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Paco and Annabelle
The godforsaken sun had the audacity to rise again over the city of Los Angeles. As daylight rudely interrupted my slumber through the dusty curtains in my Koreatown walkup, I groaned, accepting the inevitability of another day of madness on the roads of this sprawling jungle. Sometimes, I wonder if I’m the worst driver in…
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But Wait, There’s More
A couple of nights ago, I picked up a well dressed man. He spent a lot of time talking about the vacations he’s going to and the expensive restaurants he goes to. I asked what he does, and he said he has a business. I was extra nice to him, because now Uber is allowing…
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It’s Not a Surge, it’s a Damned Red Herring
Let me tell you something, folks, I’m convinced these goons at Uber are masters at playing tricks on its drivers, riders, and even the public at large. They create software loops within the app that serve a specific purpose, including evading law enforcement or taking a bigger chunk of gross fares than promised. It’s all…
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Seeing Red and The End of the World
Last night I found myself down at the Bicycle Casino at the end of a ride, about 10 miles southwest of downtown L.A. As I closed out the ride, I consulted my trusty map and noticed that Korea Town was blazing red, like a ripe tomato high on Miracle-Gro. The surge had to be soaring…
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A Little Advice From One Uber Driver to Another
Well, my friend, you’re talking to someone who knows a thing or two about rideshare and putting together a resume that will make hiring managers take notice. It’s a delicate dance, you see, between highlighting your accomplishments and not coming off as too much of a self-promoting pile of pomposity. But let me tell you,…
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What Ever Possessed Me?
In the savage heart of Los Angeles, 2022 tried to break me with a vengeance. The old bat I’d been with for a decade made a run for it with the kids, leaving nothing but the stinging whip of her insults echoing through the empty halls of the Koreatown walkup we had been living in…
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There Had To Be a First
Los Angeles, that sprawling, neon-saturated beast at the edge of the Pacific, is a place where sanity takes a backseat and chaos rides shotgun. So there I was, burning rubber down Sunset Boulevard, the smell of marijuana wafting through the air, a weird mesh of top-dollar mansions and dollar taco stands. The Hollywood sign, those…
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What Is It With These Damned Ratings Part 2
In the simmering chaos of Los Angeles, the city of angels and demons, with the Hollywood sign casting shadows and the stretch of Sunset Boulevard illuminating stories, there I was – a man consumed. It wasn’t riches, or the high of narcotics, or even the tantalizing call of the Pacific; it was something far more…
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What Is It With These Damned Ratings?
In the swirling cesspool of Los Angeles, a land teetering on the fulcrum of dreams and despair, there exists an addiction as raw and visceral as any opiate. This isn’t the pull of Hollywood’s silver screen or the magnetic lure of Malibu’s surf. No, this is the digital heroin of our time: rideshare ratings. Driving…
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Hot Summer Nights, Nike’s, and a Speedo
The sun had long set on the City of Angels, but I wasn’t done for the day. I had to keep moving. Too much nervous energy. So, after my nine-to-five grind, I laced up my running shoes and hit the pavement for a few miles, then a quick cool-down swim at Belmont Plaza before starting…