January Rider Stories

HOW TO START A DAY: It was 5 am. when I got my first ride, picking up a couple at a bar that had been closed for awhile. The wife got in first and after I handed her a mask, she told me her husband was anti-mask and not to be insulted if he gave me a hard time. (he didn't)  They had been celebrating his 32nd birthday.  They had been up all night and I'm sure had plenty to drink, but they were thoughtful, pleasant and entertaining.  They would have been a great ride in the middle of the day. They did talk a lot and sometimes they were talking to me at the same time, which was pretty funny. They appreciated the ride a lot since two drivers canceled on them.  They said they would give me a good tip, however they really gave me a great start to the day. She told me that she had met Chipper Jones, the Hall of Fame Baseball player and said, "I would have had his babies." When I started telling them my Super Bowl ring story, he asked if he could record the story and he did for some reason. He loved the idea that I was keeping track of my my favorite comments and blogging about it and said, "that's fucking genius." They also told me about a vacation they took a few years ago with their two kids. They rented a cabin on a mountain where there was three feet of snow. It was so dangerous that he had them get out of their Cadillac Escalade and walk up the hill. He barely made it up the hill and the neighbors were watching him. The wife got out first and immediately put a $20 tip on the app which was great. The birthday boy was still talking to me when he handed me a $100 bill. I was shocked and actually said, "I can't take that." He insisted and said, "you're the best Uber driver I've ever had. We were just hoping someone would pick us up." It's the best tip I've ever gotten and if they read this-I greatly appreciated  the tips and I and hope to drive you again.  Below is part of my tip.

                                                         

                                      

MY FAVORITE RIDER OF THE MONTH: I've had a lot of good rides, but when I drop off a "great rider", there's a different feeling.  I can't help but grin from to ear to ear and think, "there's someone I'd really enjoy being around." Sometimes I can tell that this is just a terrific person, or someone extremely unique, or someone who can make you laugh or amaze you with what they've done in their life. My 32 year-old male rider was all of the above and more.  He used to sell $70,000 cars for three years until he stopped when he, "didn't like what he had become."  My guess is that he was very good at it.  He's a jack and bore specialist which deals with sewer construction.  He loves it, but he calls himself a "certified laborer." He works around 80 hours a week and after 21 straight days working, he gets two days off. He's outspoken, confident and one of a kind.  He told me he's afraid of the ocean, but he picked up a gator once by it's tail when he arrived in the south. It's hard to pick what comment he had that was funniest, but, he did tell me, "the women down here are thirsty, that's not what I'm looking for." Just before dropping him off he said, ""I don't have a lot of friends here, but my buddy from work and I get together sometimes to play cards, smoke cigars, and pretend to be old men, do you want to join us sometime?" Me: "I don't smoke cigars, but I got the old man thing down." I didn't tell him I really don't play much cards, but I'd pretend and have a great time.

THE MOLECULAR SCIENTIST: It was unfortunately a short ride, but when do you ever get to talk to a molecular scientist? (it is on her business card) She was visiting Charleston and has never had time to see the town and it wasn't going to happen this time either.  I told her she had to come back as a tourist.  She was heading to the hospital to train people.  She has been in the field for 15 years, but the last two years has been the most challenging. She has worked on PCR Training(nasal swab) for COVID and has global responsibilities.  One of her co-workers at one point had to be hospitalized for exhaustion and I thanked her for her efforts. It doesn't take long to be impressed with someone and you can tell she is very committed to her profession.

THE MAN WHO NEEDED HELP: My first rider early in the morning surprised me, because right away he was very open and willing to talk about a serious subject.  After spending four years in the Coast Guard, he's had a difficult time dealing with some of the rescues he made and "alcohol has dulled the pain." I was taking him to The Veterans Administration where he was going to ask for help with his drinking, but also to check out his eye. He told me that last night, "I was snookered and walked into a wall." He knew he was doing the right thing to get help for his drinking and he was definitely doing it for his two young kids and wife.  I told him that I can't relate to his drinking problems, but I reassured him how important it is for him to be able to be around for his family. I also reminded him of all the things he's overcome in his life and wished him the very best with this.  I hope to see him again.

It Took Seven Years!

We all know that sometimes things take awhile to happen.  Some examples: I'm now waiting for my new car for nine months, some people have been waited over a year for their car due to the chip shortage.  I once had a rider go through a hiring process for a full year for a government job as a chef. My wife just received a medical bill for her Mom for something that happened at the end of January last year.  One of my favorite stories is that Walt Disney had to wait for 20 years before he could get the rights so he could make the movie "Mary Poppins."

Have you ever waited a long time for an idea to come to you?  Seven years ago, when our youngest daughter was in high school, I would frequently drive her to school. When I did, I would refer to each day with a special name- Magnificent Monday, Terrific Tuesday, Wonderful Wednesday, and Fabulous or Fantastic Friday.  It was my way of getting her to start her day in a positive way.  The problem was always Thursday, since we already had a "T" day in Tuesday. We never came up with a good name for Thursday.

