Prior to driving for Uber I was a police officer in Nashville. After retiring, I missed the interaction I had with the community and visitors. I decided to work for Uber so I could return to public service. Being from Nashville, I have the advantage of knowing the city, the tourist sites, and restaurants. I have met people from all over the world who are here either on business or for pleasure. Language is not an issue and people seem to like to hear my southern accent.
It is hard to specify one notable experience with a rider. I have been blessed with a wide array of people who genuinely like talking about themselves. You only have to listen and ask a few questions to determine where to carry the conversation. During the summer, I noticed that many visitors were unaccustomed to our hot & humid weather. During one ride I had a vehicle full of Canadians. They were commenting on the humidity. I told them, “You know those wonderful jet streams you send us in the winter with frigid weather? This is payback.” Everyone started laughing and replied, “You got us on that one.” One a more somber note, I picked up a young man recently involved in a breakup. He was distraught and feeling alone. He commented that he had been drinking a lot to deal with the situation. We had a long drive to his destination so I let him talk and offered some insight based on experience. By the time we reached his home, he was crying, but he reached over, gave me a hug and thanked me for being there for him.
We are not taxis. We are people offering a service to others. People are trusting us to get them to a destination, safely and in a timely manner. Our personality dictates whether the ride is enjoyable and memorable. #MyDrives