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haikyuufanficwriting · 5 months

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Chapter 3: Daichi

Prompt: (Character) is a Lyft/Uber/Taxi driver and meets Reader Character: Daichi _________

It was rainy day. With a grey sky, and soft raining pattering the streets outside your small apartment in Tokyo, Japan. A perfect day to visit the Japanese Gardens, in your opinion.

You’d always loved rainy days, for no particular reason. It brought a calm that no other day could. Maybe it was the sound of the rain, maybe it was the different coloured umbrellas that covered the streetwalkers, maybe it was just how vibrant the green of the plants were when the sky was a gloomy contrast.

Either way, you had planned for this weather exactly when you had bought your ticket to go. With your umbrella packed, rain jacket on, all you had to do was wait for your driver to come and pick you up. Which by the tracker on your phone, was coming in five minutes.

You had considered using the train, but since you’re so new to the area, you were afraid that you would you miss your stop or get off on the wrong one. So, until you were more familiar with the maps, you were happy with ordering rides.

Your thoughts are cut off by the ringing of your phone. It was your driver. They must be downstairs. You put your phone to your ear to answer. “Hello?”

“Hi, this is Daichi, your driver. I’m outside.” You were a little taken aback when you heard his voice. It was so deep. Like the kind that hit your soul, kind of deep. Not to mention totally soothing. You could fall asleep just by listening to his voice.

You brush the thoughts aside, “I’ll be right down.” And with that, you end the call. You grab your bag, and your umbrella as you head out of your apartment. You put the hood of your jacket over your head, as you leave the shelters of your building, rushing slightly to the car parked on the curb that matched the description of your driver’s car. You opened the door of the car.

“Hi, (Last Name)-san?” Your driver, Daichi, asks. You smile and nod, getting into the passenger seat beside him. Only when you’re completely settled into the car do you get a good look at the man next to you.

Wow, he is handsome. Was the first thought that popped into your head. He looked to be around your age, with slightly tanned skin, which his dark brown hair suited perfectly, a sculpted face with round chocolate brown eyes. His body wasn’t too bad either from what you could see; with broad shoulders that connected to strong arms that gripped the wheel.

And while you couldn’t look for too long, his thighs were things that Greek Gods would be jealous of.

“Ready to go?” Daichi asks, clearly oblivious to your staring. Lord, the phone didn’t do any justice to this man’s voice in real life. You actually had to fight back a shiver. You flush, embarrassed and ashamed at yourself for checking him out. “Y-yeah.” You turn away from him, grabbing your seatbelt and locking it in. In that process also trying to keep your hormones in check.

The ride started silent, which you were okay with. You were never one of those people who couldn’t stand silence, in fact you quite enjoyed it. You were more than happy to sit there quietly and watch the streets through the water-stained window of Daichi’s car.

Which is why you didn’t expect his sudden question.

“New around here?” You turn your head to him, but he isn’t facing you. His eyes are glued to the road, but there is a soft smile playing on his lips. You can’t help but give a chuckle. “Is it that obvious?”

“Well, the touristy place helped. I’m surprised you’re still going considering it’s raining pretty hard today.” You feel the smile on your face grow.

“All the more reason to go, in my opinion.” You reach a red light, and Daichi turns his head to face you. If you thought his side profile was stunning, you really don’t know how to describe the full-face view.

“I take it you like rain then?” He asks you, gaze turning amused when you sigh in bliss.

“Don’t you think everything is so much prettier in the rain?” Daichi doesn’t respond at first, but just looks at you. You two hold each other’s eye for a couple seconds above normalcy, before he notices the light turning green and keep his eyes on the road once more.

“I haven’t thought of it that way. I’ve always thought rain to be depressing.”

“Maybe it’s because that’s how you’ve been taught to view it.” He’s quiet for a couple seconds.

“I’m not sure I follow.” You hum, thoughtful.

“Everyone prefers when the sky is bright and blue. Not a cloud in sight. But I think the sky takes all the focus from things down here.” You turn to the window again, watching as you pass the streets outside. “But when the sky is gloomy and dark, you can see how beautiful things are without the help of the sun or the sky. It’s a more quiet and delicate kind of beautiful. The kind where you have to want to see it.” You gushed quietly, turning to the front again.

“I guess I never thought of it that way.” Daichi mumbles, focusing on a turn. The conversation stills after that. But it didn’t feel awkward like it usually does, it just simply felt as if the conversation ended. Both left to your own thoughts. You’re ashamed that most of your thoughts were about the man driving.

It’s quiet for the rest of the ride, only hearing the light music play from the radio. Neither of you felt it was necessary to restart conversation. After about half an hour, you had reached your destination. Daichi pulls into a random spot and parks the car. The atmosphere is weird between you too. Even though you barely had a conversation, you almost don’t want to leave. You’d never get to see this beautiful stranger again. That thought made your heart heavy.

“Well, thank you for the ride.” You say, fumbling with the seat belt, before taking out your umbrella. you go to pull on the car door to open it.

“W-wait!” You turn back in clear surprise and confusion. The once calm looking man was now blushing heavily, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully, he even looked surprised at himself.

“Do y-you think I could, um, join you?” You feel taken aback at his question. Was this really happening? Are you sure you aren’t in a romantic comedy right now?

After not replying, Daichi felt the sudden need to explain himself. “It’s just all the talk about how things are prettier in the rain made me curious. I-I’m sorry I should have never-”

“Do you have an umbrella?” Daichi clearly wasn’t expecting the question. “Excuse me?”

“Do you have an umbrella, or are we going to have to share one?” His eyes widen in realization, and you see his whole body relax. “I have one in my trunk.” You give him a big smile.

“Well, come on then Daichi-san. I’ll show you what rainy days are all about.” His chest rumbles in a quiet laugh. The sound is music to your ears.

“Please, call me Daichi.”

#writing #fanfic #haikyuu #daichi x reader #sawamura daichi #writing prompt #writer stuff

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ubeerosophy · 5 months

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Any Other Way

Over the years I’ve done a few Uber/Lyft drives that perplexed me. That is to say, I wasn’t entirely sure what had just happened.

Perhaps the most head scratching instance of this was a few years ago during the wee hours of the morning. It was December and I was heading back from dropping a university student off at Chicago O’Hare Airport, presumably to fly home for Christmas break. After I’d gotten far enough away from the Northwest corner of Indiana, or what they call “The Region,” I turned my Uber and Lyft apps back on to accept ride requests. I didn’t really feel like dealing with Chicago ahead of the morning rush hour, and there’s always a decent chance that any pick up you do within an hour of Chicagoland will take you back to the city.

The drive to O’Hare from the university takes about 2 and a half hours one way. I was about an hour back down South when my app alerted me that there was a ride request. I would have to turn around and go back roughly 15 minutes in the other direction, but I was going to make $30, so it was worth it. I accepted the ride and began looking for the next spot to turn around. After a minute or two, a phone call came through the app. Drivers and passengers can call or message each other this way to ask for or provide necessary details, as well as for any other number of reasons.

I answered, and the man on the other end of the phone met me with a request. He wanted to know if I would just follow him. He said no questions asked and he would give me $100 when we got where we were going. $100 top of what I was already going to make. The request wasn’t computing, and I wasn’t sure I grasped what he was asking. It didn’t make sense to me that someone would call an Uber or Lyft and then not get in my car. Worried that I wasn’t processing it properly, I sought clarification by asking, “So you aren’t going to get in my car at all?” At this point he became a little agitated and restated all of it in a very stern voice. He repeated that he just wanted me to follow him and that he would give me an extra $100, no questions asked. I said okay and we hung up.

In the ten minutes or so that it took me to get to him, I didn’t think much about what the reason behind his request might be. Instead, I tried to decide if I was doing anything wrong or breaking any rules by doing a drive without anyone getting in my car. Eventually I reasoned that it was the person calling the Uber or Lyft’s prerogative, and that what they were paying me for was to drive a specific route. I wasn’t transporting anything illegal or going anywhere illegal, so I couldn’t convince myself that I was doing anything wrong.

As I got within a mile or two of the exit, the man called again and asked if I was there yet. I informed him I was getting close, and he told me that when I got off the ramp there would be a hotel and to wait for him near the front of it. He said once I arrived, he would come around from the back side of the building and I could follow him out. Perhaps it was the surreal nature of the moment or the time of day and year, but when I pulled up to the hotel it felt dark and vacant. To be honest, I can’t even remember if there were other cars in the parking lot. After a few moments, he appeared, and I began following him back up the highway as he instructed. We drove for roughly ten miles or so before he pulled off onto an exit. We drove several more miles through a rural area until we ended up on the edge of a small town. He then pulled into a driveway, walked down to my car and with a warm thank you handed me a one-hundred-dollar bill. I left and that was the end of it.

As I resumed my journey home, I started considering what had just happened. Before you continue reading, I invite you to try and formulate your own opinion. I say that because I would like to hear what other people think without being influenced by my own thoughts on the matter.

Done? Okay. Don’t forget to let me know what you think after you finish reading this.

My initial thought was that he wanted his wife or girlfriend to think he was somewhere other than he was. For instance, let’s say he was from out of town or had moved away, and the house I followed him to was an old friend or family member. Perhaps he was staying at the hotel, but said he was going to visit them at the house I followed him to. Maybe he said he was going to take an Uber or Lyft because they’d be drinking, and he didn’t want to be driving back to the hotel. By having me follow him, he’d have a digital paper trail that he took an Uber to his friend or family member’s house, but unbeknownst to whoever, his vehicle was with him. This way he could really go see or do whoever or whatever he wanted without it seeming like a possibility.

One of the first people I relayed that story to offered me a much simpler and more likely possibility. The man had been drinking or was in possession of something illegal and wanted a buffer from the police. I was that buffer. By putting me behind him, he was making it less likely that he would get noticed or pulled over. That makes way more sense to me than what I had concocted. (Hey. I said in a previous blog that brain is unnecessarily busy.) Whatever the man’s reasoning, it was worth over $130 dollars to him for a very short drive.

I’ve done a few rides where after the fact it felt like I was involved in something sketchy. Never anything to where it was so obvious that I felt even close to being compelled to notify anyone, but just enough that something wasn’t adding up. I’ll revisit these stories on occasion and look forward to hearing your thoughts on them.

The UBeerOsopher

And now…a haiku:

without the unknown

we risk the unlucky fate

of knowing it all

“First impressions are always unreliable.” ~ Franz Kafka

#craziest uber #craziest lyft #philosophy #chicago #o'hare #uber #lyft #psychology #christmas #beer #haiku #taxi #franz kafka

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rtnashville · 3 months

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Whiskey Wandering: The Essential Guide to Distillery Tours Transportation in Nashville

Introduction

Nashville, Tennessee, isn't just about its vibrant music scene; it's also a hub for whiskey aficionados, boasting a plethora of distilleries offering immersive tours and tastings. However, navigating transportation for these distillery tours can be daunting. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the various Distillery Tours Transportations in Nashville, providing invaluable tips and insights to ensure a smooth and memorable whiskey wandering experience.

Exploring Nashville's Distilleries

Nashville's distilleries offer a diverse range of experiences, from historic landmarks to modern craft distilleries. Each distillery has its own unique story to tell and flavors to savor, making it an exciting destination for whiskey enthusiasts and curious travelers alike.

Transportation Options

When planning a distillery tour in Nashville, choosing the right transportation option is key to maximizing enjoyment and convenience.

