Sunday, September 27, 2015

Germans

Doing my driving gig, when I get a ping to pick up at a hotel. It is 2 guys from Germany and they want to go uptown where they left their rental car. They are driving to Florida to pick up a plane back to Germany. What to talk about to 2 German guys? How about the Steve in Germany at a bar talking about the '55 Oldsmobile story? Oh, you don't know that one? well, here goes: Steve was 18 years old, in the Army and stationed on a mountain in Germany near Czechoslovakia.. He went to a bar with some friends. Universally, guys talk about cars. So Steve talks about my '55 Olds (which in the story he told them was his). It was beautiful he says as he expounded on the old beast. A German guy at the bar said, "Ya, Gross." Steve looks at him and says, no, it was beautiful. "Ya, Gross." he says again. Steve was getting angry and pulls his arm back to punch the dude. "if you say it was gross one more time, I'm gonna punch you out." One of Steve's buds grabs his arm, "Gross means BIG in German." Oh, all the difference in the world, literally! They all laugh... The guys from Germany loved it!

Monday, September 7, 2015

Driving in Savannah on Labor Day

Driving for this service, Uber .... In case you are unfamiliar, it's an app for the phone. You need a ride, you click. I need a passenger.. I turn on my phone and open the app, and if I'm the closest driver to you, my phone beeps. I have 60 seconds to agree to take the fare. It is all done on the phone with the app and NO cash is used. At different times, demand for rides is higher and you can get more $$. So, I was excited when this morning, I turned on the phone, it said I was in the RED zone, 1.5 times the regular fare.. Whoo whoo. I get a ping. WOW. I pick up this girl. She is going to the airport. The $35 fare is now times 1.5! Poor thing looks hung over. Then she says, she missed her flight. Uh oh. She is on the phone, and suddenly she is nearly in tears. I ask her, want me to pull over? Yes. She says they want her to pay $900 to fly home today. Remember, she has already paid for her flight. this is a charge on top! OMG. But if she waits until Wednesday, only a $200 surcharge. we talk for a bit. Then, I brought her to a hotel close to the airport, showed her where to walk to eat. So, think about this. She came here with friends for a bachelorette party. They shared rooms in a downtown Savannah B&B(nice, but expensive). How come her friends didn't make sure she made her flight? She reminded me so much of Rachel. I do hope she makes it home safe...