The Exorcist

Everyday is as unigue as a fingerprint. A few days ago I had 4 riders all in a row all going to see a heart specialist, with only one just having an allergic reaction that started 2 years ago that made her body swell up randomly. All of them where in thier 40s. Coincidence? possibly. Its the rideshare lotto. Today I set a new record for abonormal behavior. Today was the long pick up day, I feel like its a waste of miles, a waste of unpaid time, Rideshare has become slightly better about compensating the driver. As I went from Eastgate to Milford I was 18 minutes out and gaining time. A persons name can be almost anyone. Just a faceless name, imagine meeting 25 people daily for the first time, and having conversations with them? As I pulled up to pick up Timbolk, I had no thought of anything unordinary, as she smiled to see me thru dark sunglasses, dark hair parted and covering the tops of one of her sunglasses I picked up a sublte odd vibe as she moved twitchingly and excitedly. She got into the back, I said Hi, how are you today? I looked right into her eyes as I phrased that question. No response, just a blank expression. It sounded like she was on a phone call with the speaker on. She buckled and we where off. As I back tracked to where I had just came from, the phone call continued, she did a very deep laugh, very deep that turned into a high pitched pig squel as she felayed around in the back seat with her arms moving about wildly. Not trying to sugar coat this one, I was slightly worried about how animated she had become. Thinking she could understand African French I tried to ask her how she was. She became even more animated, and mumbled incoherently , babbled would be descriptive. In what languages I couldnt decipher her basic phrases. She again laughed deeply and briefly then quickly jumped back onto her insain train. If things couldn't be bad enough, I get a phone call, thinking it was my rideshare company I answered it on the second ring hoping they would shed some light on my passenger " Hi Andrew, this is rideshare help, we wanted to tell you your passenger has 100 Demons, just 100 so don't be alarmed, she hasnt ripped any ones arms off in a few years, not like in the days where she had 300, no she is much calmer now, thank you for taking her, your almost there! Bye!" I answered my bluetooth and quickly hit the record on my microphone to get some kind of audio proof of this ride. "Hi is this Andrew?" Yes, speaking, I said in a please help me on this one in my rephrase. "Im calling on behalf of M.T.G of Georgia" (ohh shoot) as she gave me her sales pitch for 3 mintues reading her cue card about Nazis and all the other stuff people where named called for years, yada yada yada, my rider "Damian", was in full singing plus humming, arms flapping, laughing, crying, mumbling, her phone had that wierd never ending speaker phone call, with people sounding almost like her in a males voice periodically also children, but they seemed like they where in a room, maybe a Sanitorum? Was it her mates? waiting for her? Back to the phone call, when she finally stopped her read sales pitch, " This is not a good time, can you hear whats going on in my background? "Yes I can, can you donate 35$?" "I'm doing rideshare right now, and I have someone I need to keep one eye on." "Andrew can you donate 25$?" "Ive been driving rideshare for some time and you picked the worst time to call." "How about 15$" "I have to go, good bye." Talk about tone deaf. When we pulled up to what sounded like a catholic housing of some kind in Anderson, She got out laughing, smiling, arms felaying, twitching, she held her phone close to her eyes.... I debated giving her less than 5 stars, but just gave her 5. I had no idea what where or who that was. Despite the ultimate craziness of the ride, it still didn't rub me as bad as "you got 3 bills?", from gheto rich dad or "Im about to be abducted yo." "I'm about to have my arms ripped out of my sockets yo!"

Prepping For War

Just after January 2020 I had one of the most unique rides. It was early spring several months passed. The waves I caught and surfed that day took me to the busy, bad roads, no tips part of town. I pull up near some of the Baltimore style brown brick row homes and a tall slender African American waves and proceeds to hop in the back seat. "Im finally going back to work" he exclaimed loudly with a sigh of relief. "Ive been 60 hours a week for the last few months"he continued, "it will be nice to get back to my old job" Wow, that sounds exhausting, what where you doing? It was late afternoon as we headed towards an Autozone where he was a manager. It was busy on the roads as endless vehicles bobed and weaved as I drove on my invisible track growing more curious to my passengers night job. "Well I work in (some kind of HR)for the National Gaurd, we are getting ready for war." he said that calmly, as if already knew. My heart sank as Ive already seen years of government sponsered hate for people in favor of law , order, the constitution slandered as monsters. When he said this my first thought was all out war civil in nature. " wow," i acted surprised,"with who?" he paused for a second. "China" before I could question him more like the soldier he was, he was more interested in getting into his day job and putting in his pushups. He was out the door with his military style camo backpack. His dissapearing appearance was tight and tucked. Remember this was 2020-first part of 2021. No Russian-China alliance was known in my world, and as much as all the pitfalls of capital corruption in Washington was, it was all blamed on Russia, its amazing we where not and currently not in a physical war with them. I'd wager China if they attempt an Invasion, California is the soft, ripe, landing spot. But as much as America is full of hate, and division by design, maybe they will wate till we collapse our entitled corrupt selves.

