The Treasures Left Behind

As someone who has lived in a large metropolitan city, I'm well versed in the anxiety that goes hand in hand with getting in and out of cabs on a daily basis.  Passengers engulfed in this culture are consumed by a deafening inner-monologue screaming questions like "Is this cabbie gonna dick around to make some extra money?" and "Did I just leave my cell-phone in the backseat?"

I can't claim any expertise relating to how much this culture has shifted in large cities now that there are on-demand options.  But in my own experience as a driver, I have noticed a much more relaxed and calm demeanor when it comes to these general concerns.  Of course it goes without saying that every once in a while I do find little surprises in the backseat that were forgotten or even left behind quite intentionally.  Now the usual suspects typically include things like empty beer cans, spare change, and bar-tab receipts.  However there are those rare occasions when I find or am given something that makes for a truly blog-worthy story.

I suppose I could talk about the numerous occasions that I've been given a $20 tip on a $10 fare.  For those of you unfamiliar with how the process works, we're not really supposed to accept any tips and even after I informed the passengers of this policy, still they insisted out of the goodness of their hearts.  But while these were very nice gestures, the stories themselves are not all that interesting.

I guess I could also mention that one time a particularly flirtatious passenger left her phone number for me in the backseat.  In my younger, more adventurous days (when I was still single) I would have been delighted by such a development and we can all imagine the scenarios that might have materialized.  However what really made the situation funny is that I didn't even realize what had happened until later in the evening when another passenger discovered the number and pointed it out to me.  Admittedly I felt bad throwing away the number at the end of the night, but I think it definitely makes for a cute story.

I think I can do better than cute though ...  yeah I can do much better than that!

Since I now live in a very liberal-minded state ... and by liberal I'm referring to the population's predilection toward the legal consumption of cannabis ... I'd be remiss not to detail those precious moments when

the worlds of weed and on-demand cab rides collide

  

I'd say there's at least 2-3 occasions every week when a passenger asks if I'm "420 friendly" ... to which I politely inform them that while I don't have any personal issue with marijuana, I can't allow it to be smoked in my vehicle. After all ... I wouldn't be very much of an UBERmensch if I did ;)

However on one occasion, an airport-bound passenger asked me if I smoke.  When I told her she couldn't smoke in the car ... she laughed and retorted that she really wanted to see if I would be kind enough to take/pass along her supply of herb.  You see she was not very comfortable taking the product on the plane ride back to a state with less liberal (at least for now) legislation.  While I don't personally indulge in the recreational use of marijuana products, I was definitely tickled by the request, and I told her that I'd be more than happy to pass it along to someone who would enjoy it.

Now this might have just been a bi-product of the times that we live in, but the way that it all went down was fascinating (and hilarious) to me.  And again I think this story speaks to the kind of bonds/relationships formed between drivers and passengers in these on-demand scenarios.  I highly doubt such an exchange would have ever occurred in your run-of-the-mill taxi cab, and I wouldn't be surprised at all to hear that it's happened to other drivers like me.

No, I think it only could have happened the way that it did and I can back my theory up because several weeks later ... it happened again!  I was driving a woman to the airport who I actually had met the night before when I dropped her and a friend off at a rock concert.  Sure enough, as we pulled up to the terminal entrance, I was met with the same request.  Except this time, the grass came with an accompanying pipe!  

It's amazing because this is not like someone gave me a half-empty bag of chips. These are products that, while readily available, are not by any means inexpensive.  These passengers just wanted to pass along their unused fun to others who would continue to enjoy the good times ...

and they positioned me, their driver, as courier 

When I think about it, that really is the very essence of this entire enterprise: random people coming together to share the best parts of themselves with each other.   And if I'm going to comment on the most exquisite treasures that are left behind in my car,  I'd truly hate myself if I didn't mention all of the good vibes and happy feelings that my passengers leave in their wake every single night.

As someone who's trying to figure out what to do with my life, having the chance to meet such a wide range of people leaves me with plenty of of great ideas ... as well as an abundance of business cards. Amidst a tedious job search that can often overwhelm me with feelings of inadequacy, nothing has restored my confidence more than the conversations with passengers who express their belief that I can succeed in any number of fields.

And since I've never been one to shy away from the occasional ego-boost, interactions with my passengers truly do go a long way in making me feel good about myself.  I've been invited into people's homes for no other reason than to continue an interesting discussion.  Passengers have offered to buy food for me when we stop, mid-drive, at the late-night taco stand. People have even insisted that I stop driving so that I can join them for a drink in any number of bars and dives all over town (don't worry mom ... I didn't drink and drive).

Yes, I've seen the very best of people come out as they open up to me, a stranger entrusted with getting them to their destinations safely.  And for what it's worth, I strongly believe that these experiences and the passengers themselves truly bring out the best in me as well.

UBER On!!!