【Gulab 69 (2025) Hindi Web Series】

I'm not exactly a morning person. So the thought of getting up and Gulab 69 (2025) Hindi Web Seriessharing a ride to work with a complete stranger isn't the most appealing to me.

When my editor suggested that I give the newly launched UberPool service a try, I only agreed because I was hoping that I would have a "Tinder for Uber" tale to tell. Kind of like this guy here:

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Okay, jokes aside, while I'm not looking for a boyfriend via UberPool, I sure wasn't looking for an awkward ride to start the day.

When carpooling day arrived, I got up bright and early and made a special effort to put on lipstick -- I usually leave that till I get into the office.

Booking the ride was easy, just like calling a regular Uber. My ride showed up in less than two minutes.

Alas for my Tinder dream, it was another lady sharing my ride with me (I'll call her "P" to protect her privacy.) She was pretty reserved, past our initial greetings when I got in. 

But this is where the ride got off to a fairly bad start, because P wanted to go to her destination first, despite mine being nearer -- and the driver agreed. 

I figured, I was a newbie at this, and she seemed to be in a rush, so I went with it.

I decided to break the awkward silence we were sitting in.

About a fifth of the way, I decided to break the awkward silence we were sitting in, and ask how this entire UberPool arrangement works: who gets off first? Is it based on who's nearer or who's in a hurry, I asked.

P said: "Distance! We can go to your place first."

I assured P that I was okay with dropping her off first, and that I wasn't in a hurry.

What confused me most was that while the driver agreed that the nearer destination should be the first drop-off, he did not change his route to drop me off first, until the app rerouted midway through the journey.

Price-wise, I had quite the deal. UberPool claims its fares can dip to 25 percent cheaper than regular UberX rides. Mine was 33 percent cheaper, to my delight.

But P said she had a 1.2x surge when she booked her ride, which was unfortunate for her.

All of these aggressions aside, I wound up making a friend. As it turns out, P and I have quite a bit in common, having studied and lived in Australia. By the time I arrived at my destination, I wished I had a few more minutes to get to know her better.

So yeah, it wasn't exactlythe ride from hell. But let's face it, I'm still not a morning person. And I would still prefer to put on my lipstick in the office. Would I UberPool again? Maybe only in the afternoons when I'm ready to face the world, am not in a hurry and when Uber's system gets its act together.

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