Kool Dad

There are some heart warming experiences in the rideshare industry. Vince was a tall thin, Zened out dread lock rasta. Race isn't important, usually it has 0 determination on my trips. I dread seeing 300 plus pound riders of 2 or three hoping to fit into my car who are basically looking to avoid paying the extra 5 dollars for a larger vehicle. Those usually smell to the point of vomiting. I dread picking them up. People can have prejudices and those are based on past experience. I've become slightly prejudice on running the west side of town during business hours because of the sevre drought of tips. Tips are what really make rideshare worth anything. Remember how expensive Taxis where? No? rideshare cut that down and gave most to the owner-operator. Now its please tips please tips. If you look at operating costs imbarely getting ahead and any driver stuck with buying a new car after 70-90 thousand miles placed on the vehicle each year knows all to well that side of the business. Vince was a nice looking in the sense of personality tall Afro-American. He was polite, he had nice dreads and didn't say much during our brief ride but had aked if I had looked at doing the Rideshare Bootleg on Facebook. Basically cutting out rideshare services and become an independent rideshare driver getting back to making comparable dollars Vince was on his way to pick up his Son. When he came out of the apartment complex he held his hand and the two talked like best friends. wWhile in the car the two chatted. It was summer and in a Cincinnati heat wave. "Dad I don't like the cold, but you like the cold" thats right. I chimmed in having remained mostly quiet, "One day he will live in Arizona." "He will invite you to visit in July" The dad laughed. The son was probably 6 years old. He stopped at a food mart and bought him a drink and food. Before we stopped at where we started, the final stop, "Are you going to be cool like your Dad when you grow up?" I asked the child. Vinve gave his thanks and they dissapeared into the heat walking towards the house as I drove away.

"Im about to be Abducted Yo"

Lionel Messi is downtown playing against Cincinnati and everyone of financial importance is running a mile here a mile there, everyone is entitled, everyone driving is important downtown. Some times I'm aggressive if Im about to miss a turn, only if I see an opening, but I don't feel a sense sole entitlement. Nor do I do a british bird from a black arm after someone lets me in. Not once but twice. (two fingers up your arse up up. )The city is too caotic, like a circus of driving clowns some clowns play music so loud the bass, it not only rattles loose screws out of your car but it sets of multiple alarms as they drive by. Look at me, I'm a clown. After a few rides I pull up to a place to stop a Tall African gal who is smoking dressed for winter in with a large hooker bag in her arm (the give away in Cincinnati)starts to walk over thinking Im there to take her to a hotel or home, when she realizes Im not there to solict sex, she shares a look of disappointment and goes back to her corner after as I back my car into a place to rest just infront of other parked cars. I decline 4$ after 4$ ride. Its not worth the stress. 10 minutes if your lucky, if you can find a spot to even stop to pick up the passenger. Lionel Messi missed his boat as an actor. I wanted to get out of the circus. Finally a ride heading north gets me started. Several rides later im almost completely out of the cursed city. Im trying to go towards home, when I get A 4$ ride going for any normal non entitled person who is healthy a 1'mile walk. It was hot during the day but had significantly cooled by 930pm. My rider a tall slang speaking lady is on the phone. Her "friends" had just left her company and at first thought they where part of the ride. she says," Can you believe dem? I cants stands dem" with the lights it was a long ride probably a shorter walk after all it was full of sidewalks. As her lethargic sounding boyfriend who was on speaker talked, he sounded burned out , most likely from her drama. As the entire phone call was that. He would chime in a " yea" "yea" slow, burned out, low energy. When the ride was finally over we said our goodnight, thats when we speak the same discernable language. After I had already given her 5 stars. she is closing the door "Have u eva felt like your Uba ride was goin tu ubduct you yo?" she said it loud and like the city clown she was with a laugh. Some fantasies are twisted ones. Look elsewhere yo.

