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To Drive, Or Not To Drive, That Is The Question

I’ve been thinking a bit today about self driving cars. My hesitation towards them is not so much from a technological perspective, but from a moral one. Take the following hypothetical scenario.: I’m driving my car down the road at a fast clip on a 2 lane. Traffic is heavy in the other direction, and there’s a row of trees to my right at the curb.  Suddenly a pedestrian appears in the road. Clearly, even slamming the brakes, It’s too late to stop. A high speed impact will occur, which is almost certain to result in someone’s death. Here in my view, are my 3 best choices: 1) Save myself, slam the brakes (too late, remember) and run the pedestrian down. After all, it's their fault in the first place, jumping out on a busy street without looking, right? Pretty good result for me, except for the lifelong self guilt. Not at all good for the dead Pedestrian.  2) Swerve left, side swiping cars going in the other direction. High chance of head on collision or ricochet into p...
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"Hypothetically Speaking"

So, there's a conundrum that I've been wondering about, and I wanted to get some feedback. Basic Uber/Lyft Rules state that the maximum number of passengers can't exceed the number of available seat belts. So, for my Prius, that's a maximum of 4 passengers, plus me the driver. As you can imagine, even 5 people in my Prius is a squeeze, so my conundrum is thus..... Hypothetically speaking, of course..... * Suppose it was a very dead day, and revenue for the last couple of hours is off more than 20%. It's been dead overall, so they would probably be accepting every ride. *Suppose they were driving around the dreaded Old Town Scottsdale (Short Rides), and they got a ping, but when they arrived, there are 6 people. Would you take them? *********************** * Suppose they weren't going very far, and did I mention that the day was dead, and the Uber Driver could really use the revenue? How about now? * Suppose they were all slightly inebriated...
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Sometimes Karma's A Bitch Sometimes She's Not

You know how sometimes, Karma is a bitch? Well, apparently, occasionally..... sometimes she's not.  A week or so ago, I was bitching about my bad Uber Driving Day on Monday, and how my earnings were 30% down from normal. Well, I guess Karma felt sorry for me, because I went out driving yesterday (Saturday), and I got my first ping 10 seconds after filling the tank at the gas station at 1pm, and Uber didn't stop constantly pinging, until I quit at 6pm. The  driver app was lit up surging all over the Valley, all day. I had 3 trips that lasted > 30 minutes each (One 45 min), I went twice to the Cubs Spring training facility for post game rides, and my revenue for the day set a new personal record..... +80%! Right, I averaged almost DOUBLE my avg hourly rate. Those that I've mentioned it to, know I usually average $15-18/hr. Yesterday's take..... $33.33/hr!  Yeah, that Karma..... Sometimes, she's NOT a bitch.
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Things I've Learned In 2 Years Rideshare Driving

1. There are 2 things that you never talk about with the PAX. Religion, and Politics. The reason is, that everyone has very strong opinions on those 2 topics, and if their opinions agree with mine, then fine, but if not, it makes for an uncomfortable ride, and low ratings. Nobody wants that. Otherwise, I can talk your ear off. Or not. 2. Driving Rideshare isn't like regular driving. You make dozens and dozens of U-Turns, Right Turns, Left Turns, Lane Change, Pulling Over, Pulling Out, Ramp Entrances, and Exits, etc etc etc. The point is, I'm working the wheel constantly. After 6-8 Hours, for 3 days in a row, my arms were actually tired, and my hands hurt. I could probably use some driving gloves, or a steering wheel wrap. 3. Driving on a rainy day is profitable, but it makes your seats really dirty. Especially if they're light grey, like my Prius's are. I might have to invest in some after market seat covers. 4. What to do between rides? There are 2 schools of t...
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A Gorgeous Gal, And Her Owner Too

As you may, or may not know, both Uber and Lyft make allowances for "Service Animals", in accordance with Federal and State Law. However, according to the law, the animal must have identifying labeling (vest, collar etc) or the owner needs to carry paperwork.  Honestly, I'm not going to ask for proof, and if that means some PAX gets to sneak their beloved pet to get them somewhere, well, that's ok with me, as long as the pet doesn't do, or leave me any "surprises". So I get a Lyft ping in Scottsdale, and my phone rings. It's the PAX, and she tells me that she has a "service animal', and is that OK. Now, by law, I'm not allowed to refuse a ride with a service animal, but it's very sweet that she calls. I tell her it's ok, and by the way, what kind of animal? "SHE's a dog". Great. So, I pull up, the back passenger door opens, and in jumps a young..... Pit Bull. So, if you know me, you already know the past sto...
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