I immediately avoided the airport and went straight for my higher probability areas. Sure enough ping! Kristian a cyclist. Why is it important that he’s a cyclist? Well he and about 2500 other people are staying in Bellingham for the night for the RSVP cycling challenge. People ride their bikes from Seattle to Vancouver over a two day period. The first day they ride 8-9.5 hrs all the way to Bellingham on the first day and then cycle the rest for the next day. It’s like a cycling club where they raise money to educate people about cycling. Wow! That’s a long bloody way! I couldn’t do that. I just wouldn’t. Fruitful Fridays started with a cyclists and it continued.
Next customer was Lee Anne and her hubby, bf, friend guy. Don’t know what he was actually but they were going to a concert in town at the Mt Baker Theatre. Off to see a bit of Bach. Meanwhile I’m playing on the radio some AC/DC in the background. Couldn’t imagine playing classical music driving people around. I think I’d have to wear a bowtie and shirt for that. No dress pants just stubby shorts and pluggers. Aka Thongs, aka flop flips. I think that’s how you say in Americano. The customers were lovely people and tipped me handsomely.
Another cyclist pinged me. None wanted to talk or cycle into town, and I understood that. Why use your legs, if you have been using them all day riding. Oh there’s also a lot of hills in town. I told them you’re my second group of cyclists, they weren’t surprised, except one guy, me. I drive around with my eyes wide open and my hair standing up on end and my mouth wide open, OK not true, I’m mildly surprised each day about the different people that enter my car. There were 4 of them. Derek was one of them. All very friendly. Two were engineers and two were software pros. Yep Seattle. It’s teeming with IT professionals, because my next customers were also IT pros.
Eric and his fellow. Another 2 IT pros. Yep more cyclists. Crazy people. Good on them for being fit. I’m just not anymore. I still get annoyed by cyclists on the road, but not in my car. Cyclists are people too I guess, I mean they’re paying me to drive them around.
Dropped those chaps off and then ping! Wow it’s a busy night already. Cristy was the next lady and um well I think husband, friend, dad. I don’t know and oh he was dressed as a drag queen. Off to Rumors the only gay nightclub in the village. Tell you what though for man he had stronger perfume than one of those department stores. Oh maybe it was the lady. Actually I don’t know. Cristy works as a parachute legal. Oh ah paralegal. That’s what I think of every time I hear that word. She deals with property corners and land disputes. Ha sounds like someone I know extremely well who does that day in day out. The other passenger works in a factory and gets paid to destroy things. Essentially works by the airport and any materials that needs to be discarded or tested for an aircraft he gets to be in one of those sound proof rooms and gets to have a ton of fun. Lucky you. I want to destroy things whilst wearing a little black dress. I mean if that’s the attire I’ll do it. I know people pay good money to destroy things. I think they’re called smash rooms, yet this lucky bugger gets to be paid for it. Ha legend. He didn’t tell me what his job name was. Not sure where I’d start to figure out what he did? Do I start typing in career that allows you to destroy items of potential importance, sound room? I don’t know. Very vague indeed, yet intriguing.
Oh another cyclist. This one was different to the rest he was from Alabama originally. Loved his southern drawl. He was wearing all white and now probably my favourite conversation all night. He knew a thing or two about history of the south. It was fantastic. I mentioned oh I loved New Orleans when I went there in 2017. A lot of French influence and the architecture was fabulous. Then he launched into the very first Mardi Gras. It actually happened in Alabama initially. Really? I actually didn’t know this. He was very proud of this. Side note his partner was from Brisbane. A vet. Whereas Larry, my passengers is a cardiologist at the University of Washington. I respect this profession due to a number of reasons. They saved my Grandads life twice. Double bypass and a pacemaker. Larry went on to talk about the abolishment of slavery and that even though Great Britain abolished slavery. They would happily buy cotton from the Confederate States who were still using slaves. It was all about money and it always has been. Change is unwarranted if money is going to be lost. Well you know what? People’s lives and values are far more important than money. The civil war broke out and drastically hurt the textile industry. I thought about today’s modern economy and the reliance of third world or developing nations. The west will happily pay for less expensive products and manufacturing if you can make a profit. Australia specifically, in my opinion needs to move away from Chinese mass production. Whereas the US is actually doing something quite innovative in that regard and internalizing a lot of it’s production and manufacturing. It does make me think that employees in the USA may get pay cuts and be forced to work longer hours as a result of this so called trade war, but maybe it will minimize slave labor and exploitation in developing countries. Now you cannot compare Trump to Lincoln, because I’m pretty sure Lincoln’s stance on immigration was welcoming rather than not, but in some strange way Trump is doing one thing that’s good. It makes me sick just typing this because I think he’s a big baby man, but in the long run he might be helping international people inadvertently. Some might think it’s a double edged sword, because the country’s economy will falter, but that’s still at the exploitation of millions. I dropped Larry off. He was one of my favourites thus far. I love deep conversations, especially about history. Why can’t I have people like you wanting to go Seattle. Could talk for hours.