Chartered Tours: Chartered tours are an excellent option for those looking for a hassle-free experience. These tours typically include transportation to multiple distilleries, guided tours, and tastings. By joining a chartered tour, participants can sit back, relax, and enjoy the whiskey without worrying about driving or logistics.

Rideshare Services: Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft are convenient options for those who prefer flexibility in their itinerary. Simply request a ride through the app and travel to distilleries at your own pace. However, it's essential to plan ahead and ensure availability, especially during peak hours or busy weekends.

Public Transportation: While public transportation options in Nashville may be limited, some distilleries are accessible by bus or commuter rail. Researching routes and schedules can help travelers reach their desired destinations efficiently and affordably, albeit with slightly less flexibility compared to other transportation options.

Designated Driver: If self-driving to distilleries, it's crucial to designate a sober driver to ensure the safety of all passengers. Alternatively, consider hiring a professional driver or joining a tour where transportation is provided.

Tips for Distillery Tours Transportation

Research and Plan Ahead: Research the distilleries you'd like to visit and plan your itinerary accordingly. Take note of tour times, reservation requirements, and transportation options to ensure a smooth and seamless experience.

Stay Hydrated and Pace Yourself: Whiskey tastings can be intoxicating, so remember to stay hydrated and pace yourself throughout the day. Sipping water between tastings can help cleanse the palate and prevent dehydration.

Respect Distillery Rules and Guidelines: Each distillery may have its own set of rules and guidelines for visitors. Be sure to adhere to these regulations, including age restrictions, dress codes, and photography policies, to ensure a respectful and enjoyable experience for everyone.

Embrace the Experience: Distillery tours offer a unique opportunity to learn about the whiskey-making process, from grain to glass. Take advantage of guided tours, ask questions, and immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and aromas of the distillery.

Conclusion

Embarking on a whiskey wandering adventure in Nashville promises an unforgettable experience filled with history, culture, and, of course, exceptional whiskey. By choosing the right transportation option, planning ahead, and embracing the experience, travelers can savor the flavors of Nashville's distilleries responsibly while creating lasting memories. Whether you opt for a chartered tour, rideshare service, public transportation, or self-driving, exploring Nashville's distilleries is sure to be a highlight of your visit to Music City. So, raise a glass and toast to the spirit of whiskey wandering in Nashville—a journey filled with discovery, camaraderie, and the love of fine spirits.

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blalocklott92 · 4 months

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The Most Effective 10 Taxis In Dallas, Tx Final Up To Date January 2024

How much do they price and the way do they compare? Enter your designated route into the RideGuru Calculator to search out out. I am the owner of a company that provides consolation passenger transportation services and I would like to publish the name of my firm on this web page. Post a message in Ask a Ride Guru, and see what the consultants say. Or browse the forum to learn the latest rideshare business chatter. The frequency of textual content messages varies. This is a good place to be taught all the basics of ridesharing. When you give Lyft present playing cards to your family and friends, it’s just like the world is their current. It all requires accessible, reliable transportation. That’s why we’re working to offer affordable, reliable rides to everyone who wants them. No matter their income, zip or postal code. We’ll all the time deal with you with respect and look out for your safety. We do that by sustaining excessive standards, which start before your very first ride. Our skilled drivers and chauffeurs will take you safely to your vacation spot. Our main cause is that for our taxi service so much in style in Sri Lanka our costs are lower than other taxi companies in Sri Lanka. Now you possibly can travel safely with Colombo taxi in Sri Lanka with the lowest price. Do you've questions about rideshares, ridehails, and/or taxis? A taxi service is a reliable approach to get where you have to go, whether or not it’s to the airport before a flight or back house after an evening out. They vary from large, well-known corporations to small local fleets, and may also present limousine service or other luxurious rides. Keep these listings of taxi services handy, so you can contact one whenever you need it. ContactOur taxi service is doubtless certainly one of the oldest Sri Lankan taxi services. Choose https://g.co/kgs/qVT7Dhj when you need to journey as quickly as attainable. “This time we booked on-line as we were told this was a better method. By clicking "Get the app", you comply with Lyft's Terms of Service and acknowledge you have learn our Privacy Policy.

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You can also lease a car for your self and not using a driver. Most of the time foreigners who come from overseas get a automobile from us. With our lease a car service you will get automobiles, vans and three wheels for hire. We constructed our services along with your safety in thoughts. Easily share route info with associates or family. Or Walton station taxis in case of emergency.

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We built our providers together with your safety in thoughts.

Because it matters who’s driving your youngsters, your elderly dad and mom and who you drive for.

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Our proactive safety features are all the time on. And anytime, evening or day, we offer actual assist from real people. Unlock sooner pickups at no further cost, member-exclusive pricing, and free roadside assistance for your own car—right within the app. Plus relaxed ride cancellations, free traditional bike rides, and extra. Download the Lyft app and get a experience from a friendly driver in minutes. Which rideshare and ridehail options are available to you?

Driver

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paypant · 1 year

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muskokaairporttaxi · 2 years

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Airport transfers to Huntsville: 5 Ways to find the best one

Airport transfers to Huntsville, Alabama. What do you want? A comfortable ride from the airport to your hotel? An affordable, reliable shuttle service? Or maybe a driver who will take you sight-seeing on the way to your destination? If so, it's important that you understand how all of these options work and what they have in common. In this post we'll explore five ways that drivers can make sure they get their passengers safely where they need to go—whether they're booking a transfer online or calling up one of their local competitors.

Do your research ahead of time

Do your research ahead of time. When it comes to airport transfers, the best way to ensure you get the best service is by doing some research first. Look for reliable transportation and competitive pricing, as well as a company that has good reviews and offers 24/7 customer service. If they offer free cancellation, that's even better!

Ask around online or in person at your destination airport terminal if anyone has used their services recently (and then write down their names). Try calling multiple companies so that you can compare prices across different types of companies and locations; this will help determine which one(s) are most suitable for what you need—whether it be local transportation or an international flight home after a long trip abroad."

Consider hiring a driver for the day, or for the weekend.

You can hire a driver for the day, or even for the weekend.

The best way to find out if they are licensed and insured is by checking their driver's license and insurance card in front of you. If they don't have both, you will want to ask them where they got them from (and why there's no picture on either).

Make sure that your driver has no criminal record or pending lawsuits against them before hiring them as an airport transfer service provider. This is especially important if it's someone who will be driving your family through unfamiliar territory during what could be stressful times; this could mean life-or-death situations!

Choose safe, reliable transportation

To find an airport transfer service that will be safe and reliable, look for a company with a good reputation.

Look at their safety record. If they don't have one, it's best to avoid using them.

Check out customer reviews on sites like TripAdvisor or Google Reviews and see what other travelers have had to say about them. Reputations are built over time—if you see lots of negative reviews in your search results (or if you're looking at a long list of positive ones), then maybe it's time to take another look at those companies!

Look into shuttle options

If you want to save money on airport transfers to Huntsville, consider using a shuttle. Shuttle buses are much cheaper than taxis or rental cars and can be used throughout the country. They also offer more convenience, since they arrive at your destination before you get out of the airport terminal. However, they do require more planning than other options because they don't always run at peak times—and sometimes they're even less frequent than that!

If you need to get somewhere fast but don't want to spend too much money on transportation (or if it's just too late in the day), try calling up one of those companies that offer free shuttles from airports across America: Uber or Lyft may both come through for us!

We hope this guide has helped you to make an informed decision about which airport transportation service is right for your needs. If you have any questions or would like help finding a company, reach out to us and we’ll be happy to assist!

#airport transfers to Huntsville

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birminghamlawattorney · 2 years

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It's Worth Getting Uber Accident Lawyer

Lawyers are legal professionals who know about different legal matters, but it is more important to hire a professional who can provide you with the best experience. It will be better to understand your case and accordingly you should have to hire an experienced lawyer or attorney. In case, if you are facing any kind of difficulty in checking out the details of an attorney or lawyer or you are considering why to hire a lawyer then it will be better to discuss your case with the professional by contacting the law firm. There are law firms that have a team of different attorneys or lawyers who are experienced in different areas and they are helping people with different types of case handling.

When you contact an experienced lawyer, then you will be sure that you have the best personal injury lawyer on your side. That means, experienced lawyers know well that how the system works and know about the laws, and moreover, they know well about the personal injury laws. You can check out the details of a personal injury lawyer near me so you will be sure that you are having the best attorney or lawyer on your side. The experienced lawyer knows very well that how much the claim work, so that according to that they will file for all the damages you might qualify for damages related to its more emotional loss, economic, and more. The lawyers will save a lot of your time and help you to focus more on your recovery. The personal injury lawyers are capable of handling different types of cases that including automobile accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, motorcycle accidents, dog bite injuries, slip and fall accidents, construction accidents, wrongful death, and more.

There are many people who are using Uber, Lyft, or some kind of rideshare service. If you are also involved in an accident that involves Uber or any rideshare service then the passenger driver or even the pedestrian may be entitled to compensation. These days rideshare services are highly popular and convenient for people and it is a safe way to reach your place in an easy way. But sometimes it happens that the best rideshare driver could get into an accident and if you have been injured in an accident involving rideshare or uber then you can connect with the Uber accident lawyers. If you are a passenger and you are hurt in an accident or you were struck by someone driving for those rideshare apps, then to claim the compensation it will be good to contact the accident lawyer. As a result of injury, you might look for medical bills and the ability to work, and other challenges. Hence the lawyer will understand all the things and accordingly file the case to get the compensation that actually you deserve. If you have any concerns or questions regarding the accident, then connecting with a lawyer will be the better choice.

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gaming-now · 4 years

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Life In 2027: 3 Tech Pieces We’ll All Be Using Daily

HomeLife Life In 2027: 3 Tech Pieces We’ll All Be Using Daily Life In 2027: 3 Tech Pieces We’ll All Be Using Daily Life In 2027: 3 Tech Pieces We’ll All Be Using Daily | Life360 Tips Ready for the longer-term already? After the madness of the last few years, we don’t blame you. While the tech we use daily immediately is pretty cool, the large three advancements that will unfurl within the next 10 years

will make your Apple Watch appear as if a toy. Read now and obtain ready for the planet after tomorrow. Life In 2027: 3 Tech Pieces We’ll All Be Using Daily #2 | Life360 Tips Virtual Reality It seems as if there are thousand and one movies, books, and tv programs warning us about the approaching horror of a computer game (VR). From George Saunders to Black Mirror to the new Spielberg flick, there’s tons of finger-wagging about what a post-VR world will appear as if . which makes good sense: it’s hard to predict how radical change will impact us for the positive, especially an invention that further removes us from the naturalized world. But let’s specialize in the positives: VR will revolutionize gaming and storytelling. Be it passive or active narrative consumption, the chances are endless. Imagine getting into the black boots of Darth Vader, swashbuckling within the Caribbean, or maybe calling your parents and recreating sitting within the same front room despite being in two different countries. When it involves education, VR will become an important part of the classroom. When used correctly, it is often used as a tool to excite and spark the imaginations of scholars. Remember those stuffy nature videos you wont to watch in bioscience class? Imagine watching one among those and feeling as if you’re three inches from a lion’s roar, or down within the depths like Jacques Cousteau. VR is perhaps the foremost nebulous of the things on this list because it’s hard to understand exactly how expansive its impact is going to be. But one thing is assured: it’s a brave new world and an exciting one. Life In 2027: 3 Tech Pieces We’ll All Be Using Daily #3 | Life360 Tips Automatic Cars Automatic cars will change everything. which may sound like hyperbole, but the arrival of self-driving vehicles is going to be an epoch marker, just like the rise of television, the discharge of the private computer, or the dawn of the web. How? the higher question is how won’t it impact every facet of our lives. The American ideal of the car as an extension of self is going to be eradicated. Companies like Uber and Lyft will see a dramatic drop by price — no drivers to pay equals unmatched reduced labor costs — and cities will begin to run on automatic driving. Imagine a $2 ride across town, with perfect routes and greatly reduced ride time. Beyond city commutes, automatic cars will reduce traffic on highways exponentially. Most traffic happens due to bottlenecking, where a sequence reaction occurs once the ‘lead car’ (the car at the front of traffic) slows erroneously. The car behind the primary slows further in response, then on then forth until you’re sitting in traffic for 2 hours. Robots are smarter than that. They don’t get to have the cautiousness of human drivers because they will make calculations we will hardly comprehend during a blink of an eye. On a more human level, thousands upon thousands of lives are going to be saved. Sure, detractors are already posing philosophical questions on how an automatic car should ‘choose’ between killing its passenger or an innocent bystander. But that’s missing the forest to ascertain the trees. Over 3000 people die each day in car crashes in America alone. Robots, while a touch unsettling, are far better drivers than humans.

