Rock 'N Ride: The Journey Continues

Wednesday, September 13 Uber and I are not talking today. It sent me on a 20-mile incorrect navigation which while it took me past some amazing, double-digit million-dollar homes, it burnt fuel and wasted time. But as a dedicated driver, I called the pickup, explained the problem and told her I would be there,just 20 minutes late. She was fine. The correct address was in equally spectacular homes in Desert Mountain, a sprawling conclave of five golf courses, captains of industry, widget multi-millionaires and also my friend Mike Silverman. The guard at the gate was waiting for me and upon entering, it was another five miles to the house. She said she would be outside in the driveway. I pulled up to this sprawling desert-friendly estate. There in the driveway she stood. Her name was Margarite. Blond locks as radiant as the sun. A smile that screamed "How nice to see you" and lit up the drab desert brush. Stylish jeans hugged to her svelte frame, a top-end handbag in on...

Tuesday, September 12, 2017 The purpose of this blog was to share some stories from the road, kind of like a Jewish Jack Kerouac . Part of the purpose was to also offer my own introspection on my opinions, thoughts, fears, joys et al. And I have not held back on expressing them, though I have kept political posts to a minimum. Uber guests come in all shapes, sizes, faiths, cultures and political leanings, so if I only picked up Never Trumps or Never Hillarys, it'd be a pretty lonely trek. The pause came today when I had just dropped off someone and I came to a stop light where a young, obviously high school student was texting. I had seen the slight swerve before-hand so I exercised caution. It got me thinking, which is usually a scary thing for me. You never know what will enter my mind, stay there or leave. I thought about the probably 17-year-old, which then took me to think about Erica, who was killed in a car accident on the streets of Scottsdale a little over 16 ye...

Today is September 11. Let us recognize those who lost their lives and those brave first responders who answered the call of duty. And thoughts with those who braved Hurricane Irma. Shifting Gears on Uber Sometimes, the math just doesn't work. As an Uber Select Driver, sometimes Uber X (AKA regular Uber) doesn't always cut it. So I will be there for the elite. No, not the elitists though they do have many interesting stories as well. Let's look at the math. 3 hours of driving. UberX pays .73/mile. Uber Select pays $1.43.mile. To quote Jon Lovitz in "A League of Their Own," that would be more now, wouldn't it? Up here in North Scottsdale, people have more and pay more, but there's always someone who likes to get a steak for $1.99 But the real challenge is more miles, less pay and if you figure 500 miles/week, that's 25K miles a year on a brand new Genesis. The car gets old pretty damn fast. Now, if you do 3 Uber Select trips/day, that...

September 5, 2017, 6:45AM Pick up nearby. Two retired teachers headed for Idaho for the first time. Originally from Southern California, they were invited to join friends in Coeur d'Alene. I sized them up! <g>. Teachers, union members, most likely Democrats. I asked about their friend. Former Educator and former law enforcement officer. Hmm. Coeur d'Alene. The town has a history, first for its ties to White Supremacists and the KKK,but people say it's changed over the years. I have first hand knowledge. When I was a SVP at Prodigy, we were purchased by tech tycoon Greg Carr,  along with the richest man in the world, Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico. Greg Carr is a smart man and a peaceful man. After the Aryan Nation was sued and forced to give up its compound in nearby Hayden Lake, Greg Carr did something big.He bought the compound, gifted it to a college and turned it into a peace park .  So I got to educate the teachers who happened to have taught social studies who...

Yes. Roll, not ride as in wheelchairs and mobility scooters. I was not working today and went to the airport to pick up my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. While I had to wait, I thought I'd hang at the Sky Train station, where Uber (and Lyft) drivers wait because they have clean, nice restrooms! I exited the Men's room and was faced with a guy in a wheelchair and he was an Uber driver. I smiled and he went into the lav-and I waited for him. I had questions. Carl is about 57 and retired from an aerospace manufacturer here, where he was a senior level exec. When he was 16, he fell off the back of a pickup and was paralyzed from the waist down. That didn't keep him from graduating near the top of his class and getting an engineering degree and raising a family. It did, however, keep him from surfing. I had stupid questions and went to look at his lift-enabled van. Basically, a tricked out SUV with special features for those who need it. We got into a talk. I have be...

Time is money. Today was an odd day.What should have been a windfall wasn't but as I noted, I learn more each day,not just about people but Uber Shalom. Aloha. Howdy. . My first drive of the morning was at 5:58AM about 2 miles from here in another exclusive gated community. Notice I said 'another' to underscore the distinction that I too live in an exclusive gated community. Thanks Hope! I had ordered Starbucks and was 2 minutes from picking it up when I got the call--or alert. I'm thinking: airport! This early? Well, a high school student on her way to her boyfriend who was going to take her to school.Her dad was out of town. Her mom was, she didn't say where she was. Very chatty. Was deciding what to do for a career. An anesthesiologist or a career in the music industry. huh? It reminds me of a comedian whose son was growing up but was still a kid and said: 'dad. I want to be a lawyer--or a dinosaur.' Tough career choices. I told her 'stick with ...

As the sun rose, I got a request for an Uber ride to the airport. I picked up a couple in their 50's, cordial and polite but knew it was early for them and they weren't up for the gift of gab. I respected that, gave them cold bottled water and an Ipad for the husband to watch Fox News live on Direct TV . The woman was more chatty and after being charming, she said: "you'd be a perfect guy for my sister!" I remarked: "I know. I'm already married to her." So much for taking my brother-in-law and sister-in-law to fly to New York. I made them sit in the back, listen to my jokes and got them out of my car as quickly as possible.After all, I'll see them when they return. I DO hope their tip is bigger next time. Exiting the airport at 7 am is not a big money maker. Virtually no flights come in that early so you hope when you depart the perimeter, something will pop up. And it did. A KPMG exec was just going down the street from hotel to office but it ...