Hospital trips and Puppies with Parvo

 

I’m finding out that Uber on Saturday morning is quite a joy. I don’t rush like I do on a Wednesday or Thursday. I’m peaceful because I’m don’t fight traffic or react to honking horns and angry drivers. It’s like everyone on the road just agrees, let’s take it easy today alright?

Do you need to pass?…after you sir. No blinker?…no problem. U-turn in the middle of a busy street?...why not.

Today was such an occasion. The weather was perfect and I was still on my morning runner’s high so my mood matched the sunny conditions. Yes I know that runner’s highs don’t last that long but let me have this. I had an interesting crop of riders from both last night and today. No duds thankfully, although I did have a woman who made an unscheduled stop. As a general rule I don’t mind letting someone run into Quik Trip for a 6 pack or some lottery tickets. Out of the way trips that aren’t scheduled on the app are kind of a no-no per Uber. There might be a safety aspect but mostly it’s because we aren’t getting paid. Not me and certainly not Uber. And anyway it’s an easy fix. Just update the trip.

Her stop was to the liquor store which was at least marginally near her apartment. She was in and out as quick as possible but it could go either way. A customer might decide to do a little shopping, or get behind in long line. I’m out money when they do that and it’s seriously rude.

Early today I picked up a man with a scheduled hospital visit. He wanted McDonalds first and it wasn’t on the trip. He asked me for help to add it as a stop, which was decent of him. That was fortunate for me. Now I can show riders how to do it. He turned out to be my favorite type of passenger, a Tulsa native who is over the age of 60 and likes to talk about the city. Sadly he has health problems on top of health problems. I get the feeling he needs regular treatments and medicine to get by.

On second thought the McDonalds stop was a probably a bad idea. So now I’m complicit.

I accepted a ride from a woman in East Tulsa who asked about dogs. “Do you take dogs?” She asked of course after I accepted the ride. It’s really my fault though. I don’t remember if I allowed for dogs when I set up my account. Truth is I prefer they bring a cage but since most people hold their dogs anyway it doesn’t matter. She told me she would bring a towel so I relented. Towels are known to be the exact equivalent of a cage. What could possibly get past a full size towel?

Her trip was to an animal clinic for regular treatment of Parvo. I’m not sure if this was a shot or a pill but she had taken her Dalmatian mix puppy in a few times before. He was a bit squirmy but friendly and curious. This was a relief because when I saw this women coming out with this dog is her arms he was growling at some of the neighbors walking past. I thought, “Oh great, a nasty little mutt”. He was nice to me though. The owner was skeptical about his diagnosis. One of the symptoms of Parvo is lethargy. No problem there with this rowdy guy.

I’ve thought about calling the owners from now on and asking them about the breed. “What breed did you say it was? Retriever? Absolutely I take dogs.”

“Sorry did you say Chihuahua? No I don’t take dogs.”

I picked up another hospital ride later in the day. She was tall and lean like a basketball player. She couldn’t have looked more like an athlete if she came out in a mesh jersey and Jordans. I guess she was here visiting parents. Her home is in New York now and she’s a sports industry attorney. And yes, she played in the WNBA for a few years after playing at Duke. Naturally I wanted to learn more about her life. I would have liked a longer ride, 10 minutes was all I got. She had strong opinions on elite youth sports and even stronger opinions about the coaches and industry that churns them out like widgets. I’d defer to her experience but hearing that many of the coaches are selfish task masters wasn’t exactly surprising.

 I told her I sold sporting goods at a local store, so we’re basically the same. “You spent years playing professional sports around the world and practicing international law? I know exactly what you mean. I sell basketball uniforms to 8 year olds so I can SOOO relate girl.”  

Anyway she gave me a very nice tip and I thanked her profusely like a silly fanboy.

The theme this week was hospitals and animal clinics.

 I had one more drop off at an animal shelter in Tulsa, a veterinary student. She volunteered to increase her exposure and experience. I liked that she understood the importance of real world practice in the industry she was studying. A common complaint with industry professionals (in multiple jobs) is lack of practical understanding of the business from young graduates. This girl got it. I’m sure she’ll do well. I asked her what she knew about Parvo. She seemed confused “I’ve never heard of that” she said with interest.

Well, I might know someone who can help.