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mostlysignssomeportents · 4 years

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Pluralistic: 07 Mar 2020 (audio from Canada Reads Kelowna, gig economy spreads Covid-19, Intel's security chip is insecure, Barnes and Noble gets a savior)

Today's links

Audio from last night's Canada Reads event in Kelowna: Thanks to Sarah Penton for being such a great interviewer!

Gig economy drivers won't get sick-pay if they have covid-19 symptoms: Your Instacart driver is being incentivized to handle your food through his fever-sweats.

Compromise threatens Intel's chip-within-a-chip: A bug in the Management Engine threatens five years' worth of Intel systems.

The savior of Waterstones will turn every B&N into an indie: James Daunt has opened 60 profitable stores in his career.

This day in history: 2015, 2019

Colophon: Recent publications, current writing projects, upcoming appearances, current reading

Audio from last night's Canada Reads event in Kelowna (permalink)

Last night I sat down for an interview and lively Q&A at the Kelowna Public Library with the CBC's Sarah Penton as part of the Canada Reads national book prize, for which my book Radicalized is a finalist. Courtney Dickson was kind enough to send me raw audio from the board and to give me permission to post it. It was a genuinely wonderful night, with great and thoughtful questions, and I'm really glad that I get to share it with you!

https://archive.org/download/canadareadskelownadoctorowpenton/Canada_Reads_Kelowna_Doctorow_Penton.mp3

Gig economy drivers won't get sick-pay if they have covid-19 symptoms (permalink)

The gig economy workers who deliver your @amazon packages are not entitled to sick pay if they think they have covid-19 and want to stay home, rather than delivering contaminated boxes to you.

https://onezero.medium.com/keep-your-car-clean-gig-companies-offer-little-support-during-coronavirus-outbreak-cf6c55cca8a8

It's not just Amazon Flex drivers who are being tacitly incentivized by rapacious, giant corporations to show up for work sick. Your Lyft and Instacart drivers are all being given a stark choice: work sick or go broke.

As Sarah Emerson speculates in her One Zero piece, this depraved indifference is likely an epiphenomenon of gig economy companies' urge to preserve the fiction that their workers are contractors, not employees. Contractors don't get sick leave, after all.

"[Amazon is ] basically threatening that I'll be out of work if I have any symptoms of being sick, coronavirus or not, but no protections and no offers for help in the event it happens" – Jeff Perry, Amazon Flex/Uber driver, Sacramento

Lyft's advice to drivers: "disinfect your car" and avoid passengers who appear sick.

As outrage over this policy went viral, Uber reversed its earlier stance and announced that it would offer up to 14 days of "compensation" for some drivers.

https://twitter.com/MikeIsaac/status/1236126626028507136

Compromise threatens Intel's chip-within-a-chip (permalink)

A new showstopper Intel bug compromises the Converged Security and Management Engine, the computer-within-a-computer that Intel uses for a variety of purposes, some beneficial (detecting malware), some terrible (shutting out free software).

https://blog.ptsecurity.com/2020/03/intelx86-root-of-trust-loss-of-trust.html

The Management Engine has long been controversial. It's designed to reach into your RAM and tinker with it in a way that, by design, the CPU can't detect or prevent. This is deliberate: it lets the management engine monitor and disrupt malware.

https://boingboing.net/2016/06/15/intel-x86-processors-ship-with.html

But of course, if your Management Engine itself is compromised, then – by design – the part of the computer that you control can neither monitor it, nor prevent it from doing malicious work. In 2017, a ghastly ME bug showed how risky this was.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/05/intels-management-engine-security-hazard-and-users-need-way-disable-it

It's especially bad because ME security is, in part, security through obscurity: Intel barely documents ME function and doesn't permit outside auditing. To make everything worse, there's no way to fully disable it. So ME bugs keep on surfacing, each worse than the last. Here's 2018's:

https://press.f-secure.com/2018/01/12/intel-amt-security-issue-lets-attackers-bypass-login-credentials-in-corporate-laptops/

Which brings me to the new vuln: PT Security shows an early stage attack on the boot ROM, that allows for recovery of a master key that is used to generate all the other keys in the system. It's a deep bug that could potentially compromise all the downstream operations. It's only a partial attack (so far). The key needs to be decrypted to be usable, but the researchers say it's only a matter of time – and they point out that the key is shared across years' worth of Intel processors.

This compromise (when it comes) has profound implications for DRM, which is intrinsically brittle in that it's "break once, break everywhere." Once content is extracted from a DRM wrapper on a compromised system, it can be shared and played back on intact ones. DRM system designers try to address this with tactics like "renewability" and "selectable output control" that allows DRM systems to detect which systems they're running on and refuse to operate if they believe they might be compromised.

This is a thermonuclear option that could make DRM unviable forever. It means that if you had the misfortune to buy an Intel system during the five years that they were manufactured with this defect, you could lose the ability to play content you've already paid for.

Not because you hacked your system, but because you could. DRM is and always has been a timebomb, ticking down to the moment that execs in a distant boardroom decide to nerf or brick your property. The temptation to downgrade your customers' property to up your profits is irresistible.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/09/what-hp-must-do-make-amends-its-self-destructing-printers

But customers don't like getting punished for "doing the right thing." If media companies cancel playback for purchased content on affected Intel systems, they won't be targeting pirates (who get their media DRM-free), but people who deliberately chose to pay.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, we don't get fooled again." -GWB

Punishing legit customers to get at pirates is a surefire way to make more pirates.

"Might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb."

The savior of Waterstones will turn every B&N into an indie (permalink)

A great hero of British bookselling is James Daunt, the founder of Daunt Books, whose flagship store is literally the most beautiful bookstore I've ever been to.

https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shops/marylebone/

Daunt took over Waterstones in 2011 and rescued it. The chain now runs as a string of indies, with no co-op promotion – instead, the booksellers in each shop choose which books they promote based on local taste. Corporate HQ chooses a book of the month and a book every year for chainwide promotion, but they do so on the basis of their enjoyment of the book – not because a publisher pays them for promo.

The new Waterstones stores are spectacular. There were always some great ones (the Waterstones in Bradford rivals the main Daunt books for beauty), but the vibe and experience of shopping at a post-Daunt Waterstones is a million times better than before. And new shops like the one in Tottenham Court Road really embody what a bookstore can be. The event I did there in 2017 with Laurie Penny was one of the best I've ever done in the UK.

https://www.waterstones.com/events/cory-doctorow-in-conversation-with-laurie-penny/london-tottenham-court-road

The good news is that Daunt is now running Barnes & Noble, which has been struggling and worse – pulling desperate moves like laying off all their most experienced booksellers to lower payroll costs, which is obviously a catastrophic mistake. And Daunt's public plan for BN – America's last major chain bookstore – is to replicate what he did with Waterstones. Let the stores run like indies, with local control by experienced booksellers who know and care about their customers' tastes.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-03-04/barnes-noble-wants-to-be-more-like-an-indie-bookseller

He's ending co-op promotion, featuring books that the booksellers choose, not books that publishers pay to promote. He's reversing the focus on non-bookstore SKUs (sunglasses, puzzles and scented candles) in favor of, you know…books. They're shrinking CDs and DVDs and expanding kids' books, laying the ground for a new generation of readers, and they're cleaning up, repainting, and generally repairing years of neglect that have given some of the stores the vibe of an abandoned K-Mart.

They're also opening new stores, targeting places that don't have any bookstores (as opposed to places where indie stores have kept the faith and continued to serve their communities). He's shooting for 1,500 stores nationwide. It's superb news for a nation where bookselling has been imperilled for decades. On every tour stop, I always insist that my media escort take me to every B&N in town to sign stock and meet the booksellers. As a recovering bookseller myself, it's one of the great pleasures of the tours. Bookstores are community hubs, and were key to my own literary upbringing. This is just delightful news.

(Image: RachelH_, CC BY-NC)

This day in history (permalink)

#5yrsago Improving the estimate of US police killings https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-new-estimate-of-killings-by-police-is-way-higher-and-still-too-low/

#1yrago Ajit Pai has been touting new broadband investment after he murdered Net Neutrality, but he's been relying on impossible data from a company called Barrierfree https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/03/ajit-pais-rosy-broadband-deployment-claim-may-be-based-on-gigantic-error/

#1yrago The EU hired a company that had been lobbying for the Copyright Directive to make a (completely batshit) video to sell the Copyright Directive https://twitter.com/Senficon/status/1103582295523553280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

#1yrago The "Tragedy of the Commons" was invented by a white supremacist based on a false history, and it's toxic bullshit https://twitter.com/mmildenberger/status/1102604887223750657

#1yrago It's on: House Democrats introduce their promised Net Neutrality legislation https://www.cnet.com/news/democrats-introduce-save-the-internet-act-to-restore-net-neutrality/

Colophon (permalink)

Today's top sources: The Verge (https://www.theverge.com), Wired (https://wired.com), Slashdot (https://slashdot.org).

Hugo nominators! My story "Unauthorized Bread" is eligible in the Novella category and you can read it free on Ars Technica: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/01/unauthorized-bread-a-near-future-tale-of-refugees-and-sinister-iot-appliances/

Upcoming appearances:

Museums and the Web: March 31-April 4 2020, Los Angeles. https://mw20.museweb.net/

LA Times Festival of Books: 18 April 2020, Los Angeles. https://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/

Currently writing: I'm rewriting a short story, "The Canadian Miracle," for MIT Tech Review. It's a story set in the world of my next novel, "The Lost Cause," a post-GND novel about truth and reconciliation. I'm also working on "Baby Twitter," a piece of design fiction also set in The Lost Cause's prehistory, for a British think-tank. I'm getting geared up to start work on the novel afterwards.

Currently reading: Just started Lauren Beukes's forthcoming Afterland: it's Y the Last Man plus plus, and two chapters in, it's amazeballs. Last month, I finished Andrea Bernstein's "American Oligarchs"; it's a magnificent history of the Kushner and Trump families, showing how they cheated, stole and lied their way into power. I'm getting really into Anna Weiner's memoir about tech, "Uncanny Valley." I just loaded Matt Stoller's "Goliath" onto my underwater MP3 player and I'm listening to it as I swim laps.

