A few years ago while trying to figure out the next steps in my life, I worked as a LYFT driver. During this time I briefly kept a blog on the experience, only to set it aside for a while, unsure of its direction and focus. Late last year I revamped it.
I tell stories in these entries, sharing both my thoughts about the ride-share experience and my passengers’ thoughts on life. I point out ridiculous or bemusing or entertaining or thought-provoking things I see while on the road. I take readers along with me to new areas of California.
Some of the recurring series you can expect to find in this blog:
–> Out of town explorations. Many entries will transport you out of the Bay Area into a new setting. I traveled all around California giving rides, including but not limited to: Los Angeles County, Shasta County, San Diego County, Humboldt County, Mendocino County, Central Valley, Placer County, Lake County, even Reno, Nevada (though the passenger I gave a ride to here was not an official LYFT ride, as a separate license is required to drive in other states).
—> Road thoughts (observations of road dynamics, including how impatience and cognitive short-cutting play out on the streets)
—> Longer passenger stories (more in-depth stories on a particular passenger, from a girl exploring the pros and cons of being a therapist to an older gay man addressing misosgyny within the gay community)
—> Uber Eats (memorable stories from delivering food to people)
—> Lyft Line tales (anecdotes about two random passengers getting paired up to ride together together)
—> Wild stories (like the time I had to call 911 on a passenger or the time I got pulled over when driving around a car full of inebriated elderly in town for a funeral)
—> Lyft DreamsThe fact that my mind churns out wildly vivid dreams on a nightly basis makes dreaming fun for me. Occasionally I’ll share an evocative or ridiculous one that involved Rideshare.
—> Conversations overheard (with passenger details excluded or changed to protect their identities)
—> Other thoughts (musings on a subject such or customer service or passenger entitlement. For instance how does dealing with rude, rowdy, or unpleasant passengers provide experience and strengthen skills that can be applied to other areas of life?)
**I was a Lyft driver from 2015 to 2018. These entries take place within that time span.
Lyft Tales 