Want me to Kill Your Babies?

life is full of parallel events, trends, as societies with digital media are pushed, influenced,directed. Call it coincidence or just modern young lovers of Western Cincinnati. This one started off odd and just kept up on getting worse. As I pulled up to the pick up point its in the 90s outside. Full sun with a cloudless day an odity and rarity of Cinncinatti. I double check my navigation as a police officer is talking to a heafty well built older lady about middle aged or slightly older. She has long brown hair, sun leathered brown skin, with short jean shorts slightly rolled up and a white shirt blouse on. She was probably a serious heavy weight in the dating world in her prime. As the police officer left shortly after my arrival. The lady waves goodbye to the officer, waves to me, after a double take she then realizes that im there for rideshare. Then she calls inside as i sit with my hazzard lights flashing since im illegally stopped her side of her house no driveway. A tall 18 year old with long red hair comes outside and says loud enough " Oh yeah my Uber ride." Just behind emerges a crazed looking in the eyes 18 something African teen who is taller, in what has been called a wife beater tea shirt, that shows his young chisled physique. He was quiet, and if this was the 1960-s I would wager he would had recieved help for his troubled state of intense agitation. The ride was for the girl, but crazy eyes tagged along. He looked very disturbed, angry, passionate. They sat together in a lovers embrace. The full situation dawned on me after about 3 minutes of total silence. "why are you breaking up with me" the young thin lady asked quietly. " because your a Bit$h." he said coldly. she began to cry. "I promise I wont talk to that girl anymore, you want to break up with me because of her??? really" she said thru quiet tears like a mouse, timid, basically complete submission to his abusive responses. This went back and forth escalating like a slow rolling boil. luckily the stop was close. I had not said one word. Just before our stop she said " Do you want me to kill your babies?" Are you going to be a baby killer?" she said that quietly and in a last ditch effort to win over captain caveman so he could keep giving her the toxic head bashing abuse she was adicted to. He was cold and un responsive. He knew he had her where he wanted but played the game like an abusive master chess player. when checkmate arrived, She gets out and says "goodbye " he walks away in socks, not matching, no shoes. He had snuck in so fast to the ride I never noticed. She goes to her car. A green SUV. she is about to drive off, im heading out to pick someone else up. As im about to pull away crazy lover turns and runs for her car in front of mine. she lets him push her out of the driver seat into the front. He then peels wheels as they take off. Probably to his cave where she can get all the clubbing her heart can desire. I so desperately wanted to give her some fathers advice but it was too late. This one will be a lesson not easily learned. Best Wishes Rummyie-O & Clueless-et.

10 points In Kenosha

It was a rainy winter night, the Kenosha man who was racially motivated by the pipeline of media hate that all whites are racist because Donald Trump was President had just plowed thru a prolethia of people marching in a Christmas parade. He ran over mostly kids. This was all very fresh in the publics mind. The media blanketed his racist rap videos he had made an published calling for violence against whites prior to his media frame as an SUV slaughter. That cold rainy night it was Blink festival a seasonal light festival downtown. I picked up 3 college aged ladies, who where laughing and slightly drunk. Aa I stopped at a light that was green to let mostly kids and parents finish crossing one of them said " speed up, hit those damn kids" they all started laughing. "10 points, hit them! " She had a very angry demeanor that was turbulent shining from her intoxicated eyes. I ignored them but felt a deep sadness for them. Several more times at several more lights they all chimmed in we want 1k points run them over! "Hahaha" tone deafness for humanity. Hard as stones

Who's your Daddy?

Clifton is the college area of Cincinnati. While on a weekend while its college season most rides if not all are of that age and attending or visiting a friend who does. One late night I had two riders, that seemed like best friends. On the color gambet they where on opposite sides of the spectrum. They laughed and joked as if I was not there or just a mindless drone there to take them where they wish. in some ways this is true, but my ears as hard as I try to shut them off are usually inadvertently listening. " Hey remember that party last year where I got busy wit Linda?" Yea brada that was a craxy night- "Right" hahaha. "Your neva goin to believe who I bumped inta last week at dat party" Don't tell me it was Linda?!" Yup!!!! it was her- she looked pissed man, pissed" hahaha, both laughing. what happened? -asked the lighter friend. with a wild smile- "she came up to me and grabbed me by the arm and said " I killed your babies!" both are laughing. Babies?!?! replied the buddy of the infamous baby maker. "Yea, babies as in two maybe three? who knew I was a dad for alittle bit? , I just ignored her afta da party awhile back, ya she was mad bro mad." both are laughing again in perfect sync. just as quickly as the ride began it was over. I was left heart broken at such calessnous. In shock that death of your own twins was a complete joke.