Latest podcast: Disasters Don't Have to End in Dystopias: https://craphound.com/podcast/2020/03/01/disasters-dont-have-to-end-in-dystopias/

Upcoming books: "Poesy the Monster Slayer" (Jul 2020), a picture book about monsters, bedtime, gender, and kicking ass. Pre-order here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626723627?utm_source=socialmedia&utm_medium=socialpost&utm_term=na-poesycorypreorder&utm_content=na-preorder-buynow&utm_campaign=9781626723627

(we're having a launch for it in Burbank on July 11 at Dark Delicacies and you can get me AND Poesy to sign it and Dark Del will ship it to the monster kids in your life in time for the release date).

"Attack Surface": The third Little Brother book, Oct 20, 2020.

"Little Brother/Homeland": A reissue omnibus edition with a very special, s00per s33kr1t intro.

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privatetaximoney · 4 years

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10 Embarrassing Mistakes Even Veteran Uber & Lyft Drivers Make

We’ve all been there. Making mistakes is not uncommon, and your years of experience in the field don’t matter. When it comes to driving for ridesharing companies like Uber or Lyft, you might keep doing mistakes like ignoring to update your documentation or drinking that second cup of coffee that you know will not make you any good. But if you want to work successfully, you should also avoid doing some mistakes.

Let’s have a look at what are the major mistakes that even veteran Uber or Lyft drivers make. This list, by senior RSG contributor, is a great way to learn from some common mistakes and be aware of them and make sure you don’t commit them anymore!

I’ve made choices that if I could go back in time I would avoid. I’ve been able to spot what are the most common mistakes that look small on paper but that in reality has a high impact on your value as a driver. I want to share the list of those mistakes so that you avoid doing the same. I hope you’ll learn something from my list of the top mistake that I committed since when I started being a driver and I do even now sometimes

1- Drink Regular Coffee Which Stimulates Peeing More Frequently

I wanted to put this on top of the list because it is very common. Coffee has the power of energizing us, but also to increase the metabolic activity in our bodies. A cup of coffee will make us want to pee badly within an hour or two, it is guaranteed!

I usually start my day with a Cold Brew from Starbuck. Such a drink would generally last me about five hours. Because I start my day at 5 AM, at around 10 AM I would be looking for something else at 10 AM, the rush of the morning starts dying down and to me, it is a great time to take a small break after having driven for five hours.

At 10 AM I normally order another cold-brew. I say normally because sometimes I get attracted by something else, usually including regular coffee. I tell myself “just for this time, nothing will happen, I deserve it”. So stupid of me! As soon as I get into the car again and some clients, I already feel I have to go peeing. But I have riders in my car, so I can’t stop. Sometimes I have to hold it for so long I feel like I’m exploding.

Cold Brew doesn’t work as a diuretic as much as regular coffee, so it is the best alternative for a good, tasting drink to sip on while driving. Having to pee can affect the quality of our service as drivers, and having to stop in the middle of rush-hours is just so stupid that you should avoid it.

Try not to drink regular coffee, at least not if you want to make good money while driving!

2- Forgetting To Wash the Car’s Windows First Thing In The Morning

Some day I want to believe that my car doesn’t need to be washed. But as soon the morning sun starts to come out, I can see debris all over the windows. Skipping the morning wash does not eliminate the need to do it later. Unfortunately, the sun shows it all, which is why all rideshare drivers should include essential cleaning supplies (which you can find here) in their car.

3- Stop Exercising and Having A Sore Back

We all do it. We start hitting the gym, we start exercising regularly and it takes time to get into the routine. Then suddenly, we skip one day and we find reasons to stop excercicing at all. Regular physical activity can help with back pain, it helps me. As soon as I stop exercising my back starts aching again and I feel horrible.

To counteract the pain I use Back Shield, that relives my back and eliminates the pain.

If you want to check out BackShield, use the code RSG10 for a 10% off on your purchase.

4- Forgetting To Update The Documents On The App On Time

This happened to me more than once. I do get the notification in one (or more) of the ridesharing platforms I am using about the expiration date on my documents approaching soon, but still, I somehow I ignore them or forget about them. I keep pushing the day to fix the problem. Then, suddenly, without me realizing it, the expiring date is more than passed. I cannot drive anymore. Forgetting to update the documents of time results in losing one day to getting them, being inspected and upload them. I also lose all the time while I wait for the platform’s approval.

Procrastination is bad for every job. Pushing things off does not do any good, avoid doing so to eliminate the risk of having to do everything last minute and loosing more time.

5- Taking Longer Trips In Peak Hours

You should always check the address of the destination! It happens sometimes that I take a long trip during rush hours, which stops me from exploiting the rush-hour higher fare which is more profitable for small trips. What happens is that I assume that a rush-hour trip will be a short one because that is how it usually works.

Lyft makes it pretty easy to check and you can decide not to take a trip if it doesn’t suit you. However, at least once a week I’ll have a ride I’d rather not take. Even if some drivers refuse to take him, I would take the ride. These passengers are often the nicest and might give a good tip, which is better than nothing.

6- Driving Without Getting Good Sleep

There’s a reason why many stress with the importance of good eight-hour-long sleep. It makes you feel energized, you are sharper, more attentive and focus. I know myself and I can tell the difference in my performance when I sleep eight hours versus when I don’t.

7- Forgetting to use more than one app Slow Times

I mainly work with Lyft. During the rush time, everything is fine, I’ll usually be very busy. But in the morning, around 10 AM, the traffic and requests start slowing down. Sometimes I forget I have Uber as well, which might increase the chances of finding a ride. Instead, I will drive with no direction and no passenger for a while, angry for not finding any good passenger for me. You must maximize your chances and use various ride-share application during slow times.

Do you have Uber but not Lyft? Join Lyft with our referral code. Do you want to signup for Uber? Use our referral code for Uber here.

8- Not Helping Passengers

Driving for long hours is not easy. Sometimes I get very lazy, I’m comfortable in my seat and I see that the destination to pick up my next passenger is the airport. I get there and I see someone waiting for me with two luggage. Some might have a lot of stuff, looking as if they just found an Ibotta Promo discount code.

From times to times, instead of jumping out the car, welcoming the passenger and offer to handle their luggege, I sit quietly, open the trunk and wait for them to take care of their luggage.

This is the best way to lose a good tip. Help your passengers with luggage, they’ll show their appreciation!

9- Get Angry At Passengers

Passengers can be late, eat inside the car or ask questions I don’t want to answer. I might lose my patience from time to time, resulting in me not delivering a good service because something upset me. By not treating passengers kindly and politely at all times, I lose many tips. Being crossed does not mean to completely screw your possibilities to have a nice tip. Instead, keep cool and passive, while ensuring your passenger gets a nice rideshare experience.

10- Miss a Turn and Drive Extra Miles or Extra Time

Sometimes missing a turn can mean that you’ll have to drive for at least 5 minutes to be able to turn again. It is all about concentrating. Keep concentrated on your drive and you won’t have to spend precious time and gas because of a missed turn.

The Bottomline

It is common to lose focus, after all, we’re not robots, we can’t be spotless all the time. However, we can try to put the best of our efforts to making mistakes but with good consciousness. The goal is to keep getting better each time.Good luck and be safe!

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ubeerosophy · 7 months

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Paths Might Have Made

The most frequent question I get asked as an Uber/Lyft driver is, “What’s the craziest drive you’ve ever done?” There are a few that stand out, but my mind generally goes all the way back to an incident that happened the first weekend I started driving.

Some quick context first…

When I initially heard about Uber and Lyft, or ridesharing as they are collectively called, I thought it sounded incredibly sketchy. The notion of getting in a complete stranger’s car and letting them take you somewhere just didn’t really jive with my skeptical and oft times paranoid way of thinking. Eventually I found out that my uncle was driving for Lyft down in San Antonio and it softened my perception a little. A few weeks or months later, I decided to go ahead and check it out as a passenger while going to a Brewer’s game in Milwaukee. The car was nice, and the driver was professional, so I shed the rest of my skepticism.

That summer I was planning a nearly two-week road trip with my then 13-year-old son, and while considering ways to finance it, my uncle threw out the option of a sign on bonus. If I drove for Lyft and accomplished so many drives within a certain amount of time, using my uncle’s referral code, we would both make several extra hundred dollars. I decided to give it a try, and the rest is history. I’ve done nearly 7,500 drives in going on 6 years. But I almost didn’t make it past the second day.

As a passenger you can set your ride for multiple stops. Perhaps you want to take your kid to school and then go back home after you drop them off, or maybe you want to stop by the gas station for coffee on your way to work. When the ride comes through on the driver’s end, we can see that before we even accept or deny the request. The first time I encountered multiple stops was on this particular drive.

The initial pick up was at the public library downtown, and the passenger was not happy. She had a toddler on her side and was waving her phone in my direction. As she got in the back seat, she informed me that she had been attempting to call me. I can’t remember what the issue was as far as why she was allegedly trying to get a hold of me, but I politely informed her that no calls had come through on my end. Agitated, she looked out the window and I notified the app that she was in my car. I was to take her to Walmart, and then somewhere else. Home I’m assuming.

When we got to Walmart, she told me that it would only take a minute, so I said I would wait just past the entrance with my hazard lights on. It didn’t take just a minute. I sat awkwardly near the front of an extremely busy Walmart for I’m guessing at least 20 to 30 minutes. When she finally came out, she still had her child on her hip and approached the back seat. I always offer to help people load and unload groceries, but this was my first experience with the whole concept, so I just waited. If I remember right, it was only a small box and single sack.

At some point, as the woman was standing outside the back seat on the passenger side, a young lady from a group of people that had been standing nearby recognized her and walked over. I couldn’t see their faces or hear what they were saying, but I assumed that they were just friends or acquaintances. After a couple of moments, a skirmish broke out and they very rapidly moved around to the other side of the car. A Walmart employee that was in close proximity began moving toward the scene in an attempt to break it up and I grabbed my door handle to exit the car. The assailant took off and I have no recollection of where she went or even what direction she took off in. The passenger’s lip was split open and bleeding, and her wig was barely connected, hanging down well past her shoulders. As I continued to take in the scene, I noticed that a birthday cake she had apparently been in the process of placing in my car had fallen out of its box and gotten icing all over the blacktop, back seat and floorboard. The most shocking aspect of the entire incident, however, was that through it all her child had been on her hip.

The woman was clearly and understandably shaken up and the police were called. I don’t remember or know that I ever knew who called them. Presumably the victim or the Walmart employee. I had no idea what I was supposed to do, but it didn’t take long for several officers to show up. After speaking to the woman, one of them came up to me and said I might as well take off because it was going to be a while. I placed the woman’s items in a cart, wheeled them into her and then drove away.

When I try to glean some kind of meaning out of the whole thing, the closest I get is to think about how different my life would’ve been for the past six years had I let that experience scare me away from doing Uber and Lyft. It would’ve changed everything. My occupation. My schedule. My acquaintances. It would’ve changed my life. It was a side gig for several years, but these days I do it full time. The flexibility is hard to beat, and I love how it’s always something different. New places and new faces. Still, it really is amazing to me that I continued to do it after having had that happen right out of the gate. I’m glad I did, because overall its been a positive experience. I’m sure as far as that particular incident goes we could discuss what might’ve led up to that moment outside of Walmart, or maybe even find a way to apply human nature and ethics in general, but this particular post was more just for entertainment value. People love to ask me about crazy things that have happened to me as a driver.

