I didn't drive today as I had had a few craft beers I had bought... Unfortunately I picked up a migraine and missed the "party" my family was at, but I truly believe it was a smart idea not to drive 15 miles...
The reason for this blog today was to give Honda some kudos - they gave an opportunity for riders to get home free on the Uber platform... for 2 hours, after the final whistle, if you used the promo code "HELPFUL" you would get your entire ride on Uber for free... I have not seen an update but as of 1 hour after there had been 10,000 riders who had taken advantage... Unlike most of the "Helpful Honda" campaign you didn't need to own a Honda... I believe this was a fantastic display of corporate responsibility.. Honda didn't want you to drive your Honda (or any other car for that matter) home from the bar/friends home you attended Super Bowl 50...
Sad to see the Panthers loss, the Bronco's D was insane!!!! Cam Newton needed some Preparation H as the defense was like hemorrhoids in his pocket... Nice win Broncos and nice win Honda - your campaign gets huge kudos in my book, I will consider your vehicle line when replacing the Avalon...
BTW, I was disappointed from the commercials this year for the most part - Uhmmmm, Puppy Monkey Baby?!?
#UberOn #Helpful #WellPlayedHonda #Honda #RideDrunk #PuppyMonkeyBaby
Jeff
Monday, February 8, 2016
Sunday, February 7, 2016
2 Rookies dont make a right! or is it rite? or Write?
Tonight is about the Rite of passage, the right hand turn and the Writing of a ticket.... You can make 3 right hand turns to make a left, seems silly however sometimes it faster - while that wasn't the right hand turn I was referring to, it kinda describes my day today, a bit silly to say the least... Before I proceed, I finally got approved for advertising - I haven't seen it yet, but please let me know if it seems too invasive - speaking of advertising, I have new codes as well for both new riders and new drivers... let me know if you're interested in either....
So without further ado, drum roll please....
Fare 1 - Uber - An elder Indian lady (was going to say Dot, not Bow and Arrow, but that would sound racist I think) from Southern India visiting her engineering grad student daughter at CSUF. Nice lady, very kind but we had a bit of a language barrier - she said "Music?" I turned on KEarth 101 and she started jamming to Phil Collins... the 30 Min drive to south Irvine was nice but very quiet... We arrived and she placed her hand on my shoulder and said something I couldn't understand, she was full of smiles and it felt like a good thing so I said thank you and headed out...
This was my rite of passage moment... first time I couldn't really communicate with a rider but was still able to get her to her destination and feel as if she was thanking me for a safe ride home... She could have been saying "you drive like crap" but I prefer the former...
Many of you are familiar with the Irvine area, I was close to the Sand Canyon / Alton Pkwy exit on my last drop - Alton is a wide street with a 50 MPH Speed limit, I was in the number 1 lane (farthest to the left) - I dont recall the cross street but I had Uber ping #2 up so I was close to Jamboree and all of a sudden this Porsche Cayenne decides to make a right turn and go to the far lane in front of me... Should I have been in my truck there would have been damage, but the Avalon is a very nimble car - I jumped 2 lanes to the right and controlled an over steer skid that scared the crap out of me... Fortunately there wasn't much oncoming traffic so I had some time to correct the direction of the car... The Cayenne actually pulled over thinking I hit the curb... I pulled along side and the driver asked me if I was OK, very courteous, I said aside from scaring me to death it worked out OK - no damage, no problem... He apologized profusely as he didn't see me... My guess is he was on his cell phone....
Fare 2 - Uber - Jon - Pickup from the most ridiculously designed strip malls in Irvine - took us 10 minutes to get out - quick run to UCI - he and his friends had their faces glued to their phones the entire ride home, so not much to say... the back passenger did hand me a $1 tip however which was a nice gesture...
I forgot to mention earlier, I had stopped to grab a redbull and saw a Carolina Panther's hat on sale so I grabbed it and was wearing it all night... I was pretty amazed at how many Bronco fans there are.... LOL
Fare 3 - Lyft - Picked up a nice couple just off back bay - they got in and she began to tell him that she was having sharp pains in her abdomen... He had her describe everything and it surely sounded to me like appendicitis... I was an EMT for 3 years, a Wilderness Emergency care tech and am currently member of local CERT teams so I start to go into emergency mode and offer a ride over to Hoag... He said, dont stress it, she gets like this every time she drinks... I asked what she was drinking and he said Coors Light... I then thought back to my family, I have 3 people that I know are Gluten intolerant - mentioned that and he said "Good diagnosis, Dr., I've been telling her that since we met but she wont buy it, maybe hearing your second opinion now will make her listen" turns out he was a 3rd year med student over at UCI.... Upon dropping them off he shook my hand with a $5 bill and said - "I'm impressed".... Not sure how to take that from a 25 year old but the tip was appreciated... Oh, he also said GO PANTHERS... LOL
Fare 4 - Uber - Mary, Such a sweet lady, a widower at 62, her husband recently passed away from pancreatic cancer... F\/(k Cancer!!!!! He was a F14 pilot and flew thousands of sorties, yet cancer took him from her, not the Jet she feared... The ride was a short one, right by the pier in Newport - she exited the car and said go Cardinals..., she was a bit tipsy but I understood...
I headed to the pier to chill for a moment and honestly mentally re-coop from that ride... I love it when riders share their stories but some hit very close to home - I cant even begin to think of how cancer has injected it's poison into my life, 2 moms and a father in law... again F\/(k Cancer!!!!!
As I chilled on the pier I watched a father and son pull in a sculpin... The son reached in to grab the fish bare handed and the father slapped his had away - the father did this out of fear and love, (Or the desire to not have to go to the ER) - the sculpin has a spiny fin that will easially pierce the flesh of a hand and will inflict a large amount of pain and suffering... He dropped the fish to the ground and hugged his son - it was a nice moment to see... Actually I needed to see that due to the mood I was in!
After a while I picked back up where I left off - Grabbed a corn dog and a lemonade and got an Uber Ping...
