An Uber driver based in Seattle is being commended for a simple, but very thoughtful, idea to make sure his ride-hailing customers are comfortable and are getting the most of their rides.
In late February, George Ure, 38, handed a customer a "Ride Type Menu" of options. These included "The Silent Ride," "The Therapy Ride," and "The Stand Up [Ride]."
The customer, a 21-year-old named Luis Arguijo who called for a ride home after a night out, told BuzzFeed News he was "immediately impressed" and amused by Ure's menu, so he tweeted a picture of it. It's since gone viral, with over half a million likes and nearly 120,000 retweets.
Ure's list of "menu" items was also accompanied by descriptions of each type of ride experience commonly experienced by Uber drivers and riders.
"Got something on your mind? Let me help take it off. Talk to me," read the description for the Therapy Ride.
Ure also joked about other common experiences, like "The Creepy Ride," which he described as: "I don't say anything. I just look at you from time to time in the rearview mirror."
Ure, who's been driving for the ride-hailing company for three months now, told BuzzFeed News he was inspired to print out real menus after joking about it with customers.
"People would come in [my car] and I would be like, 'Gosh, I should make a menu,'" he said. "It's one of those jokes that was like, 'Holy shit, that's a really good idea.'"
Ure even consulted with a chef friend of his about how to lay it all out like a restaurant menu. He then printed out 20 copies, and left them in the backseat for his riders to find.
He said a lot of initial passengers did not grab a menu. "Those people by default are a silent ride," he joked, adding, "If you don't want to talk, that's cool — I have social skills."
Arguijo said that while they found his menu hilarious, they were struck with how genuinely thoughtful it came off as well.
"We could tell that he really cared about his passengers' satisfaction and we respected him because that’s never happened to us," he said.
Arguijo's tweet about his ride with Ure instantly connected with people online, who all had their own preferences and histories with Uber rides.
"Always the silent ride," one person commented.
"I have no idea why but I feel like I would've chose 'The Rude Ride,'" someone else said.
"The way my mental health set up, I’d have to go with the therapy ride every time," another joked.
Some shared real-life, heartfelt conversations with drivers that came at an opportune time in their lives.
@LuisLovesGoats I FULLY HAD A THERAPY RIDE ONCE. My driver asked how my day had been and I was like "well my gf broke up with me" and the entire 25 minute ride was him talking me through things and gassing me up and giving me a motivational speech it was great
Ure said the top choices among his riders are the Silent Ride and the Stand Up. He personally prefers rides where he can share stories and morsels of what he calls his own "ridiculous life."
"From being a skydiver ... and working in HIV research ... and getting my exes tattooed on me — more than once — there’s so much material. Where do I start," he said.
I need a version of this to hand to people who wander into my office. #everydayimpastoring https://t.co/9t2z7TwLBj
BuzzFeed News has reached out to Uber for comment.
Arguijo said he's been in contact with Ure, and believes the viral spotlight on him is very much deserved.
"We can’t believe all the love the post has received and how viral it’s gotten," said Arguijo.
"I’m glad he’s received all the kind words and laughs — he deserves it. He’s a genuine guy. My friends and I loved him."
And if anyone was wondering, Arguijo and his friends chose the Therapy Ride option and gave it a rave review. "He was really open-minded and a good listener," he added.
