboat captain in Staten Island and now I'm a Harbor Pilot helping ships dock."

The woman in law school said, "It's tough, but you have to put this first."

                            COMMENTS ABOUT ME AND WHAT'S IN MY CAR

She takes 17,000 steps a day working in a parking garage. Me: "How about we switch jobs and I get some exercise and you can eat all the snacks I have today?" She: "At the end of the day you'll aske me why I had no rides, because I'll just pull over and eat."

Me to the rider: "I guess you noticed all the money hanging in my car?" Her: "Where?" Me: "It's everywhere, the money." Her: "I thought you said bunny." Me: "If there was a bunny hanging in the car, you would have said something."

He: "I'm sorry I don't have any currency for your car, but this South Carolina police patch can help you avoid a parking ticket."

Older man: "I just gave away a bunch of old Belgium and Germany bills at my garage sale, I could have given them to you."

I told the woman that I had an extra bill from Argentina and I could give it to her. She: "How much should I pay you?" Me: "No, I'm going to give it to you for free." (She did tip me)

She: "Where do you get your mats cleaned?" (I just cleaned them before she got in)

"You brightened our morning."

He said, "Keep on doing a good job Ubering."

About my car set-up: "This is the coolest thing ever. I neve had a better ride than this."

The young man said, "I love your vibe. You need to keep doing what you're doing."

She: "Your car is so interesting and unique. You're the best Uber driver ever."

She: "I'm so excited to be in this back seat."

She: "This is a historic Uber."

She: "This is the best ride since ever.  I am so happy."

She: "This was an awesome ride."