Fare 5 - Uber - Kim, All the way down by "The Wedge" I picked up Kim - she was a sweetheart, dressed to the 9's not wanting to go out but her friends from college were in town... a quick run up to Staggs...
Fare 6 - Uber - 2 couples, they offered me a doughnut... I love doughnuts so took them up... YUMMMMMM... A quick run up superior and dropped them off in the same complex I used to live in....
I was starting to get a bit tired and I actually have good plans for tomorrow seeing some family so I figured I'd head home... As I bee-lined to Fullerton I saw my area was in a 3x surge so I went online, sure enough I found a 5x rider going from Brea to Anaheim... Way too good to pass up...
Fare 7 - Uber - Daniel, picked him and his friend up near the Mall - they were headed to the Ultra Lounge... I did this run last night so I knew the back way in... Really long story short we headed out, I turned right on Randolph right by the PD, as we passed the mall I got lit up by a patrol officer. He came to my window and asked if I knew why he stopped me... normally I would but in this instance I couldn't figure it out so I said "I honestly don't know", it was then things got funky - he said I made an illegal U turn, however I had not made any... I informed him I had a fare and was online - he expeditiously took my cards and came back with a ticket... Daniel, good dude tried to talk the officer down, stating our exact route but it wasn't happening... Once the arguing began I shut it down - "I'm online and need to get my fare to their destination, if there is nothing further you need from me I ask if I am free to go" The officer said yes so I followed up with, "If you'd like this to hold up please join me in court, Uber logs my entire trip from request to drop-off, I will have evidence that proves I did not do a u-turn..." He said see you in court... The rest of the trip was Daniel being upset by the ticket and his friend trying to calm him down... He gave me his number and said, "Dude, I'll be a witness" - I told him I didn't need it, technology will prove my innocence - we're in a day and age that not only was Uber tracking me, my dash cam was recording everything - it's a slam dunk! I pulled up on the backside of the Ultra Lounge and pointed them in the right direction - he gave me his card and let me know he had my back, I appreciated it... He then handed me a $20 to say for the gas to court... I refused it but it was in my back seat as I pulled away...
I was pretty much over driving at this point, I mean really how many rights do I need to take in one night... Tomorrow I plan on enjoying the game, maybe I'll drive, maybe I'll uber myself home...
GO PANTHERS!
#UberOn #RideDrunk #NoRightTurns
Jeff
See the entire blog here: http://uberjeff.blogspot.com/
So without further ado, drum roll please....
Fare 1 - Uber - An elder Indian lady (was going to say Dot, not Bow and Arrow, but that would sound racist I think) from Southern India visiting her engineering grad student daughter at CSUF. Nice lady, very kind but we had a bit of a language barrier - she said "Music?" I turned on KEarth 101 and she started jamming to Phil Collins... the 30 Min drive to south Irvine was nice but very quiet... We arrived and she placed her hand on my shoulder and said something I couldn't understand, she was full of smiles and it felt like a good thing so I said thank you and headed out...
This was my rite of passage moment... first time I couldn't really communicate with a rider but was still able to get her to her destination and feel as if she was thanking me for a safe ride home... She could have been saying "you drive like crap" but I prefer the former...
Many of you are familiar with the Irvine area, I was close to the Sand Canyon / Alton Pkwy exit on my last drop - Alton is a wide street with a 50 MPH Speed limit, I was in the number 1 lane (farthest to the left) - I dont recall the cross street but I had Uber ping #2 up so I was close to Jamboree and all of a sudden this Porsche Cayenne decides to make a right turn and go to the far lane in front of me... Should I have been in my truck there would have been damage, but the Avalon is a very nimble car - I jumped 2 lanes to the right and controlled an over steer skid that scared the crap out of me... Fortunately there wasn't much oncoming traffic so I had some time to correct the direction of the car... The Cayenne actually pulled over thinking I hit the curb... I pulled along side and the driver asked me if I was OK, very courteous, I said aside from scaring me to death it worked out OK - no damage, no problem... He apologized profusely as he didn't see me... My guess is he was on his cell phone....
Fare 2 - Uber - Jon - Pickup from the most ridiculously designed strip malls in Irvine - took us 10 minutes to get out - quick run to UCI - he and his friends had their faces glued to their phones the entire ride home, so not much to say... the back passenger did hand me a $1 tip however which was a nice gesture...
I forgot to mention earlier, I had stopped to grab a redbull and saw a Carolina Panther's hat on sale so I grabbed it and was wearing it all night... I was pretty amazed at how many Bronco fans there are.... LOL
Fare 3 - Lyft - Picked up a nice couple just off back bay - they got in and she began to tell him that she was having sharp pains in her abdomen... He had her describe everything and it surely sounded to me like appendicitis... I was an EMT for 3 years, a Wilderness Emergency care tech and am currently member of local CERT teams so I start to go into emergency mode and offer a ride over to Hoag... He said, dont stress it, she gets like this every time she drinks... I asked what she was drinking and he said Coors Light... I then thought back to my family, I have 3 people that I know are Gluten intolerant - mentioned that and he said "Good diagnosis, Dr., I've been telling her that since we met but she wont buy it, maybe hearing your second opinion now will make her listen" turns out he was a 3rd year med student over at UCI.... Upon dropping them off he shook my hand with a $5 bill and said - "I'm impressed".... Not sure how to take that from a 25 year old but the tip was appreciated... Oh, he also said GO PANTHERS... LOL
Fare 4 - Uber - Mary, Such a sweet lady, a widower at 62, her husband recently passed away from pancreatic cancer... F\/(k Cancer!!!!! He was a F14 pilot and flew thousands of sorties, yet cancer took him from her, not the Jet she feared... The ride was a short one, right by the pier in Newport - she exited the car and said go Cardinals..., she was a bit tipsy but I understood...
I headed to the pier to chill for a moment and honestly mentally re-coop from that ride... I love it when riders share their stories but some hit very close to home - I cant even begin to think of how cancer has injected it's poison into my life, 2 moms and a father in law... again F\/(k Cancer!!!!!
