Uber Drivers of LA #1

I make it a habit to always converse with my Uber drivers. It’s my primary form of transportation, and it is actually cheaper than owning a car if you factor in semi-regular use of public transportation. I quickly realized that there isn’t just one type of driver; everyone has a life story. Sometimes they were refugees from war-torn countries, some of which no longer exist. Other times they were young entrepreneurs who gave a sales pitch for their start-ups, some of which sounded much more viable than others. Common discussions are about the ridiculousness of Uber as a company, especially as to driver compensation. However, if you politely pry a bit more, you can have some genuinely interesting conversations you’d never otherwise have the opportunity to.

Off the top of my head, I remember one driver who was a former security guard at the Playboy Mansion and another who did some of the special effects on Titanic. The Titanic dude had pictures to back his story up.

After conversing with all these vastly different people, I realized that most of the time, if you show a little interest, they are happy to share what is going on in their life.

So, I figured now was as good a time to start chronicling my experiences.

My most recent Uber ride was also quite memorable. I’ll refer to the gentlemen as “Woodrow.” The ride started out a bit…