I got the answer this morning and it's perfect. It was so easy, how did we miss it? I just read a one page, new newsletter that is out about Myrtle Beach.  I had the idea, what if I was able to write something for the newsletter each day, maybe "Sunshine For Your Day?" I thought back to how I used to name the days and when I got to Thursday I said, "Thankful Thursday." We should be thankful for every day, but the one day we all celebrate being thankful of course, is Thanksgiving Day, always a Thursday.

So, today is Thankful Thursday and it's a great day to thank someone for what they do.  It can be a worker in a store, someone who provides a service for you, a friend or neighbor, or someone in your family.  Imagine if I wrote for this newsletter and on Thursday people could thank someone publicly and send or show them the newsletter? Wait until my youngest daughter reads this!

When And Why Is No Really A No?

Have you ever tried to convince someone to do something or change their mind?  You try and try and try and they just say, "no." These days that could apply to many people about many things.  Did you ever wonder why some people are just so stubborn, or strong-willed, or opinionated, or independent, or adamant, or determined, or dogged, or headstrong, or inflexible, or ornery or persistent? If you hadn't before, you're thinking about that person and that subject right now. The following story may help you answer that question, "when and why is no sometimes really a no?"

A friend of mine who I'll call Jay.(It's really his dog's name, but I've been told not to use real names) Jay,(my friend, not the dog),  drives tractor trailers across the country. He used to work for me and I can tell you that he is a good guy, a hard worker, funny, outspoken, independent and he can give a manager nightmares. (not me of course) He has worked for many companies and I've joked in the past that when one of his managers left their job that they were taken away in a white coat. I also volunteered to write a letter to any manager who was having difficulty with him since I used to manage him.

His company promised him 3,000 driving miles a week, which is how he gets paid.  They haven't made that happen after two years, so he's annoyed with them.  Recently, they asked Jay,(not the dog), to do a short trip of forty miles and he said, "no," for a number of reasons.  There is such a great demand for drivers, my friend knows that if they let him go, he could have a job in a few days.  The company once again this week set him up for a short ride and he refused it. He was a little frustrated that they didn't understand the word no.

Jay,(not the dog), said to me, "I was born saying no." He told me the following true story.  "When I was 3 or 4, my grandmother visited and my mom wanted me to give her a kiss and I said, "no." My mom took out a five dollar bill and said, "if you kiss your grandmother I'll give you this." I looked at my grandmother and looked at the five dollars and said, "no."

Jay,(my friend), joked that his mom gave his grandmother the five dollars to change his diaper. I told him to send his supervisor an e-mail saying that right now he's not going to do short trips, but if he changes his mind, he'll let them know.  I told him to type this story out and they will laugh and remember this when they consider giving him another short ride.  It would have taken him ten minutes, but what was his answer to me, "no." I told him that I was so certain that this would help, that I would type it up and if he gave me his supervisor's e-mail address, I would send it to her.  He said, "no."

When you want to convince someone to change their mind or do something that you want them to do, give it your very best shot. A book I have is titled, "All You Can Do, Is All You Can Do, and All You Can Do Is Enough." If the answer is still, "no," after giving it your best shot, you're done.  Remember my friend Jay's grandmother and what is below.  

I can hear my children right now saying, "Dad, you should have turned this around the right way." My answer is simply, "no."

WINTER STORM ADVISORY-Southern Style

The most obvious difference between living in the North and living in the South is of course the weather.  Having spent 57 years in New Jersey and four in South Carolina, I can assure you that the weather is almost always better in South Carolina. We just had a week in December where the temperature was around 70 degrees the whole week. Freezing cold in the south is 30-40 degrees and that is really not that cold if you're used to cold in the North or Chicago or Minnesota, etc.

In the south, when we expect "bad" weather it looks differently too.  In the south you get an advisory, in the North, it's usually a WARNING! This is what we have coming up tonight:

"Action Recommended: Execute a pre-planned activity identified in the instructions.

Description: WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON EST SATURDAY

WHAT... Periods of freezing rain will result in total ice accumulations ranging between 0.05 to 0.20 inches. The freezing rain may mix with or change to a period of sleet and or snow prior to ending Friday night or early Saturday. A trace of accumulation is possible."

Other than a possible hurricane, this is about as bad as it gets.  Schools will be open remotely tomorrow and other events have already been canceled.  People are heading to the grocery store and getting gas as if they will be stuck in the house due to a blizzard.

If you live in the South, here are some simple tips for bad weather from a former Northerner:

Ice: If you're out walking-march.  Pick your feet up and pretend you're in the army.  It's very difficult to slip if you're marching, because you're not pushing off the ground.  Stay away from lakes and ponds that are frozen.(here there are gators under the ice)

Cold: Wear layers-they are easier to take off if you need to and they are more effective. Wear a hat or hood if you can, since it prevents cold from going right through your head.