As I chilled on the pier I watched a father and son pull in a sculpin... The son reached in to grab the fish bare handed and the father slapped his had away - the father did this out of fear and love, (Or the desire to not have to go to the ER) - the sculpin has a spiny fin that will easially pierce the flesh of a hand and will inflict a large amount of pain and suffering... He dropped the fish to the ground and hugged his son - it was a nice moment to see... Actually I needed to see that due to the mood I was in!
After a while I picked back up where I left off - Grabbed a corn dog and a lemonade and got an Uber Ping...
Fare 5 - Uber - Kim, All the way down by "The Wedge" I picked up Kim - she was a sweetheart, dressed to the 9's not wanting to go out but her friends from college were in town... a quick run up to Staggs...
Fare 6 - Uber - 2 couples, they offered me a doughnut... I love doughnuts so took them up... YUMMMMMM... A quick run up superior and dropped them off in the same complex I used to live in....
I was starting to get a bit tired and I actually have good plans for tomorrow seeing some family so I figured I'd head home... As I bee-lined to Fullerton I saw my area was in a 3x surge so I went online, sure enough I found a 5x rider going from Brea to Anaheim... Way too good to pass up...
Fare 7 - Uber - Daniel, picked him and his friend up near the Mall - they were headed to the Ultra Lounge... I did this run last night so I knew the back way in... Really long story short we headed out, I turned right on Randolph right by the PD, as we passed the mall I got lit up by a patrol officer. He came to my window and asked if I knew why he stopped me... normally I would but in this instance I couldn't figure it out so I said "I honestly don't know", it was then things got funky - he said I made an illegal U turn, however I had not made any... I informed him I had a fare and was online - he expeditiously took my cards and came back with a ticket... Daniel, good dude tried to talk the officer down, stating our exact route but it wasn't happening... Once the arguing began I shut it down - "I'm online and need to get my fare to their destination, if there is nothing further you need from me I ask if I am free to go" The officer said yes so I followed up with, "If you'd like this to hold up please join me in court, Uber logs my entire trip from request to drop-off, I will have evidence that proves I did not do a u-turn..." He said see you in court... The rest of the trip was Daniel being upset by the ticket and his friend trying to calm him down... He gave me his number and said, "Dude, I'll be a witness" - I told him I didn't need it, technology will prove my innocence - we're in a day and age that not only was Uber tracking me, my dash cam was recording everything - it's a slam dunk! I pulled up on the backside of the Ultra Lounge and pointed them in the right direction - he gave me his card and let me know he had my back, I appreciated it... He then handed me a $20 to say for the gas to court... I refused it but it was in my back seat as I pulled away...
I was pretty much over driving at this point, I mean really how many rights do I need to take in one night... Tomorrow I plan on enjoying the game, maybe I'll drive, maybe I'll uber myself home...
GO PANTHERS!
#UberOn #RideDrunk #NoRightTurns
Jeff
See the entire blog here: http://uberjeff.blogspot.com/
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Is it REALLY worth it?
Sometimes, like tonight when is slow and I'm online for 30+ minutes without a rider I truly do ask, is it really worth it? It's at that point I consider going home, but what is there for me? Not much, a couch that I'll sit my butt on and watch TV until the wee hours of the AM on a Friday night... All of my friends are out of town, I'm low on fundage so I'm not going out and ultimately I realize, driving is a great stress relief from the week... So I drive...
Tonight was super slow but I got a few longer rides that made up the new lower pricing...
Fare 1 - Uber - Picked up 2 Ladies after rolling through a DUI Check Point on YLBLVD - Officer didn't even stop me however everyone else had to show a Drivers License - this was more than a DUI Check Point, even the sign said DUI / License check point ahead... Good on them, get the unlicensed off the road too! So I picked up 2 ladies and ran them down to the Clubhouse - 2nd time in 2 days, it's odd how that works... They hopped out and the bouncer came up and asked me if I had any promo cards, wasn't sure what those were so he explained it - referral codes... He ran out of the last drivers and enjoyed sending people home in Uber rides when they were drunk... Something I need to look into, a simple QR Code that signs a user up under my account - genius! Office Depot here I come!
Fare 2 - Lyft - A Cool couple that were at a Ducks game "After Party" in Placentia, a quick run - she kept yelling at Siri to "Shut Up Bitch" - she was sitting on her phone - I could tell he was embarrassed, next time I heard it, I said "ask her what day it is" she did and a moment, "Damn, I didn't know it was Friday, Babe, why are we going home already???" His response was priceless - "Because I'm not paying for you to barf in a rideshare and I felt a wheelbarrow was inappropriate..." I wonder who's on the couch right now?!?
Fare 3 - Uber - Joe, a mild mannered Hispanic guy who was very generous to his friends (Pickup in DTF) - We had multiple stops... We first dropped off his homie, then his girlfriend - he then said damn, I'm hungry - can we stop for some tacos? normally at 1:30 I'd say no, but I could tell he needed some and I was pretty hungry too... We stopped at Taco Boys, he then said what do you want, I'm buying - I could go for a beef taco, he said allright then, be back in a second... dude bought me 4 huge tacos while I stood off to the side and had a cig... He came out just after I finished and said no other Uber driver had ever let him stop there after a night in DTF... It took 10 Min so I understand why but when we got to his place, he palmed me a $6 tip and said thank you... I dont know how much the tacos cost, I'd guess about $2 each and then a $6 tip - Joe made my night! I still have 1 left I'm staring at :)
Fare 4 - Lyft - Nicole... This is why I drive, ok that seems cheesy, but seriously, she made a good call... She and her 3 friends went out for the first time in a while - none of them felt fit to drive so they called for a Lyft. She had parked her car in the structure so it would not be towed and realized she was too inebriated to drive home... I pulled up to 3 very good looking 20 somethings :) - they hopped in and we drove to Nicole's home in Pico Rivera - about 20 miles... While 1 of them fell asleep the other 2 had to have been the coolest riders I ever had - never have I had the entire conversation where I was involved for 20+ miles... It was then we arrived and everyone realized that one of the other girls forgot her jacket which had everyone's keys in it - I sat by to see them hop in through a window... they waved and I was on my way home - didnt want to be a B&E accomplice but was happy they got in safe...
