5000 Rides

I hit 4000 rides in less than two years, and the climb to 5000 has taken almost that long. My goal was to hit 5000 rides before I turned 70, last night I reached it with six weeks to spare. LYFT has promised me a gift when I hit it and as I can be easily motivated, I pressed on. At 1000 rides I got my favorite jacket of all times. It fits perfectly, is sleek black, mid weight, with lots of zipper pockets and a 1K LYFT logo. At 2500 I got a black, pink trimmed polo shirt, not quite as cool as my jacket but thanks anyway. So yesterday I had 12 rides to get to 5000 and the countdown began.

It was about 6pm when Luis “pinged” me. It was fitting that the ride was in the Baker neighborhood just west of my old congregation South Broadway. This is where I began this Lyft career 3 1/2 years ago. Luis was standing on the corner in shorts, ball cap and flip flops, the warm weather uniform for Millennials. He was looking at his phone intently which is code for “ride share pick up”. He hopped in the front seat. I smiled and said “Congratulations – you are my 5000 ride”. He smiled and said “Do I get a free ride”? I laughed and said “How about a La Croix and a snack bar”? He said “No thanks, I am headed to the movies and a giant

popcorn”. 🍿 He told me that he was going to see the latest version of the ‘Avengers’. He suggested, when I told him it had pricked my interest, that

I would be wise to see the other shows in the series first or I might be lost. I replied “Sort of like watching the last two weeks of ‘Game of Thrones’ after missing the last seven years. “Pretty much” with a smile. He began to ask me about my Lyft career and life before Lyft. I then asked him what he did, (I was not expecting the answer I got) “Believe it or not I am a rocket scientist”. I laughed and said “Working undercover… where is your slide rule and pocket protector”.

He shared in detail the current project he is working on. It was more than fascinating. He said “I am the luckiest man alive, I get paid for doing what I love”. “That makes two of us, Luis – tomorrow I go with my Greeley church to help build a Habitat for Humanity home and tonight I head towards 6000 rides. I will always remember ‘5000 Luis’. I hope you do help colonize the moon. By the way, the moon is full tonight”. He smiled and hopped out of the car.

I give thanks for: servers, baristas, students, pilots, construction workers, software whatevers, tourists, concert goers, hospital workers, retired folk, musicians, exotic dancers, immigrants, nannys, ride of shamers, ball players, engineers, chefs, therapists, actors, work at homers, administrative assistants, mechanics, day laborers, and the many others

who have shared their lives in my red car 🚗 ! Onward and Upward,

Mark