Episode 3: Keeping the Customer Happy

Ok so what if this out of order. we all make mistakes. One of the biggest mistakes made in my career outside the typo in this title. This is still my early days of blogging. I love free writing. I know they advise against it, but it’s the best way I can get my thoughts out.

Today my friends, lemme tell you about one of the craziest stories that happened… late night working Lyft.

Florida is wild af. Especially 2021.

I was living a fantasy. But taking wayyy too many risks in reality. And my car wasn’t fast enough, and Covid wasn’t over. And vaccines made people judge people and look at them funny. I developed a habit of work. Over work. Constantly at work. 2X . Day and Night shift. Working two 9 to 5s is insane. Fuck what you heard.

Every, Tuesday through Thursday night, I would roam the streets with my Jeep. Money was still tight; and I had an healthy habit of wanting to hang wit bad bitxhes.

It was glorious.

But fucking expensive.

So I fed my addiction. I roamed the streets of Florida. No, this is not to sound like a lurch. On the contrary. I wanted to get away. Everything wasn’t going my way. I was rebuilding on rebuilding but I guess in hindsight…I was learning how to swim. It hurt. I wanted to keep up with my Colleagues, no fuck that. I wanted to beat them at their own game. In all lanes. But that wasn’t even the mission. I had bills to pay, and an ego that was getting bigger before its time. My Kanye complex was kicking in.

So to the streets I went undercover. I’m from outta town with a hustle to get down. I just wanted to earn tips, cause my ego was shattered in 2020 with the world falling apart. Completely felt like the helplessness feeling that people talk about. Emotional. I never want to repeat: So I went back to the street.

I turned on my meter right after passing Sanford. I still felt the ghost of Treyvon Martin’s haunting the area. That mourning never passed. I passed the exit and enters into the wealthy district north of Orlando. But I experienced the exact opposite.

Picked up a dude from a guest house by some lake area. Near Winter Park, over in that area. Funny enough, I can’t remember the name. Anywhoo. Dude was 6’0 and around 60. But he had a $40 dollar ride that was the biggest score Lyft gave me for the night. It was cool. Nothing major. It was a Thursday and this was all towards spending it on one of my ladies.

Yea I said it. It was wild in Florida.

Anywhoo.

Dude asked me to take him to downtown Orlando. Beyond the stadium.

I said cool.

This ride went from $40 to $140.

Yes.

I got what I came for, plus a few bucks.

But I went through hell to get it.

Homie was cool

But then he got mad annoying

Always wanting to stop.

Every five minutes

He said he was in a hurry

But I felt like I was kinda

parading him around.

I had to let him know;

My time is valuable.

I was firm. Yet kind.

He felt no sense of harm or

aggression in my voice.

His response was understanding.

He opened up.

He spoke on his past. And how he

Lost a lot in his life: family, business, trust.

I did feel

Some sypmathy,

But I couldn’t for long,

Cause the run was so wrong.

I felt like I was in an Atlanta episode

Home took me to the hood where he needed to get right I suppose.

I never asked questions, just observed from the depths of my steering wheel.

Drown myself in the music. I did not want to feel.

At that point in my life I learned how to do everything myself how survive. Had to catch up because I felt so far behind. Their vision of us could never be formulated, so they slowed me down every  time.

After he hopped back in the whip and dapped his homeboy up. We headed back to the lake house with a quickness. He had two ladies from the Tampa area en route and the party was starting about.

Dude invited my to park take with his ladies and newfound party favors. Very tempting, but I turned him down. It was a nice invitation, but David had to focus. It was still early, and there was money around. Wanted to get away anyway. Dude was up to no good and one wasn’t interested in anything but earning enough for groceries, the number one thought getting in the way. Truth be told, I hadn’t conquered my lust. But I was now making enough money to turn whatever fantasy into reality. So I don’t need to take from Dude, he can enjoy that. Believe me, trust.

But I eased my stance to the devil’s dance. Cause I must have listened to his tale one more time, just for happenstance.

Dude was cool. Deep down, he just needed someone to talk to. I mostly listened. Didn’t judge. But didn’t want to make any friends. I got him back home safely and kept jamming thru the night.

Did a few more rides, pulled over in a random empty lot and tuned my Lyft meter off.

Stared at the moon 🌗 with an ocean breeze. Prayed  🙏🏿  then thanked the Lord I survived my first test of willpower in the Jungle that night.

Until next time,

SMEL-U-LATR

🐊 🐍 🦁 🐺 🦍 🌴