Fascinating Things I’ve Learned From Uber Pax

Fascinating Things I’ve Learned From Uber Pax

“You will learn some fascinating things driving for Uber.  Riders will share with you their fears, dreams, life hacks, etc.”

-Peerless Money Mentor

 

7 Months of Ubering

I have been driving for Uber since August of last year and it has been a fun ride!  While driving for Uber, I have met a lot of interesting people.  Drunk people have screamed Oops I Did It Again by Britney Spears out my window.  Upcoming and established  artist have shared their work with me.  A number of folks have shared their struggles with student loans.  Suffice it to say, I have learned a lot of fascinating things!  I will share three stories with you but let me first  share with you what I wrote after my first pickup.

See Related Post: How Fear of Public Speaking Limits My Earning Potential

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My First Pickup

Last night was my first time driving for Uber and it was definitely an exciting experience.  My first Uber rider canceled on me but I got paid a cancellation fee.  After circling around downtown BR a few times after that, a pickup opportunity presented itself within the Uber app and I promptly accepted.  When I saw North 13th street as the pickup destination, I was a little hesitant. Honestly, I wanted to cancel the pickup and go home but I called the rider instead to get his exact location.  He let me know that he was at the greyhound bus station so I continued my trip.  During our ride across the river, we had a great conversation about investment opportunities, Hurricane Harvey, careers, Airbnb, etc.

462 Trips Later

After one exciting night, I continued driving for Uber.  So far I have picked up 462 people.  Starting out I had no plan but now I mostly do Baton Rouge airport pickups.  I feel like those are the safest runs since people have to go through security.  Plus, riders are more likely to tip; the majority of people who fly into Baton Rouge are business travelers.  I pick up a lot of IT consultants, small business owners, and managers.  It is awesome being able to pick their brains!  Let me share with you a few of the things I have learned from some of them.

The Pilot

A few months ago I picked up a pilot from the Baton Rouge airport.  Through conversation I learned that he piloted sports teams in Miami.  Being a big basketball fan, I asked if he had ever met LeBron James.  He replied, “While I haven’t spoken to him directly, I have flown the Miami Heat around while he was playing for them.” Then he began to tell me what he witnessed one day.

via GIPHY“One day I saw LeBron James and Dwayne Wade playing card with like $30,000 on the table.”  the pilot informed me.  I responded by telling him that’s crazy and some people did not make $30,000 in one year. “When you make tens of millions of dollars, $30,000 is just a penny to you.” he replied back.   The pilot had a valid point.  When I thought he was finish telling his story, he started telling me something else I did not know!

“I also transport prisoners who are serving life long sentences.”  the pilot informed me.  Say what, I thought to myself.  I thought prisoners stayed put forever.  He went on to explain the logic behind this.  “Prisoners are sometimes moved around to help prevent large prison gangs from forming.” he explained.  His explanation seemed to make sense to me.  Does it make sense to you?

A Jason Aldean Band Member

At the end of last year, I had the pleasure of riding with a guitar player for Jason Aldean’s band.  One of my go to questions when I pick up riders is, “What do you do?”  The band member informed me that he was a part of Jason’s Aldean’s traveling band.  “Have you ever heard of Jason Aldean? he asked me.  I honestly had no clue who Jason Aldean was but he seems to be very popular.  My next question was how he got his start.  He shared with me his story!

After high school, he and his friends created a band of their own.  They would play in restaurants here in Baton Rouge, La and surrounding areas.  “One day Jason Aldean walked into a restaurant where I was playing and loved my music.” he said.  “After the show, Jason Aldean walks up to me and asked me to join his band!”  I asked him if he hesitated to respond.  “No!  This is what I had always dreamed of. When an opportunity like that presents itself, you accept it immediately.”  After I dropped him off, I immediately searched for Jason Aldean on Spotify. I now know who he is!

The Financial Planner

Two months ago, I picked up a financial planner.  Given the fact that I am a personal finance addict, I always get excited when picking up financial planners.  When I found out he was a planner, I immediately started asking him questions.  The first question I asked was, “What is your investment minimum?”  He surprisingly responded that his firm did not have a minimum and focused more on the planning side.

He would go onto tell me that the financial planning industry was changing.  “In the past, you had to have a certain amount of capital to get started investing.  Now the barrier to interest is lower and more people have access to the investment game.” the planner informed me.  I told him about this blog and asked him some resources I could use to learn more.  We exchanged numbers and he text me a couple of resources to check out.

A day later I received a text telling me to check out the White Coat Investor. Kitces.com and some other resource I cannot recall.  I had heard of the White Coat Investor but not Kitces.  Two weeks later, I would see an articled titled Why Two Incomes Aren’t Always Better Than One featured on Rockstar Finance.

I would go on to cite that article in my own blog post The Dark Side of Greatness that was also featured on Rockstar Finance!  It’s crazy how the universe works sometimes 🙂

Community Feedback

Would you play a card game worth $30,000 if you were a multi-millionaire?

Would you be interested in reading more stories my Uber pax have shared with me? My most recent story involves a $64 tip!

Did you know who Jason Aldean was prior to reading this article?

What fascinating story has someone shared with you lately?  Please share the story with me in the comments section!

 

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