Come Ride with Me

For many years, I have used the month of November to acknowledge my gratitude of things for which I am thankful. This past year has been 'one like no other', so my list of Gratitudes will be also. I am asked (daily) how I like RideShare driving, I have some pat answers I respond with - but since today is Thanksgiving, I'm going to post a  month's worth of positive things I count as blessings associated with "my job." (In alphabetical order) Adventure: I'm a fairly content person. I don't 'need' adventure in my life. I don't 'look' for adventure ... I'm pretty much a fan of 'ordinary'. RSD is an Adventure I would have never dreamed of doing.  Audiobooks: This has been on my regular November gratitudes because I'm a serial listener. Love love love listening to books and with all the hours I spend (alone) in my car, I get to hear lots of them! Back to backs: This is when before one ride is completed, the RS company ...

One Saturday this past summer, DH and I decided to spend the afternoon RideSharing. We set off in our respective vehicles ... seeking to make a few bucks, give a few rides, and do it all in the spirit of spending "quality time together." We had been texting between rides, sharing our locations and ride highlights. The plan was to end the afternoon by meeting up at our church for the 6:00 service. About 4:00, I got pinged to a thrift store on First Avenue. As I pulled up to the address, the business appeared to be closed. Occasionally, an entered address will come up as that of a neighboring one. I eyed each corner of the intersection. There was no sign of a would be passenger watching for a ride. After several minutes, I was about to give up the search when I saw three Asian women come out of the business next door to the address to which I'd been pinged. One of the women was rolling a suitcase. "There you are!" I exclaim, as I pull up to where they were sta...

Until nine months ago, I had never held a job where I received tips. I take that back. Twenty plus years ago, for fourteen months, my family had three paper routes. Every other week, we would get our earnings statement showing the payments by our more than 100 customers. Occasionally, there would be a 'tip to the carrier' included on the report. Woo Hoo!  A $5 gratuity could seriously change your outlook on the day.... (because everyone knows "money talks" and a tip literally shouts appreciation).  I'm not sure I had ever tipped my paper carrier (prior to being one) other than at Christmas, but I assure you, I certainly did so thereafter. Most of us would associate tipping with restaurants, salons, spas, valets, and food delivery. Oh yes... and cab drivers. People would never get out of a taxi without adding a monetary 'thank you' to their fare. If they did, they had better hope their luggage wasn't in the trunk. Yet most passengers who partake of...

If you recall the Eisenhower years, you probably also recall the advertising jingle:  "See the USA in your Chevrolet!"   If you have the song stuck in your head now, you are no doubt hearing the voice of the late  Dinah Shore . I could sing a rendition of this song about ride sharing, but I don't exactly "see" much of the country in my travels. What I hear though, are stories of passengers from all around the USA and World. You could say I 'travel vicariously' through my riders. I especially enjoy trips of long enough duration, to allow me to ask questions about their various states and homelands. There are several businesses in our Metro area that employ a great number of people from India. One of my early passengers was a young man who had only been in the United States for two months. I picked him up one winter morning to take him to work. Although I'm not a great judge of age, I would guess he was in his late 30's. We were having a nice v...

I will admit to being 'directionally-challenged'. So much so, I used to 'get lost' the first time I was bound for pretty much anywhere. It has been a lifelong battle. I have gone from spoken directions... "Go five miles and turn left the first road after the bridge" ... to reading road maps, to printing pages off Mapquest, to the miracle of GPS. The road maps and Mapquest worked best with a co-pilot - but the wonderful GPS verbally directs me to my destination without any other human intervention. As I said... a miracle. Ride Sharing simplifies navigation, in that both graphic and verbal directions are provided for picking up a passenger and delivering them to their destination. Sometimes, however... things can go wrong. Those blasted satellites screw up and the 'destination' is not where the passenger is waiting. The "Call Rider" feature on the driver's app not only allows me to connect with my passenger but also allows them to redirec...

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 severa...

I took a friend to the airport today. She is returning home after bringing her son to his first year of college. Of course, 'tis the season for taking kids to school; however, a trip of 6000 miles to do so, is somewhat out of the ordinary.      I met my friend and her son just two days ago when I was pinged to the hotel where they were staying. They had in tow, three large suitcases, so I figured were bound for the airport. Wrong. I swiped the screen to start our trip and realized that instead of the airport, we were heading to the small college in the town where I live. A moment of dread washed over me. The past eight months, I have done everything possible to avoid the campus. It's still painful and when I can avoid pain - I go out of my way to do so (as I have the past many months).      Our 20 minute drive was filled with the usual conversation. I asked where they were from, about their trip, how long they would stay. As we neared the campus, I asked ...