I’ve had many sketchy or perplexing experiences over the past several years as a driver, and hopefully we’ll get to most of them in this blog, but I figured that was a good one to start with. The original. The mother of all my enthralling Uber and Lyft tales.

The UBeerOsopher

And now…a haiku:

it is one moment when without warmth or warning the winds of change blow

“But how could you live and have no story to tell?” ~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

#uber #lyft #beer #liberal arts #philosophy #psychology #rideshare #indiana #university #lafayette #west lafayette #haiku #fyodor dostoevsky #cake #fight #walmart #wind #passenger

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scifigeneration · 5 years

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Switching to electric vehicles could save the US billions, but timing is everything

by F. Todd Davidson, Dave Tuttle, Joshua D. Rhodes and Kazunori Nagasawa

Charging six cars at once is fine. Charging 60 million might be a bit tougher. Nadya Kubik/Shutterstock.com

Today, less than 2 percent of the vehicles Americans buy are electric. But within the next three decades, some automotive industry experts expect electric vehicles could make up the majority of U.S. and global car sales.

All told, American drivers log about 3 trillion miles per year, consuming more than 170 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel in the process. Converting all those road miles to electricity would place new demands on the nation’s system for producing and delivering electricity.

As part of a major energy infrastructure study, we are seeking to understand how an increase in electric vehicles (EVs) might change how energy is supplied and consumed. So far, we have figured out the impact of electric vehicles will depend on where you live and when they are charged.

Estimating how much electricity EVs will demand

Using a similar technique featured in our recent paper on hydrogen vehicles, we developed a state-by-state assessment of the amount of electricity that would be needed to charge an electrified fleet of personal cars, trucks and SUVs.

We started by estimating the amount of gasoline every county consumes today. We then converted vehicle miles traveled into electricity requirements based on the efficiency of today’s EVs.

Admittedly, these methods have limitations. The number of miles traveled could change significantly if autonomous vehicles become commonplace and more people rely on Uber, Lyft and other vehicle sharing services, for example. However, we believe our approach provides a good starting point for estimating future electricity demand if EVs become the norm.

Regional impacts

The U.S. electric grid has continually evolved to accommodate new demands throughout the last century. But if the nation’s vehicles were to rapidly become electric, the grid would need to change faster. Depending on local driving habits and the grid infrastructure that’s already in place, our analysis shows that EVs will have different impacts in different regions.

Since Texas and California consume more electricity than any other states, they provide a good snapshot of what a future filled with electric vehicles might look like. In both cases, an increase in EVs would drive consumption higher, with the potential to strain local infrastructure.

If virtually all passenger cars in Texas were electrified today, the state would need approximately 110 more terawatt-hours of electricity per year – the average annual electricity consumption of 11 million homes. The added electricity demand would result in a 30 percent increase over current consumption in Texas.

By comparison, because of a more temperate climate, California might require nearly 50 percent more electricity than it currently consumes if passenger vehicles in the state were fully electrified. That means California would need to generate an additional 120 terawatt-hours of electricity per year.

A tale of two grids

A look at the two states’ grids demonstrates how reliance on EVs for mobility could vary from place to place.

On hot summer afternoons, Texas uses about half of the electricity it generates to power air conditioning to keep buildings cool. The large seasonal variations in electricity demand due to air conditioning means the state has power plants that sit idle throughout many hours of the year. The spare capacity during off-peak hours could make it easier for Texas to meet future electricity demands of EVs.

California’s more temperate climate means the state needs less electricity on summer days, and less demand variability on the grid overall. As a result, California has less generation capacity available than Texas to meet future charging demands from electric vehicles.

In 2018, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the organization that manages most of Texas’s electric grid, hit a new peak demand of roughly 73 gigawatts on July 19. Looking at the off-peak hours for July 19, 2018, we found the ERCOT grid had spare capacity to provide more than 350 gigawatt-hours of additional electricity if idled power plants continued to operate throughout the day, not just during peak demand.

Based on our estimates, the charging requirements for a fully electrified fleet of personal cars in Texas would be about 290 gigawatt-hours per day, less than the available surplus of generation capacity. In other words, the Texas grid could theoretically charge a fully electrified vehicle fleet today if vehicles were charged during off-peak hours.

When we did the same analysis for California, however, we found that if EVs become the norm, it could push the total demand for electricity beyond the existing capacity of the Golden State’s grid.

Timing is everything

Perhaps even more important than how much electricity EVs would consume is the question of when it would be consumed.

We based the above estimates on optimal, off-peak charging patterns. If instead most EVs were to be charged in the afternoon, the electricity grid would need more generation capacity to avoid outages.

To meet that demand, California and Texas would need to build new power plants or buy more electricity from neighboring states than they already do. The states might also need additional transmission and distribution infrastructure to accommodate new automotive charging infrastructure.

All told, the transition to EVs from internal combustion engine vehicles could potentially cost tens of billions of dollars in Texas and even more in California to install new electricity infrastructure if many vehicles were to be charged during peak hours.

Incentives could reduce what it will cost to equip the grid for lots of electric vehicles. For example, utilities could charge different rates for electricity during different times of day and on different days of the week. Known as time-of-use pricing, this practice can encourage vehicle charging when electricity is more abundant during off-peak hours and therefore cheaper to supply.

California and other areas, including Austin, Texas, have already begun to use different strategies for implementing time-of-use rates. Other regions might want to watch closely, and adopt the lessons learned in those places as the number of electric vehicles on the road rises.

The road ahead

While EVs might increase the amount of electricity the U.S. consumes, the investment required to accommodate them may be smaller than it appears. Many regions already have sufficient generation capacity if vehicles are charged during off-peak hours. The energy storage on board EVs could provide the flexibility needed to shift charging times and help grid operators better manage the supply and demand of electricity.

What’s more, based on our calculations, the money Americans would save in fuel costs alone could offset these investments.

For example, had most of California’s vehicles been electric by 2017, we estimate that its drivers would have saved around US$25 billion that year in fuel costs – based on the average prices for electricity and gasoline.

In addition to fuel savings, some market analysts expect electric cars to be cheaper than conventional vehicles by 2026, another potential economic benefit.

While it’s challenging to predict the future prices for gasoline, electricity and vehicles, we believe it is likely that the widespread use of EVs would reduce the overall costs of transportation in California and elsewhere. These savings are even greater if the environmental benefits, especially lower carbon emissions, are taken into account.

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The Union of Concerned Scientists has researched the carbon footprints of EVs versus gasoline-powered cars.

About The Authors:

F. Todd Davidson is a Research Associate in the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin; Dave Tuttle is a Research Fellow at The Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin; Joshua D. Rhodes is a Research Fellow of Energy at the University of Texas at Austin, and Kazunori Nagasawa is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

#technology #the future of transportation #transportation #electric viehicles #infrastructure #automotive industry #energy transition #energy #electricity grid #power grid

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land-shark-is-here · 5 years

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Some helpful tips for using Uber/Lyft

Hello! For those of you that don’t know me, I’m an Uber and Lyft driver in the semi major city of Pittsburgh. I get a lot of questions from people in my daily life about my job, so I thought I’d make this post to clear some things up and offer some tips. Any other drivers are welcome to add to this.

We have no idea where we’re going until we pick you up.

I mean this literally. Neither app will tell the driver where the drop off is or how far it is until after we’ve picked up the passenger. There’s two exceptions to this: any ride that is estimated to be over 45 minutes long will notify us of just that. No exact time, it could be anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours. We don’t know. Sometimes I have to pray to the automobile gods that my car will have enough gas for the whole trip. And secondly, Uber just RECENTLY created an update where drivers who do a lot of rides more frequently will be able to see the actual trip length prior to the pick up. I don’t know the specifics on that yet.

If the app says your driver is a minute away, chances are that’s the truth.

You wouldn’t believe the number of times I turn onto the passenger’s street, making my way towards their pickup spot only to have them call me and say “Hey, it says you’re a minute away. Where are you?” Well, believe it or not, I’m a minute away. If it says this for 5 minutes then a call is reasonable. Sometimes the app cliches and sometimes we’re stuck in traffic. But otherwise, relax.

It’s fine to sit in the front, but at least engage in some conversation.

Not everybody wants to sit in the back seat, and that’s fine. But sitting in the front passenger seat and staying silent the entire ride is, well, awkward. As a driver, I never know how to approach these situations, especially when attempts at conversation fail. If you’re content with the silence, feel free to let us know. That way we can relax too. Nobody likes driving under stress.

If you want to go a route that’s different from the GPS, you have to be the one to provide directions.

Sure, some drivers might know the area like the back of their hand and be able to take whatever route you ask without any trouble. But for a lot of us, that’s not the case. Especially in bigger cities. Most drivers don’t have a problem with going an alternate route (but do understand that if it’s more miles than the projected route, the cost of the ride may go up), but you need to provide essentially turn-by-turn directions.

Clean up after yourself.

Whatever you bring into the car, you take with you. You might not think much of a gun wrapper you left on the floor of my car, but I may not notice it before my next passenger, and the next passenger may not be happy with the “mess” in my car. Oh yes, people will leave negative reviews over a single gum wrapper. It happens.

If you don’t like the music we’re playing, ask for something different. Or to have it turned off.

Some drivers have spent hours creating the perfect playlist for each ride, but most of us just use the radio or Spotify. Sometimes songs might come on that you don’t like, or maybe they make you uncomfortable. We’re not mind readers. If you don’t like the music, for whatever reason, just ask us to change it. It’s no issue.

If you have a child with you, make sure you have a car seat.

From a legal standpoint, no driver is permitted to drive a child around without the proper car seat. I don’t care if it’s a 5 minute ride and you’re holding your baby. That’s no safe! If we were to get into an accident, my ass could easily end up in prison if even a scratch happens to your baby. Don’t put us in the situation. Don’t put your child in that situation. Bring a car seat.

If you’re 18 and being picked up from a high school, have your ID ready.

No Uber or Lyft driver is permitted to pick up someone who is under 18 without an adult present. I get a lot of ride requests from high schools, often from minors. First off, if you’re a minor, stop doing this. Find another form of transportation. Please understand that I’m just trying to do my job and keep everybody safe. If you’re 18, it’s best to have your ID on you. Something that lists your date of birth. This is good practice no matter where you’re being picked up from, but essentially when at a school where the automatic assumption is that you’re a minor.

Being intoxicated is not an excuse for inappropriate behavior.

Look, Uber and Lyft are perfect for when you’ve had too much to drink. And drivers know what they’re getting into when it’s 1am on a Saturday night. It’s ok to be swaying side to side, fall asleep in the car, talk about nonsense, call me your best friend, etc. What’s not ok is inappropriate behavior. Don’t touch your driver. Don’t make advances towards your driver. Dont take your clothes off (yes, this has happened!). Don’t make out with the other passenger. Don’t try to kiss the driver. And if you feel like you’re going to vomit, WARN US. Some drivers will have paper bags on them, some will simply pull over. Whatever you need to do, but getting vomit all over my seat is going to cost you $150, and I will not hesitate to report it to Uber/Lyft so they can process the charge. It’s nothing personal, but getting puke out of a car is not a fun task.

Don’t you dare fart in the car right before getting out.

