The backseat convo

Some people consider going out the epitome of a good time, I am not one of those people. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good sesh, the whole throwing your head back and shouting lyrics at the top of your lungs, its a good time. Is it what I would consider to be the epitome of a good time? No, not really.

Anyway that’s sort of besides the point, where I was going with this was sort of about the progression of Part 1 of the night out: “The Getting Ready for the Sesh”. Part 1 has many different and equally important steps which lead to the ultimate success of the night. Step 1: deciding between the 7 very similar but crucially different outfit choices only to regret the final outfit later on. Step 2: the choice of shoe, equally regrettable throughout the night. Step 3: the face cover up, as someone who is intolerant to alcohol and goes red and splotchy if an ounce of liquor enters her system, this step is crucial. Step 4: the pre-drinks, self explanatory. Step 5: quite possibly one of the most awkward steps: the Uber drive. Why I consider this to be one of the most awkward steps is simply because the whole concept of Uber is a bit strange to me. Two strangers sit in a car together, while they try to make conversation until they arrive at their destination. We’re specifically told from birth, not to talk to strangers, so at what age did that rule just suddenly disappear? Asking for a friend.

On the rare occasion I take an Uber (alone) I try and make the whole experience memorable to the driver and not just for the 5 stars. I sort of find it my duty to humanity and to the concept of Uber to make the drive interesting. My thinking is that if I have to sit in a car with a stranger, I might as well make it memorable and what better way to achieve this than to hit them with a killer of a conversation starter. Unfortunately this always seems to backfire and the only two phrases that come out of my mouth are “so, busy night?” Or the groundbreaking “so how long have you been an uber driver?” Yes, you almost see the disappointment cross their faces. And in true fashion, after this one sentence, I end up riding in silence the rest of the way, my goal of making easy conversation with a stranger gone for another day.

And in the spirit of the Uber driver, here’s an iconic meme: