Apologies for the delay readers. I have been rather busy over the holiday period, also been sick, and working as an archaeologist. Right now as I sit in my hotel room coughing up a lung. I present to you a tale of a Saturday before the end of 2019. I begun my night in Bellingham where a passenger was heading to work. “What do you mate?” He responds with almost excitement. “I work in a solar panel factory on the assembly line”. My eyebrows raised at once “Wow, what does that entail?” I asked. “Well essentially I piece together all the wires and the panel so it becomes one unit.” I wanted to delve deeper on this so I asked more questions. “So how does one make a solar panel and he said “oh I’m not part of that process”. Process in America sounds like prawcess to me. Same with project, it sounds like prawject. Whereas program is just program. Anyway, I asked my rider how much a solar panel is from the company he works. “How much for a solar panel mate?” “$400” he replied. “Seems reasonable. I remember in Australia it could cost up to $25,000 to install solar panels on your roof. The ones this bloke is working on are made in the USA, not China. I always remember a conversation I had with one of my former kiwi neighbours about solar panels. He said if I was to ever get any go for Australian made, they’re better for Australian conditions. They last longer and are better designed. The Chinese ones wouldn’t last 10 years.
I dropped my passenger off and got another customer straight away. Over by the airport. A bloke who just flew in. He is the new owner of a Honda dealership in town. He had just bought it. I said “I know someone who just got a lease from you for a Honda HSV”. He asked me “how are they liking it?” I said “they’re loving it”. We couldn’t chat for long, it was only a 3 minute drive. Hate short trips.
Then a high school radio presenter. Wait what? They have that? My next passenger was a lady who was fined $640 for throwing gum out of the window. That’s bloody high! Ironically she now works in a law office as an administrative assistant.
Ping! I got a rider over near Bakerview road, she had three students with her. They were students who were part of a correctional facility. Petty crime, like theft were the reason they were doing time. They were all extremely young, but they were going to a nightclub in town. It was a little strange. I didn’t even think they were all old enough to get a drink. Even the teacher seemed young. Either that or I’m just getting old. 🤷🏽♂️
My next few customers were a person who does ballet to get fit. A bloke who really knows his mushrooms, to the point I think he’s been off the planet for a while. Then a nurse in training. Followed by a lady who works at Whole Foods.
What do I know about Whole Foods? Apparently all I know is that it’s a non union grocery store. However it is owned by Amazon. The minimum pay there is $15 / HR. Now bear in mind before 2020 $12.50 was the minimum pay per hour in the state of Washington. Not bad really. Now there’s also this fun fact that I learned from my rider. That minimum is country wide. So if you’re in a state that has the minimum set at $7/hr you get the $15/HR. That is all Amazon affiliates including Whole Foods. So you could live like a king in some states.
After dropping her off she should I should apply. Hmmm… Maybe… kinda seeing how archaeology will go for me. Then my next passenger was having an argument with her boyfriend. She runs a storage business in town. We were trying to find her bf. However he left her because she pissed him off. Oh the drama. All of a sudden I became Dr Phil. Trying to give this Sheila relationship advice. She bombarded me with questions and admitted she was a “bitch to him”. “Why are you a bitch then?” I asked. She responded with a sigh “well he wants to be in web design, and I think that’s going to bottom out one day. I’m studying to be an accountant a more stable job opportunity”. I gave my 2 cents worth. “Well my dad wanted me to become an accountant and instead I became an archaeologist”. She slyly responded with “and that’s why you’re ubering”. Ouch! She is a bitch! I retorted with. “You don’t know anything about me, for all you know I want to do this to earn more money on the side. Support him or dump him simple”. “But I need him”. She replied. “Sounds like a convenience relationship to me”.
I plonked her off and felt bitter towards her. She was drunk as well, but oh boy. Next passenger was quiet. 🦗🦗🦗. Then there was a real estate photographer. Yep. Takes photos of homes so they can be advertised online. Yes someone goes around taking multiple photos with different exposures to woo a potential buyer into buying the house. There’s a job for everything. Geeze.
Then a bunch of people got in my car who talked about SE Asia for the whole trip. Not mad about it, I went there in 2007 and has plenty of tales to tell.
Following on from nostalgia. I picked up a bloke who was stoked his brother was joining him at Oregon State University. His bro is now an offensive lineman for Ducks. He told me how much support a college footballer gets. They get $1100 a month to get by and then an additional $1100 Ducks Bucks to spend on campus. Not bad at all for just playing sport. You should have seen this bloke he was so stoked about his brother that he was literally beaming! We also discussed rugby and that the Haka is incredible to watch no matter who you’re following.
After that I went to greet my new VIP. The lady from West Africa. She speaks French fluently and tested me repeatedly. I was extremely tired. By the way she sounds like the elderly lady from that British comedy Allo Allo. You know the one upstairs who yells at Renè. She’s wonderful though and needed to be dropped of at Bellingham International Airport.
Two more posts to come to finish 2019. 8 Trips uber and 12 Trips Lyft.
I rang uber the next day and they couldn’t give me any feedback as to why I got a low rating that night. It was frustrating. It even says on the app in the above screenshot if you get under a 5 star rating you get feedback. Grrr.
