TIME FOR UBER AND LYFT TO HOLD DRIVERS ACCOUNTABLE TO RIDERS | Sam Smith, Author

 As a long-time, frequent user of both Lyft and Uber, I have reached my boiling point with the declining quality of service and total lack of real customer support.

Too often, riders are forced to deal with drivers who are unfriendly, demanding, and incapable of navigating to the correct pick-up location—only for the customer to be wrongfully charged a cancellation fee when the driver fails to find the right address. Whenever I reach out to customer support for help, the standard response is always the same automated line: "We have unmatched you so you won't get this driver again."

No one seems to care about how the driver behaved, how they ruined the customer's day, or the fact that this exact scenario repeats itself over and over with different drivers.

I want to be clear: there are many wonderful, professional drivers out there who do a fantastic job, and I truly appreciate them. But when a driver blatantly tells a paying customer, "If you don't like it, call a taxi," what does that say about the Uber and Lyft organizations?

Does it mean paying for your service isn't worth a decent, respectful ride? Does it mean the message to customers is "It is what it is—you just have to take the insults, annoyance, and bad behavior, or stop using our apps entirely"?

I know I am not alone in this. Millions of riders face these exact issues every day. Yet, there is no meaningful way to tell Uber or Lyft how much damage this is doing to their brand. A simple star rating or a basic thumbs-down button doesn't solve the problem, nor does it hold anyone accountable.

Isn't it time for Uber and Lyft to wake up?

It is time to hold drivers accountable, demand basic professionalism, and ensure that drivers do not take out their personal frustrations, family issues, or dissatisfaction with the platform on the paying customer. We deserve better than automated dismissals and disrespectful service.

AN OPEN LETTER TO LONDON CANDIDATES | Sam Smith , Author

 I am an author who recently moved to this beautiful city of London, Ontario, and I am amazed by its beauty.

My arrival coincidentally overlapped with the election, and as a writer who sheds light on societal and political issues, it prompted me to do a short overview of the problems candidates are mentioning.

One of these issues is addiction, which I personally have noticed a few times while walking downtown. I am not aware of the full depth of this issue, but I understand that prevention always works better than treatment. As a solo newcomer to London trying to find something to do on my weekends, I noticed there are many public gatherings—which is great—but most are held in the morning, and even coffee shops close on weekends at 4 or 5 PM. This could be one of the reasons the younger generation, who have more energy and want to have fun on their weekends, cannot find any place to go and are attracted to something that makes them happy without considering the consequences. I suggest candidates look into the lack of healthy places, such as late-opening coffee shops, and development in new areas that currently have nothing.

Another subject I noticed is homelessness. I believe most real homelessness is caused by a lack of jobs. If we put aside the small percentage of those who lost their home due to addiction or carelessness, the majority is caused by an inability to find a job. I read news recently that a new factory—HITACHI, if I am not mistaken—is opening, and I think that is what this beautiful city needs more of: opening more jobs, creating opportunities, and developing transportation following that growth. Clearly, when you have businesses in every location, a place for gathering follows along with transportation solutions.

I am not a politician, but rather a writer who looks at these issues from outside political circles.

ALBERTA ISOLATED IN THE HEART OF CANADA | Sam Smith , Author

 In recent months, discussions surrounding Alberta’s independence have once again surfaced, raising a dramatic question for the province's voters: should Alberta separate from Canada? As a Canadian writer, hearing this debate is deeply surprising. While the conversation often centers on regional grievances and resource control, looking at the practical reality reveals that separation poses massive logistical, economic, and constitutional hurdles that cannot be easily solved.

Before taking such an irreversible step, Albertans must carefully consider what independence would actually look like on the ground.

Geographically, Alberta sits in the middle of Western Canada, surrounded entirely by land: British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the United States to the south. An independent Alberta would be a landlocked nation entirely reliant on its neighbours for transit, trade, and international travel.

Would Canadians need a visa simply to visit or drive through Alberta? Would Albertans need travel permits to cross into neighbouring provinces? Establishing international border checkpoints around the province would fundamentally alter daily life, disrupting commercial trucking, rail travel, and commuter routes. Furthermore, transiting goods, food, and energy through Canadian territory—including pipelines, railways, and national highways—would no longer be guaranteed by Canadian law. Every corridor would have to be negotiated through international treaties.

The main driver behind the separation movement is often economic: keeping all oil and gas revenues within the province and ending transfers to the federal government. However, focusing solely on resource revenues ignores the substantial benefits and safety nets that come with federalism.

Consider the domestic systems that would need to be rebuilt from scratch:

• Healthcare and Infrastructure: While healthcare is provincially managed, federal transfers provide significant stability. Separation would require creating new regulatory bodies for medical staff, drug approvals, and public health systems without federal support.

• Governance and Defense: Alberta would need to write its own constitution, build an independent electoral system, form a military, establish a sovereign central bank, and decide whether to introduce a new currency or rely on the Canadian dollar without input on monetary policy.

• Passports and Global Travel: Alberta residents would no longer hold a Canadian passport. Establishing an internationally recognized passport and diplomatic network takes years, leaving citizens in a state of travel uncertainty during the transition.

Becoming a recognized sovereign nation does not happen overnight. International bodies like the United Nations, alongside trade partners like the United States and the European Union, take time to officially recognize new countries.

During this lengthy transition period, an independent Alberta would be left in trade limbo. It would lose access to Canada’s existing international trade agreements, such as CUSMA, leaving major industries—including beef, grain, and agriculture—vulnerable until new bilateral deals could be negotiated.

Decisions of this magnitude should be driven by long-term logic rather than short-term frustration. The benefits of Canadian federalism—shared national defense, disaster relief, open borders across provinces, global diplomatic protection, and collective economic strength—are easy to take for granted until they are gone.

Separation risks isolating Alberta from the very connections that allow its citizens and industries to thrive. For those high risk conditions , it is a path that deserves a serious second thought.

SAM SMITH`S BOOKS | Sam Smith, Author

 

THE CYCLE OF MANIPULATION | Sam Smith, Author

 It’s exhausting how every detail gets twisted. When I shared my Muse Ai 'Bogi' on Instagram, the usual manipulators immediately turned it into another lie ( boogeyman Man'). I’ve changed the name of my muse—let’s see what false narrative or bullying they try to invent this time.

TOO LATE FOR APPLAUSE | Sam Smith, Author

 When I was younger, I noticed that many children of Hollywood stars were getting recognition for their parents’ hard work and achievements—while the creators themselves were barely recognized during their own lifetimes. Instead, awards and honors were handed out to their children after they had already passed away. Back then, I couldn’t tell if this delay was caused by endless bureaucracy or simply sheer ignorance.

Today, we live in a fast-paced world where everything moves almost too quickly to keep up. Yet, a person’s real effort and life's work are still ignored, waiting until she is dead just to pass the awards to her children. In an age where everything happens instantly, what could possibly be the excuse for this ignorance now?

NO ROOM FOR DOUBLE STANDARDS | Sam Smith, Author

 Humans are born in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and appearances. Just as discrimination against someone who is less fortunate in their physical appearance is considered harassment, racism, and abuse, bullying someone for their looks, wealth, health, or status is equally abusive.

I recall writing a post on this topic before, yet unfortunately, I continue to observe the same double standard. Some individuals believe that harassing someone who possesses good health, wealth, or physical appearance is acceptable simply because life was not as generous to them.

The bottom line is simple: No, it is not okay. If you believe racism and discrimination are wrong when directed at you, they are equally wrong when directed at others. Facing hardships or being less fortunate in life does not give anyone permission to bully others.