Dads Going to Be There!

It was summer, it was a weekday and I had started work 11 hours prior. I had gotten stranded in Dayton and I was granted 2 wishes to get out with my ride Filter. So I rubbed my phone and asked Rideshare to grant my wish. Please take me out of Dayton to Cinncinatti. I waited for several minutes as the Rideshare genie went searching for a Rider wanting to also get out of Dayton. But being more on the pragmatic side and the computer version of a genie is a monkeys paw style in granting wishes my magic request when granted was anything but magical. When my first wish was granted I had to travel further north before I could head south. The Genie warned me it would be a 45 minute plus ride but not to exactly where. So wanting to get the heck out of Dayton. ( I had been given a speeding ticket from a camera going 30 in a 20 during school hours area with school being long out of season, I had a high disdain for Dayton. It seemed like a mini Cinncinatti but with nothing attractive or distinct about it. With finances so bad they had to set up cameras to give out speeding tickets to anyone from outside the city to raise funds, a true tourist trap. As I pulled up the long drive way I noticed a well built attractive blonde smoking next to a pile of belongings in the front yard. She seemed to pay no mind to me. and proceeded to walk to the side of a large house in a one acre slopping front yard. I had my AC on and windows up and the car running, so I paid little attention to her at first. She walked to one side of the house and yelled to some one. Or people. Maybe she is saying good bye to some of her friends was my first thought. But as this pattern on hers went on for about 5 minutes, I started to have a sinking feeling about the ride. Something was off about this one, and it wasnt bad milk. I turned off the car and asked if she was the one getting a ride. "Yes but we are waiting for my Dad." I siad ok, believing her and asked if I could put her things in the car. She agreed and I put a pillow, suitcases, a computer case all in the back seat after the trunk was filled. She continued the same behavior going from one side of the house to the other side about half way yelling towards the backyard. After another ten minutes and not wanting to go back to Cincinnatti empty, I coerxed my imaginitive rider into the car, I told her "Your Dads going to meet us there" She thought about it for a second then agreed to get into the car. I did not want to ride most likely empty and was willing to see the outcome of my monkey paw wish. She had her phone on her, and sat in the front seat. She was in her 30s and at one time was probally a real cat attracter with endless calls. Not even 5 minutes on our way after 15 mintues of waiting for "Da" she began to scream at her luggage to shut the F up. Then as if holding a conversation with no one but luggage she conversed as if in an arguement. "Did you hear what she told you?" No, what did she say? I said in my calm Zen style response,-"Shut the F up." Nice. was my response, "Nice." agian, calm focused and relaxed not showing any alarm or worry. kinda worn from the gambit of odd and ends almost expecting this. I asked who is back there? as we where now on the highway heading south with my eyes more on her weary and growing less and less trusting as her instability was growing more and more alarming as the trip progressed. "My family that follows me" Oh really? who? "There is a Father, Mother and they're daughter." hmm was my response, as I continued to watch her. Then she picked up her phone black screen and silent and pretend to Answer it. "Ok Dad I will see you there." Yea, Yea, Bye" This happened atleast 6 times along the ride. It was getting darker as we neared 8 o'clock. "All of my drivers are really freaked out but your handling this, my family very well" Well honey I grew up in Baltimore ive seen much worse. I replied drly and with out a hitch. After another shouting match with her invisible friends she tried to jump from the car as we drove at about 70 mphs per hour in the center lane. If my car didnt have saftey locks she would had been instantly killed. I took a deep breath and asked her if she had ever thought about ignoring her family untill they became bored with her. She looked surprised why she hadn't thought of that sooner, after some surpirsed thinking, she said, that wouldnt work becuase they wake her up as she sleeps. Well it was worth try. After several more important calls and bunch more of her telling her family to shut up we arrived at her destination. It was a resturant called Cock N Bull. A british style pub located in the Kentucky side of Cinncinatti. People sat outside eating with out a care in the world on a late summer early night. The sun was about to set. I quickly got her stuff out of the car and put it neatly in a pile by the door as some of the patrons started to look puzzled. She said "My Dad is going to meet us here." Yes, he will- I said with out much thought, and well used to the situation. As I said goodbye, and was not even 5 feet down the road she was back to her shouting and yelling, going from one side of the resturant to the other on the sidewalk, the patrons now had to be Dad, and the puxled expressions became worry as it was now theyre village responsiblity to take care of Suzzie and her Ghostly family.

