Uberpool Washington's War, Politics and Love

Photo: twitter / Uber @Uber

“Yulenka, here, here,” a thin man with a tight, white-toothed smile looks out of the half-open car window... “Wonderful... the driver is Russian,” he flashes through his thoughts, “again I won’t be able to read New yorker". “Good morning, Alexander,” I answer affably. Go.

I started to use Uber in Washington in 2015, then added Uberpoolwhen the car has to be shared with several passengers who are on the road. During this time, I was able to discuss all the foreign policy challenges to Ukraine, Russian aggression and the economy of the times of war with at least a few hundred drivers and passengers. Do you think I just like to chat? Before the first cup of coffee in the morning and after a tiring day at work, I’m ready to pretend to be a mannequin just to avoid talking to people. But the famous American small talk - this is an elementary rule of politeness for everyone Uberpool, and after the question “where are you from?”, there is no turning back.

War and Peace

Each driver, born in the territory from the American Indianapolis to the Indian Calcutta, has his own position regarding the war in Eastern Ukraine and his own advice on how it should have been prevented. Taxi driver syndrome, you say? Worse is the taxi driver syndrome in politicized Washington, where drivers listen to news radio instead of chanson and carry passengers with badges from Capitol Hill.

Interlocutors are usually divided into those who understand the situation and sympathize, and those who do not understand and make false conclusions. And then the trip to Uberpool turns into a release of “historical truth” performed by me, although, to be honest, I myself had to read some facts from the ancient history of Ukraine in order to sound more solid and convincing. This may be funny, but every time I feel some kind of insurmountable responsibility to ensure that this particular driver from Bangladesh or security guard from the Museum of Cosmonautics understands what is really happening in Ukraine.

Love and other troubles

When Uberpool I just entered the market, I solemnly assured my girlfriends: “Girls, this is better than any dating site.” In 20 minutes, you have the opportunity to meet several potential dates at once - like a blind date, but without expectations. Finally, during the first year of use, I only had to travel once with an attractive guy, and just that morning I looked like a sleepy hamster with disheveled hair. Since then, I forbade myself from calling a car without first looking in the mirror, and I stopped believing in Uber-love.

Photo: twitter / Uber @Uber

Later I discovered a whole layer of passengers and drivers. Uberwhich more politicians like to talk only about love. One evening, returning from the Balkan Happy-Avera, I got into a car, where one passenger was already traveling, a black guy.

- Hello. How are you? - he asked straight away.

- Everything is fine. How are you

- I've been better. What's your name, girl who smells good?

- Julia.

- I am Julius.

- Is it true?

- Yes. When's your birthday?

- 12-th of September.

— I was born on 14!!!!

— OMG.

- To be honest, my heart is broken.

- And I have!

(Hugging).

In 15 minutes, Julius told me the whole story of his tragic love: how his ex’s family opposes their union, and “friends” put a spoke in the wheels.

At parting, I splashed his perfume on his wrist, which Julius liked so much, we were friends on Facebook, hugged again and could not be heard. Only from time to time in social networks I see his dramatic posts about love and photos in close trunks against the background of the sea.

Confessions of travelers

Talking about an unhappy love, a lost job offer, or talking about family problems is common in Uberpool. As if, instead of passengers, priests, psychologists, and lawyers are planted in cars.

Photo: uber.com

One of my drivers, when I was not in the mood, stopped responding to the replicas and went into a monologue about the ingratitude of his daughter.

Throughout this frank monologue, I squeezed out a few sympathetic asses. The driver, taking me home, said gratefully that he hadn’t been driving such a good companion for a long time.

Over the past two years, I had a whole group of people I met in contacts. Uberpool. We exchanged business cards, added each other in social networks, recorded phone numbers. I have never contacted one of them. And over time, realized that from an emotional point of view Uberpool - this is such a modern version of the reserved seat "Ukrzaliznytsia" - in the twilight of which you can tell everything, no one needs the details of your life to the one who is dozing next to you.

The original article is published on the website “Voice of America"And reprinted with permission of the author.

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