Jammed home and am now with my butt on the couch - at least I;m tired...
#UberOn
Jeff
Tonight was super slow but I got a few longer rides that made up the new lower pricing...
Fare 1 - Uber - Picked up 2 Ladies after rolling through a DUI Check Point on YLBLVD - Officer didn't even stop me however everyone else had to show a Drivers License - this was more than a DUI Check Point, even the sign said DUI / License check point ahead... Good on them, get the unlicensed off the road too! So I picked up 2 ladies and ran them down to the Clubhouse - 2nd time in 2 days, it's odd how that works... They hopped out and the bouncer came up and asked me if I had any promo cards, wasn't sure what those were so he explained it - referral codes... He ran out of the last drivers and enjoyed sending people home in Uber rides when they were drunk... Something I need to look into, a simple QR Code that signs a user up under my account - genius! Office Depot here I come!
Fare 2 - Lyft - A Cool couple that were at a Ducks game "After Party" in Placentia, a quick run - she kept yelling at Siri to "Shut Up Bitch" - she was sitting on her phone - I could tell he was embarrassed, next time I heard it, I said "ask her what day it is" she did and a moment, "Damn, I didn't know it was Friday, Babe, why are we going home already???" His response was priceless - "Because I'm not paying for you to barf in a rideshare and I felt a wheelbarrow was inappropriate..." I wonder who's on the couch right now?!?
Fare 3 - Uber - Joe, a mild mannered Hispanic guy who was very generous to his friends (Pickup in DTF) - We had multiple stops... We first dropped off his homie, then his girlfriend - he then said damn, I'm hungry - can we stop for some tacos? normally at 1:30 I'd say no, but I could tell he needed some and I was pretty hungry too... We stopped at Taco Boys, he then said what do you want, I'm buying - I could go for a beef taco, he said allright then, be back in a second... dude bought me 4 huge tacos while I stood off to the side and had a cig... He came out just after I finished and said no other Uber driver had ever let him stop there after a night in DTF... It took 10 Min so I understand why but when we got to his place, he palmed me a $6 tip and said thank you... I dont know how much the tacos cost, I'd guess about $2 each and then a $6 tip - Joe made my night! I still have 1 left I'm staring at :)
Fare 4 - Lyft - Nicole... This is why I drive, ok that seems cheesy, but seriously, she made a good call... She and her 3 friends went out for the first time in a while - none of them felt fit to drive so they called for a Lyft. She had parked her car in the structure so it would not be towed and realized she was too inebriated to drive home... I pulled up to 3 very good looking 20 somethings :) - they hopped in and we drove to Nicole's home in Pico Rivera - about 20 miles... While 1 of them fell asleep the other 2 had to have been the coolest riders I ever had - never have I had the entire conversation where I was involved for 20+ miles... It was then we arrived and everyone realized that one of the other girls forgot her jacket which had everyone's keys in it - I sat by to see them hop in through a window... they waved and I was on my way home - didnt want to be a B&E accomplice but was happy they got in safe...
Jammed home and am now with my butt on the couch - at least I;m tired...
#UberOn
Jeff
Friday, February 5, 2016
Thirsty Thursday....
So let me back this up one day to Wednesday... My colleague's truck engine blew up so I offered him my truck as a loaner, I cant drive both, he needs a vehicle to work... Soooo I jump start my truck that had sat for close to 3 weeks and start to pull out - It always feels odd going from the truck to the Avalon but the steering felt difficult - I hop out and sure enough yet another cracked sidewall... parked it back and broke the news... Sucked... I told him I'll work on getting a tire because 2 weeks of no car for him will destroy him financially renting a car or taking unpaid time off... So I drove...
Fare 1 - Uber - Chris, from the Clubhouse to the Coon - nice older retired dude that has his daily bar rotation... He gave up a $2 cash tip for the 1.5 mile ride... Thanks Chris!
Fare 2 - Lyft - A HS Junior going from his study group in YL to his home in Placentia - they're working on a 1920's silent film for a history class... Cool kid with a strong head on his shoulders - about 6'5" tall plays V-Ball for my Alma Mater, EHS...
Fare 3 - Uber - Literally across the street, Barbara, a recent UCR grad headed to an Ultra Lounge by Down Town Disney... Yeah, that's about it, she was quiet...
Fare 4 - Lyft - Lexi, A young half dressed co-ed, had to be barely 18 had the mouth of a trucker but had a super petite voice, was kind of ironic to me... a quick run to her friends apartment but got the "sound byte" of the night from a phone call she had... "Ok, but no one leaves until I'm blacked out" - oh boy - my dad is probably shaking his head at this point saying, "You can relate from Colorado, right?!?" This poor girl needs to FIO...
I probably paid for 1/4 of the tire tonight... not sure why I'm trying as hard as I am to help my colleague however as of late I feel as I'm the only one in the CO that gives a crap... That being said, I'll be back out tomorrow and Sat night!
#UberOn #RideDrunk
Jeff
Full Blog can be seen here: http://uberjeff.blogspot.com/
Fare 1 - Uber - Chris, from the Clubhouse to the Coon - nice older retired dude that has his daily bar rotation... He gave up a $2 cash tip for the 1.5 mile ride... Thanks Chris!
Fare 2 - Lyft - A HS Junior going from his study group in YL to his home in Placentia - they're working on a 1920's silent film for a history class... Cool kid with a strong head on his shoulders - about 6'5" tall plays V-Ball for my Alma Mater, EHS...
Fare 3 - Uber - Literally across the street, Barbara, a recent UCR grad headed to an Ultra Lounge by Down Town Disney... Yeah, that's about it, she was quiet...
Fare 4 - Lyft - Lexi, A young half dressed co-ed, had to be barely 18 had the mouth of a trucker but had a super petite voice, was kind of ironic to me... a quick run to her friends apartment but got the "sound byte" of the night from a phone call she had... "Ok, but no one leaves until I'm blacked out" - oh boy - my dad is probably shaking his head at this point saying, "You can relate from Colorado, right?!?" This poor girl needs to FIO...
