The Ride-share from Hell

Trin Carl
3 min readOct 1, 2024

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photo from Unsplash

characters:Harry, Sandra,(the voice of Sandra in italics) Shaaron

INT-Car-Day

Sandra (30s) had been driving for ride-share for the last four months. Her plan was to fly to Florida for a vacation with her partner (Harry) when she picks up Shaaron (30s), an ride-share client, for her last ride.

Flight Departure August 13, 2020, 2:15 pm.

GPS

Turn on Mystic Lake

SANDRA

We’ll do Shirley.

(Takes a breath)

One last ride

A flash forward After the ride-share incident on August 13, 2020 3:15 pm

SANDRA

(Talkin’ into her phone)

You won’t believe what happened!

HARRY

I told you to stop talking so much to your passengers.

Back to the present August 13, 2020 10:15 am

Shaaron

Just give me a second so I can get in.

The passenger adjusts her leg brace and eases her way into Sandra’s car.

Shaaron

Can you turn up the air or something?

Sandra turns on the AC.

SANDRA

How was the hotel?

SHAARON

I wasn’t staying there.

SANDRA

Oh, okay.

Who is this diva?

SANDRA CONT’D

I’m going on a little vacation after I drop you off

SHAARON

Where to?

SANDRA

Florida. But I’m not taking my kid. It wouldn’t be a vacation then.

SHAARON

Oh, I got five of the little buggers, I don’t take ’em anywhere. I just have ’em, let someone else raise ‘em.

SANDRA

(laughs)

I know, right.

Wait. Is she saying she doesn’t have custody of her kids? Or does she have a nanny? She certainly looks like someone with money. A lot of my clients do. Wait. I only know one person who doesn’t have custody of so many kids.

Sandra takes a look at the app.

Shaaron. Spells her name with an extra ‘a.’ Oh shit! Oh shit! I know who this person is. Fuck, she’s on her phone.

SHAARON

Rodney, where are you at? Ha. Ha! Are you sleeping? You drunk, huh? I’m coming over South. I’m in a taxi.

SANDRA

You’re in an ride-share.

SHAARON

How long till we get there? Can you turn up the AC? I’m sweating back here.

19.

SANDRA

How the fuck can she ask me anything after what she’s done?

Sandra turns up the AC to high blast while focusing on the road and Not trying to think of Shaaron

SHAARON

It’s fucking hot in this rideshare. Can you turn up the air?”

SANDRA

It doesn’t go up any higher. You could open the window… We have twenty minutes.

I take this route to Shakopee three times a week.

Shaaron gets off her phone.

SANDRA

Ask her, ask her. Ask her!

Have you ever stolen a car before?

It is still August 13, 2020 12:15pm

SHAARON

No, why would you ask me that?

SANDRA

Because three years ago, a woman who had given up her three kids had stolen my car and her name was Shaaron. AND she left her ID in the car.

SHAARON

But I don’t have three kids, I have five.

SANDRA

Doesn’t mean you didn’t have three kids when this happened.

SHAARON

I never De-ny my kids!

(Huffs in exasperation)

Wait, are you sure it was Shaaron Matson?

Shaaron has her ID out and shows it to Sandra over the seat. Sandra takes a second to look and turns her head back to the road.

20.

SANDRA

It’s her alright. Same southern-belle lookin’ little bitch.. blond hair, And same ugly look on her face.

Sandra is looking to either shoulder, as if fighting her conscience.

SANDRA

(to Shaaron)

At least someone is having fun!

SHAARON

No, but stealing a car, that’s karma!

I’ve got no felonies on my record.

SANDRA

I wrote a story about it.

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Trin Carl

I am an improviser.I write Theater 🎭 reviews in Minneapolis and ride-share confessions. Find my blog @theglobaldig.blogspot.com