Category: Politics

Travelers

“Its not where you’re from, its where you’re at!” -D.J. Kool

The following list includes rider self-reported state of origin, and is not comprehensive:

International travelers prior to February 2017*

Sweden: mentioned that he used rideshare in 5 different countries. Has no opinion on Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize in Literature.

New Zealand: professor of economics, we discussed firearms, murder, concealed carry permits, and how it all relates to Chicago.

Australia: talked about names and naming.

Republic of Cameroon: the woman went to a salon in Chicago and the hairdresser told her that she lacked the requisite tools to work on her hair. She left disappointed and dejected.

Mexico City, Mexico: They were very cold at 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and were curious why the Loop was dead on a Sunday.

Toronto, Canada: Made a recommendation to Restaurant Row on Randolph Street.  When discussing the weather I made a mental note to learn conversions between Fahrenheit and Celsius. Note to self: To convert temperatures in degrees from Fahrenheit to Celsius, subtract 32 and multiply by .5556 (or 5/9)]

Hong Kong: Conversation surrounded comparisons of Hong Kong and Chicago. Rider told me that English is a primary language in Hong Kong as it was once subject to British colonialism.

france-paris-glass-tower-5713

Domestic travelers prior to February 2017*

Long Island, New York: we discussed the American Dream Dusty Rhodes, the Nature Boy Ric Flair, the multiple personalities of Mick Foley, Professional Wrestling and this.

Ohio: Many riders. We discuss Believeland, the Cleveland Browns, LeBron James, and the Great Lakes.

Michigan: Many riders. Discussion topics have included Windsor, Ontario, the Detroit Lions, Barry Sanders, and college football.

California: The business travelers discuss a wide range of topics. The recreational travelers need dinner recommendations that do not include cheese casserole.

Massachusetts: Tom Brady, the New England Patriots, and the guru Bill Belichick.

*These lists will continue to be edited

 

Media Fasting Works Until You Talk To Other People Around You

Last night I had a handful of pickups, a below-average night, but rather routine for a Monday night. Each and every single one of my Lyft pickups mentioned the hullabaloo that’s happening now within the love triangle of national politics, Uber, and Lyft.

whyiuber

My last Lyft rider asked if I had many Lyft riders new to the platform that day.  I responded that although I was on a strict media fast for over 45 days, I’d become well-aware of the political situation, and that every Lyft rider was asking similar questions.  He then mentioned that I was his 2nd Lyft driver ever. We shared discussion about both of the rideshare companies. Then he told me that up until recently he was going to take a customer service job with Uber as it paid more than he was making at his current call center sales gig- no longer was that to be the case- he had completely dropped the idea of working for Uber.  At the conclusion of our ride, he stated that during both his Lyft rides he had accumulated more information about the companies and their processes than during his many Uber rides.

lyft-unicorn

As a 1099 contractor of both Lyft and Uber, I am loving that competition is getting red-hot between the main rideshare rivals. I enjoy nothing more than meeting new riders and discussion, this hullabaloo will only make the conversations more fruitful and interesting. As a political animal whose favorite spectator sport used to be Chicago politics, I am slowly and reluctantly getting back into it!

Are you interested in fasting from all forms of media? Please leave a comment below.