Uber Conversations
I had an early start to the city for a salon visit I knew would leave me returning to the boat in the dark, so I ordered an Uber taxi.
It was my first time using Uber, so I didn't know what to expect. However, when the driver arrived, he confirmed my name and remarked,
"Oh, you are out in the middle of nowhere!"
I chuckled and said, Yes, indeed! Hence the reason I called you.
He pointed to the nearby building and asked if that's where I lived.
I said no, I live on a boat that's moored further along the canal.
The driver asked, A boat?
So you live on a boat in this remote location?
Yes, with my husband, I grinned.
The driver was intrigued, and an endless stream of questions about boat life followed.
He's originally from Somalia, and he asked where I was from...
The driver—but your husband is not a Jamaican too, right?
I laughed and replied, No, he's an American.
Ok, because I know a Jamaican man is not going to live in the wilderness because Jamaicans and Black men love vibes and need to party. Said the driver.
The driver's questions continued as he tried to fit the pieces of the puzzle of living on a boat.
Do you have kids? he asked.
No, I don't, I replied.
He said, "Okay, because you could not have kids and live that lifestyle.
I explained that some parents do and homeschool their kids.
The driver expressed that homeschooling is only good for a year or two because children need to have social integration.
Valid point, I thought.
You've got to stoke the fire to keep it strong!
... The driver was impressed to hear that I've been married for 16 years... something he said is uncommon these days.
We both agreed that there is a high divorce rate here in the UK, despite this statistic indicating that there's a decline.
The driver freely expressed his strong views, with the blame on women.
He said his job as a taxi driver exposes him to the darker side of things, and that I'd be amazed at some of his encounters.
According to the driver, traditionally, women are the backbone of family life and the solid foundation for a nation, with examples of the motherland, mother earth, and mother tongue, which all have significance.
However, he feels that women (of the UK in particular), have lost traditions and values and are now cheap, which results in the younger generation having little value and self-respect.
"Women now live like animals." He remarked.
Look around you, he said.
Men are dressed respectably, and women walk around semi-naked.
"Do you know how many times I have had women ask me or other men in my taxi to come and stay the night with me because my husband is at work?"
The driver felt these are some of the contributing factors to many divorces: that women no longer exercise control, women have the power because a man cannot have sex with a woman without her consent as it would be regarded as r*pe, yet infidelity on a woman is common because they offer themselves freely to men to satisfy their sexual desires without consequences.
I thought that there were some harsh truths to the driver's views, and I could understand his perspective and his mentality as he's from a contrasting culture with strong traditions.
The driver went on to say that he has 4 kids that he sent his 2 younger ones back to Somalia to get a different upbringing—one that has strong values—and that he returns home every few months and still plays an active role in his kids lives. He felt that was the better of two evils, as the laws and the society here in the UK have a stronger influence on kids than the values parents try to instil in homes.
I think strong parenting still has values and can influence children's behaviour.
My return Uber driver was also pleasant and conversational and made me feel comfortable as I entered.
As I started to speak, he said, "Oh, you're Jamaican. Is your husband an American who travels a lot, diving?"
Ah, yes, you must be the lovely driver my husband told me he had recently.
Yes, he was my customer on Friday. What a small world. We spoke about everything, and your husband was familiar with the region I'm from and also Eritrea and Ethiopia.
What a random coincidence.
This driver also spoke about strong family values and said that he gave up his cleaning job of 16 years and has been driving for the last 5 years. This way, he says he can return home for extended periods to be with his mum.
The driver was considerate and told me that he picked up my husband from around the block at the end of the street, but he would take me into the parking lot and as far as his car would take me. I thanked him and smiled as I walked through the bushes with my torch.
I think it pays to be courteous to taxi drivers.
The canals are relatively safe, but I try to avoid walking alone along the towpaths at night, as I feel vulnerable in these situations.
The last time I travelled late at night, I was terrified of walking down a secluded towpath in the dark; The taxi driver from Afghanistan was engaging and I contemplated asking him if he would be kind enough to park and shine his lights until I was out of sight... then I scratched the idea and decided not to ask. As I was about to exit the taxi, the driver offered to do exactly that.
I explained to him that I was going to ask him to, but didn't bother. I tipped him £5, and when I got to the boat, I saw that he was still there, so I flashed my boat light twice to let him know that I was safe. 🙏
Kindness and being courteous doesn't cost a thing, and it pays off:)
What rocks my boat
My blog frequently features my minimalist lifestyle and adventures while living on my narrowboat.”
Irie love,
Milly
What a great life, on a boat. I live in front of the Caribbean Sea in the Gulf of Cariaco and there is not something so impressive, I hope you enjoy it very much.
https://inleo.io/threads/view/omarrojas/re-leothreads-uroscszf?referral=omarrojas
Ah, yeah! The Caribbean is not conducive for this way of living, for varied reasons.
However, life in the tropics is amazing too.
I'm pleased you find this appealing.
Thanks for stopping by:)
This is such an interesting chat! Strong parenting truly makes a difference in today's world, no matter where you are.
Yes, it does.
I think cross-culture parenting has many challenges, but parent's involvement in a child's life is still relevant in any country:)
Yeah, you are very correct. That is why you see great children today, when they have gone through great parenting. It is always hard, but we just have to do it to safe our childrens life.