I probably paid for 1/4 of the tire tonight... not sure why I'm trying as hard as I am to help my colleague however as of late I feel as I'm the only one in the CO that gives a crap... That being said, I'll be back out tomorrow and Sat night!
#UberOn #RideDrunk
Jeff
Full Blog can be seen here: http://uberjeff.blogspot.com/
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Inappropriate discussions and a petite barf....
Today (Saturday) was probably one of my most epic nights - I had a Bachelorette party as well as a 31 year old who might have partied a bit harder than she could handle... Tonight lent itself to the better of storied "Behind the Windshield"...
I started a bit later tonight - was getting over sitting in a parking lot for a while so I headed out at Midnight...
Fare 1 - Uber - 4 intoxicated 30+ year old ladies celebrating a marriage of one - yes Bachelorette style party.... I guess as we get a bit older we can afford to spend a bit more - pickup from Hop Scotch - destination was "The 80's Bar and Grille" - the entire drive was discussion of perversion - the lady in the passenger seat multiple times told to "make me happy" to get the short ride for free - I wasn't in to that but did laugh quite a few times - the Maid of Honor did, however show some respectful interest... I may be heading to a wedding soon...Interesting ride for sure...
Fare 2 - Uber - Dude at 80's - sat 6 minutes, he got in the car and said can we wait another 5 minutes - I asked where we were going, he said DTF - I said no, cancel and re-order - he was too drunk, gave myself 5 stars and accepted the $5 cancellation - might be a bit shady however if you order Uber you need to be ready....
Fare 3 - Uber - AMC tro west Fullerton, quick ride, nice couple...
Fare 4 - Uber - got a call for DTF 7 miles away - a nice 31 year old celebrating her Birthday... I was a bit shocked at how many presents we loaded into the car yet she was going home to a gifted hotel alone... A few minutes of saying goodbye she finally hopped into the back seat... I let her friends take my photo and that of my car and plates, even though Uber has that info - I assured them I wasn't a crazy lunatic and we were on or way - 5 miles to the destination... First thing she asked me was what kind of Girl Scout cookies I preferred - Caramel D's for sure - she hooked me up with a box... :) Great tip! She seemed totally fine when I picked her up but her level of sobriety seemed to decline quickly - her friends sent her off with a few shots in a row - she told me she felt sick so we pulled over quickly and I handed her a bag - fortunately we stopped quick enough and the bag worked... She was embarrassed and apologized profusely - we got to her Hotel and the concierge helped unload the gifts, she took the bag and thanked me for my hospitality and preparation... I saved her $200 from barfing in the car...
Fare 5 - Uber - a cool dude, a quick run to San Dimas - Thought at first it said Simi Valley which I would have declined due to being tired, and it raining however I then saw the map and said no problem!
This evening re-vamped the fun of driving, I laughed more than I have in a long while...
#UberOn
~Jeff
Link to full blog: http://uberjeff.blogspot.com/
I started a bit later tonight - was getting over sitting in a parking lot for a while so I headed out at Midnight...
Fare 1 - Uber - 4 intoxicated 30+ year old ladies celebrating a marriage of one - yes Bachelorette style party.... I guess as we get a bit older we can afford to spend a bit more - pickup from Hop Scotch - destination was "The 80's Bar and Grille" - the entire drive was discussion of perversion - the lady in the passenger seat multiple times told to "make me happy" to get the short ride for free - I wasn't in to that but did laugh quite a few times - the Maid of Honor did, however show some respectful interest... I may be heading to a wedding soon...Interesting ride for sure...
Fare 2 - Uber - Dude at 80's - sat 6 minutes, he got in the car and said can we wait another 5 minutes - I asked where we were going, he said DTF - I said no, cancel and re-order - he was too drunk, gave myself 5 stars and accepted the $5 cancellation - might be a bit shady however if you order Uber you need to be ready....
Fare 3 - Uber - AMC tro west Fullerton, quick ride, nice couple...
Fare 4 - Uber - got a call for DTF 7 miles away - a nice 31 year old celebrating her Birthday... I was a bit shocked at how many presents we loaded into the car yet she was going home to a gifted hotel alone... A few minutes of saying goodbye she finally hopped into the back seat... I let her friends take my photo and that of my car and plates, even though Uber has that info - I assured them I wasn't a crazy lunatic and we were on or way - 5 miles to the destination... First thing she asked me was what kind of Girl Scout cookies I preferred - Caramel D's for sure - she hooked me up with a box... :) Great tip! She seemed totally fine when I picked her up but her level of sobriety seemed to decline quickly - her friends sent her off with a few shots in a row - she told me she felt sick so we pulled over quickly and I handed her a bag - fortunately we stopped quick enough and the bag worked... She was embarrassed and apologized profusely - we got to her Hotel and the concierge helped unload the gifts, she took the bag and thanked me for my hospitality and preparation... I saved her $200 from barfing in the car...
Fare 5 - Uber - a cool dude, a quick run to San Dimas - Thought at first it said Simi Valley which I would have declined due to being tired, and it raining however I then saw the map and said no problem!
This evening re-vamped the fun of driving, I laughed more than I have in a long while...
#UberOn
~Jeff
Link to full blog: http://uberjeff.blogspot.com/
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Holidays are over....
Uber recently lowered their rates to "entice" riders to ride during the"off season"... I didn't believe it was about that but I actually experienced it tonight... People are still "recovering" from the financial craziness of the holidays and staying super local... I had 5 fares tonight and 3 went to the same place Downtown Fullerton... Don't get me wrong, DTF is one of my favorite places to go but I do like some diversion when driving...
On top of that I'm really re-considering my primary employment, I took a few days off next week to see how well I can do as a full time driver while I look... Anyone looking for some telecom management?!?
Anywho, the night was super boring, sorry, hopefully tomorrow will be better!
Headed out to East YL to get my coffee... No She wasn't working tonight but I ran into an office neighbor with his wife and kids - a nice quick chat finding out he had lived in YL his whole life too...
