u/Ill-Recipe9424

I emailed Lyft's driving through the Lyft app to ask if my annual Minneapolis driving inspection scheduled for the 26th of June could be moved to a July date, since I will not be driving for 3 days next week, due to a root canal scheduled on Tuesday morning for an infected (and chipped) molar.

Lyft's chat agent (bot or human, I don't know) checked and declined the date move. I was told the system does not make exceptions and never moves dates for driving inspections.

If I were an employee, I think Lyft *would* move the date. However, since Lyft drivers are 1099 contractors, our personal life events that disrupt our Lyft committments like the annual driving inspection, are not valued.

I have been a driver for Lyft for 3 years full time, 7 days a week. I even attended an in-person town hall (never received my Lyft sign that lights up via mail like I was promised).

I can't control the timing of my root canal. I need to get it taken care of next Tuesday because the tooth is infected. I moved my State Farm insurance payment, my CLEO app payment, and my Cell phone payment. But Lyft won't even let me move my 26th driving inspection date (I have to also purchase rear brakes for my SUV or I will fail the inspection).

Just venting. This is the downside to being a 1099 worker. Your personal life isn't a factor and doesn't matter to the 1099 employer. If I could snap my fingers and find a full-time job tomorrow, I would. But I'm 55 and a woman, so I have those two strikes against me already. I couldn't even get a local coffee shop to hire me as a barista.

55 yr old woman here. In February, I chipped my lower left quadrant #19 and it became infected. No dentin exposure but history of periodontitis beneath gums since childhood.

Currently on day 2 of Amoxicilin and the breakthrough left jaw pain is excrutiating (day #6 of OTC 200 mg Ibuprophen self-treatment with ice packs and salt water rinses and soft food diet).

I was seen at a dental clinic in my neighborhood yesterday.

The dentist recommended a root canal since the molar is a good but warned me that if I extracted the tooth now, I could "save up" for a dental bridge" since my county health insurance program Medicaid (won't cover it b/c it falls outside their coverage).

Plus, I earn my income after job loss 3 years ago through Lyft rideshare driving. I already emailed my landlord that rent will be late this month due to my tooth infection taking days away from my rideshare driving schedule (I slept on my sofa for 3 days straight when the infection started). So, the financial piece for the extraction (while cheaper for my insurance to bill, long term causes me a financial hole since I would have a hole in my lower left quandrant of my mouth that I can't add a temporary bridge or denture to since those are labeled as "out of pocket" expenses to my county insurance program.

Finally, a tooth extraction takes longer to recover from than a root canal does. And time is money for this middle aged, single woman who rideshare drives to pay her rent and bills. If I go with the extraction, that is at lest 3-5 days of no rideshare driving while my mouth clots and the gap where the tooth was, closes. But a root canal is like, a 1-2 day recovery period.

Lyft won't extend my June 26th vehicle inspection either, so I have to get it done or the Lyft app and Uber app won't allow me to drive.

So, the financial piece is really an obstacle for me regarding what to do with my infected chipped molar.

The Amoxicilin is working its magic too, as the breakthrough pain, is lower on the excrutiating scale than it was 6 days ago when the infection started.

Root canal or extraction?

Endodontist or periodonist?

I am worried about eviction from my apt in St Paul, because I reported ceiling water damage (asking for it to be repaired)and an exterior hazard of unlandscaped plastic tarp that I tripped over because it isn't properly covered with mulch or dirt.

I don't want to lose my apt just because I reported these issues. I did pull up some of the landscape tarp because it really is a hazard. I sent photos to the maintenance manager and tenant coordinator.

I am also trying to find another apt to move into not managed by the same property management company as I'm a low income 55 year old.

Plus, my auto insurance agent didn't file the correct documents for my income with underwriting so I received a cancelation letter. I emailed him the same financial documents again yesterday.

I am really stressed out.

Verizon's automated villing system requires a minimum threshold of $250 to clear the risk flag on your cellphone account, because the system defaults to this flat amount as a "security hold" or required total to keep the lines active if the billing cycles overlap.

This past week, I finally paid off my past due April cellphone balance after my May cellphone bill amount was generated (due date is May 26). I paid off my April balance on May 13th.

