Being an Uber driver is full of "firsts". There is, of course, your very first ride. Mine was a bit of a disaster and a definite disappointment. A learning experience for sure. I got my notice that I'd finally been approved to drive. My background check that I had to wait on for three weeks was cleared. It had seemed an interminable amount of time to wait after I had met all the other requirements, detailed the car and had it inspected and sent all my documentation into Uber. Finally though, it was time for me to venture out into the world as an Uber driver. That was a Tuesday night that I got the approval to drive notice. Wednesday, the next day, the Uber app wasn't working. It just wouldn't connect. I thought it was me, my phone, my location or something I could control. So I drove around town trying to get it to work to no avail. Then Thursday I talked to a friend whose husband is an Uber driver in our town and she told me that he had been having the same trouble and had packed it in for the night early on. I was quite relieved, to say the least. It was raining that evening though and I really didn't want my first ride to be in the rain so I didn't go out. I know that was pretty cheesy and a lame excuse but I'm a Southern California girl and that's what I was thinking. It is early in our rainy season and there are a lot of freaky people out there that think they can still go a hundred miles per hour on the freeway in the rain. There are many accidents until people get settled down and accept the wetness means to slow down. So there you have it, I still had to go out. Friday came and I when I got off at my regular job it was dry and clear. I cruised into Speedi Wash and got my car all spiffied up on the outside and squirted around a bit of Febreeze into the inside so it'd smell good for people. I went home, had dinner and turned on my Uber driver app to wait for a ride. It came in pretty quick and I felt a rush of excitment. The pick up was close. It was at an Extended Stay hotel near me. I jumped into the car, cruised over and looked for the pickup. I say some people near the front entrance and they flagged me down. I asked if they called for Uber. They said yes and piled in. Now here's the thing, the rider puts their location in when they book the trip but the driver doesn't know what that is until they actually pick up the rider. So three people got into the car and I took off fiddling with the app and it said the destination was for Laguna Beach which is over an hour away. I asked if that was where they wanted to go and they said they just wanted to go across town to a friend's house. They told me where they wanted to go. I knew the location and so I took them there. I just thought the app was messed up. As it turns out though, I had picked up the wrong people! There was actually a guy at the Extended Stay that had ordered an Uber to go to Laguna Beach. My phone started ringing while I was driving but I ignored it not knowing that it was the other fare trying to find out where I was. What a fiasco! It ended up that the people I was driving got a free trip and I didn't get paid for the ride. Lesson learned. Always, always, always confirm the name and destination of the people I pick up and sort out discrepancies before getting started. This can sometimes be confusing because people order Uber rides for others, not just themselves. For instance, last night the name on the Uber driver app for the pick up was a guys' name. When I got to the location a woman jumped in the car and said her boyfriend, who was not there had booked the trip for her. This is a very, very common thing for people to do. Family members or friends will often book a trip for someone else and pay for the ride for that person. Take the lesson I had to learn to heart. Confirm your trip before pulling out and hitting the road or you'll lose time and money driving someone for free. First trip completed. I hadbecome an Uber driver.

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