Fare 1 - Uber - Alex and 2 ladies... He sat up front, instantly asked if he accidentally booked an Uber Select instead of Uber X (A more expensive option, nicer cars) I told him I wish, but no, the Avalon is too old for Select... He said well, it's the nicest X he's ever ridden in - I appreciate comments like that, I try to keep it looking nice... So we were on our way - his friend had to have been the "loudest" rider I've ever had... She shared way too much about a guy she hooked up with that was now dating her friend... Anyway, Alex and I didn't say a word until a Lamborghini Aventador pulled along side - what a car... The ladies called us out "You guys are looking at that car like it's topless dancing for you" They were kind of right... that was one sexy car... The rest of the ride was uneventful except they were super stoked I dropped them off literally in the line for Roscoe's ...
Fare 2 - Uber - After sitting for 10 minutes I ran back to my neighborhood and got a ping just north of fraternity row... 2 younger guys hop in.. These guys were cool, one sat up front, on in the back and the conversation was good... Turns out they went to Esperanza High School and played football, while I did not, I knew of many of the same coaches they had - turns out a few are still there - Coach Pendleton and Coach Meek... Blast from the past... They really encouraged me to get me son involved now... Roscoe's it was and again a right in line drop off...
The bouncer walked up as I had a cig, he said "Damn, you pull them in... You are the only driver that regularly pulls in here and sits for a bit after... If you ever need to go to the bathroom, a water or a refill on your coffee, come see me..." I appreciate people like him and, yes, I do pull in like that not only for the rider, but for me to be recognized so I can bypass the line to run in to pee or get a water...
Fare 3 - Lyft - Ahmed and his friend... not much to say, they were friendly enough but I'd guess on a first or second date - very cutsey in the back seat... New love is cool to see.... Dropped off at DTF as well.... Zings to be exact....
At this point it was dead, I drove online all the way back to my house, no pings and I was hungry... I had made a casserole that I knew would last for a few days... Grubbin' for sure! Took 2 hours off, made a Keurig and was back on the road...
Fare 4 - Uber - Dylan, well not Really, Dylan ordered the ride for Michelle and Mina up off Fraternity row... They were very young, I'd say under 20 and pretty well tanked - Michelle sat up front and Mina in the back - they spoke to eachother like they were texting - OMG, IMHO, RUFK, ETC... They asked to do a drive through that accepted apple pay - normally at 1:30am I decline drive throughs, but I'm a sucker for dark hair, blue/puppydog eyes - Taco Bell does not accept apple pay - we were able to back out of the line... We then ran to McD's - they did accept it... When these girls ordered my jaw hit the floor - both ordered well over 2000 calories... Michelle said you must think we are pigs, I simply replied I cant believe you can look that way eating that way - youth is on their side.. pretty young ladies, they have a few years left they can eat that way...
Fare 5 - Uber - Ryan at the Clubhouse bar and grille - a 10 min response and Ryan was already home - I'll be fighting Uber for the $5 compensation....
So - boring but still fun... I do like driving - I hope it proves to be lucrative over my test as I do want to try to move on and be more Flexible... We shall see...
#UberOn
Jeff
On top of that I'm really re-considering my primary employment, I took a few days off next week to see how well I can do as a full time driver while I look... Anyone looking for some telecom management?!?
Anywho, the night was super boring, sorry, hopefully tomorrow will be better!
Headed out to East YL to get my coffee... No She wasn't working tonight but I ran into an office neighbor with his wife and kids - a nice quick chat finding out he had lived in YL his whole life too...
Fare 1 - Uber - Alex and 2 ladies... He sat up front, instantly asked if he accidentally booked an Uber Select instead of Uber X (A more expensive option, nicer cars) I told him I wish, but no, the Avalon is too old for Select... He said well, it's the nicest X he's ever ridden in - I appreciate comments like that, I try to keep it looking nice... So we were on our way - his friend had to have been the "loudest" rider I've ever had... She shared way too much about a guy she hooked up with that was now dating her friend... Anyway, Alex and I didn't say a word until a Lamborghini Aventador pulled along side - what a car... The ladies called us out "You guys are looking at that car like it's topless dancing for you" They were kind of right... that was one sexy car... The rest of the ride was uneventful except they were super stoked I dropped them off literally in the line for Roscoe's ...
Fare 2 - Uber - After sitting for 10 minutes I ran back to my neighborhood and got a ping just north of fraternity row... 2 younger guys hop in.. These guys were cool, one sat up front, on in the back and the conversation was good... Turns out they went to Esperanza High School and played football, while I did not, I knew of many of the same coaches they had - turns out a few are still there - Coach Pendleton and Coach Meek... Blast from the past... They really encouraged me to get me son involved now... Roscoe's it was and again a right in line drop off...
The bouncer walked up as I had a cig, he said "Damn, you pull them in... You are the only driver that regularly pulls in here and sits for a bit after... If you ever need to go to the bathroom, a water or a refill on your coffee, come see me..." I appreciate people like him and, yes, I do pull in like that not only for the rider, but for me to be recognized so I can bypass the line to run in to pee or get a water...
Fare 3 - Lyft - Ahmed and his friend... not much to say, they were friendly enough but I'd guess on a first or second date - very cutsey in the back seat... New love is cool to see.... Dropped off at DTF as well.... Zings to be exact....
At this point it was dead, I drove online all the way back to my house, no pings and I was hungry... I had made a casserole that I knew would last for a few days... Grubbin' for sure! Took 2 hours off, made a Keurig and was back on the road...
Fare 4 - Uber - Dylan, well not Really, Dylan ordered the ride for Michelle and Mina up off Fraternity row... They were very young, I'd say under 20 and pretty well tanked - Michelle sat up front and Mina in the back - they spoke to eachother like they were texting - OMG, IMHO, RUFK, ETC... They asked to do a drive through that accepted apple pay - normally at 1:30am I decline drive throughs, but I'm a sucker for dark hair, blue/puppydog eyes - Taco Bell does not accept apple pay - we were able to back out of the line... We then ran to McD's - they did accept it... When these girls ordered my jaw hit the floor - both ordered well over 2000 calories... Michelle said you must think we are pigs, I simply replied I cant believe you can look that way eating that way - youth is on their side.. pretty young ladies, they have a few years left they can eat that way...