Your Bugging me Man

Its east side, about 1 in the afternoon, I pull up into an apartment complex where a tall glass wearing 30 something straight laced in pants man is waiting for me complete with enough luggage to be headed to the airport. At first the thought train had delrailed to that destination as the real ride not what was showcased. He put his stuff in the back seat with a large beetle type bug on his left knee as he sat in the front seat, before we could pull away he claimed he had forgot something and ran back up the stairs to his apartment. I waited and had already hit we had left. When he came back down several minutes later he opened the back door and from my frist glance as he had approched the car it seemed like maybe he hadnt forgotten anything large enough to be seen. "Ok im ready" he said with what some would call "special" needs. He talked in that lingo. Smart but not smart enough or probally allowed to drive. He seemed nice but clearly disabled. I noticed another bug was crawling on his leg agian, and he paid it no attention as I was about to tell him he quickly but in as he asked if he could stop at the Kroger so he could use the bathroom. "We are going out to boonies, it is long drive, I will tip you well for it" Despite his age he had a mischevous smart nature that made him seem much younger than his real age. After a few minutes he returned and it seemed like it was a common request for he told me exactly where I could wait. I live close to this Kroger and had shopped at it 100 to many times. I already knew and waited there. When he came back this time a fly it seemed that was very lathargic was with him as well as another bug crawling on his other leg. Not sweating the small stuff and before I could say anything he again became very animated, not allowing me to talk as he went on and on how he was looking at houses to raise disabled kids as he would become a foster Dad. It was like the shriner commercial kid but in his 30's wanting to be a Dad. I sympathize with him on some levels but in todays world all things are possible good and bad. He talked on how he wanted to build basketball courts, swimming pools, and Im sure his imagination was ripe on how Idylic it would all be. How peaceful it was to be out in the sticks with 7 disabled children living as one with a mischevous Disabled Father. When we pulled into the house it had many large trees that he said needed to be cut down, the real estate agent hadnt shown up yet as he was methodically early and was well planned with his Stephen Hawken math skills. He walked around the house talking aloud and measuring parts of the house with a leveler on a measuring stick. I hung out for a minute to see if anyone would need a ride 15 minutes far away from any store out in New Richmond. After doing a few sets of pushups to break up the sitting, he asked me to go ahead, he would get another ride later. He was pushy about it, and I was happy to wait 30 minutes just to take him back. After much coerxion I submitted and left. The next ride was a pick up at a another Kroger,that lathargic fly buzzed around before hand, I thought it had flown out. When I helped a New York City transplant put her groceries in the car, she screamed with the back door left open. "ahhh,I hate spiders! I hate them!" On the seat was what looked like a paraylized or dead spider with twitching legs, I thought it could be dead. It was a huge wolf spider. Full grown. I flicked it off the middle back seat and out the door with out any hesitation. The lady screamed again, and moved away. "Its still alive! it ran away!. Several rides later and hours later I opened all the doors and shewed out moths and bugs from Chris the Autistic Bug Man Spider prankster. I hope his kids like spiders in they're beds as a good father Prank.

"You Got 3 Bills?"