Driving in snow or ice: If you have to, find car tracks in the road and stay on them.  "The Road Not Taken" is a great poem, but not advisable when the road is covered.  Everything is in slow motion as you drive, turns, starts and stops and when you're going backwards and forward. 

Just so you know I'm ready, here I am below and I have layers on!

The Forever Purse

 I think it was in the summer that my wife of 38 years said to me, "I really don't need anything."  I asked to get that in writing, but I didn't get it.  I'm not going to list the the things she's got since then, but the biggest was a larger car, which we really needed for traveling also.

A couple weeks ago, my wife was spending a lot of time online and I asked her what she was looking at. She told we that she needed a  new purse and this was going to be my Christmas gift. She told me the purse  was so amazing and it was built so well, that it would last forever.  I said, "so this is a forever purse?" She didn't answer right away and showed me some of the pictures.

The name of the company is Brahmin and they make designer purses as Coach does.  The company has been around 35 years and their bags are made is Massachusetts. The bags are made out of fine leather from Italy and it takes 24 "artisans" to make each bag. No wonder they last so long! I told my wife okay and then the big question was, which one will she buy?

Fortunately, my wife got a good deal and she was able to get two purses and one wallet.  She is also selling her Coach bag which will help pay for what she bought. When they arrived, she told me that each one has a name.  There's Katie, Amelia and Ady, I'm not sure which one is which, but they are now part of our family and of course, they are here, forever.

There is more good news! There are dozens of purses to choose from and some women have many forever purses. They do look great and below is the picture of the new girls in family and they are the last purses and wallet my wife will ever need.

If You're Checking Out My Blog For The First Time.....

 Recently, I've had a number of my Uber riders who have asked about my blog. Since my blog address is on the list I give them of my favorite rider comments, some of you may be seeing this blog for the first time. If you somehow just bumped into this online, this post will give you some information on what this is.

Four years ago when we moved south to Myrtle Beach from New Jersey, I started writing this for my family and some friends. I've written almost 450 posts on many different topics.  The main focus has been how my wife and I have experienced life in the south and whatever interesting and unusual things pop into my head. (such as my difficulty buying Cocoa Krispies down here, because they are not that popular) This year, I've been getting used to having the first pet in my life, Odin, a cockapoo puppy. Many of  my blogs are at least mildly funny, although my grown children would argue that. (they may argue that they would argue about it too)

The past couple years, I look forward at the very end of each month or first or second day of the next month, to posting two posts about my Uber riders.  The first post is usually 3-6 stories on riders who have unusual or important careers, have a great story they told me, or they were one of my favorite rides of the month for a variety of reasons.  The second post I make, is a list of my most memorable rider comments for the month and if you're reading this, you may have made the list.  When it comes out, the first 30-40 comments are the best ones, then there are some comments about some other Uber drivers and then all the rest of the comments that I recorded are below that.

The two rider posts will be the basis for the book I am going to start writing this year about my Uber rides.  I currently have over 7,000 rides and by the end of the year I will be around 10,000, which is the number I want to have for my book.  I have a working title, (suggested by youngest child) "Driving on the Sunny Side." I have also entertained the idea of doing a podcast where I could actually interview some of the riders who have been in my car, but it's just a a fun thought right now.

If you go to the bottom of this post you will see a list of my most recent posts and you can check them out.  I think you should also have a place that you can make a comment. However, if you would like to reach me for any reason, my e-mail address is jeff_hoenig@yahoo.com.  If you are bored to tears or bedridden and want to check out some of my other posts, you should be able to do that also on this page. You should also see a place that you can put in your e-mail address and when I post something, it will be sent to you.

Thanks for reading and have a great day.

Is It Okay To Say "Ass"?

 Last week, I was talking to my wife and I said the word, "ass." She said that she never hears me say that word and she may be right.  I did make sure to work the word into our conversation a couple times that night just for the fun of it.  Yesterday, I did it again, but unintentionally. She said, "there's that word again." But, is it okay to say ass to people, or is it more polite to say, "butt" or "backside"?

I tell a story to my riders about me driving into a neighborhood to deliver a box when I was a courier.  Up ahead, I saw a guy washing his car.  I had never been in the neighborhood, so I really wasn't concerned about him.  When I went to pass the guy though, his back was to me and he was waving at me behind his back as he washed his car.  I wanted to pull over and say, "what is your problem? You don't know me and can't even see me. Am I supposed to honk three times or waive at your ass?"

I think I've used "ass" a couple times and "backside" or "butt" in telling the story.  I'm not sure I'm that comfortable with any of them.  But, the question is, would anyone be offended if I say, "ass?"  Older people like myself or women? I really don't know.  Maybe I have to take a survey in my car with a couple people and get some feedback?

Although I do like to post pictures with a post, I didn't think a picture of my "ass" would be appropriate. And, I'm pretty certain you will agree with me on that.