Writer's Exercise

Short ride on a drizzly Sunday afternoon. My pick up is an older woman, ready and waiting, less than five to ten minutes in the car. Works for me, especially as I'm chasing a bonus and looking for short rides.

We pull up to a regional Post Office and she directs me to the employee entrance. As she's getting out of the car, she forcefully gives me two quarters for a tip. I thank her in the same way that I thank everyone who tips me, and she's off

Which leads to the following interpretations for what is, to date, the smallest tip of my career as a ride share driver.

1) It's good math on her part. A little over 10%, given the brevity of the ride.

2) It's quite generous. Nearly 2.5X my global rate, because most people do not tip their rideshare drivers. (Honestly, people. Tip your rideshare drivers. Especially if you aren't on a surge price.)

3) It's a sign of her age, in that it's out of kilter with modern levels. And honestly fine.

4) It's a sign of her personal pride, in that she wants to tip a fellow working person, but is also under financial distress.

5) She's actually annoyed with my level of service, and giving me a tip that's purposefully low.

I'm going with... four, and honestly feeling all kinds of poignancy about it. But your mileage may vary...