Normally I am the resident assclown and Mr. IDGAF but yesterday had a ride that got to me.
I finished my day stuff early afternoon and headed downtown to try to get some rain Surge. Get to my perch, set DF and all is well. In comes a $9.50 ping (allegedly on the way to my destination) and off I go.
Get to the pickup spot at 19th and L. I'm at the pin, 4 minutes and change goes by. Phone rings and it's her. I answer because Surge is dying down so I know next trip is not gonna be nearly as good. She makes it to the car. Cute girl in workout gear.
She gets in, I start trip and I see it's Falls Church. YES! Decent chance of extending, so should be decent payout.
She says "do you mind if I change the destination to the Wharf?"
In my mind I'm thinking "****ing-A I mind because in the time it'll take to creep from 19th and L to the Wharf I could've Longhauled your ass to Falls Church" but I said "OK no problem"* and helped her change it in the app.
I do my usual "how's your day going? Off work early?" and she lets out a sigh and starts crying. I'm used to this from the drunk crowd but not in broad daylight.
"I just came from the doctor. I have Stage 4 breast cancer."
Stunned silence on my part. I mean what the **** do you say to THAT?
After an eternity (probably like 3-5 seconds) I just said "I'm sorry" not knowing what else to say. I know women that have dealt with it and survived so I said so and tried being as upbeat as I could.
I usually have XM Channel 39 on (Hair Nation, yeah I like shitty 80's hair bands, sue me) but handed her the XM channel guide and said "pick whatever station you want". She picked some hip-hop station. (One of a VERY small handful of times I've ceded control of my radio.)
I tried being as upbeat as I could. She's mid 30's, smart, hot, (not trying to sound like JayJay here) with a 2 year old baby and was understandably devastated by the news.
I had a workout bag on the front seat. Had a freshly laundered towel in it. I gave it to her to help with the crying. Funny thing was when she got to her destination she tried handing it back. I told her "keep it, it has magical healing powers" because it would've been a little weird reminder. She smiled at that as she got out.
I still don't know what else I could have done in that situation.
Anyway back to the title of this, it put everything in perspective. I do piss and moan about Uber/Lyft but in reality I have little to (female canine) about.
I'll go back to assclownery, fart jokes, GIFs and wishing for Lyft's imminent failure but this one made me think.
*The main reason I didn't tell her GTFO when she said Wharf was because of the $500 IPO Bonus. I've seen a few things about people not getting the bonus for various things so I have put up with a little more than usual.
Normally I am the resident assclown and Mr. IDGAF but yesterday had a ride that got to me.
I finished my day stuff early afternoon and headed downtown to try to get some rain Surge. Get to my perch, set DF and all is well. In comes a $9.50 ping (allegedly on the way to my destination) and off I go.
Get to the pickup spot at 19th and L. I'm at the pin, 4 minutes and change goes by. Phone rings and it's her. I answer because Surge is dying down so I know next trip is not gonna be nearly as good. She makes it to the car. Cute girl in workout gear.
She gets in, I start trip and I see it's Falls Church. YES! Decent chance of extending, so should be decent payout.
She says "do you mind if I change the destination to the Wharf?"
In my mind I'm thinking "@@@@ing-A I mind because in the time it'll take to creep from 19th and L to the Wharf I could've Longhauled your ass to Falls Church" but I said "OK no problem"* and helped her change it in the app.
I do my usual "how's your day going? Off work early?" and she lets out a sigh and starts crying. I'm used to this from the drunk crowd but not in broad daylight.
"I just came from the doctor. I have Stage 4 breast cancer."
Stunned silence on my part. I mean what the @@@@ do you say to THAT?
After an eternity (probably like 3-5 seconds) I just said "I'm sorry" not knowing what else to say. I know women that have dealt with it and survived so I said so and tried being as upbeat as I could.
I usually have XM Channel 39 on (Hair Nation, yeah I like shitty 80's hair bands, sue me) but handed her the XM channel guide and said "pick whatever station you want". She picked some hip-hop station. (One of a VERY small handful of times I've ceded control of my radio.)
I tried being as upbeat as I could. She's mid 30's, smart, hot, (not trying to sound like JayJay here) with a 2 year old baby and was understandably devastated by the news.
I had a workout bag on the front seat. Had a freshly laundered towel in it. I gave it to her to help with the crying. Funny thing was when she got to her destination she tried handing it back. I told her "keep it, it has magical healing powers" because it would've been a little weird reminder. She smiled at that as she got out.
