I have been driving for a rideshare company since November of 2019. Most every Friday, and Saturday evening I get my coffee and a couple of beef sticks and head to the car.

I drive in the area around Columbia, SC. Having the University of South Carolina provides me with a large pool potential riders looking to head out to the bars, and later in the evening to go home.

The students are the only ones I drive, though. Let’s step back a minute…..In Columbia proper, there are two areas where there is a cluster of restaurants and bars. The first would be Five Points. This is where the students go. A mecca of live, loud, raucous music, and way too much testosterone. The other area is The Vista. This is a cluster of up-scale restaurants, and shops clustered near the Colonial Life arena, and the Capital Area Convention Center.

You would think that the majority of my rides would go to those areas.

They don’t.

The majority of my riders are people going to, and from work. People going to, and from the movies. People going to, and from fast food restaurants. People going to, and from friends homes.

And they are the most interesting people I have met. Lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers, business people, and yes…students. All walks of life. All with stories to tell, and questions to ask.

The most asked question being, “what is the weirdest thing that has happened to you driving?”

And, fortunately, or unfortunately the answer is…..nothing really. I have been lucky in that my riders have been very cool up to this point. Knock on wood………the young people who ride with me are most interested in where they are going, who is going to be there, and where they are going later. My older riders are the ones who talk with me about music, and life in general.

The most interesting thing that I have come across is that a good portion of my riders, both young and older, have either lived or know of the area in Florida where I most recently came from. That is what fascinates me most. The commonality of life. How small this world really is.

People, are people. And as I continue to drive rideshare I am sure that some better stories will come up….stay tuned as when it happens, you will know about it…..