Like, you’re about to get out of the car anyways. Just fart when you’re outside. Don’t gas my car. That’s rude.

No need to be embarrassed about where you’re going.

I’ve taken passengers to prison to visit family, to their weekly AA meetings, to Planned Parenthood, to their 10th bar of the night. I’ve picked people up from strip clubs. I’ve taken people from one lover’s house to another’s. I’ve taken people to countless places with countless reasons why. Nobody is judging you.

Please tip.

This shouldn’t need to be said, but please tip your drivers. Even a dollar will do. For most drivers, only about 25% of our rides get tipped. And just because you paid $20 for your ride, doesn’t mean we got $20. We probably get closer to $12. And rates don’t change based on gas prices. So if gas keeps going up up up, we’re getting paid the same amount and having to pay more. Just to keep driving. So please, consider tipping. Either in the app or with cash.

And last but not least, be kind to your drivers.

Sure, some drivers are dicks. Feel free to give a 1 star review. But most drivers are nice people. They’re just trying to do their job. It’s ok to be in a bad mood. It’s ok to ask for a quiet ride because you don’t want to talk to anyone. It’s ok to vent about the awful day you had. But don’t abuse someone who’s just doing their job. We’re driving a giant metal machine that could easily kill us both with one wrong turn. Be kind.

#uber #lyft #advice #tips

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harryandmolly · 6 years

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The Long Way Home -9-

Summary: His world is a little rocked when Shawn is joined on his 2019 world tour by Emma, a former child star with a chip on her shoulder and a voice that haunts him.

Warnings: Language, The Reckoning

Word count: 5.5k

Shawn is not too happy, at first, when Emma insisted they keep this, whatever this is, quiet.

She’s smart enough to give her decree between plush kisses to the spot on his collarbone that makes him whimper like a 16-year-old girl and he kinda resents that, but she’s a woman on a mission so he has to respect it, too.

Technically, she reminds him, she’s still supposed to be with Kyle.

“Kyle?!” Shawn whines, chocolate eyes going wide with dismay as she calmly brings it back to his attention, “But… I mean, why does it have to be Kyle? Why can’t it be me?”

Emma’s heart squeezes hard at his innocent suggestion. She peels her eager, slightly swollen lips away from his shoulder and regards him affectionately.

“Because you’re not a bad boy,” she says, eyes full of gratitude. He swipes a thumb against her wet lower lip and pouts playfully.

“Is that a requirement for you?” he teases. His voice is a little less squeaky than a few seconds ago so she thinks she’s hopefully getting somewhere in calming him the fuck down.

They’re still tangled up on her bed. Clothes have remained firmly in place and they’re above the sheets, it’s all been even just barely PG-13 so far and Shawn hasn’t done this in a long time. He hasn’t kissed someone just to kiss them without pretty soon falling into bed to sprint toward an orgasm. Not in recent memory, at least. It should feel maybe a little juvenile, a little fraught with sexual tension, but it doesn’t. It’s nice. He spent so long wanting to be close to her that getting to lie here on her Ravenclaw duvet with her bare toes prodding at the seam of his jeans and their linked fingers twirling and unraveling and re-vining while they talk, it all feels absolutely enough.

He’s forgotten for a second that he asked her a question. When he looks up at her he sees her smiling like he’s been caught daydreaming. She kisses the tip of his nose and god, he can die happy right here.

“It’s just for a little while,” she whispers earnestly, smile faltering into a sincere near-grimace. She doesn’t want to fuck this up. She doesn’t want to make him feel unimportant when he’s the opposite. But things are tenuous right now while she clandestinely searches for a new regime.

After a moment, he nods. “I get it. It’s fine, really. We’re ok.”

She rewards him tenderly with a kiss halfway down his jaw. He tilts his head back to give her more access, a silent plea for her to explore as she might want to. She takes the opportunity, weaving pecks and licks and little nipping tugs around the thin, tanned flesh of his neck.

“Don’t leave a mark, ok?” he hums.

She pulls her lips away only to nod subserviently. “Ok,” she breathes, the vibrations singing through his nerve endings until he’s squirming. She notices and backs away, giggling nervously.

“Sorry,” she whispers. Her cheeks are gorgeously flushed and she’s nibbling on her lower lip. He doesn’t know if she’s apologizing for starting or for stopping but he figures it doesn’t matter. He gives her that perfect close-lipped smile she loves and plays with her fingers again.

“I don’t even want to ask but… what time is it?” he croaks without looking away from her dainty fingertips.

Emma reaches for her phone and scrolls past dozens of texts she doesn’t care to read. “4:45 almost. God, we’ve been kissing all day.”

“And talking,” he reminds her, laying a sweet, if slightly wet kiss across her forehead, “And singing,” another gentler kiss on her cheek, “And playing,” he glances at the guitar and pecks at the corner of her mouth.

“Mostly kissing,” she giggles, burying her face in his neck briefly, inhaling the faded scent of expensive cologne and boy next door, “I have to go pick up my sister. Lacrosse camp ends at 6 and I’m taking her to dinner.”

Shawn smiles at how excited Emma sounds. “That sounds great.”

They’re quiet for a few moments until he speaks again. “Are you… gonna tell her?”

“That Shawn Mendes has been kissing me in my bed all day? Not while I’m driving, her head will explode all over my fine blonde leather interior,” Emma jokes. Shawn barks a laugh.

“No, then?” He tries not to sound hurt. Emma tilts her gaze up to his again, that same knowing, appreciative smile at just the corners of her mouth.

“I don’t keep anything from Georgie. I might just wait until I’ve got her in public first so she can’t make a scene. Though knowing Georgie, that might not stop her.”

Shawn wants to ditch his dinner meeting. He’s going to have to put stuff in his hair and shake hands and schmooze. He’d much rather get in Emma’s passenger seat and get stuck in traffic and sing to the radio and sit with Emma and Georgie in a booth at Gordon Biersch or something eating garlic fries and tracing the lines on Emma’s palm under the table while he asks Georgie about lacrosse game rules. He almost suggests it. But Emma never gets time like this with her sister. He’s not about to hog it. Even if he wants to hog her.

They pry themselves off the bed and slowly, very slowly, too slowly because the Uber driver has called Shawn three times and has threatened to leave him there, make their way to the door to say goodbye.

With one final kiss that has him sucking her lower lip into his mouth and her gripping his shoulders for dear life as her knees wobble, she releases him. He skips out the door, pink cheeked and tripping around her cacti as he turns back to look at her.

“I’ll call you tonight!”

It’s not that she lied to Shawn, she just didn’t tell him everything.

Her explanation of her evening with Georgie made it sound like they’d be collapsing on Emma’s couch by 8:30 to watch To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before again and be in bed by 10. She didn’t feel the need to clarify that instead, she’d be packing into a Lyft heading into WeHo for a quiet drink with a big opportunity. She doesn’t want to tell him until it’s certain. She doesn’t want him getting his hopes up, or worse, feeling like has should step in and help her reorder her professional life. That isn’t what she wants. That’s not why she wants him.

That’s what she’s telling herself as she fiddles with the brooch on the breast pocket of her smartly tailored creamsicle orange blazer. She got ready for this meeting in only 45 minutes after dropping a dazed and elated Georgie back off at their dad’s house, assurance she can function without Mabel who, though likeable, is a henchwoman of Margaret.

“I’m gonna change everything, G,” Emma assured her sister, voice shaking almost imperceptibly, “I’m going to fix it. All of it.”

The words are vague and innately powerful. Emma’s not stupid. She knows Georgie knows all, sees all. She only barely described what went down at the video shoot, leaving out the grimier details of the bruises she woke up with that Shawn did his best to distract her from by leaving a couple of his own. But the look in Georgie’s perfectly clear green eyes reminded Emma what she’s known all along – Georgie knows everything.

Maybe this one meeting can’t fix all of it. She knows more about this business than people think she does and she knows there’s no magic spell to undo the years of careful planning and manipulation Margaret and her mother have woven to keep Emma wound up tight. She knows a new manager is only the start. But the start is finally starting and Emma is so ready.

Andrew made the first call on her behalf, a carefully-worded suggestion that while she’s in town, Angelique Carter should meet Emma Kingston.

She’s not what she seems, he promised, There’s something to this girl that you should be interested in.

Angelique likes Andrew a lot, she really does. He’s straight up, has a great reputation in the industry for doing his job well with dignity and respect for artists and for other managers. He’s well-liked and highly regarded. She knows she has to take him seriously when he makes any proffered suggestion to her, even if she has been in the business longer.

But Emma Kingston?

The paranoid part of her, the part that has kept her edge finely honed from years of being a woman of color in a white male-dominated music industry, has her hackles up. What is he trying to pull? What kind of mischief could be lying underneath this?

But she could find nothing. Nothing made sense here. What could Andrew possibly have to gain from foisting Emma Kingston onto Angelique’s plate?

It only meant one thing – he was right. Angelique needed to meet Emma Kingston, indeed.

Buckling under curiosity, Angelique sits, eyes and wits as sharp as her posture, in $600 jeans and a t-shirt she stole from an ex-boyfriend, in the corner of a bar she’s never heard of. It’s decorated in 30s Golden Age Hollywood-style and has the feel of a place that was outrageously popular five years ago and has faded into ubiquity. Angelique kind of loves it, so that’s one brownie point to Miss Kingston, who picked the locale.

And there she is. She gives the illusion that she’s tall with her killer cream-colored Louboutins and the carriage of a woman beyond Emma’s just-shy-of-19 years. She’s smiling genuinely in a way Angelique’s never seen Emma smile in the barrage of interviews she pored over in preparation for this introduction. Angelique, for once in her career, is thrown off.

“Angelique, it’s so great to meet you, thank you for taking the time for me,” Emma says in her signature quiet but firm tone, keeping her gaze level with Angelique’s as she stumbles to her feet to greet the teen queen. Angelique blinks, looking to recover.

“My pleasure, Emma, I was very… interested when Andrew suggested we sit down.”

Emma sits and immediately, without even the lift of an eyebrow or a glance around the room, draws the waiter over to take her order. Her very presence did the trick. Angelique is a little enchanted. Emma orders a club soda with lime. Another brownie point – Angelique hates alcohol at business meetings and resents how big a role it plays in the music industry. She herself is proudly drinking a Shirley Temple.

“Andrew’s been great to me. I’m not sure how much he did tell you, but I want you to know I specifically asked if he knew you because I’ve been looking to work with you for a few years.”

Emma is direct. Angelique’s beginning to lose track of the brownie points. She’s still trying to mentally reconcile what she has heard of Emma Kingston’s reputation (shallow, cold, detached from the inner workings of her own business) with the woman sitting across from her who hasn’t yet broken eye contact or raised her voice above a confident, soft murmur. But she manages to nod anyway.

“Have you?”

Emma’s jaw tightens up. Angelique can feel the story behind… whatever this is bubbling up in Emma’s million dollar throat. She squirms in her seat with anticipation. She realizes for a moment just how invested she suddenly is.

“I’m not sure how much of my career you’re familiar with but I’ve done quite a bit of research on you and I know you too like your research. So I’m guessing you know everything about me.”

Angelique cracks a crooked grin that sets Emma more at ease, as it was meant to. “Homework is important in this job. In this business.”

Emma nods eagerly. “It is. Then you know I’ve been managed by Margaret Henderson since I was little.”

