A few weeks ago, I had a 50-minute Lyft ride from East Village to LaGuardia that stuck with me. After two days of an impactful conference and engaging meetings in NYC, I was the kind of tired where you just want a moment to yourself, you know? A chance to regather. But my Lyft driver Hammad had other ideas. He engaged. And so did I. We talked about life, injuries, Mixed Martial Arts, family, the economy. There was an age gap between us, but we talked like we'd known each other forever. He mentioned feeling "stuck" driving, but never once complained. He lit up talking about the people he meets. The ride flew by. What would've been just another airport run became something actually memorable. Listening. Being present. Not checking out when it would be easy to check out. But Hammad did more than that. He takes his situation and sees the best in it. He could just drive. Instead, he shows up, engages in real conversations, and finds meaning in meeting people. That's what made his day better. That's what made mine too. I know there are some great taxi stories out there. Tell me about your best taxi / rideshare conversation.
Agreed all around Bobby! In 2008, a few years before you were my entrepreneurship student, I took a taxi from downtown Chicago to Best Buy in Lincoln Park around 7pm. A week earlier I learned a student had tried to cheat on a team project. I told the class I knew someone had crossed an ethical line and invited them to come forward. He did, in front of everyone, and we had one of those rare conversations that changes a person. (Today he is a successful commercial real estate entrepreneur in the city.) In the taxi, I noticed the driver’s last name matched the student’s. I mentioned I had an entrepreneurship student with same name and likely the same background. We about talked culture, history, and the power of education. Then I started talking specifically about that student, what had happened, and said he was very sharp but needed to do the hard work instead of taking shortcuts if he intended to succeed. The driver became quiet. I kept talking about the student's potential and how our program was going to help him achieve it. Just before we got to Best Buy the driver turned around, looked at me with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you for helping my son."
I just read this post as: "I went to New York and didn't even text Joe nevermind getting together for lunch or a drink." Wow. Big wow.
Hammad's ability to connect and find meaning is a great reminder that human interaction still thrives, even as AI advancements reshape many service industries.
It is so easy to zone out during a commute especially when dealing with fatigue from an ai conference. Hearing stories like this reminds me to stay present and appreciate the people we meet.
Love hearing this story. People's best Lyft rides often involve a great connection between the rider and the driver. Of course that's not always the case, but what it happens, it's magic.