An Open Letter to Uber
We had something Good Once, but now…
I got an Uber to take me to the airport. As it pulled up to my front, I noticed a dent running along the side of the vehicle, as if it had scraped a guardrail.
At first, I hesitated, but I was on a tight schedule, so I hopped in.
“Hey! What happened to your car?” Maybe he was a die-hard driver and just got scraped while coming to retrieve me.
“I don’t know. I don’t get on that side, and I never noticed it,” he replied.
“Well, you know it’s quite damaged?” I persisted, unsure if I was breaking the bad news to him or not.
“Yeah, my son got in the other day and told me,” he responded.
I won’t ask if there is a body in the trunk; he probably wouldn’t know that, either, I decided.
Just get me to the airport safely, I prayed, dropping the inquisition.
My son called me an Uber last weekend while in NYC. We found ourselves on the southernmost tip, and I needed to get to Grand Central.
A car pulled up, we confirmed it was for me, and I hopped in.
The air freshener hit my nostrils like a brick. I asked if he minded if I opened a window. He said he did not speak English.
I opened my window, which helped alleviate the scent that wrapped around my throat like a cat being put into water.
There was a time when I thought Uber was brilliant, practical, and cost-conscious.
I believed in it so much I tried working as a driver.
Those days are gone.
I am finding that more than ever, cars are dirty and damaged, and no amount of air freshener helps. In fact, every car seems immersed in a cloud of toxic inhalants that I find offensive.
I tried contacting Uber to ask for some relief from the chemical toxins they must encourage drivers to use. (I have heard it is excellent for masking vaping, hot boxing, etc., but I wouldn’t know.)
I know it makes me gag.
I arrived at Grand Central, and I got out a few blocks early and walked to clear my lungs.
There was a health advisory that day suggesting you limit outdoor exercise.
It still seemed like a better alternative to sitting in the car with my head hanging out like a dog.
