Take David. He's a local doc who sometimes shares a ride home with a coworker then is faced with getting across town to his office the next day sans vehicle. Generally David rides in back and most of the time he's got work with him or he's answering emails while I drive. He said he likes to get work done before he gets to work because he can start the day with all the urgent matters taken care of before he hits the office door allowing him to focus on patients.
Although the last time I took him to work was during a horrific downpour that flooded the streets. He sat in back and did a bit of work but also took the time to chat. And when I dropped him at the door he made it a point to say "I appreciate you" and gave me a tip. That little encouragement goes a long way when you are your own boss.
And today I picked up a couple at the airport who had just returned from a mini vacation. They had been up since 4am to catch their first flight from San Antonio arriving home twelve hours later. Their silence was due to the sheer exhaustion of being up early and dealing with air travel and tight connections. It was so quiet I checked the back seat to see if they were still awake.
Then there are people who want to sit up front but spend the entire trip texting on their cell phones. That's another clue that they just aren't into talking. Like the passenger from Brazil today. More concerned with his phone than where we were going. And that's okay too although I would have loved to learn more about his Brazilian home.
Sometimes it's me. Some days I really wish the passenger would just shut up and let me drive!
Like the passenger who feels the need to give me turn by turn directions despite the fact that I am well versed at reading the map and I've lived here since high school. I won't say how long ago that was.
Or the occasional drunk person who spills their life history in a long stream of multi syllabic slurs. I just nod and say, "uh huh" through the trip. Sometimes I get lucky and there will be a song come on the Sirius that they love, so I can turn that up. Unfortunately that often works in reverse however. My favorite tune will come on the radio and I can't hear it through the chatter. It's like hitting the critical plot twist in a movie only to have your otherwise reticent teenager walk in and pick that precise moment to talk.
Things can also go overboard the opposite direction and you get the passenger who really loves what's on the radio and plunges into a full blast session of car karaoke. It's contagious and you can't help but join in. Suddenly you find yourself belting out Billy Joel's Piano Man while sailing down US 54 counting the minutes to your destination. Yes this too has happened.
Every passenger is different, every day is different. It pays to be in tune with what your passenger prefers, talk or no talk, because that will ultimately affect your ratings. Just bear in mind that, no matter what the passenger does, the trip will end soon. And sometimes that can't happen soon enough!
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