Helicopter Parents are Likely to Crash!
Sunday, August 20, 2017--Took the weekend off from Ubering---- or did I? Hmm.Throwing off fellow Uber drivers who read this: Is Kluger out there..or not? Need I be afraid? Yes-Be Very Afraid (Jeff Goldbum in "The Fly.")
Let's back track to Friday, an unusual day. Got my first LOW rating on Uber. Seems though I told Uber I did not want to do Meal pickups, they never changed the setting and when a text popped up, I accepted, then realized what it was and cancelled. So some guy did not get his Firehouse Sub from me and gave me a .4 out of 5.0. Uber needs to have an arbitration forum. Maybe in time once they figure out their management structure and press issues.
As a courtesy, names are changed when I write about guests. I've beefed up the Genesis. In addition to the NY Times and cold bottled water in the back seat, I've added charging cords for Androids and yes..Blackberry. I also added Guns 'N Roses, Kesha and Michael Buble' to my Pandora. You never know what people want to hear.
Friday, as I said, was unusual. Got another gate-guarded kid going to school where the drop off line stretches for half-a-mile. Thankfully, this guy said "let me off here.I'll walk." Next up, three young executives from Chewy.com, my favorite-ok, Farfel and Schmaltzy's favorite-dog product site. They were off the PetSmart for a presentation and spent all their time talking to each other, ignoring the driver.That's OK. I drive. I don't kibbitz.
WHO are we kidding? I noted that PetSmart just went through their third CEO and their pr department is in disarray. Well, I now became a SMART driver and we spent the last few minutes talking about corporate life, MTV, South Florida where they are based and more. They bounced out of the car happy and posted a nice tip.
Next up, a guy taking his daughter to school. I got on the parents line and I told the little girl that 2nd grade was the best three years of my life. She looked at her Dad puzzled but he got it.After all, he WAS originally from The Five Towns of Long Island. I asked where is he headed next and he said Fry's Electronics (not to be confused with Kroger's Fry's Food Store) and would walk. I said: "stay in the car.It's a mile-and-a-half away. The meter is off." I took him to his destination and soon, a $2.00 tip on a $5.37 ride showed up on my account. Here was a guy who is going to school, working and raising a wonderful little girl. Money is a struggle for him but kindness had a price to him. I wished him luck.
Hoping to head back to the East Side (I was now on 31st Avenue), I got a call from a woman nearby. I must say, an attractive woman in her late 30's got in the car and within three words, knew she was from Boston. I asked if she watches 'Ray Donovan." She 'no f#&k#ng way. I love 'Will & Grace.' She was a hairstylist, never married because she said "she never made that mistake," and I drove her to 61st Avenue to drop her off at the salon. She said it was nice talking to me, I had great hair and handed me three singles. I told her, "that's ok..The conversation was worth trip."
I headed home, app off because I wanted to go closer to where I lived, not further. It was noon and most of the trips would be local. Gas is expensive.
While home, I thought: wait.I can turn on the app at home and get calls,without driving around.
I got a text from 6 miles away and picked up a kid on his way to his after school job at Dairy Queen. I told him when we first moved to AZ, this particular DQ ONLY had vanilla. Crazy. he was moving to Eastern Washington State in seven days and not thrilled to be doing his senior year in a place where he knows no one. He had lived there up until he was eight and I told him he'd probably run into some old friends who were now 17. I cautioned him about any old buddies who will say: "Jason.I lent you $1 back in 2008. With interest, you now owe me $216.4! He was prepared. He makes minimum wage but he gave me a coupon for a Blizzard. Gonna pop in before he leaves for school.
Let's back track to Friday, an unusual day. Got my first LOW rating on Uber. Seems though I told Uber I did not want to do Meal pickups, they never changed the setting and when a text popped up, I accepted, then realized what it was and cancelled. So some guy did not get his Firehouse Sub from me and gave me a .4 out of 5.0. Uber needs to have an arbitration forum. Maybe in time once they figure out their management structure and press issues.
As a courtesy, names are changed when I write about guests. I've beefed up the Genesis. In addition to the NY Times and cold bottled water in the back seat, I've added charging cords for Androids and yes..Blackberry. I also added Guns 'N Roses, Kesha and Michael Buble' to my Pandora. You never know what people want to hear.
Friday, as I said, was unusual. Got another gate-guarded kid going to school where the drop off line stretches for half-a-mile. Thankfully, this guy said "let me off here.I'll walk." Next up, three young executives from Chewy.com, my favorite-ok, Farfel and Schmaltzy's favorite-dog product site. They were off the PetSmart for a presentation and spent all their time talking to each other, ignoring the driver.That's OK. I drive. I don't kibbitz.
WHO are we kidding? I noted that PetSmart just went through their third CEO and their pr department is in disarray. Well, I now became a SMART driver and we spent the last few minutes talking about corporate life, MTV, South Florida where they are based and more. They bounced out of the car happy and posted a nice tip.
Next up, a guy taking his daughter to school. I got on the parents line and I told the little girl that 2nd grade was the best three years of my life. She looked at her Dad puzzled but he got it.After all, he WAS originally from The Five Towns of Long Island. I asked where is he headed next and he said Fry's Electronics (not to be confused with Kroger's Fry's Food Store) and would walk. I said: "stay in the car.It's a mile-and-a-half away. The meter is off." I took him to his destination and soon, a $2.00 tip on a $5.37 ride showed up on my account. Here was a guy who is going to school, working and raising a wonderful little girl. Money is a struggle for him but kindness had a price to him. I wished him luck.
Hoping to head back to the East Side (I was now on 31st Avenue), I got a call from a woman nearby. I must say, an attractive woman in her late 30's got in the car and within three words, knew she was from Boston. I asked if she watches 'Ray Donovan." She 'no f#&k#ng way. I love 'Will & Grace.' She was a hairstylist, never married because she said "she never made that mistake," and I drove her to 61st Avenue to drop her off at the salon. She said it was nice talking to me, I had great hair and handed me three singles. I told her, "that's ok..The conversation was worth trip."
I headed home, app off because I wanted to go closer to where I lived, not further. It was noon and most of the trips would be local. Gas is expensive.
While home, I thought: wait.I can turn on the app at home and get calls,without driving around.
I got a text from 6 miles away and picked up a kid on his way to his after school job at Dairy Queen. I told him when we first moved to AZ, this particular DQ ONLY had vanilla. Crazy. he was moving to Eastern Washington State in seven days and not thrilled to be doing his senior year in a place where he knows no one. He had lived there up until he was eight and I told him he'd probably run into some old friends who were now 17. I cautioned him about any old buddies who will say: "Jason.I lent you $1 back in 2008. With interest, you now owe me $216.4! He was prepared. He makes minimum wage but he gave me a coupon for a Blizzard. Gonna pop in before he leaves for school.
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