Oh, Angelique knows. Googling Emma’s representation was the first thing she did when she set the meeting. Margaret Henderson has been the Queen Regent of teen queens since the mid 80s. She’s practically legendary. She has a few more skeletons in her closet than Andrew does, though. There are more whispers about her, more half-truths and killed stories. Angelique used to think anyone who’s been around long enough has those. But she’s trying to work on her cynicism.

“I’m looking to part ways with Margaret. I’m looking for someone who will collaborate with me, who understands that the end of my adolescence brings about the opportunity for a new direction, one that suits me more than my current image.”

Angelique is blinking again. This speech doesn’t even sound rehearsed. She knows the girl’s an actor, but either she’s a damn good one or she’s more eloquent than anyone gives her credit for. Angelique wouldn’t be surprised by either.

Emma leans in slightly as if to confide something. “I know you’ve never worked with a country artist before. Anyone would tell me if that’s my path of choice, given how much I’ve already established myself in the pop field, I should go with someone similarly ingrained in the country music world. But the thing is… I don’t want to. I want to trust someone.”

Angelique can feel the cogs turning in her head. She heard a rumor once a few months ago that Margaret and Island Records had buried Emma’s first record and recorded a different one. Perhaps there was a bit of truth to it.

“And you trust me?”

Emma sits back again, eyeing Angelique. “I do. That probably sounds stupid because I don’t know you. But I’ve been following your career and I like the way you do your job. You don’t… run your artists. You work with them. You trust them and they trust you. I’ve always wanted that. I’ve never had it with Margaret. It’s a huge risk, me telling you all this, me arranging this meeting while she’s still on my payroll and making every decision about my career without my consent. I hope that shows you how serious I am about this. I want us to do this together. We might fuck it up. I doubt it, because you’re brilliant and I want this so bad I don’t know what to do with myself. So… there. That’s my pitch.”

Angelique goes to speak when the waiter brings back Emma’s club soda. She smiles and nods a thank you.

“Usually people wait for their drinks to arrive before they go in on the damn thing,” Angelique chuckles appreciatively. She tucks a stray dread behind her ear.

She’s quiet, running through Emma’s every word, every incremental facial expression of the last few minutes in her mind. She’s searching for bullshit, searching for flakiness, something she can use as an excuse to get out of this.

This is the kind of opportunity that scares the shit out of every great artist manager there’s ever been. This is the fork in the road. This is where she chooses to continue representing acts that might become the next Rihanna, the next Childish Gambino, the next Halsey. Or she chooses to help be a part of something new, something no one can compare so directly to anyone else. This is where she decides to continue on her road, the road oft-traveled, the road littered with people making the same choices, opting for safety over greatness.

Angelique smiles. She doesn’t mind the road less traveled. Her Range Rover has four-wheel drive.

There are no magic spells in the music industry, only mountains of paperwork.

It takes over a month to draw up and negotiate a contract for Angelique after she and Emma shook on their deal that night at the little West Hollywood bar. Emma’s lawyers are under strict instructions not to breathe a word of anything to Sandra or Margaret. Meanwhile, Angelique is tying up loose ends, making some quiet calls to feel out killing the “Fireheart” video and waiting in the wings for the Reckoning, as Georgie has taken to calling it.

Emma is having regular freak outs on the DL about firing her manager and finally alienating her mother. She knows her agent will back out the moment Margaret’s name is no longer attached to Emma’s, so that’s another thing for Angelique to handle. She’s being a sport about it, though. She consults Emma before she does almost anything. No task is too small. When she’s not straightening out the behind-the-scenes, she’s brushing up on her country music knowledge. Turns out she really loves Tammy and Patsy, too.

Angelique’s paperwork, along with Margaret’s generous severance package, padded heavily to attempt to sidestep any legal action she may threaten to bring, is expected to be ready right in time for Emma’s 19th birthday.

Which Shawn doesn’t know about until she mumbles something about Kyle flying in for a party while they’re in D.C. as he’s suckling at the inside of her left breast at 5:30am in a hotel room in Pittsburgh. He lifts his head and stares at her.

“Your birthday’s next week?” he pants.

She giggles at the ragged sound of his breath and the rosiness of his cheeks. She nods.

“You’re not the only Leo in this bed.”

He makes a face and huffs. “Well, when were you gonna tell me?”

“I just did, babe.”

He narrows his eyes. “You just told me your fake boyfriend is flying in for your small, intimate, paparazzi-friendly gathering, too. C’mon, it’s your birthday, Em, can’t you take a break from being Emma Kingston for one night? We don’t have to go out. We can stay in the hotel and—”

“I can’t make any waves right now, Shawn,” she reminds him gently, sheepishly. After “the handshake,” Emma proudly called Shawn to tell him the news. He was a little floored, because he didn’t know she was quite so close to replacing Margaret, but he put down another mental note to thank Andrew for doing right by his… well, not girlfriend.

They haven’t had that talk yet. It’s a little complicated, what with her fake boyfriend and their sneaking around behind everyone’s backs but Georgie’s. And Emma’s pretty sure Angelique knows, too, but she doesn’t have confirmation. She just has a feeling. Angelique’s a little like Georgie in that way. It bodes well.

Shawn is struggling with trying not to be aggravated by all this. The secret was so sexy at first – catching her by the hand to pull her into a dark corner for two minutes between their soundchecks, unable to share more than a casual glance for hours at a time, sneaking into each other’s hotel rooms at 2am just to spend a few hours together. Neither of them is sleeping worth a damn, but they’re both noticeably giddy.

But the novelty is starting to wear off. Shawn wants Emma. He wants her in the morning when they wake up and part ways to meet with their trainers. He wants to bring her tea and kiss her good morning in front of the whole crew when they arrive at a new venue. He wants to hold her hand as they walk around the venue like it’s their personal playground. He wants to take her out to explore new cities on their off days. He can’t do any of that while she’s still making headlines as one half of “Kyma.” Which, by the way, is a shitty ship name. It sounds like a 6th Kardashian sister. He hates it.

He’s been incredibly patient, he thinks. And she reminds him, too, how much she appreciates it, how she knows it’s not ideal, how it’s definitely not forever. Even Georgie texts him sometimes when she’s feeling nosy to remind him that “the Reckoning is coming.” He always rolls his eyes and smiles at that.

What he really doesn’t like is how Emma and Kyle bring out a side of him he doesn’t recognize. This side of him feels devolved, like a Neanderthal. He sees Kyle’s arm around Emma’s waist and wants to club him over the head. He doesn’t, of course, he plasters on his best “I’m a Canadian good boy” smile and waits for Emma to show up in his room at some ungodly hour and shower him with kisses. She always makes it pretty easy to forget for a little while. But the little freckled bastard always comes back. He’s ready for him to get taken out with the rest of the trash. The Reckoning is coming.

Shawn swallows his pride again and nods at her. “Ok. So he’s flying in for the party. Cool.”

Emma casts a sympathetic glance before she seems to come up with something to placate him. “I was thinking, though, you and I might have our own party the next night? Maybe we could do something a little more special than 15 of my closest non-friends at some trendy restaurant.”

He’s not getting the hint, instead nodding and picking at a piece of blanket lint in her hair. She trails her fingers down his bare chest for his attention. His eyes lift to hers. She raises her eyebrows.

Delighted recognition paints his face and almost makes her giggle.

“Oh! Oh. Yeah, that… I mean, yeah, if you want to. If you’re sure you’re ready. I don’t, I mean, I want to make sure… you know…”

She frowns. “Shawn, I’m not a virgin.”

Shawn’s face goes blank. “Oh. I mean, I wasn’t totally sure…”

They’ve been taking it slow. They haven’t had a formal discussion about it but neither of them wanted to rush it, especially given their opportunity for only short, sweet rendezvous right now while their relationship remains below board. Shawn doesn’t mind, he’ll take what he can get. And he’s never been one to push anyway.

That doesn’t mean he hasn’t thought about it. Because god, has he thought about it. Emma Jean Kingston is the best looking woman he’s ever touched and his body never lets him forget it. She sets him on fire and he’s just dancing around in the flames. He’d happily go steadily insane for her if she insisted on keeping on like this. But if she’s suggesting they round the bases as described by the timeless baseball metaphor, he’s definitely down with that too.

She snorts at the look on his face. “Dude, I brought home that French guy from Sound Control, remember?”

He sighs. “Vividly, thanks. I just didn’t know. Could’ve been part of the Emma act.”

She rolls her eyes. “Well, it sort of was, I guess, but that particular scene of the Emma act did not have a happy ending.”

Shawn chuckles. “Oh no?” He confidently begins tonguing at the freckle on her breast, which always makes her shiver for him.

She shakes her head. “Nope. I’m the queen of hopeless one-night stands. I have a magnet for guys that have… no idea what they’re doing.”

Shawn lifts his head and stares at her questioningly. Her own words dawn on her and she grabs his shoulders.

“Not you! No, you’re… well, from what I’ve seen, you’re absolutely excellent. You’re the exception to the rule. For sure.”

Shawn looks smug and plants a wet kiss on the base of her throat. “You’re gonna have a very happy birthday, Emma. A very, very, very happy birthday.”

The Reckoning is coming, the Reckoning is coming.

It’s a good mantra for the times when the alarm goes off at 4:30am for Pilaticardio and Margaret’s walking into her bedroom unannounced and squawking at her about being late when she’s not and not working hard enough when she is.

As planned, the papers are messengered to Emma on her birthday. She’s in bed texting Shawn when Mabel announces there’s a messenger here for her. She bounds out of bed and almost snatches up the folder from the prying eyes of Sandra and Margaret, whose only birthday present to Emma was to let her skip Pilaticardio for a day.

She marches back to her back lounge bedroom on the bus and rips at the packaging. Inside are just loose-leaf pages full of legal jargon but they’re going to change Emma’s whole life and it’s the best birthday present ever.

She grouptexts Shawn and Georgie: The Reckoning is here

They respond with effusive excitement and lots of emojis. She has a stupid smile on her face for the rest of the day until Kyle arrives in typical fashion with a band of merry miscreants he thought would be “the more the merrier” for her quiet, intimate birthday dinner. He plants his hands on her ass and sticks his tongue in her mouth right away upon his arrival outside the hotel where fans are waiting with phones. She knows it’s mostly for the cameras but also a little for feeling out whether she might fuck him tonight. She’s glad Shawn’s not watching.

Emma’s dinner feels a little bit like the Last Supper to both Shawn and Emma who are stealing glances at each other from across the table over Asian fusion and cocktails even for the decidedly underage. He’s too far away to touch, which means he’s also too far away to see Kyle ghosting his fingertips along Emma’s bare thigh. She crosses her legs away from him and swallows more of the fruity rum drink, looking back to Shawn. He smiles at her softly. Her heart soars.

They get papped according to plan outside the restaurant and head back to the hotel due to an early bus call the next day. While waiting for the caravan of hired cars to arrive, Shawn casually slides up next to Emma while Kyle is occupied yammering on to his friend about some club in Mallorca.

“Do you want me to come with you to talk to Margaret?” he hums, almost under his breath. She smiles softly and angles toward him, brushing her fingers over his, hoping no one’s watching. His hand twitches in response.

“No thank you. Gotta stand on my own on this one.”

She looks up at him meaningfully. He holds her gaze proudly until the cars arrive and they’re separated.

Shawn doesn’t sleep that night, not a wink. The Reckoning is here.

