The Adventures of Uber-Man

Some Inside Baseball

Well . . . I’m off. And already in gripe mode.

One of the more nettlesome situations that drivers face, I learned tonight after joining an Uber message board, is the scourge known as the "unscheduled" stop.

I’m told you can often forecast that it's coming when a rider who projects a guarded demeanor surprises you with unexpected chipperness upon entering the car. Such unexpectedly warm welcomes foretell that before long he or she will be asking, "Would you mind if we made a stop along the way?"

Granting the request guarantees sunk revenue for the driver. We get paid for two things: Distance traveled and time. The former far exceeds the rate for the latter. While at a standstill, there is no compensation for mileage and just 8 cents a minute for leaving the proverbial meter running. That works out to $4.80 per hour.

So tonight I gritted my teeth and bore it. But if you're going to want me to make two stops, you'd first better show me your SAG card.

Otherwise pretty uneventful debut. The GPS gave me fits, but I’ve always been one to rely on maps, so maybe that’s on me. Plus it was a rainy night and was in a neighborhood I’d never traveled to before with vague instructions not to go to the designated pickup spot but some convenience store I had no idea how to find.

One day in the books and already some minor events portending this is not a rote job.