I don’t mind Uber conversations as I’ve read people with social anxiety dislike it. Myself, I find it awkward and rude to go into Uber’s with headphones or look down at my phone for the entire ride. Anyone who does this is shaking their head right now saying I’m wrong but at least give me the chance to explain myself.

Uber’s are not taxi drivers. They are civilians who are earning extra money. If you want to treat them like chauffeurs, that’s not accurate in my mind. So to shut down social interaction with Uber drivers seems off to me. If that’s what the Uber driver prefers, than by all means, but engagement should be a courtesy and civil service.

I took 2 Uber’s last night because my car was parked in A1 position. Patrick picked me up in a blue Ford Explorer for the 17 minute ride. The SUV was clean and smelled fine. Within the first minute he asks me how I’m doing and I tell him I’m headed to watch the football game. He starts getting into his fantasy team and how they had zero TD’s last week. I kept my mouth closed how I didn’t like having Chubb and OBJ on the same team. After we went through that amicably, the conversation hit a dead end and I told him I played basketball in the gym near by and then we went into the NBA and team USA which led into him asking me about the Dave Chappelle special and how the Rick James / Charlie Murphy skit is the funniest of all time. 5 stars, $3 tip on the $8 ride.

The 2nd Uber was Christopher with a Volkswagon Jetta. Non-smoker, car was in average shape for an older vehicle. I get in and he’s blasting Audioslave which wouldn’t have been my go-to as an Uber driver. This dude was wired up and I was 4 beers deep. I passively ask about how Uber treats him and he starts prattling on about his life which I didn’t mind much. He is doing Uber before he starts his job at Vanguard. I tell him I know about Vanguard and how it’s a steady company, but their pay mimics their soundness. He then goes into his past jobs as a pizza delivery driver and how his GF needs the car for certain parts of the day and at that moment I wondered why he felt the need to tell me that. I’ve never understood people’s desire to bring up their partners. It has to be an attachment issue. So he drops me off and I give him 5 stars and a $3 tip on an $8 ride.

I feel bad for Uber drivers. They don’t make enough money and they don’t realize it. Gas, wear and tear, insurance, and the inactivity between rides adds up. The 2nd driver lived in Downingtown and comes to the city for Uber. He probably spends $5 dollars in gas driving home and doesn’t equate that into his pay. Uber drivers should be taught how to be an Uber driver. This is a service where a big company is taking advantage of its employees and you are seeing that in California where they passed a law that their drivers are no longer part timers, they are employees. I think that’s a step in the right direction.

I was going to post this before I wrote this paragraph but now is as good as time as any. This is a simple life philosophy so excuse me while I preach. My first Uber driver last night probably does fine in life. My 2nd will not unless he understands life a bit more. Uber is the perfect example of “you first.” Don’t blast Audioslave. Don’t smoke in your car. If you sign up to do the job, don’t treat it like a hobby. Clean car. Adapt to the person in the car. It’s amazing to me how difficult these simple ideas are.