The Nicer Passengers - My life as an Uber driver #3

It was a Saturday morning a couple of weeks back, and I noticed there was a “surge” underway where the demand for rides was greater than the number of drivers.  Driving during surge periods is really the only way you can make much money, since driving during regular times pays very little. However, I don’t drive much during surge hours, mostly because normally surge hours tend to come late at night, and I have no desire to service the bar crowd.

This Saturday morning there was a lot going on in town, including the Indian Wells Tennis tournament, so when I turned on the Uber driver app, I saw the entire region was in red.  I told Kurt I was leaving early “to make us some big bucks.” And by the time I got to the car, the first “ding” came through.  A pick-up at the Ritz-Carlton.  The Ritz-Carlton is a cool place.  Like other higher end hotels in town, the clientele tends to be more friendly, and the concierges outside treat me well.  The Parker, the Riviera, and The Arrive are also favorites in Palm Springs because of their ease to work with.

This Saturday morning, I was summoned by a traveling salesman who needed a ride to the airport to head back to Chicago.  Nice guy.  I’m not sure, but I think his name was Del and he was selling shower curtain rings or something like that (on second thought if it was Del from Chicago selling shower curtain rings, he would have been at the Braidwood Inn, not the Ritz-Carlton).  No tip, but he gave me five stars, and as soon as I cleared the airport, I got my next “ding.”  This time at the JW Marriott Resort in Rancho Mirage.

The JW Marriott is also a great hotel for an Uber driver.  It is a very impressive resort, and the guests there tend to be higher class. There is a grand entrance with easy access and the guests are usually waiting out in front. As I pull up to the front of the complex, I see a group of four very stylish young people, two men, two women.  One of the women looks up from her phone where she has been tracking my progress, sees that I have arrived, grabs her pals and comes to the car as the concierge opens the door for them. 

This good looking blond sits in the passenger seat, while the equally attractive brunette and two very handsome guys get in the back.  They are friendly and chatty and on their way to the tennis tournament.  As I pull out of the resort, I ask where they are from.  All are from L.A. and in town just for the tennis tournament.  Now, I’ve learned that when there are three or more passengers, they tend to want to talk amongst themselves.  So I keep my mouth shut … and in this case, I get ready to be entertained for the 20 minute ride to the tennis gardens.

It soon becomes apparent that they are Hollywood types. The guy sitting behind me (who I can’t see) had just been on the Ellen show and had signed a new deal for a Fox show.  One of the other passengers talked about that show called New Girl (I had never heard of it, but again, I kept my mouth shut).  I figured I had celebs in the car, but no idea who they were.  They talked about different people in Hollywood (by first name only) and amused themselves (and me) by telling hilarious stories involving misadventures while going around LA … restaurants, shopping, in the studio (who’s boinking who, who did what to who, and who embarrassed themselves while out in public) … funny stuff, especially the way they were so engaged in reliving the stories.

What surprised me was how open they were, and at the same time, how disconnected they seemed from the functioning of TV and Hollywood, even though they knew a lot about the players.  At one point, the guy behind said he didn’t know what time his show would air on Fox.  He wondered if it would be at 10:00PM.  One of the others said they didn’t think so, because Fox stations might do news at 10:00.  One of the others asked, “Well when is their scripted programming then, 7:00 to 10:00?”  When no one knew, I told them Fox network programs only 8:00 to 10:00 PM, and goes local at 10:00.  Not really insider stuff, but certainly something you’d think they would know being in the biz.  Their response when I told them, “Oh cool, that makes sense then.  Thanks.”

As we approached the tennis gardens, I told them that I had to drop them off at the Uber spot, not right in front of the main gate.  They all said no problem.  The girl sitting next to me said, “You’re a fun Uber driver.”  They made me happy.

As I pulled over, and they started getting out of the car, I thanked them and said, “You guys are the most entertaining people I’ve ever given a ride to.  It’s like I had a Seinfeld episode unfold in my car during the last twenty minutes.”  They all laughed, said thanks again, and were on their way.  A few moments later, my Uber rating increased again to 4.85 as they gave me the full five stars (it had gone down significantly after Princess Taye).

After I got home that night, I started chatting with a Hollywood friend of mine, and told him what had happened.  He did some research and putting together the pieces of the puzzle, determined that it was likely Max Greenfield who I gave a ride to.  When I looked at his photo online, I determined that yeah, it probably was him, though he was wearing a cap and sunglasses. And when I saw the photos of his wife, Tess Sanchez, she sure looked like the one in the back seat with him.  If it was Max Greenfield, and if by chance he ever reads my blog (yeah right), just know that you guys were some of the nicest passengers I’ve ever had in my car while

Ubering. You made my day (without even knowing who you were at the time). People like you make me want to continue to drive (because God knows, it is not for the money).

This is the ANA Golf Tournament weekend here in the desert.  It's the old Dinah Shore/Nabisco classic.  Uber has already informed us drivers that we'll need to be out on the road early and late in the day to service the tournament.  Who knows what celebs might show up this time.  I can only hope it is Max Greenfield and his pals again, because those types of rides don't come along often enough.