More Tolls, More Quarters

You’ll never guess what happened yesterday! Just hours after sharing yesterday’s toll story, I had my very own toll story. Even more impressive, my story also involves stepping over quarters to pick up nickels. As my week in Houston was wrapping up, I ordered an Uber to drive me to the airport. About a half mile into the trip, the driver looked back at me and asked, “How are you doing in time? In a hurry?” Interesting question. What if I said yes? Would he gun it and drive 90 MPH like a scene out of Fast and Furious? Oh well, no big deal. I turned my attention back to whatever I was doing.

Then, about 20 seconds later, he took an unexpected turn. Before he picked me up, I looked at the map to see what route we would take. Therefore, his sudden turn piqued my interest. Then, it hit me! Thinking back to my pre-drive map session, I noticed it said our route would include a toll….something in the $2.50 range. Ah, that’s it! The Uber driver, now knowing I wasn’t “in a hurry,” decided to take the non-toll route. Why? Because the fare I paid included the toll cost, and if he didn’t have to pay that toll, he could effectively pocket that toll money for himself. 

The moment he initiated his little detour, my GPS updated and said we would arrive 21 minutes later than just a few seconds prior. It ultimately took 18 minutes longer. In other words, he made $8.33/hour for his little toll money grab. All the while, he could have simply and efficiently dropped me off and immediately grabbed a higher-margin drive while at the airport. Worse, his poor and selfish service cost him part of his tip, negating any upside he was trying to gain by playing chicken with my schedule. Had he just served me well, my tip would have been the financial upside he sought. Honest. Deserved. Earned. Instead, he tried to take advantage of someone.....and lost. 

Doing the right thing is always the right thing. Not just because it’s the right thing, but because, in the long run, the right thing is usually the better thing. 

Don’t step over quarters to pick up nickels, and definitely don’t step on others while doing it. Words to live by! I hope you have a blessed day.