✅💯
👍👍
I think taxi drivers, and uber now, are very knowledgable because they speak to so many people and probably listen to a lot of radio as well. You're so lucky to come across to nice drivers, particularly the last one, as I do worry about you sometimes living on the boat by yourself when Cam is away
Yeah, that night was a lesson for me. It was in the summertime, and I took a bus at about 10:00 PM. I told the driver that I wasn't so familiar with the route because I live on a boat. When he stopped (at where he said was the closest), it meant that I would have to walk 20 minutes down a dark lonely road past a cemetery with no streetlights, then onto the lonely towpath through the bushes.
The driver said he could leave me at the bus stop and I could call a taxi from there... however, that bus stop was lonely, so we agreed that it was best to go back to the city and get a taxi from there.
I preferred to be safe than sorry.
When I got into the taxi, I mentioned to the taxi driver what had happened earlier, and he agreed that I made the right decision in these times. I think that's why he offered to wait for me to get in safely too.🙏
You keep safe, especially in the dark winter days now.
Thank you 😍
Hello dear friend @millycf1976 good day
What a nice first experience taking an Uber. You certainly had a very interesting conversation with the driver, he touched on some very valuable points.
I admire your way of living, you are a brave and determined person in doing so
I appreciate that you have shared this experience
Have a lovely day
Hello @jlufer
Yes, I told both drivers that my experiences with Uber far exceeded my expectations.
Uber is a win-win for drivers, as both drivers explained that it's an organised union which allows them to work from different areas, and are guaranteed to have customers after every drop-off, unlike regular taxis:)
They also offer great discounts. Ex. my journey last night was £4 +, but that was a discount from the original price of £10 +. It was a long journey through villages and then remote roads (with 0% chances of getting a bus)... and also a fraction of what I would have paid if I took a traditional black cab.
I think Uber is a safer bet for women travelling solo too:)))
For some years now, here in my country, Argentina, we have had the Uber service, and the truth is, as you say, it is more organized, cheaper, safer, and the service is excellent
Here the rates work by time slot, at some times it is about 80% cheaper than a traditional taxi
Yes, my taxi in the morning was over £20, which was for a 40-minute ride to the city. At that time of the morning, I could have had a taxi to take me to the closest train station, but there was not much price difference because of the time of the morning.
However, in the night, I took the train from the city to the closest train station and then ordered an Uber which had a discount going for #### £4+ for the same journey that would have been £20+ in the AM.
Oh good you got some talkative drivers. Really cool how you got same driver as hubby and he put the two of you together quickly. I think one has to have good communication skills to do this line of work. I work for Uber as well but on the food side of things. Even delivering food i have witnessed some bizarre things. I can imagine he is right when he says he has experienced a lot, afterall he is with customers for a short while driving them. I am reluctant to try the ride side of things.
Right now, there is a going lawsuit against Uber for some bad drivers who have been sexually harassing women. Some cases a bit worse than that. On the other side of things, a driver can also be put in hard situation. Picking up drunk people, getting robbed, and dealing with people in bad moods. It's not a job for everyone but im sure the good is better than the bad.
Uber Eats is popular too, but I've never tired it.
The driver told me some crazy things he's witnessed and he's a 'woke' guy.
That's one of the reasons why I was hesitant to use Uber all this time.
There's a common meme with an Uber driver asking a woman,
"Do you have a boyfriend?' where the woman replies, " I 'AM' a man." It's funny, but gender-based crimes are real!
💯 The pendulum swings both ways, and it must be a relief for a driver when he encounters a pleasant passenger.
I think 'good' taxi drivers appreciate and can understand a sober woman's concern about travelling late at nights, and that's one of the reasons why they're sympathetic and kind.
Keep safe while doing your deliveries:)))
this looked like the conversation's highlight for me!
heh. well noted... his encounter and 'interview' with you was a nice exception!
I totally agree theres a lot of harsh truth in what he said. a good man is hard to find nowadays... but same concerns a good woman too! our time have joint out of time.
ps. Milly - I think you awaken goodness in hooman's souls! and this is a wonderful quality.
pps. and here goes a little slice of !PIZZA your way
Hey Qwerrie!
Yeah, the conversation with the driver was food for thought, he was full of wisdom and I could tell that his insights had much merits.
Thank you 😊 I'd like to think so.
Thanks for your lovely message🙏, and the pizza too 😋
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@qwerrie(1/5) tipped @millycf1976
Everyone always assumes homeschoolers have no social integration, as if seeing the country and méeting people from all walks of life is stifling while spending the school year segregated by age in classrooms with a schedule is healthy. We don't have narrow oats in the US, but some families tour national parks and historical sites by motorhome.
🖕This 💯
Children develop different skills that are valuable that prepare them to face real life challenges as adults.
With the right supervision, the Internet is gold!
Education/Schooling/The way of teaching is the one thing that has not evolved. I did poorly in a classroom setting, but I wasn't a dunce. I had more of a social life at home in my community than I did at school, where bullying from peers and teachers were rampant.
I do wonder what boat life feels like. It must be fun though exploring the wilderness and mother nature. But that taxi man though sounds just like me so inquisitive and wanna know everything 😁
It’s really important to have strong families and values in the world. With the woke mind virus and their quasi Marxism trying to destroy every single thing in its wake, we have come far down a really dark path. I hope that we can turn things around because we sorely need it!
It sounds like you had some really good driver experiences lately and that is promising. We get exposed to a lot of crap in our day but it’s interactions like these that are able to bring us back to a sense of normalcy in a way. Some of the things we consider normal aren’t the best but there’s a lot of good to how we’ve done thus far and I’m glad you had these good taxi fellas.