I still don't know what else I could have done in that situation.
Anyway back to the title of this, it put everything in perspective. I do piss and moan about Uber/Lyft but in reality I have little to (female canine) about.
I'll go back to assclownery, fart jokes, GIFs and wishing for Lyft's imminent failure but this one made me think.
*The main reason I didn't tell her GTFO when she said Wharf was because of the $500 IPO Bonus. I've seen a few things about people not getting the bonus for various things so I have put up with a little more than usual.
Normally I am the resident assclown and Mr. IDGAF but yesterday had a ride that got to me.
I finished my day stuff early afternoon and headed downtown to try to get some rain Surge. Get to my perch, set DF and all is well. In comes a $9.50 ping (allegedly on the way to my destination) and off I go.
Get to the pickup spot at 19th and L. I'm at the pin, 4 minutes and change goes by. Phone rings and it's her. I answer because Surge is dying down so I know next trip is not gonna be nearly as good. She makes it to the car. Cute girl in workout gear.
She gets in, I start trip and I see it's Falls Church. YES! Decent chance of extending, so should be decent payout.
She says "do you mind if I change the destination to the Wharf?"
In my mind I'm thinking "@@@@ing-A I mind because in the time it'll take to creep from 19th and L to the Wharf I could've Longhauled your ass to Falls Church" but I said "OK no problem"* and helped her change it in the app.
I do my usual "how's your day going? Off work early?" and she lets out a sigh and starts crying. I'm used to this from the drunk crowd but not in broad daylight.
"I just came from the doctor. I have Stage 4 breast cancer."
Stunned silence on my part. I mean what the @@@@ do you say to THAT?
After an eternity (probably like 3-5 seconds) I just said "I'm sorry" not knowing what else to say. I know women that have dealt with it and survived so I said so and tried being as upbeat as I could.
I usually have XM Channel 39 on (Hair Nation, yeah I like shitty 80's hair bands, sue me) but handed her the XM channel guide and said "pick whatever station you want". She picked some hip-hop station. (One of a VERY small handful of times I've ceded control of my radio.)
I tried being as upbeat as I could. She's mid 30's, smart, hot, (not trying to sound like JayJay here) with a 2 year old baby and was understandably devastated by the news.
I had a workout bag on the front seat. Had a freshly laundered towel in it. I gave it to her to help with the crying. Funny thing was when she got to her destination she tried handing it back. I told her "keep it, it has magical healing powers" because it would've been a little weird reminder. She smiled at that as she got out.
I still don't know what else I could have done in that situation.
Anyway back to the title of this, it put everything in perspective. I do piss and moan about Uber/Lyft but in reality I have little to (female canine) about.
I'll go back to assclownery, fart jokes, GIFs and wishing for Lyft's imminent failure but this one made me think.
*The main reason I didn't tell her GTFO when she said Wharf was because of the $500 IPO Bonus. I've seen a few things about people not getting the bonus for various things so I have put up with a little more than usual.
Similar has happened to me more than once. It usually hits you from behind when not only are you not looking, but you ain't eventhinking about it.
I have wanted to be pee-yo-ed at some passenger over something, but, for whatever reason, I grudginly (initially) did what they wanted and it turned out that I had done the right thing.
This is what happened to you. As you so correctly state, there are people far worse off than you.
I do not like hip-hop at all, but, if some customer told me that the doctor had just told her that she had Stage Four breast cancer, I would let her listen to all of the hip hop that she wanted. In fact, I would even have let her change the destination to the Gaylord at 5:45 P.M. on a Thursday in blinding rain.
You made a deposit to the Karma Bank. You did the right thing.
Real life hits hard. Harder than Uber and Lyft do with the whip even.
Glad you found a way to get out of that one without a 1 star after addressing her. Those type of situations someone can use you blinking wrong as a way to 1 star you down and talk shit about you to Luber.
My life experience in the realm I circulate, often just listening has the power to calm.
She wanted someone to hear what she had to say and on that day you were her special person.
She will not forget your kindness.
Good job slick,
Sometimes there's pain people arent ready to let out to their family and friends. Because they dont want to upset them. That's when it spills out to a stranger. When that stranger takes the time to make things a little easier as you did it helps.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Uber Drivers Forum
7.7M posts
191.9K members
Since 2014
A forum dedicated to Uber drivers and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about taxes, documents, visas, travel, car care, finances, banking, maintenance, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!