Bobby and Lee were not cyclists. They were just people wanting to have a night on the town. They lived near Alabama road. They sent me a message on how to access their house. I thought maybe the utilities were in a strange place making their address actually on a different road. It wasn’t. I had to ring them and ask where they were, they it dawned on me there’s a stupid median in the middle of the road that the uber app doesn’t know about, that you obviously can’t cross unless you have a tank. Nope I don’t have a tank. As I picked them we discussed the new cycle ways and how they worked. It finally made sense why that cyclist the other day got missed at me when I went in front of her. So the cycle ways painted on the road give cyclists the ability to go into the front line of the drivers. Basically them giving them more preference over a car. Wow OK now because I pushed in front of that lady last week she thought she had the right to be in front of me waiting at the traffic light. I don’t like that. I don’t mind them having another lane, but giving them the ability to push in front of me whilst waiting at a traffic light is a bad idea. I could have run her over. Not to mention I hate being behind a cyclist. I’m always trying to pass them. I’m impatient. I’m not getting any younger here people. I’m not Benjamin Button.
It was nice to vent to some nin cyclists, until more cyclists linged me. Will and three other cyclists. They were much older than the rest. Wow good on you folks. They must’ve been in their 50s or 60s. Cycling all the way. Seattle to Vancouver. Kinda legendary. I’m still not motivated to get a bicycle and ride. Is the universe testing me here? As we were driving to their drop off point. Cyclists in the way. Have to pass them safely and not make it obvious that I’m pissed off at the riders in my way. Riding two abreast. Not single file. Bite ya tongue Paul. Plonked them off at a restaurant. Then I let it out before my next cyclist. Just vent now Paul. Count to 10. Patience. P is for patience. P is for Paul.
Another cyclist. OK. Getting sick of this now. Sarah was her name and yes she had friends. It’s like a bikey gang. I imagined a skit where the cyclists had a bar and had tattoo sleeves. Piercings and sawn off shotguns. “We’ll do the armored car heist tomorrow lads, we’ll have Ted on decoy duty. He’ll ride in front of the truck at the intersection, pretend to fall off and the driver will hopefully get out and see if he actually hit the rider. That’s when we’ll start the ambush. Make sure you’re wearing your balaclavas under your helmets. Then pull out ya guns and go for the jugular. I’ll be there with Percy and Gertrude, jumping in the armored car and driving it to our warehouse. Now atomic team. Block all police station entry ways with the Lime bikes and scooters so the backup can’t come and investigate. Hector, meet us at the warehouse and bust open the armored car”. “Yes boss”. “Oh any the Dolly gang you can simply intercept any cop car by riding in front of them erratically. Make sure you pretend to fall over, enticing them to help your poor injured selves. Is that clear?” “Sir yes sir!”
Then I had a weed manager. She manages a pot shop downtown. I told her about an excavator driver I worked with once that opened a church that gave it’s followers pot. Yes a weird non profit church that wanted to get marijuana cheap from the government. This guy was a total Red neck too. His Sunday sermon was sex, drugs and rock and roll. Geeze you can make a church about anything. The passenger said it was a good idea. I said oh yeah. Most churches probably get the communion wine cheap, tax free. Crazy world we live in. I dropped off Courtney and wished her all the best.
Ha next customer was Wick. Couldn’t help of John Wick. Keanu Reeves. In actual fact it looked like the dude. Yes Jeff Bridges from the Big Lebowski. Same beard, same hair. Crack up. I asked him about his name. He said it’s his last name. Ha is your name John? No it’s Richard. Um OK then. He was an uber driver in Seattle up helping with the cycling convention. Support crew. Found out he can work here if wanted to. I was stunned! What? He turned his app on and said yeah look I can pick up riders right now! Meanwhile I can’t do that at all! I’m limited to what cities I can work in. I can only do uber eats. He said it was bullshit and that I should talk to uber. His car is a 2017. Mine is 2011. Car has to be 10 years or less in Seattle. He said I should be able to work anywhere in Washington if your car is less 10 years old. I agreed. He stated that he makes $30-35/hour just ubering in Seattle. Yes there’s more people, but I would like to try that out at the end of each month and just get a huge profit instead of wondering if I can pay my bills and get savings again. I mean I’m surviving and paying my bills, but not making enough save much. Anything extra goes to my car or outings.