This story maybe on the petty side, but its worth sharing. The whole nature and background of the ride and the ending really rubbed me wrong today on a fundemental level. Im all about charity and giving to people in need but, this one as small as it was, really shows on so many levels how flawed we are in the U.S. The day was slow. Not many rides and a bunch of cancelations thanks to closed roads and traffic. I make it up to Mason a very wealthy side of town. The passenger I drove 18 minutes to pick up lived in a nice house. Nicer than anything around my area. Mikey is a tall, bushy black bearded fellow. My first thought with his short hair under his baseball hat was that he had been a trucker. No I was wrong, well he siad yes at one point but it was hard to understand him becuase he had the street slang. He talked about how he had heart problems after getting his 1st "Fiffer" shot,(exactly how he said it) yup it wasn't the salt water, he had the real thing and had to go on disability becuase of it. The more shots a person gets it becomes like a lottery the more chances of winning. He had asked if I had taken it. "No, my friend died when it first hit the market, blood clot heart attack." Because of that and how politized it had become, With Biden saying during his campaign, how he didn't trust the shot as well as Camel Harris, because it was under Trumps watch. Those two reasons is why I would never ever get one. A shot that inoculates you from a illness blocks the illness. Ive known many people who have gotten the shot and they have become ill with Corona. I caught Corona from a vaxd person. Otherwise I doubt I would had ever expirenced it even though I was swimming in the public shopping for people 12 hours a day 6 days a week for 2 years prior. He was my third person with Heart problems going to Therapy or a Heart specialist that afternoon. All of them where in thier 40's. 3 out of 4 rides all in a row spaced by time. The conversation was street style with him making a request. Usually im very easy going and have no problem fullfilling such a reguest. He asked to stop at a store on the way to the hospital.... I said"Ok" usually if a drive wants to get paid for this time they need the rider to add a stop otherwise its 4$ of charity work. I stopped at a store. A gas station. He then asked if he could have 3$ to buy ciggerettes. " Do you have 3 Bills?" No. "How about you come in and use your card?" No. I just put 500$ into my car. I was pretty mad at this point and should had been vocal about it. "Yeah its a nasty habbit" I gave him 4 qaurters. As he walked in he asked a few people for money, they all denied him. A few minutes latter he came out with a package of Gum. I thought about giving him a bad rating, and often times i accept the ride so fast I don't see the customers rating. If this is a habbit of his that obviously works most times, he butter ups his driver with compliments, and then hits them up for 3 bills. and a free stop. I didn't give him a bad rating. I so wanted to. Ive had homeless people in my car going on rides, not even they asked for money. But next time I might ask him for 5$.

Kilo West

Some rides are incredibly interesting just based on our conversations not so much the ride or riders. This one is about a location. A popular international destination. Florida. from the title maybe you can gleam exactly where. Ray was a very tan, relaxed late in 40s man with what I would call a beach goers aka surfer hair cut. His grey hair interlaced with blonde fell to the short sides from a long top. He was clean shaven , sunglasses The first part of our conversation was on how he traveled back and forth from his island furthest west in the island chains, he had grown up and went to high-school in Anderson. 'After work im always on vacation, I ride my bike home and I see dolphins off to the side, rays , it's magical. Im always on vacation. I love it." At some point our conversation was about women, we both seemed to have a taste for exotic women. Like a previous passenger he was adamant about the endless supply of forgien women, especially currently from Ukraine. " I turned down 3 marriage proposals one was from Ukraine but accepted the 4th". "She is Slovakian." "She is a sugar momma." 'I don't worry about anything not like my first wife, she was peurtarican, 14 years in the military, she started each day with 10 chin ups, short and strong, she did several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. I used to drive her car for her untill I found out I was helping her run coke for the cartel. Thats super dangerous, I could have been killed. I stopped once I found out. Im certain she worked for the cartels." " wow" I interjected - "what do you do for work now?" With his arm up on the leather head rest of the seat extended, relaxed, in all my years not one person has taken that position. "Im a cheff, at the restaurant where I work I have to know some Spanish, the owner is an old pervert he hires gorgeous girls from Venazeula, Ukraine, where ever. They get 6 month work visas, he also gives them a place to stay like 7 at a time. Its like 7k for security and first months rent, I know hes sleeping with a few of them, maybe in exchange for the deposit, old pervert.' As we drove I remembered the mood of my time in Miami, the extreme wealth, the endless party atmosphere. I could almost cut and paste it over Kilo West as he talked. Yeah you could find bales washing up on the shore, I was always worried they would have a tracker, (I had just asked that question as we have almost synced our thoughts) so I left them alone but in theory you could search threw it in a trash bag and take it to a strip club and ask if the girls want to party with you, Gaurenteed they would, atleast one." I would just listen as my relaxed rider kept sharing the colorful life he lived down there. Brief stories about Fantasy Fest, Eden restaurant and the other wild sides of the island. Some almost unbelievable , but believable if you have spent one night out n' about in Miami. As quick as our ride had begun he dissapeared out into the wild public, with a you should visit sometime and just like that he was gone. latter that night I had a ride from a local bar called Jimmy B's. One rider came out and I said, " Is there 2 George's?" and just like that another man came out to hop in with the same name. The first George exclaimed, " How did you kbow that? our driver is Clarvoyant in a happy surprised tone." I replied humbly " Sometimes, Sometimes."

"Hey Baby!"