Sandra gets on a red eye back to California for a “charity” (i.e. networking) event in LA. Emma only has to slay one dragon at a time. After a pep talk from Angelique and another emoji-filled text from Georgie, she’s standing outside Margaret’s hotel room door at almost 1am with a manila folder full of endings.

And she finds she can’t knock.

She should’ve changed. She feels like an idiot with her high, tight ponytail and her mini dress and absurd high heels firing a woman who’s been running her life since she was a toddler in a tiara.

What’s the appropriate thing to wear when firing your second mother? Not that she was a very good one, but still.

Margaret has been there for every single one of Emma’s major life events. She remembers her kindergarten graduation. Margaret bought her the Bratz doll she had been begging for. She remembers when she was hospitalized for dehydration and exhaustion when she was shooting the second season of Fake It. Margaret never left her bed side even when Sandra did. When Georgie broke her wrist playing in the game against Warburton Prep last year, Margaret shut down her photo shoot and drove Emma to be with her at the hospital.

Emma doesn’t hate Margaret. She kind of wants to. It would make this easier. In fact she thinks, at this point in their journey, Margaret really thinks she’s doing what’s best for Emma by forging her path without consulting her and refusing her attempts at owning her creativity in favor of a boxed, processed version she thinks will make her more successful.

Margaret doesn’t hate Emma. Emma is the closest thing Margaret has to a child of her own. She’s always just wanted what’s best for Emma, right? That’s what Sandra has always said. That’s what they all want. They want Emma to succeed.

Emma slumps against the wall, closing her eyes against Emma Kingston’s voice inside her head. She’s so tired of it. There’s a part of her that worries that this duality she’s lived with for so long, the duality Margaret helped create, the duality Emma let them split into her, might not just evaporate when Margaret’s influence does.

What if Emma Kingston never really leaves? What if this is all a waste because Emma Kingston was who she was always supposed to be? What if Margaret was right?

Even holding herself up on the wall becomes too much. She sinks to sit on the heavily patterned hotel hallway carpet, blinking away tears of frustration and confusion.

What is she doing? Why is she doing this?

Her stomach roils. Her brain riots. Her pulse threads thin and erratic.

She buries her face in her hands.

She’s desperate for divisiveness, for one thing, one memory to rip her into certainty from wherever she is now.

She holds her breath and waits until it comes.

It’s an old memory, one long filtered by time and numbness and fear. It’s bitter in her mouth and hurts so bad her eyebrows pinch together and she holds an arm over her stomach like she’s afraid it will split her apart from the inside.

Emma is 8. She booked a guest spot, a one-liner on an episode of “Project Pink,” an old Disney Channel show. This is the big one, everyone tells her. If you do this well, you’ll be a Disney star. You’ll get one of those commercials where you trace the Mickey head with a glow stick.

“I’m Emma Kingston, and you’re watching Disney Channel.”

She’s practiced it a thousand times and then a thousand more. She wants it so badly.

She’s on set for two days. Her one liner is spoken with another little girl on set. Her name is Ally. She’s loud and funny and speaks Spanish really good so Emma likes her. She doesn’t get to meet a lot of kids her age. She wonders if maybe Ally could have a sleepover this weekend? Ally likes the idea. She’s been to tons of sleepovers. Emma’s nervous about staying the night without her mom and dad so Ally says she can come to Emma’s place.

Emma asks Margaret because she can’t find Sandra and Margaret is just as much her mom as Sandra is at this age. Margaret looks down at Emma with a look of distaste.

“That’s not what we’re here to do, Emma. This isn’t a game. This is your job. You need to tell her no. No sleepover.”

Emma is quiet. She knows better than to try to ask her mom or dad. They’d just check with Margaret and it would make Margaret mad to know she didn’t like the answer she got so she asked someone else. Emma tells Ally she can’t come over. Ally doesn’t understand. She gets upset. She calls Emma stupid.

Emma believes her. She stops asking for sleepovers. She stops asking for anything. She just obeys.

She heads back to her trailer and picks up a pencil her tutor left. She swings it in the air in a perfect Mickey head shape.

‘I’m Emma Kingston, and you’re watching Disney Channel.”

19-year-old Emma’s eyes open. She stares at the hotel room door. She blinks, resigned. Her heart hurts. Her limbs are heavy. But she lifts herself to standing and knocks.

Margaret answers, bleary-eyed in a big t-shirt and sweatpants. She’s still awake doing her job, supporting Emma’s career. Supporting the career Emma had no say in.

“Emma?”

Emma lifts her chin and hands her the envelope. “It’s over, Margaret. You need to go home.”

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lyftuberwomendrivers-blog · 5 years

Photo

Rideshare exploded on the scene roughly a decade ago. The concept was a brilliant marriage between technology, and transportation. Millions were now able to hail a ride within minutes, just from the tap of a button. No more grumpy cab drivers, or having to wait long pickup times based on your zip code (i.e. region discrimination). Rideshare work began attracting those in need of supplemental income, entrepreneurs, retirees, and creative types who enjoyed the freedom and flexibility gig work provides. It also attracted women drivers, who are only %14 of all Uber drivers according to Forbes.

What types of violent incidents are reported by female drivers, and at what frequency? How does rideshare driver safety, fare in relation to other occupations for women? Well, unfortunately both companies have avoided sharing any specific information at this time. There are no comprehensive reports, figures, or studies done on rideshare driver related incidents involving violence. We can only speculate these companies purposely omit this data in order to protect their reputation and therefore bottom line. Both companies have recently filed their much anticipated IPO’s.

Comparisons

Taxi workplace violence statistics do remain open to the public fortunately. An article by OnLabor (a workers rights advocacy group) states: “the homicide rate for cab drivers is about 30 times higher than the national homicide average for all workers.” While that statistic is very troubling, rideshare drivers can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Glaring distinctions exist between taxi and ridehare drivers. The most significant being; rideshare drivers deal with cashless transactions, this alone decreases the likelihood of being targeted for cash robberies, a huge motivation for violence against taxi drivers.

Another distinction is: rideshare vehicles are not hailed in a random fashion like taxi cabs. While yes, both are paired with strangers, rideshare fares are hailed specifically via an app, linked to a credit card holder. This ensures more accountability, along with the fact passengers are always under a GPS tracking service (rider/driver at all times). The exception being when the account holder orders a ride for someone else. Passengers do not have to provide their real names and a picture at this time. A petition to require this along with other safety enhancements is trending right now with close to 6k signiatures.

Reality

It also cannot be ignored that as women we are more susceptible to becoming victims of sexual assault. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center “91% of victims of rape and sexual assault are female, and nine percent are male.” Women driving late nights, are often dealing with intoxicated male passengers, placing them in a precarious position. Alcohol consumption increases this risk (for sexual assault), according to a study done by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; “approximately one-half of all sexual assaults are committed by men who have been drinking alcohol.” Many women drivers are mothers who can only work night hours due to childcare, work, or other commitments. Driving nights is attractive for the better weekly bonuses, traffic conditions and overall earnings.

Preparation

When you sign on to become a driver, you are prompted to watch a 20 minute Uber training video. It covers basic functions of the app, polices, procedures and briefly mentions for drivers to call 911 if ever in danger. There is a feature on Uber, and free apps like Life 360, allowing both drivers and passengers to share their trip/location with a loved one. One popular way drivers find guidance on navigating safety concerns is through Youtube, and other social media sites. Groups like Lyft/Uber Women Drivers on Facebook has over 11,000 members. Women share their experiences, safety tips, strategies and tools, as well as find support. A frequent question posted is; “what do you ladies carry for safety?” Or “how do you deal with men who hit on you?”

Anecdotal “evidence” via Facebook groups, news stories, or online forums (Reddit, Twitter, YouTube etc.) can help you decide whether or not being a female rideshare driver is a safe. Consider the area you drive, hours of the day or night you’ll drive, and how prepared you are in the event of an attack. Do you own a dash cam, a safety plan, or plan on carrying a mace or a stun gun? Have you practiced using them?

Safety Hacks

Surveillance: Buy a dashcam! By having a dashcam, women are sending a clear message, that they are professionals, who will not tolerate any type of misconduct during a trip. Just like a thief is deterred from stealing a package from a home with surveillance, passengers are less likely to cross boundaries after seeing a blinking camera light. Dash cams are a simple safety tool, and far too many drivers, prioritize frugality, over their safety. Whenever someone shares an unpleasant encounter, they almost always mention they wish they had it on camera. Shop around, even if you end up getting something for $19.99, it is better than nothing. The most popular and recommended by rideshare drivers for safety and surveillance is Vantrue’s N2 Pro. It is a reliable, quality, dual camera. Equipped with infrared sony night vision, 1080×1920p HD loop recording, clear audio, parking mode, 256 GB of SD storage capacity (33 hours of HD recording), G-sensor and more!

Protection: Many women also carry a stun gun or mace. Getting the right kind is essential, and these are very affordable and easy to conceal. You never want to broadcast that you carry these with a passenger. While Uber allows non lethal weapons, Lyft on the other hand, does not, and you can be deactivated. Be sure to check your local state laws as well. Ultimately, do whatever you need in order to protect yourself. For mace, be sure to get a gel or foam type (v.s. the spray) that will not have the “blowback effect”, seeing as you’re in a confined space. You want to hurt the assailant, not yourself! For stun guns, there are effective flashlight combos that blend in with your cars accessories, making it easy to access in case of an emergency. Check with a tax consultant about these items being written off as operating expenses.

Preparation: Staying safe boils down to how prepared you are. Fight, flight and freeze are common responses to fearful or threatening situations. As our primal senses increase, the ability to react effectively decreases. It’s common to hear: “I wish I would have listened to my gut.” Avoid regret by remembering, if you ever, feel uncomfortable or threatened, anytime prior, during or near the end of a trip, you are allowed to end it. How? Practice keeping all your doors locked, look at your passenger before they get in. For example, don’t feel bad for declining a drunk passenger. Always trust your gut. If it feels wrong, leave. Simply hit cancel trip, and move on to the next fare. You will not be penalized on either platform for declining a trip, or passenger that makes you feel uncomfortable.

To end a trip in progress Do. Not. Announce. It. See: Taco Bell Driver Assault video for a good illustration of why. Whenever your ending a ride in progress, make you calmly make your way to the nearest populated, safe location. Never argue with a passenger, since you are in a vulnerable position to be attacked from behind or the side, while focused on driving. You do not need to agitate or argue with someone while your defenses are down. Once you’ve pulled over, turn off the car. Grab your keys, cellphone mace/stun gun and exit the vehicle. If the passenger refuses to exit your vehicle, call the 911. Afterwards be sure to report the incident to the critical response team. Save any dash cam footage.

Conclusion

Is it safe for women to drive Lyft/Uber ? Yes. If women practice the safety tactics in place, they can have a very enjoyable experience driving for Lyft or Uber. Your chances are going to vary, but will likely be pleasant and enriching. Most people are happy to have a quick, inexpensive ride.

If you’re a woman and are currently on the fence about signing up, it’s wise to be concerned about safety, however you can’t allow fear to prevent you from experiencing an opportunity that allows for flexibility, freedom, and great earning potential. Remain vigilant and knowledgeable about ways to stay safe and join a local rideshare group for tips as well as the national women’s support group.

Lyft Sign on Bonus. Uber sign on bonus.

#lyft/uber women driver safety safety sign up to drive lyft/uber #sign up #women drivers #safety #weapons #los angeles #california

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