Dear Abby
It is not unusual to have a dozen rides in a day of RSD. As much as one ride can be the same as another, there are those that stand out... passengers I will long remember... conversations I cannot possibly forget.
A few months ago, I was pinged to a fitness center late one Thursday afternoon. There, I picked up Rajesh, still wearing his ear buds - fresh from his workout. Rajesh is one of my many passengers from India, who lives and works in the local Metro area. I greet him as he gets in the back of my car and note on my phone, he isn't going very far. As we pull out of the parking lot, Rajesh asks if we can stop across the street so he can pick up some fast food to take home. I agree, but make him add the stop on his phone app. We pull into the restaurant.
He says he prefers the drive-thru and the line is quite long, in spite of there being two lanes. As we wait to place his order, Rajesh says, "Can I ask you a question?" What am I to say? I'm captive for several car lengths.
"Sure." I say.
"It's about women... actually, American women."
"So what do you want to know about American women?"
"I'm not experienced with them but you are one."
"OK... I do meet the qualifications. What exactly do you want to know?"
"Well, I've been talking to an American woman and we are going to meet tomorrow night."
"That sounds good. How did you meet her?"
"I met her online."
"When you say you have been 'talking to her' - do you mean 'talk-talking' or 'texting'?
"Just texting."
"How long have you been texting?"
"Four days."
"Hmm. OK, so what's the question?"
"You see, I've never been with an American woman before, only women from my country."
"Women are women Rajesh ... I'm sure you'll be fine."
"Do you think she will want to hook up?"
"Hook up? You said you were meeting, didn't you?"
"Yes, but should I offer a hotel room?"
"What?! A hotel room? No! Why would you do that?"
"I would not like to take her to my home, so should I offer to get a hotel room?"
"What would make you think she would want to go to a hotel? You haven't even met her yet."
"That's why I'm asking you." (insert NanaMama's eye roll)
"Rajesh, you know I'm old enough to be your grandmother don't you? I'm not someone you should be asking this stuff."
"But you are a woman."
"Well this woman says 'No' to the hotel room and my advice to you is to meet-up, get acquainted and see if there's any chemistry between you."
"And then we hook up?"
May I add at this point in the story, in my day - when someone needed something, like... let's say a car. A friend may know someone who sells cars. He gives you the person's name and dealership and says, "Go see Joe at XYZ Auto ... tell him I sent you, he can hook you up." Language has obviously changed over time... Now back to the drive-thru.
I pull the car up to the speaker and Rajesh, from the backseat, asks me to place his order. It should not surprise me that in all the time we've been waiting - he has not yet decided what he wants.
"How about a number one?" I say.
"OK - with large fries" he adds. (There goes the preceding hour's workout.)
We continue our wait for the next two windows with intermittent conversation.
"Rajesh, I don't care what country you're in... assuming a woman you are about to meet would be interested in going to a hotel with you is just wrong."
"That's why I'm asking you.... Do you think I should hold her hand?"
"Well, that's more like it... but I think you should just meet her, talk and see what, if anything, you have in common. You may not even want to see her again"
"But I don't really care about seeing her again - I'd just really like to hook up."
"Seriously Rajesh, what site did you meet this girl on?"
"Tinder."
"... and just what does Tinder mean?" I ask.
"... Hook up..."
*sigh*
(Note to NanaMama: The meaning of the word tinder is no longer just various materials used to light a fire. It is yet another repurposed word/phrase)
We pay, get his food and pull back into traffic. It had taken fifteen minutes to get his 'fast food' and raise my blood pressure 20 points. We have 1.6 miles to his destination.
"Is it OK if we stop at this gas station? I already added the stop on my phone."
"Then I guess we'll have to stop...." I say with another sigh.
Rajesh goes inside and I sit in my car. And sit. And sit. I crane my neck to see if I can see him in there. A lot of people come out the door - Rajesh is not one of them. I try to use the time to regain my mental clarity. Finally, after ten minutes... He comes out and gets in the backseat.
"Sorry for the wait," he says, "The line was really long."
"Rajesh - you're killing me... I picked you up 25 minutes ago and I can still see the fitness center from here." He throws a $5 bill over the front seat to me. I consider barking like a seal.
"I was going to give that to you anyway..." he adds.
"Are you ready to go home yet?"
"Yeah, sure."
Since in the course of the conversation Rajesh has told me where they'd be meeting the next evening, I warn him to treat the young woman with respect ... or I may show up. He says "You don't know what time we're meeting." I assure him that's not a problem.
As Rajesh and his paper bag supper exit my vehicle, I thank him for the cash tip and most memorable ride; he thanks me for the advice and says he'll definitely consider it. I pulled out of his driveway and accept another ping. Although I'm sure this next ride rider will not compare to Rajesh, I make a mental note - if the passengers says, "Can I ask you a question?" I will answer no.