It was the winter of 2013 In the Salt Lake city area. It was exactly mid December and I was at a mall south of Jordan shopping for potential Christmas presents. There was a very vocal foreign Lady flagging down customers as if she was spear fishing. She was very aggressive. she was slim/slender professionally dressed with beauty being her best sales tactic. She had long black striaght hair. I'd wager her age to be about mid 30's. Her skin was soft,radiant & supple. Her product was a Dead Sea Salt hand cleaning aka face scrub. It worked very well as my demonstrating wash water was black from immaculately clean hands. She had demonstrated her black sales magic flawlessly and her confident hungry eyes smilled in my hypnotic response. The product was very coarse but she could smooth your attention out. Her kiosk was intoxicating with her magic tricks. In her conversing she kept saying "Baby", after everyword it seemed with a thick Israeli accent, where in Isreal? I have no idea. I did ask. I forget exactly where. " Your girlfriend would love this Baby." At the time I was engaged, so I bought one for her and one for my mother who I was visiting for the holidays. It was a 2 for one also buy one of these get this get that kind of deal. Fastforward to 2021 roughly. It was winter, I was doing my rideshare work close to Eastgate on the Eastside of Cinncinatti. It was a cold winter night early December. I accepted a ride request for a pick up at the local mall that is barely alive. Many stores are gone, and it has just enough traffic and sales to keep it alive. The name was a strange one. It seemed foreign. Ive heard/read many names in my life this one was odd. My intuition was guessing Israeli. It seemed feminine in nature. I was genuinley curious to who my passenger was. As I pull up in the darkness to the pick up point no one was there. I get a text message thru the app stating " Hey Baby wait for me" a few more mintues go by. "Hey Baby wait for me, I give you a good tip." after the wait time long expired and I could have canceledthe ride a long dark haired woman with militarly straight hair, silky and thin, comes rushing to the car chain choking on a long thin ciggerette. She is attractive at about mid to late 40s. in age. She has a whole bunch of purchased bags and merchandise barely containable in two hands. She excitedly stated, "Thank you Baby waiting for me!" She said it with a familiarity in her voice I had sworn I knew but had not yet fully recognized. She was still smoking, and I have leather interior so I told her it was not allowed. She became very angry. But she discarded the ciggerette after a long red drag that light up her face well in the cold dark evening as she muttered a few words in her natuve language. She was a well dressed person with a business style pin stripped skirt with a matching vest with a puffy collar accenting a white soft leather coat. She also wore a fedora, black, or A gangster stlye hat that mobsters wore in the 20's I want to be sure im describing the hat right. Ive only seen her wear it and it worked. After asking her if she was Israeli, she asked shocked how I had knew that or quessed that. I said, " An intuitive lucky guess sort of, ive traveled alittle, kinda know people." I said in my usual at times tired sputter of akward translated thoughts. "Lucky guess Baby." At that moment Then like a dormant seed in the back burner of my mind that finally had a voice. I remembered her from Utah 10 years ago almost now. Yes it had to be. So I started to ask her if she ever lived or worked in Utah. She looked very surprised. She was quiet for a second, maybe worried. "Yes, I used to baby." I told her some dates, she denied those years, but one of us was wrong on our time frame given her state of stress I would wager it was her. " I was one of your customers you sold Dead Sea Salt Scrub, what a small world, what are the odds?" Her response was silent for a second as in disbelief or maybe this was a set up ran thru her attractive eyes. "Yes, maybe baby, I want to smoke so badly baby." The conversation was choppy and seemingly too short for the ride. she clearly didn't know the area for the first stop was wrong. She looked it up again then we drove away. We where in Milford now looking for a hair place, as her 2nd attempt was getting close and it was possible of being closed "Hurry Baby." we finally stopped at the right place. A hair place in Walmart? Is that the memory? Is my ram corrupted? It was part of a larger store that is clear. back to the story yet before she opened the door she lit up a ciggerette and then quickly exited with all her bags as if they never existed, she was well rehearsed. We had barely made it just before they closed and was without her most loved thing in life. Israeli nicotine. When she said "Good bye Baby" the smell of her foreign ciggerette lingered in the car. She clearly didn't know the town or area and had entered in the wrong address for her first attempt. As the quiet night went on I was starting to guess she might have a kiosk in the small mall and decided to see if I was right the next week. No. No luck. Unless she changed to selling another product. Later it dawned on me she had mentioned she had been to Kenwood mall on her travels and that would be the better but more expensive option as it has huge traffic and mega volume. As a a rideshare driver that is a very hot spot to work. Going to and from. I never looked and maybe I should look this year? naw.. Ive yet to bump into "hey baby" again. But being how unconventional my luck is and the strange odds of events its almost a normal thing. She was a much more attractive sales person. Her real persona was shallow, addictive, blunt. There was an angry hustle and bustle that was rubber stained in her soul that spoke loudly. The Sea Scub stuff/ Present was appreciated by my mother but basically thrown in the garbage by a rich in lifestlye materialistic to the point of madness Brazillian fiance. I too out of frustration and burned out from trying to make a broken relationship work, threw our relationship in the garbage. Hey Baby was like a window into the past bridging the present state of movement our lives continue on despite our braking resistance. "See you Baby-thanks for the 0$ tip."

