Boring! Boooooorrriing!

I am going to hook you by admitting it was a relatively boring few runs.  But with even that there is a story.  The story of Bob.  Uber riders' first names pop up as soon as I accept a ride.  So I knew I was about to pick up Bob in the River East area of Chicago.  Bob was a 20something white guy with a polo shirt and a haircut that said, " I have hair".  Nothing special.  He was softspoken but willing to make conversation.  He asked how uber driving was going, and I shared that it was busy but that there were no good stories for the day.  All pretty average riders.  Poor Bob then admitted that he was probably the most boring of all my rides.  He said it in sort of a sad Charlie Brown kinda way.  If I was certified I would have pulled over and offered a counseling session.  But I am not certified.  So I counted the minutes before his boring ass was out of my car.

New place I gotta eat:  The Plymouth on Plymouth.  Just north of the Harold Washington Library.  My rider was a waiter there.  He hates it, but admits the rooftop restaurant has great prices and good food.   http://plymouthgrill.com/

Favorite quote of the day from the well dressed 28 year old woman after seeing all of the Moms and 12-year-olds headed to the Taylor Swift concert at Soldier Field:  "Oh God, I am going to be the oldest person at the concert tomorrow night."

Angering the Chinese and Good Pizza

Since day one of Ubering I have been out for several more stints.  I tried to make mental notes and even used the Notes on my iphone to keep track of the rides worth sharing.  There are just too many, so for this post I will use more of a bullet format to share the quotes, strange circumstances, and reflections.  Enjoy;

- "Ya know, you are like the first Uber drivers.  Kinda normal and quirky.  Many of the new Uber drivers are ex-cab drivers"
- One guy from the northern burbs of Chicago was proud that his parents were opening a pizza place that is part of a small chain.  Aurelios!  Don't get me started.  Best pizza ever.  Sweet sauce and baked on cheese....  in case you need to be forewarned.
- If you make it to The Litehouse for some food in Hyde Park, ask for Rico.  Well, he corrected me, he goes by T-Y ( tee-why ).   I drove him to his family's restaurant from the South Loop.
- I would love to tell you about Angry Chinawoman.  That is my name for her.  AC had a heavy accent.  When people yell at you in a heavy accent, it is hard to not giggle inside. Somehow it was my fault it was cold out.  It was in the 60's!  I hope winter makes her move back to China.  She was mean.
-  I assumed my last ride at 10PM in downtown Chicago would be local.  Nope.  The very young lady  ( ends up she was at least 21 ) wanted to go to Des Plaines.  It is the City of Destiny.... look it up.  That brought us to a small run down house with more cars in the drive and lawn than there were bedrooms.   She asked for me to wait a few then take her to a bar.  While waiting I watched two guys smoke a bong on the couch and another guy come out and stare at me while he urinated on the lawn.  I think I helped her buy drugs.   If she did buy them, she then gave them to the douche with a Vape Cigarette in the parking lot of Chasers bar in Niles.  Quite a tour of the NW burbs.
- Time stamp this post.  I did get to listen to some of the MLB All-Star game.  American League won, so the last place Chicago White Sox will have home field advantage when they play in the World Series.
- One guy in his twenties said it is normal for his generation to stay out til 4.  I told him I would never have made it til 4.  Then we realized that my generation went out at 9 and partied til 2.  His does not even go out til 11PM.  So they are not a cooler generation, they are just tardy.

"Oober" Day One and the case of the small blatter

Been at least three years since driving "you" around.  Today was my first day as the "Oober Guy".  I was asked twice; " You the oober guy?"  I hadn't even answered before one dude entered my car.  If I was not the oober guy, it would have been unsettling.

My first fare?  Well, I don't think they are called fares, but I will figure out what they are called.  There must be a hipster name for one.   I think Oober is boring by referring to them as customers.  My first pick-up was Vernaise (below) from the Tri-Taylor neighborhood of Chicago.  She is also an Oober driver, so I learned some stuff during our 40 minute congested ride from hell to go 7 miles.  I can blame the Crosstown Classic between the White Sox and the Cubs at at Wigley Field for our traffic woes.

 

 My first pick up ever!

My favorite ride was another traffic nightmare.  I took the fine ladies below to Northerly Island's traffic hell to see Jill Scott, Babyface, Ledisi and Avery Sunshine.  The 40 minute, 2 mile trip made me the only guy with a Kenny Chesney ticket stub anywhere near the concert venue.  But we listened to some Avery through my bluetooth and survived the traffic.  Well I sort of survived.  I needed a urinal since they entered the car.  Not far from the Adler Planetarium was some landscaping with some "tall grasses".  Sadly, the grasses were not quite as tall as me.  Other than the Chicago Police Officer yelling at me to zip it up and move my car, I guess I got away with my relief efforts.

Lastly and most disturbing was the hipster couple that would not even say hello to me.  I am over it.  But their conversation was entertainment enough.  Both had just woken up ( at 4PM ) from a night of drinking until 4AM followed by some marijuana cigarette smoking to kill time til' 5AM.  She was either bragging or concerned about her two male friends "feeling her up" as she fell asleep.  Yes, it is true.  I am not allowed to make stuff up.  So smoke that and compare it to YOUR Friday night.