Types of people you meet in UberPOOL

We are no strangers to the app-cab revolution. With surge pricing and never ending traffic jams, many of us have moved to the option of taking a pooled ride. It is cheap, convenient and definitely a better option than having to haggle with autowallahs.

With the same reasoning in mind, I've been taking UberPOOL from work almost everyday. I live in Bangalore and one has to be living under a rock if one doesn't know the traffic woes here. My office is connected to my place of residence via metro, but there is a 20 min or so stretch between Mysore Road metro station and the tech park where my office is located. In the mornings, I usually take the office shuttle, but, during the evening as I leave before the first shuttle, I prefer to take a pooled ride. There is an offer that if you book a cab before 5, it would cost only Rs 49 for 4 kms. (That's almost a third of what it would cost to take an UberGO). An offer that many claim and most travelling in the same direction. Needless to say, I've met quite a few characters in my travels.

The Right-On-Point type: 

This type will ensure that they have entered the correct locations in their app, and constantly check to see the whereabouts of the cab. The driver wouldn't need to call them and confirm as they would be present at the pick up point minutes before the cab arrives. If they are the first pick up, they will choose the seat which would give them ease of exit at the drop point; if not they would prefer the seat next to the driver (if available of course), to avoid the hassle of having to adjust for others.

The Diverters:

Now, these would be the stark opposite of the first category. There would be a minimum of 5 calls exchanged between them and the driver, and despite that neither would be able to find each other for minutes. Each would give directions to the other and the poor driver and the fellow riders will site see more than he had hoped. Finally when they meet, it is quite possible that they would have put the incorrect drop location as well. (Happens more often that not. One would imagine that with a tech park full of people who are actually adept at developing some top notch technologies, there would also be some who are technically challenged :S)

The Delayers: 

It is for these people that Uber started the rule of charging the rider extra if he shows up late to the pick up point. One would think that it would make the person show up on time; but as it turns out a spending a few bucks for arriving late is nothing in comparison to the sadistic pleasure they might get from delaying everyone. Of course, it is possible that someone might be genuinely stuck in something, and I have absolutely nothing against such cases, but for the person sitting in the car or another waiting at the designated point, or even the driver trying to get a good review, it surely is no walk in the park. There's this one lady, I've had the pleasure(read terror) of riding with quite a few times. On an average she would arrive 5 minutes after the cab reached her location. While checking my UberPOOL matches I pray that I don't get paired with her.

The Forced Add-Ons: 

Quite a few times, it has so happened that the cab I was in, had already covered a quarter of the journey when the next rider got added. Most times, the driver would call the guy and let him know that we had already left the area and it would be counter productive to go all the way back to pick them up. In such a case usually the person would be gracious and hitch another ride, but not always the case. At times when there is a shortage of cabs and it becomes difficult to get a ride, people might opt to wait for as long as 15 minutes for the one the booked. In that situation the driver would have no option other than to go back all the way and pick them up. In one of my rides, I got stuck with a college student who lived in the same area and wanted to get home. Although the college isn't far from the tech park, due to the metro construction, vehicles have to take a longer route to get there. Normally it would take me about 10 minutes to get to the main road, but cause of that pick up and drop, it took me 30 minutes. I couldn't really blame the poor kid as he had already bided his time waiting for the cab.

The Chatterers: 

After a day's work, the prospect of getting home relieves us from all stress. Many would utilize the cab ride to catch up with friends and family. I wouldn't complain; I have done it many times. Usually in a public setting, we tend to speak in a lower register to ensure that our private conversations stay that way. This category of people doesn't care for any privacy. Their life is an open book that anyone can peep into. Thanks to this, I now know who is getting married to whom, who is going onsite and for how long, who got the most raise and what not.

The Not-So-Small-Talkers: 

The maximum number of people working in the tech park are from my organisation, so many times I get paired with them. It seems only natural to strike up a conversation as we are fruits from the same tree. I got married recently and I wear those customary red bangles. Conversations with me start out as questions as to how long I have to wear them or how long I've been married. It then goes on to where each of us sits: which building, which floor, what project etc. It ends with a casual exchange of names and a polite "See you around", even though it is possible that we might not even remember this exchange next time we meet. Or, in the case of a friend of mine, the other person actually found her on the internal communicator and asked her out for coffee.

The list isn't exhaustive. I'm sure there would be a lot more types and I'd update as soon as I encounter more. Till then, feel free to share your experiences. :)