The experiences of going on Lyft rides this summer to simply going to another part of town has allowed some sense of socialization out from the daily interactions I had at home. I suppose there was less pressure to maintain a conversation as in reality I could just stop talking without any serious repercussions (I would assume). Still, generally such conversations have been a positive experience in seeing a brief window into another person’s life.
On a ride from a job interview (a job I did not get), I searched for a car with a specific license plate. A car that might be my ride soon approached. The license plate did not match, and I was confused. I think I approached for some reason, and the driver said my name. I did not understand why the license plate didn’t match, and one shouldn’t really get into rides if that’s the case; for some reason I did. This is not actually pertinent to the story. All I really got from the driver was that his daughter was a law student at the university I attended. Furthermore, he ended up providing some inspirational knowledge for the future as I complained about not finding an internship this summer.
Another day, when I was going to a community college to study for the day (as it has a shiny library with a good view), I asked my Lyft driver if he was indeed a photographer as the decal on the outside of his car indicated. Apparently, he worked weddings. On another way to get cash flow, he also bought and sold houses to earn money. I was surprised to hear of these various “jobs” in addition to be a Lyft driver. Ah, the gig economy, the future! So exhausting.
On the way to the library, my Lyft driver mentioned she worked with insurance and was a college graduate. If I needed a type of insurance, she would have it! She was really just driving to be able to earn extra money on weekends instead of not earning anything hanging around home. I learned that she has a high school aged son, and soon it would be time to buy school supplies. Upon hearing that her son was interested in art, I suggested he might try an art program one of my friends participated in. By the end of the ride, I had a business card from my driver.
Once again, I wished to travel to the library. I think that day I was also going to try to go the Starbucks. Hey, when I’m studying, sometimes I need to stay awake. Anyways, we talked a bit about school. The driver said he was a funeral director, and while having earned an associate degree in mortuary science, he wanted to go back to school. Unfortunately, with his job, it would be hard to fit in classes. I don’t remember if I had an advice, but it was a reminder of the navigation I may have to undergo upon fully entering “adulthood.”
What do these conversations and interactions tell us if anything? That people try to earn money a variety of ways? The precariousness of adult stability? That people see driving others around as a good way to supplement their income? This, by no means was an anthropological study of Lyft drivers. I was just interested in the daily lives of actual adults, and as I soon have to find a job, seeing how I could fit in into the greater world.
