First ride of the day after the long weekend. Got my car broken into, computer and sentimental journals stolen, favorite art supplies and backpack gone and missing my job and the city which which is Lyft and San Francisco.
After I got my car window replaced in the morning in San Jose. I drove back to San Francisco to do Lyft because I will be needing the extra extra money to buy a new computer so I can do my projects.
—-A Lyft rider requests a ride, please press to accept.—-
Accept. It’s all the way in the back of Hunters Bay point and when I got there it was a nice mom and her 5-6 year old son. Once they got in, things started to become increasingly overwhelming for such a small space. She started talking on the phone with her girlfriend about men, owing and fetching money, and giving passionate advice. She had something in her teeth and spat it out in my car (you can hear that something fly out with a suction and release sound), while she was doing all that, her head was itchy probably from the tight weaves or braids she has in her hair, so she started patting her head whilts hollering in her phone and talking to me. Her son was quiet on the side.
“We are just going there (referring to the address she entered in the Lyft app) and coming back.”
Conversation with girlfriend continues. I don’t mind waiting, which I did when they got out of the car to get some toiletries from the local corner store and the transition went smoothly. I went around the block with the meter still running and managed to park in a place where it’s kind of illegal (the back of a long bus stop area marked red on the curb), they can see me when they get out of the store and it’s an easy access. I saw they got some stuff and as they were hopping back into the car the mom yelled out she had updated the address to go back to the original pick up place. I picked them up and the conversation with her girlfriend on the phone continued until she realized her son forgot the toilet paper they had bought and that all he cared about was his candy.
“Wait here.” Meaning wait in the kinda illegal area. Meaning wait here with her 5 year old son.
There has already been so many things about this ride that have overwhelmed me and also entertained me but now I guess I’m a babysitter too.
I turned around and the kid had a look on his face that could have been read two ways: (1) This happens all the time, I’m going to get in trouble for not getting the toilet paper or (2) My mom just left me in a strangers car and now she’s trying to talk to me.
“Hello.” I said after I turned around and noticed his face.
He didn’t say a word.
The ride back was the same intensity as the ride to the store.
It was a harmless ride, the lady was respectful and said her please and thank yous. It was was one of the highlight rides for the day. It flatters me she trusts me and Lyft to leave her kid in the car and me having access to the gas peddle and just driving off.
I would never even think to do that but after what happened to my car this past weekend. (People stealing as a way of living) I’m sure there are people you might blindly trust and shit happens.
I’m happy to have been in a snippet of this lady and sons life today.\
Don’t forget the toilet paper or your kid,
Dandelion Traveler
dandeliontraveler 