Square Peg

Cherly waited patiently as she nervously sipped her Starbucks coffee. She waited for a Brown Volkswagen with her cart full of groceries. As I arrived my first thoughts where standard back burner thoughts. Mother, getting off work, had to shop as I pulled into the Kroger front door area. She waved and singled to me over and over as she first spotted me long after I had visually found her. The app was right this time. Her little blue icon was dead on as I pulled up. I got out of the car, haven just did a 12 mile roller blade my legs had not been sleeping at this point like that tend to do after several hours of driving. I hoped out with out a hitch, my hair wild and shoulder length, my eyes bright and clear, the 7pm was summer over cast. "Another day and Another Dollar" was her first statement. She seemed tired but renewed artificially by caffine. Long brown hair, attractive but deffinetly built like a mother at about 30 years of age I would wager. The groceries and diappers where placed into the trunk, I tried to assist as best as possible having loaded groceries professionally over 2000 times for shopping apps that are delivered to customers. She talked about her twins and her 5 kids briefly. In no time like one quickly imagined day dream, or like a runner about to step onto a treadmill and run a quick 2 miles this time, I was down the road and heading to her destination with out much thought, my mind trained on traffic ques, constantly scanning the road as trained from my CDL-A days, looking way ahead , looking behind, looking to my sides, as I also started to dive into a deep converstaion. Cherly, as we shall call her, used to drive. " No no no, I won't drive anymore, I have a real deep PTSD from long ago. Recently I tried to drive agian thinking I was finally over it. No I wasnt over it" There was something about her that had a Price Hill way of talking but with 0 swearing and anger, it turns out she grew up not far from there as she Continued. "My dadie told ma that every life that gets into ma car, Im responsible for them." "My friends in highschool started to seperate from me as they started with drugs and drinking. But they where my friends. I didnt want to sound sqaure telling them to wear a seat belt so I ignored that. Well, we where T boned later by a Semi Truck. My two friends both died. I survived. I was wearing my seat belt." She recounted with clear eyes as if telling the painful truth that has haunted her ever since, like a new found life disablity you couldn't break but learned to live with it. Like a sports team that you cheer for but will never win with in your life time. She spoke clearly and fast as the ride was only 2 miles in the expanding suburbs but it seemed like 20 minutes as I imagined her horrowing story. "My one friend was nearly decapitated thru the front windshied, my friend in the back broke her neck and was also dead. They had to use the jaws of life to get me out of the car. Was up in a tree. The truck had his brakes fail. Do you know of Guest road? Well (semi) trucks are no longer allowed to drive on that road after that" When I tired to drive recently, I had a man cut me off. The next thing I knew, I was rubbing my face for blood, and smelling burnt rubber, there was a man tapping on my window as I sat in an intersection. (are you alright? Are you OK? ) PTSD, yeah, its real. I don't know how I got into the intersection or how long I had been there but that was it, IM DONE DRIVING!" There was no blood or accident recently but the event of a selfish driver who was hurriying home to watch netflix and expand the belly had no idea the driver who he had just cut off. That event sent her back in time to relive her broken driving dreams. Of not wanting to be a square peg in a round hole of popularity. After that story she double checked her seat belt. "If I hadnt worn that seat belt I had been dead as well." We pulled into a nice medium house, with nice well kept landscape. Two cars. "Dont worry my husband will help" I ignored her and with two loads we had the supplies to her front door. " I prefer to tip in cash" she gave me a nice 5 dollar bill in todays world is a big tip. I thanked her warmly and left to pick of Sholoa. Quickly cataloging the coversation and like a seasoned runner after the short break jumping back onto my treadmill for this time a 6 mile run.