Hailey and I were leaving dinner, still catching up in the back of our Uber about boys and school and the like. We zoned our driver out for about ten minutes as we vented about the troubles of being a 21st century college student, and for the remaining five minutes of the ride, I completely regretted it.
When the conversation died down, I turned to our driver and asked, "How do you like driving for Uber?" He stopped at a red light, grabbed both sides of his head, seemingly ready to pull his hair out and scream, and said, "To tell you the truth, I'm only doing this to get over a girl."
Hailey and I were left speechless for a moment. There isn't much to say to that, but I ended up turning to him and saying, "Well at least you're banking on your breakup! Way more than most people ever do!"
We arrived at our campus destination and thanked our driver, and told him he deserves a great girl in his life who will find him one day. He nodded and drove on.
I take Uber at least ten times a month in New Orleans, which is a lot. I have yet to have the same driver twice, and I love that I get to meet so many new people in the back of a car. But that ride with Hailey made me realize how important it is to recognize everybody's presence, especially because everybody's going through something and there is never a reason to be so rude as to write them off.
No matter if it's someone in line, a waiter, a classmate sitting next to you, or an Uber driver, it's important to remember we all have the same worth. Whether you are paying them to provide a service for you, you are providing a service for them, or there is no exchange is irrelevant–everyone's presence matters and each individual must be treated with respect.
I am not saying it is necessary to go out of your way for people, but there is never a need to completely ignore them. Ever. You never know what somebody is going through and you just might be the person to ruin their day, week, month, etc. without knowing it, just from one rude interaction.
Since that ride with Hailey, I've encountered Uber drivers I can't wait to encounter again. There was Robyn who told me about New Orleans in 1975 and Ritchie who is starting his own food truck. People are fascinating, empowering and worth your time.
Next time you get in the back of an Uber, I am not encouraging you to be a therapist. But a nice "How's your day going?" would certainly be appreciated.