A few months ago, I was pinged to a fitness center late one Thursday afternoon. There, I picked up Rajesh, still wearing his ear buds - fresh from his workout. Rajesh is one of my many passengers from India, who lives and works in the local Metro area. I greet him as he gets in the back of my car and note on my phone, he isn't going very far. As we pull out of the parking lot, Rajesh asks if we can stop across the street so he can pick up some fast food to take home. I agree, but make him add the stop on his phone app. We pull into the restaurant.
He says he prefers the drive-thru and the line is quite long, in spite of there being two lanes. As we wait to place his order, Rajesh says, "Can I ask you a question?" What am I to say? I'm captive for several car lengths.
"Sure." I say.
"It's about women... actually, American women."
"So what do you want to know about American women?"
"I'm not experienced with them but you are one."
"OK... I do meet the qualifications. What exactly do you want to know?"
"Well, I've been talking to an American woman and we are going to meet tomorrow night."
"That sounds good. How did you meet her?"
"I met her online."
"When you say you have been 'talking to her' - do you mean 'talk-talking' or 'texting'?
"Just texting."
"How long have you been texting?"
"Four days."
"Hmm. OK, so what's the question?"
"You see, I've never been with an American woman before, only women from my country."
"Women are women Rajesh ... I'm sure you'll be fine."
"Do you think she will want to hook up?"
"Hook up? You said you were meeting, didn't you?"
"Yes, but should I offer a hotel room?"
"What?! A hotel room? No! Why would you do that?"
"I would not like to take her to my home, so should I offer to get a hotel room?"
"What would make you think she would want to go to a hotel? You haven't even met her yet."
"That's why I'm asking you." (insert NanaMama's eye roll)
"Rajesh, you know I'm old enough to be your grandmother don't you? I'm not someone you should be asking this stuff."
"But you are a woman."
"Well this woman says 'No' to the hotel room and my advice to you is to meet-up, get acquainted and see if there's any chemistry between you."
"And then we hook up?"
May I add at this point in the story, in my day - when someone needed something, like... let's say a car. A friend may know someone who sells cars. He gives you the person's name and dealership and says, "Go see Joe at XYZ Auto ... tell him I sent you, he can hook you up." Language has obviously changed over time... Now back to the drive-thru.
I pull the car up to the speaker and Rajesh, from the backseat, asks me to place his order. It should not surprise me that in all the time we've been waiting - he has not yet decided what he wants.
"How about a number one?" I say.
"OK - with large fries" he adds. (There goes the preceding hour's workout.)
We continue our wait for the next two windows with intermittent conversation.
"Rajesh, I don't care what country you're in... assuming a woman you are about to meet would be interested in going to a hotel with you is just wrong."
"That's why I'm asking you.... Do you think I should hold her hand?"
"Well, that's more like it... but I think you should just meet her, talk and see what, if anything, you have in common. You may not even want to see her again"
"But I don't really care about seeing her again - I'd just really like to hook up."
"Seriously Rajesh, what site did you meet this girl on?"
"Tinder."
"... and just what does Tinder mean?" I ask.
"... Hook up..."
*sigh*
(Note to NanaMama: The meaning of the word tinder is no longer just various materials used to light a fire. It is yet another repurposed word/phrase)
We pay, get his food and pull back into traffic. It had taken fifteen minutes to get his 'fast food' and raise my blood pressure 20 points. We have 1.6 miles to his destination.
"Is it OK if we stop at this gas station? I already added the stop on my phone."
"Then I guess we'll have to stop...." I say with another sigh.
Rajesh goes inside and I sit in my car. And sit. And sit. I crane my neck to see if I can see him in there. A lot of people come out the door - Rajesh is not one of them. I try to use the time to regain my mental clarity. Finally, after ten minutes... He comes out and gets in the backseat.
"Sorry for the wait," he says, "The line was really long."
"Rajesh - you're killing me... I picked you up 25 minutes ago and I can still see the fitness center from here." He throws a $5 bill over the front seat to me. I consider barking like a seal.
"I was going to give that to you anyway..." he adds.
"Are you ready to go home yet?"
"Yeah, sure."
Since in the course of the conversation Rajesh has told me where they'd be meeting the next evening, I warn him to treat the young woman with respect ... or I may show up. He says "You don't know what time we're meeting." I assure him that's not a problem.
As Rajesh and his paper bag supper exit my vehicle, I thank him for the cash tip and most memorable ride; he thanks me for the advice and says he'll definitely consider it. I pulled out of his driveway and accept another ping. Although I'm sure this next ride rider will not compare to Rajesh, I make a mental note - if the passengers says, "Can I ask you a question?" I will answer no.
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