You Can Go First
How I paid 50% less for e-hailing and got a friend.
February is coming to an end. Time does fly by fast, doesn’t it?
You: b-but ti-time is re-re-lati-re-lative.
Me: *blue ticks*
Anyway, four weeks ago — a day before my new semester at university began — I was returning from roughly a week of Chinese New Year break at home. It was a little past 10 p.m., and I had planned to wait at the train station until 11.30 p.m. for a free shuttle bus back to campus.
But, it turned out to be more challenging than I thought. The station was mostly empty with no place to comfortably sit and get things done. With luggage in hand and how late it already was, it didn’t feel safe too.
So, I booked a Grab ride.
Man, that decision didn’t come easy. It was a dilemma — albeit insignificant — between spending money or sacrificing time. I could choose the free option — save RM19 (about $4) and spend an hour waiting for the bus, or the paid option — save an hour and pay for an e-hailing ride.
And here’s the icing on the overthinking cake — Sleep 💤. Opting for the bus option also meant I could only reach my dorm around midnight. Add some time for unpacking, tidying, showering, etc., and it’d be almost 2 a.m. before I could go to bed.
That wouldn’t be a great way to start the week.
🤯 What I did next still surprises me today
With the break coming to an end, wouldn’t there be a high chance that someone else was also returning to the campus like I was? Why don’t I share the ride, and thus the cost?
Indeed, even I was amazed by my intelligence. Except that I could have gotten someone on board first before booking the ride. And don’t get me started with “why didn’t you choose the shared-ride option?”.
I braced myself up and went looking for potential targets — young, waiting, student-like, and carrying luggage. I know. I know. Why do I need to gather courage for this seemingly simple act?
Because it would involve talking to strangers, though a similar age to mine. It was quite nerve-wracking. In fact, I even chickened out on my first target. Damn.
But, I succeeded in the next. Turned out he had ordered one but was willing to cancel it to share the cost with me. That’s a good human right there.
🎈 What I learned
On the trip back home, we talked about all sorts of things. It turned out that I am
his senior two academic years apart,
from the same hometown as him, and
living a mere 2-min walk from his accommodation hall.
What’s more? It seemed that we are like-minded people on certain aspects of life — on how learning should be and what truly matters in the lives we lead.
That’s not something you experience every day.
Think about that for a second.
Had I not thought about sharing a ride, I wouldn’t have experienced something like this. Had I not ignored the self-imposed embarrassment of talking to a stranger — both before and during the ride, I wouldn’t have experienced something like this.
But, ignoring my fear of striking up a conversation with a stranger made this story a reality. And
I got a friend,
I had a great conversation, and
I saved both time and money for the trip.
All these wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t take the initiative or didn’t understand what our old-time productivity senpai said,
People are friendly, but you have to go first.
—Ali Abdaal, The Go First Rule
What an awesome way to start a new semester.
Have a cookie 🍪
—Thomas
P.S.
We are four weeks in! Since resuming weekly publishing in early February, I’ve received many positive reviews from friends who’ve enjoyed reading the stories so far. Without your support, I wouldn’t have kept going for this long. So…👇
If you find Not Alone interesting, comment below or find me on Twitter to share your thoughts! It encourages me to tell more stories as we enter a new month in 2023 together. I read every reply :D
🥇 Weekly Gold
Each week, I share one thing I found interesting with you. It could be a song, a book, a quote, or a YouTube video that blew my mind.
Here’s the gold this week 👇
Getting started to write is usually the hardest part of writing. Recently, I found listening to music (especially instrumental) helpful in setting the mood. The Wisp Sings by Winter Aid is my recent go-to. Relaxing. Peaceful. Perfect for storytelling.
For the slowed, instrumental version I listen to, click here.
Image credit: Cover photo by Deva Darshan on Unsplash