Smiley Sharing Uber St. Louis Ride-a-longs

Smiley Ridesharing: Pretrip Mental Checks and 5 Star Service (PMCS)

Hi Smiley here. Michael and I are about to begin another evening of Uber. Michael  intended to make an early start on this lovely first day of spring, but as Robert Burns said, the plans of mice and men often go awry. Weekends are typically super-busy, and after a late night of hard work (classwork, housework, and work on SmileySharing.com), Michael and Rebecca were both wiped out and slept later than they wanted to. 

Smiley Sharing Uber St. Louis Ride-a-longs: Everybody Be safe—get your rest!

Since I’m an emoji pillow, I don’t sleep, but I know humans need it to work. I want to urge all of my readers out there to take the time to get enough rest. Without enough sleep, nobody functions at their best. A normally excellent driver can become a dangerous driver when he hasn’t gotten enough sleep. A sleep deprived driver will have slower physical reaction times, and they more inclined to irritation because of tiredness.  

Speaking of rest, Michael just got out of his last Monday class before Spring Break begins at his university. While we don’t have the option to take a vacation, I’m going to encourage Michael to make the most of his spring break when he isn’t working. Additionally, take advantage of the lovely weather during his break!

Smiley St Louis Uber Ridesharing: Ride-a-long Trips

Michael and I had our first ridesharing passengers of the evening, a mom and her two children. Since Michael is the parent of a four-year-old himself, he understands that sometimes there’s a lot of chatter from children, and sometimes, their parents use the car ride to lull their children to sleep. The mom attempted to get her kids to wind down for the evening, so no conversation and some soft, soothing music were in order for this ride.

Smiley St Louis Uber Ridesharing: Ride-a-long Tips

On a sidenote, sometimes you get a feeling in your gut that you’re in a bad place or a bad situation. It might seem weird, but pay attention to that uneasy feeling—you may be unconsciously picking up on something dangerous that hasn’t registered with your conscious mind. If you find yourself in a situation that feels unsafe, go ahead and find the quickest route out, regardless of whether it’s a social situation or a place where you feel like you’re in danger.

Smiley St Louis Uber Ridesharing: Ride-a-long  XL Trips

For our next ridesharing ping of note, Michael and I took a group of six amazing professionals from their restaurant to their hotel.  They were here from New Jersey on business, and they definitely were a very fun bunch. Michael shared with them about SmileySharing.com,  and they seemed very excited about. One of the passengers pulled up the blog and read it aloud. It was very flattering and humbling to hear the stories and the words that we share with you being read aloud! It is thrilling that SmileySharing.com touched and reached these riders.

To those wonderful professionals, we say this: Thank you! We hope that SmileySharing.com is helpful in your lives and the lives of those share it.We are very grateful to have been a small joy in your life!

Smiley St Louis Mental Health & Wellness: Gratitude 

I’ve given kudos to our driver Michael, but there really is a silent but vital part to SmileySharing.com that really needs a shout out: Rebecca our TC, transcriber, editor, and website space provider. (read more about: (T.C.) Rebecca L. Oaks) Without her, SmileySharing.com would not be even a reality, let alone the site it’s turning into. They say beside every good man or emoji is an even greater woman, and I just want to take this opportunity to share with all the readers how great this woman is.  She’s an author, a mother, an artist, a genius, and all things one could hope to have an a partner. She has her BA in English (and is the first woman in her family to earn a Bachelor’s degree). Michael and I want to share with the rest of the audience how much her work that is going on scenes means to all of those that ride with Michael and Michael himself. (Editor’s note: This was Michael’s idea, not mine!)

Smiley St Louis Mental Health & Wellness: Gratitude & Engagement

To all of our readers out there, I would like to pose a question: Do you have a partner in your life that’s invaluable to the work that you do? When’s the last time you told them, “thank you?” (Nor just a generic thank you, but a thank you for specific things, such as their hard work, ideas, encouragement, strength, courage, or any of the other ways they make your life better.) 

I urge you as I have encouraged Michael to be grateful for those in our lives who help make our dreams, goals, and success a reality. We need each other, because no one is truly an island. Please don’t take the helpers in your life for granted, and don’t forget to show them the same kindness you show yourself.

Smiley St Louis Uber Ridesharing: Ride-a-long Last Trips

Since the pings started to get fewer and further between, Michael decided to start heading towards the house with his light on. We had a short run on the way home, but we welcomed it. When it’s that late, it’s safer to get a ride instead of walking. 

Smiley St Louis Uber Ridesharing: Driver Tips

Sometimes, Michael hears complaints from passengers that Uber drivers get upset when they have to do short runs. Michael sometimes feels frustrated when he has a short run, but he always keeps in mind that this is a service and this service is to help others, regardless of the distance they need to go. Michael is there to serve them by helping them get to where they need to go safely while creating a positive and fun experience for each rider. The better the experiences riders have, the more often they’ll choose a rideshare service, and the more often they choose a rideshare service, the more often Michael will get chances to offer a service that helps pay his bills and get him through graduate school. It’s a win for everyone!

Smiley St Louis Uber Ridesharing: Tips, and Ridesharing Driver Recommendations 

Speaking of tips, Michael just learned where the origin of the word “tip” came from: it is an acronym that means “To Insure Performance.” For those who have ridden with us and didn’t have cash but wanted to tip Michael, go ahead and head over to the Smiley Supporting section. At the bottom you’ll find an opportunity to tip us using PayPal. We really appreciate it and thank you for your support!

Smiley St Louis Uber Ridesharing: Drivers and Taxes

Before we end the blog, we wanted to share a question that came through from a new driver. The new driver asked, “How do you do your taxes, since Uber doesn’t take it out?” Michael shared with them that we use a program called “QuickBooks for the Self Employed.” It includes a real-time mileage tracking program and estimates your quarterly taxes based on income and deductions. It’s been very helpful to us, so check out the link below and have a wonderful day!

 

It’s been a marvelous but quiet Monday , so we’re calling it a night and wishing you many tips and many trips.

 Take Me With You!

I hope you know that with me you’re never riding alone and that I may bring a smile to your face. 🙂

Ready to Drive?  Ready to Rideshare? Want to Support Smiley Sharing? Consider: Smiley Supporting