Fare 5 - Uber - Ryan at the Clubhouse bar and grille - a 10 min response and Ryan was already home - I'll be fighting Uber for the $5 compensation....
So - boring but still fun... I do like driving - I hope it proves to be lucrative over my test as I do want to try to move on and be more Flexible... We shall see...
#UberOn
Jeff
Monday, January 25, 2016
Straight into Compton...
Aaaaaand.. Straight outta Compton! SO I started the day with getting my last ride's phone back to him from last night, he made me 45 min late picking up my daughter but it was OK, we still had a blast playing some games, Lazer Tag and some Mini Bowling... we then just drove around and talked... She's one of my best riders, she likes to be in the front seat and she even put her phone away so we could chat... Love my PNut!
Decided I was craving some sustenance so I went to Meat Up to grab the Oden - a crazy good Brat - today it was only So-So for some reason, but there is a underlying funny story... I was seated next to a couple and I needed a knife to cut the sammy in half so I pardoned myself and asked the lady if I could borrow hers, she obliged and I ate my meal... I headed out shortly there after and debated whether or not I felt like driving tonight... Ran to the smoke shop for some cigs and realized I was still pretty wide awake and bummed that I'd be going home to an empty house... Driving it was.... Flipped my signs on and headed to my SBux... Didn't even come close! Ping in Placentia...
Fare 1 - Uber - A gentleman and 2 ladies hop in and an instant of awkward silence... "Didn't you just borrow my knife at Meat up?" Same girl, different guy! I couldn't make this up if I tried! Turns out the dude at Meat Up was her brother and this was her husband... "Im glad I saw you drinking soda after tasting those 2 new beers" - I assured her I wouldn't be driving now if they were any good - I'd be sitting home with a growler of one of them! Oddly enough we were headed to Bootleggers Brewery in Anaheim - I was very tempted, especially with them inviting me to join them, but no...
I sat there for a few minutes but had to pee, ran to Shell where there were 3 other Uber drivers just chatting in the lot... I came back out and asked why they were here and not closer to Taboo or Bootleggers - they said "Taxi Drivers" - this didn't make sense at first, I was just at bootleggers for 15 min and didnt get hassled... I saw a few Taxi drivers but no hassle, the it dawned on me... I looked at all of our cars parked next to each other, when my signs aren't on, they dont reveal what they are very well, the Uber and Lyft signs are reflective... I didn't say a word realizing I could get close and not hassled... Pulled back into Bootleggers parking lot and just chilled....
I sat and people watched for about 15 minutes when a gorgeous BMW 750IL pulls in next to me - I'm out having a cig and the black tinted window rolled down - It was the dude I talked to in week two... He recognized my car and stopped to say Hi! He had done what I was thinking of doing, buying a 750 to drive it as an Uber Select - he still drives Uber X too but was doing quite well in YL and Anaheim Hills... After a short chat he said Bro, it's time to head to Anaheim Stadium - supercross is about to end... I didnt even know or see it - there was a 10x surge only 5 miles away thanks to Supercross... I followed him until my Lyft wen off...
Fare 2 - Lyft - A couple off Lincoln that wanted to go to Supercross but couldnt afford the $80+ tickets - decided to have me Battle the traffic to go to McKormicks and Schmidts (SP) - the area was no left turn, no right turn - I decided to turn on my signal to go left anyway - the traffic control officer moved a cone for me... I'll be damned! dropped the clients right in front - they rewardedme with a $5 cash tip...
At this point I had no clue where to go - I went into the Transportation corridor and chilled with several frustrated Taxi drivers... I got out of my car and had a cig with Josephine - She drives for one of those repetitive number taxi companies - something like 800- 999-9999... She was tweaked as she had 3-4 fares requesting a ride that she simply could not get to... I believe now this is the difference between Uber/Lyft and a Taxi - we try, they do not... I got a call to the other side, by the grove, I rolled there and pretty much forced a U turn - I was blocking traffic but an APD car simply rolled by - I had my Fare on the phone and they had no problem finding me in the mass of cars...
Fare 3 - Supercross to Compton...I have to say, this write-up gave me heartburn over writers block... I decided to let your mind wander on the neighborhood... I never felt uncomfortable and the young man who I was driving was a stellar rider... Let's focus on him... Pickup was difficult with everyone leaving Anaheim Stadium... I stayed on the phone with him so I could do a grab and go... I picked up this young kid and his Grandmother - traffic was horrible so I asked if we could take a longer route to get there faster - she chimed in and said I'm going to fall asleep anyway, just do what you need to do, just stop as he (her Grandson) needs to pee! LOL - we got out of the area and stopped real quick for him to use the facilities, the proprietor said they were out of order, I walked in, the guy knew me and suddenly it was open... While he peed I grabbed a $5 redbull and said, if you open for me but not for my rider again, I will file a complaint and write you up on my blog... He apologized and I grabbed the kid a Snickers... Grandma was asleep so the kid (never did get his name) asked to sit up front, I totally encouraged it... Dude was 15, my Son's size, about 5"11" 200 lbs, and very well spoken... Handed him the snickers and a water, he said "Thank you sir" - I asked him to call me Jeff and we were on our way... This kid amazed me, he knew every rider in every class, what bike they rode and who sponsored them... he then pulled out his pit pass - he had to have had every rider possible autograph it, there was literally no space left... as we drove he detailed the races, I felt like I was there watching with him... I asked him about school, he's a Sophomore in Advanced Placement classes - he hopes to graduate next year - he has a 4.5 GPA and has already completed a few CC courses that would allow him to have his AA... Now you understand my heartburn... He asked me to turn off the EL glow on my sign, he said you need them up but not glowing... I obliged and we rolled through a few neighborhoods I grew concerned in. He said you dont have to worry, "Its not like the movies...." Sure as hell was... but this kid talked me into a calm - we pulled up to his house and he told me a route out that would get me out quickly and safely... He woke his grandma and hopped out, but before doing so he said, "Thank you, I've been dropped off a few blocks away and have never had someone chat w/ me as long as you did" I told him "do me a favor, keep at your schooling, be strong, love Supercross and remember there are guys like me that dont fear this area..." He shook my hand and said a quick prayer that I couldn't hear...
