08/23/18

I like the airport rides.  Usually lots of freeway and easy drop off.  But there is always that time when things try to make it difficult.  A completely missing freeway exit ramp for example.  The navigation said it was there but all of the orange cones and yellow construction equipment didn't care what the navigation said.  No worries, we will go up one exit and cut back.  That worked okay even though it was rush-hour traffic and therefore a little slower than preferred.  Especially since the rider was concerned about having enough time to get to the airport.  The first thing she said when I picked her up from the DoubleTree Hotel was, "how long will it take us to get there?"  Of course we made it with plenty of time to spare.

As I drove away from the terminal I noticed the usually icon on the app that shows your position in the que for a picking up from the airport.  I was never one to set around and wait for a ride so I had never picked up at the airport before.  The icon indicated that I would be in spot number 11 when all of the sudden the notification of a pick up sounded.  I looked and it was at the airport, lower level, column J.  And just like that I had my first pick up at the airport.  Easily made it to the rider and we headed out for a location on Hancock near Mopac.  He was on his phone most of the ride but as we were getting close to the drop off location, he mentioned a book that he read named Boys Adrift.  That lead into a very interesting conversation about the topic and I will be purchasing and reading that book.

08/28/18

I think my brain is permanently damaged.

I was like and she was like and they were like and then someone walked up and was like and I said like and then like we like.

The first group of young people were not a dirty looking group of college kids, but they needed to take a bath.  I had to air out the vehicle on the way to the next trip after they got out.  I pulled up in a drive way for them to get out.  I was sure that I could just pull up the drive way and turn around in the parking lot I could see behind the house.  NOT!  It was worse than that parking lot over near Hotel Ella.  How in the heck do these kids get in and out of this place?  What a major pain in the ass that put my backing skills to the ultimate test as I backed my way around a corner and back out all the way to the street in a driveway that my vehicle barely fit in.

Getting stuck in West Campus can be a killer.  I try not to decline any requests and thus when I accepted a ride that ended up being in West Campus, I knew what was about to happen.  One large group gets a ride to another spot not far away.  They get out and you immediately get another ride with a large group going not too far away.  In some cases it is almost right where you just came from.  I finally had 2 riders going to Rainy Street.  That was far enough away to break the West Campus chain.

I continue to be amazed at the fact that with well over 1,000 trips and 3 years, I have only had 4 repeat riders.

08/18/18

It has been over a month since I have had time to drive.  I dont really have time now but needed  some stories for this blog and some money too.

With the first ride at 9:30 pm, I didn't think it was going to be much of a night.  I was wrong.  $108 in 3 hours is not bad for a hobby.

Two full loads of huge guys.  Profanity galore.  The first group was from New Jersey and had been to Lake Travis.  They kept talking about these girls that they met and apparantly received a "FLASHING" as part of the program.  We were able to squeeze all 7 of them into the vehicle with the 7th one sat between the middle row seats and as we got closer to the destination he commented that he was bleeding out the ass from having a butt cheek on each seat.  He asked if there was a cleanup charge for blood. I told him that it was only if the blood was out of someone's ass.  Lots of laughter.