I picked up Milo in Norfolk, close to ODU. His car had broken down. He’s a middle-aged guy–gray, bearded, stocky. And he had a thick accent that I couldn’t place. “Okay, I give up. I’m usually pretty good at identifying accents, but I don’t recognize yours.” “I’m from Cyprus. It’s an island…” “I know where… Continue reading Government Thievery

There’s no quick way to explain why this one drive last weekend was so awesome, so you’re going to have to bear with me. I have been a fan of the band Switchfoot since the late 1990s, when I saw them in concert as an opening act. They have released something like ten albums and… Continue reading Driving Drew

I wasn’t engaged in the conversation during this ride. I took two buddies from one bar to another. They were young guys, Tim and Jeff, out celebrating Tim’s promotion and upcoming move to Colorado. It all started as we drove past a group of nicely dressed ladies in the Finn McCool’s parking lot. Jeff rolled down the window… Continue reading Uber Evangelism

Vanessa was escorted from the bar to my vehicle by an imposing dude in a tight T-shirt who gestured to me to put down the window. “You make sure you get this young lady home safe, you hear me?” “Of course. That’s what I do.” “Just know that if I find out anything funny, I… Continue reading Splitsville

“How’s your night been?” I get that question a lot from friendly passengers. This time it was from Ken, an Old Dominion University student I’d picked up from Central 111 and was taking to his family home in Virginia Beach. “Good. Kind of boring though,” I said. “I mean, I’ve been pretty busy, and I’ve… Continue reading Walmart in the Wee Hours

Grace sat up front, something I always take as a sign of friendliness. But she just silently stared at her phone for a while. I had picked her up at the Block–a spot on Atlantic between 21st and 22nd street where four night clubs abut one another. It gets pretty wild there on weekends in the… Continue reading Lonely

Tips are rare for Uber drivers¹. Maybe one out of ten riders will toss me a buck or two. An extra dollar would be nice, but I’ve got used to it. And I’m genuinely appreciative when the rare passenger offers me a little something extra. That’s why I like aviators. I had an unusually hard… Continue reading Navy Pilots Are My Favorite