**Do NOT pay your cellphone bill on your cellphone. Verizon's AI disconnected my phone this past Tuesday morning (I'm a rideshare driver, so I use my cellphone for rideshare business) and took $296 of $313 that I had in my checking account, then it generated the $250 Promise to Pay fee, that was triggered by my April payment overlapping with my generated (upcoming May 24th) cellphone payment.

So, I called and spoke with a Verizon Wireless Financial Services supervisor who refunded me my May payment (which processed the next day, thankfully). So, I thought all was good.

I cancelled the $250 Promise to Pay on my cellphone, and then Verizon's AI disconnected my cellphone's eSim card, disconnected my internet, that disconnected my access to my tv streaming channels this morning out of the blue, despite the fact that my May bill wasn't due for another week.

Verizon really wanted my May payment one week ahead of schedule.

So, I spent 2 hours on the phone with Financial Services and The Post Payment Dept., to get this mess dealt with.

All I got out of this mess was a $60 credit ($20 credit for the restoration fee that Verizon would charge my June cellphone bill, and a $50 apology credit for "sorry we disconnected your services twice within 5 days and forced you to pay your May bill one week early apology $40 credit).

I am not happy with Verizon. Not at all.

So, I have two 4 year old male cats, whom I feed 3x a day 1/2 can each of wet food and 3/4 each of dry food per meal.

Obviously, I made them overweight with this feeding schedule.

I feeding them Science Diet weightloss dry food and applaws wet food.

They both weigh 17 pounds and need to both lose 5 pounds.

Do I decrease their daily meals over 5 days or 10 days?

Do I just give them a few dry bubbles at lunch?

So, I was a substitute teacher for 12 years then I got a legal assistant job. I lost my job and then have been rideshare driving for Lyft for 3 years now. I barely make ends meet, but I can pay my bills. I just don't have anything to put into savings.

I'm 55. Single. Never married.

Today, my SUV stopped working - antifreeze leaked to the ground after it was filled.

These are common issues with my 2019 Jeep Cherokee Limited that I learned about today.

I have no savings, and I don't qualify (as a single, 55 year old woman) for most of the car repair grant programs I have applied to. They view the radiator as a "major repair" so they won't cover that cost with their car repair grant money.

So, here is where I need your feedback as to whether I should feel ashamed of myself for my current circumstances?

I reached out to my sister and brother and neither could help me financially. Two cousins I reached out to Venmo'd me $50 each.

My deceased mother's friend offered to give me $500 with the intent to repay her. I haven't accepted the money yet, because my mother's church has helped parishioner's with car repair grants so I just have to submit a diagnostic body shop estimate to have it approved or not.

So far, I have communicated with the church's director who is not the administrator. He agreed to let me pay $500 of the possible $1700 repair (I get my car diagnosed tomorrow at a local Midas here in Saint Paul, MN).

I called my car lender and pushed back my car payments. I called Verizon and split up my cell/tv/internet monthly payment. I called my auto insurer and pushed back my auto insurance payment.

My sister and nephew agreed to take me grocery shopping on Sunday for myself and my two cats.

I'm wondering if I should feel ashamed of myself, as one of my cousin's pointed out in her text to me, "here's $50 and I hope you can figure out a way out of your predicament so that this doesn't happen again." I wanted to be upset with her for her text, but believe me, I am mad that I am in this situation -- and a full-time job would alleviate A LOT of my financial straits.

I have joined nonprofit job training programs and received certificates in administrative support, technical support, and medical customer service. I have utlized temp agencies by calling weekly to mark myself as available. I have utlized job boards and directly applied on company websites for jobs. I have cold called and networked with companies where there are job openings to try to make a personal connection with their human resources or hiring person.

But I can't control the outcome of my actions. I can only use the information I've provided with and then respond to that information with what I think is the best decision for me.

I am still wondering if I should feel ashamed of myself. Is there something I'm missing that I could be doing to help myself farther along in my job search.

It is hard to tackle life situations like car repair when you are low income but don't fit neatly into the boxes set by the nonprofits who offer car repair help.

If/when I can find a full time job, I plan to get rid of my car so that I can take the bus or call people for rides or use rideshare as a passenger. The money I've thrown at my car for monthly car payments and monthly car insurance will finally be free for me to use for more social activities, which I haven't been able to do while ride share driving.

Can anyone relate to my situation at all? It was really hard to reach out today to people via text asking for help. It opened me up to their criticism, and to their judgment, which I'm choosing not to take personally (and believe me, the "me" ten years ago would have taken their comments personally).