I did shut down every app, cranked the music and got out as fast as I could... that day was cool enough, I decided to go home and reflect a bit... Great day!
#UberOn
~Jeff
Decided I was craving some sustenance so I went to Meat Up to grab the Oden - a crazy good Brat - today it was only So-So for some reason, but there is a underlying funny story... I was seated next to a couple and I needed a knife to cut the sammy in half so I pardoned myself and asked the lady if I could borrow hers, she obliged and I ate my meal... I headed out shortly there after and debated whether or not I felt like driving tonight... Ran to the smoke shop for some cigs and realized I was still pretty wide awake and bummed that I'd be going home to an empty house... Driving it was.... Flipped my signs on and headed to my SBux... Didn't even come close! Ping in Placentia...
Fare 1 - Uber - A gentleman and 2 ladies hop in and an instant of awkward silence... "Didn't you just borrow my knife at Meat up?" Same girl, different guy! I couldn't make this up if I tried! Turns out the dude at Meat Up was her brother and this was her husband... "Im glad I saw you drinking soda after tasting those 2 new beers" - I assured her I wouldn't be driving now if they were any good - I'd be sitting home with a growler of one of them! Oddly enough we were headed to Bootleggers Brewery in Anaheim - I was very tempted, especially with them inviting me to join them, but no...
I sat there for a few minutes but had to pee, ran to Shell where there were 3 other Uber drivers just chatting in the lot... I came back out and asked why they were here and not closer to Taboo or Bootleggers - they said "Taxi Drivers" - this didn't make sense at first, I was just at bootleggers for 15 min and didnt get hassled... I saw a few Taxi drivers but no hassle, the it dawned on me... I looked at all of our cars parked next to each other, when my signs aren't on, they dont reveal what they are very well, the Uber and Lyft signs are reflective... I didn't say a word realizing I could get close and not hassled... Pulled back into Bootleggers parking lot and just chilled....
I sat and people watched for about 15 minutes when a gorgeous BMW 750IL pulls in next to me - I'm out having a cig and the black tinted window rolled down - It was the dude I talked to in week two... He recognized my car and stopped to say Hi! He had done what I was thinking of doing, buying a 750 to drive it as an Uber Select - he still drives Uber X too but was doing quite well in YL and Anaheim Hills... After a short chat he said Bro, it's time to head to Anaheim Stadium - supercross is about to end... I didnt even know or see it - there was a 10x surge only 5 miles away thanks to Supercross... I followed him until my Lyft wen off...
Fare 2 - Lyft - A couple off Lincoln that wanted to go to Supercross but couldnt afford the $80+ tickets - decided to have me Battle the traffic to go to McKormicks and Schmidts (SP) - the area was no left turn, no right turn - I decided to turn on my signal to go left anyway - the traffic control officer moved a cone for me... I'll be damned! dropped the clients right in front - they rewardedme with a $5 cash tip...
At this point I had no clue where to go - I went into the Transportation corridor and chilled with several frustrated Taxi drivers... I got out of my car and had a cig with Josephine - She drives for one of those repetitive number taxi companies - something like 800- 999-9999... She was tweaked as she had 3-4 fares requesting a ride that she simply could not get to... I believe now this is the difference between Uber/Lyft and a Taxi - we try, they do not... I got a call to the other side, by the grove, I rolled there and pretty much forced a U turn - I was blocking traffic but an APD car simply rolled by - I had my Fare on the phone and they had no problem finding me in the mass of cars...
Fare 3 - Supercross to Compton...I have to say, this write-up gave me heartburn over writers block... I decided to let your mind wander on the neighborhood... I never felt uncomfortable and the young man who I was driving was a stellar rider... Let's focus on him... Pickup was difficult with everyone leaving Anaheim Stadium... I stayed on the phone with him so I could do a grab and go... I picked up this young kid and his Grandmother - traffic was horrible so I asked if we could take a longer route to get there faster - she chimed in and said I'm going to fall asleep anyway, just do what you need to do, just stop as he (her Grandson) needs to pee! LOL - we got out of the area and stopped real quick for him to use the facilities, the proprietor said they were out of order, I walked in, the guy knew me and suddenly it was open... While he peed I grabbed a $5 redbull and said, if you open for me but not for my rider again, I will file a complaint and write you up on my blog... He apologized and I grabbed the kid a Snickers... Grandma was asleep so the kid (never did get his name) asked to sit up front, I totally encouraged it... Dude was 15, my Son's size, about 5"11" 200 lbs, and very well spoken... Handed him the snickers and a water, he said "Thank you sir" - I asked him to call me Jeff and we were on our way... This kid amazed me, he knew every rider in every class, what bike they rode and who sponsored them... he then pulled out his pit pass - he had to have had every rider possible autograph it, there was literally no space left... as we drove he detailed the races, I felt like I was there watching with him... I asked him about school, he's a Sophomore in Advanced Placement classes - he hopes to graduate next year - he has a 4.5 GPA and has already completed a few CC courses that would allow him to have his AA... Now you understand my heartburn... He asked me to turn off the EL glow on my sign, he said you need them up but not glowing... I obliged and we rolled through a few neighborhoods I grew concerned in. He said you dont have to worry, "Its not like the movies...." Sure as hell was... but this kid talked me into a calm - we pulled up to his house and he told me a route out that would get me out quickly and safely... He woke his grandma and hopped out, but before doing so he said, "Thank you, I've been dropped off a few blocks away and have never had someone chat w/ me as long as you did" I told him "do me a favor, keep at your schooling, be strong, love Supercross and remember there are guys like me that dont fear this area..." He shook my hand and said a quick prayer that I couldn't hear...
I did shut down every app, cranked the music and got out as fast as I could... that day was cool enough, I decided to go home and reflect a bit... Great day!
#UberOn
~Jeff
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