After dropping the dude off at the Days Inn. I started driving away when ping. Oh what? Back to the Days Inn. I picked up Aaron a British gentleman and his wife. Yep you guessed it IT professionals working for Microsoft, that were living in America and here for this cycling. Oh boy. They were lovely and could tell they liked my accent and wanted to know all about me. As we were leaving the hotel we saw Jeff Bridges wave, well Wick. I even said to my passengers who he looked like and they said Oh Wow, he really does. Glad it wasn’t just me. We discussed cricket and the UK in depth. They were staying at the Oxford Suites. They joked it was nothing like the real Oxford. Yeah no it isn’t. It took him 9.5 hrs to ride up to Bellingham from Seattle. Oh yuck. Meanwhile you have the rest getting here within 8 hrs. Crazy.
Next customer was Craig and his rowdy, British peeps. They were honestly my loudest customers ever. I was trying to talk to the passenger in the front. Her name was Lisa and probably the quietest of the lot. So hard to hear her. They were in town for wedding. Ahh wonderful. Seriously noisey. I needed a break from people for a minute. I had dropped them off at the Best Western Inn near the airport. Next plane is at 12:54 am. Ahh it’s 11.30 pm. I’m not waiting. Back to town I go.
Charleigh. A young lass with her bf. Going into town. She works at Olive Garden. She seemed embarrassed. I said I love that place. Really? Was the response. Said it’s 10 times better than outback steakhouse. She said true. I proceeded to go on a huge rant to them about the fibs they tell their customers about what us Aussies eat. Blooming onions? What are they? They’re just onions. I said I should make a genuine Aussie steakhouse like Beyond the Black Stump. Loved that place as a kid. Don’t know if it still exists. Most pubs in Australia do fantastic meals sometimes kangaroo. The passengers loved my rant and tipped me well. Bet they tell all their friends about this Australian uber driver that hates outback steakhouse.
Next customer was Sarah. 4 crazy girls who needed a lift for a bachelorette party. Oh it was actually a birthday party. These girls were so drunk. They joked about taking candy from a stranger, which was me. They scoffed a whole cup holders worth of treats I leave my passengers. That was a first. I felt like a farmer that just lost a crop from locusts. It’s fine though people need to eat them. It’s a necessary business expenditure.
Then was Caitlin, other half and her friends. They were in town to see family and attend a wedding. She was blonde and looked like a model. Ridiculous. They were up from San Diego. We all chatted about San Diego and the traffic. Yep it’s a nightmare down there. She was going to visit her friend in Melbourne. Ha small world. Have fun in a month down under, watch out for us Aussies.
Natalie was next and she was hammered. Her other half looked double her age. He was a nice chap. We conversed about vegemite. Nat liked it. She tried to tell her other half it’s like peanut butter. It’s really not, maybe texture wise it is, but sweetness it really isn’t. Tried to emphasize this and told the guy where he can get it. We also discussed birds of prey and how cool Eagles are. Australia’s wedged tailed eagle is 1.1 metres tall and has a 2.8 metre wing span. They were shocked. Yep. An oversized golden eagle. They even try and eat kangaroos.
Then next ping was another Natalie. Now she was extremely nice and wanted to go McDonald’s. Hooray something I don’t mind eating. She offered to buy me food. I happily accepted. As we were driving she asked me why Bellingham? I said I accepted a job as a senior archaeologist in Blaine. Then she said what? I repeated myself and them she told me her father was an archaeologist. I said who? She told me. Fair Dinkum! I’ve read his reports. She laughed. She said they’re so dry and boring. I agreed. Most technical reports are. She asked if I had a card and I gave her one. Nat told me she will tell her dad she met me and that if he needs people he may contact me. Funny small world. The weirdest thing is I remember dreaming about meeting this man months ago before I lost my job and I imagined him being old and having a massive house. Don’t know what he looks like or what is house looks like either. It’d be funny if I do meet him.
Braden and Brooke were next and following them Julian and Jessica. BB and JJ. Someone is messing with me. Alliteration at it’s best.
Maude was next or Erin. Hammered. Didn’t want to talk because she had a bad day. Guy ditched her and she spent the whole day doing flower arrangements. She wanted to just listen to music. But then she started talking anyway. Her friend Erin ordered her an uber because she couldn’t access her bank account because her wallet was stolen. So hour name is? Some long Spanish name. She shortened to Maude for me. She wanted to keep drinking, but had to do more flower arrangements.
After dropping her off it’s almost the end of a surge. $2. Woo. I came back to B’ham and tried to find someone. Next customer will give me an extra few dollars to my total amount. I did laps of Bellingham. Until I almost gave up, then ping. Joseph. 19 minute trip north! Perfect. I’m going home to north. Another IT chap except not a cyclist. He was visiting from Georgia to assist his uncle. He was happy to get a lift because he saw a bunch of brutes beating each other up. He was a little flustered, but calmed down after I was chatting to him. He told me about his daughter and how having kids changes your perspective in life. Said it’s the best thing to ever happen to him. Made him become less selfish. He stated I should go have kids. My response was one day.
Wow what a night. 22 trips. That’s it for now until Monday.
