Tag: lyft

Taking Lyft Post Covid

I cyah lie. I was really nervous about taking Lyft after things started reopening here in Atlanta. Pre Covid, I’d already started having thoughts of if I was being presumptuous because of my having a scooter and assuming that the driver will just pick it up and go. Now, post covid, I still have those thoughts coupled with “will drivers want to touch my scooter” – maybe people will think that it’s just more surfaces for Covid germs and increased transmission risk. Ugh! Honestly though, venturing out ANYWHERE when places started opening up was a little daunting to me. I have mentioned before that anytime I get sick, I am down for the count. I honestly don’t think that anyone can really appreciate how bad things get for me unless they’ve actually experienced it and I’m sure that there are people who think I’m exaggerating but say what. Anyway, so seeing and hearing what people go through after contracting it, makes it the last entry on my list of “things that I want to experience” but by the end of 2020, I was sick and tired of my 4 walls and I was ready to start living again. Were/are my Lyft fears unfounded? I dunno but it is what it is…

At the end of the day all I could do was continue using Lyft or stay inside so I put on my big girl panties and started back, besides there were times that I didn’t have a choice (more to come on that later). I figured that I’d walk with wipes, sanitizer, whatever else I could put my hands on to try to try to allay any fears.

Turns out my fears were unfounded (at least up to now) because the issue has not been raised. No-one has said anything, and I no longer walk with wipes etc. The company has put some parameters in place and masks are required to ride with anyone and these days, it’s not uncommon to get into a car with a plexiglass partition separating the front seats from the back. In fact, riders are strongly encouraged to sit in the back “away” from drivers – not a problem for me because that’s what I’ve been doing all along anyway. Interestingly enough tho, a driver reported me for not wearing my mask properly. Admittedly when I’m waiting for the car, there are times that I’d have the mask slung under my chin and once they pull up and I start walking them thru the steps to break down the scooter, I put it on. I’m not sure what happened that time…maybe I didn’t pull it up soon enough? haven’t a clue but I KNOW I had it on in the car; I really don’t know why he reported me. Anyway, after that happened, I had to re-certify that I wear masks and wear them properly before I could ride again. It wasn’t a showstopper and I continue to use the service to get around albeit not as much as before.

Even though pretty much everything and everywhere is open here, I don’t venture out as much as I used to. My friends and I joke all the time that as far as the powers that be here are concerned, “covid is done” and life is normal. I don’t share that same view although I do believe that it’s going nowhere fast, so we have to learn to coexist somehow. That said though, I still haven’t eaten out in a restaurant for dinner since 2019 nor have I started back rock climbing…couldn’t even tell you the last time that I went to a mall – everything’s still just kinda weird and I am at home alot more than pre-covid. Of course, this is also my hibernation period, so truth be told I am in no hurry to go out anyway. Come March, we’ll see how things change…

Anyway, I gone so…allyuh hol’ it down and have a great weekend!
Stax

Lyft Driver we’ll call Ron

I cannot make this shit up!

(disclaimer: please realise that this post is not meant to offend anyone in any way)

A couple months ago, I requested my Lyft pickup and went outside to wait.  Every time the driver rolls up, I ask them to turn the car around and pull up alongside a certain wall because it’s easier for me to get in the car (less heartache and drama for me to get in a car behind the driver just cuz my right side is stronger). This time was no different and as “Ron” turned the steering wheel, I noticed something off with his arm…I paid it no mind. Well he turned the car around, pulled up and I started angling SS to back up, get in and be on my way.

Of course anytime I leave here, I’m in the scooter and that time I was using SS.  SS breaks down into 3 parts (the seat, the battery and the base and steering rod) to fit comfortably in a car trunk. I always get off and then talk whomever thru the breakdown process.

So…I angle to back up and get in the car and Ron gets out the car and opens the back door for me…that’s when I see he has a prosthetic leg and no forearms.

(in my head)…holy shit what the hell we going and do here??? Then I said okay Stacey, as a handicapped person yuhself, now is the time to remember how u would want someone to talk to u. (Out loud) I told him the usual about SS breaking down etc all the while wondering what the?!? how is this going to work?

…Ron was not bothered at all (at least not outwardly).

We started with the seat. Remember I said he had no forearms so he didn’t have the arm span to pull up the lever on the left side and pull off the seat at the same time but recognising that before hand, I pulled up the lever and he hauled that seat up like nobody’s business. Battery time…I figured that would be tricky (it has a handle to grip and its attached by Velcro) but I told him what to do. This time I was right…he was trying to grip the handle (I could see muscles by his elbow joint flexing) but because he had no hands/fingers, he couldn’t get a hold of it. Well wouldn’t u know it…after his third try, the doors thru which to enter opened and 2 fellas walked out; he asked for their help. Noticing the situation, they asked him if he needed more help so he asked them to put the rest of SS in the trunk.  Normally by this time, I would already be sitting in the car  but that Saturday morning was anything but normel, and as it turned out, they couldn’t fit SS in the trunk (naturally – that woulda be too easy!).  He asked me if I wouldn’t mind sitting in front and he’d put the scooter on the backseat.  I didn’t but I told them that I’d need to hold on to someone to walk around the car and then I’d most probably need help to get in the car (when I sit in the front, more times than not, someone has to swing and throw my legs in).  One of the guys was happy to oblige!

well by this time allyuh, I was laughing hell hard in my head at the situation.  if dem 2 fellas was anything like me, they couldn’t wait to tell someone/anyone this story.  it was nothing short of incredulous!  Finally… scooter, Stacey, Ron all in the car and we leave…and then I think, “oh fuck! how are we going to get SS out when we reach where I going” I mentioned it to Ron but once again, he wasn’t concerned.  Well as luck would have it, there was a man standing outside his storefront of the usually quiet, “nobody ever around” place that I was heading and as we pulled up, Ron called out to him for help onetime.

We got out and everyone went on with their day…I eh know bout Ron and dem 2 fellas, but I had a few good laughs every time I told the story that day, because the response was always something along the lines of “nah!”/”yuh lie”/”yuh kidding right?” but once again…

…I cannot make this shit up!

Lyft Driver we'll call Ron

I cannot make this shit up!

(disclaimer: please realise that this post is not meant to offend anyone in any way)

A couple months ago, I requested my Lyft pickup and went outside to wait.  Every time the driver rolls up, I ask them to turn the car around and pull up alongside a certain wall because it’s easier for me to get in the car (less heartache and drama for me to get in a car behind the driver just cuz my right side is stronger). This time was no different and as “Ron” turned the steering wheel, I noticed something off with his arm…I paid it no mind. Well he turned the car around, pulled up and I started angling SS to back up, get in and be on my way.

Of course anytime I leave here, I’m in the scooter and that time I was using SS.  SS breaks down into 3 parts (the seat, the battery and the base and steering rod) to fit comfortably in a car trunk. I always get off and then talk whomever thru the breakdown process.

So…I angle to back up and get in the car and Ron gets out the car and opens the back door for me…that’s when I see he has a prosthetic leg and no forearms.

(in my head)…holy shit what the hell we going and do here??? Then I said okay Stacey, as a handicapped person yuhself, now is the time to remember how u would want someone to talk to u. (Out loud) I told him the usual about SS breaking down etc all the while wondering what the?!? how is this going to work?

…Ron was not bothered at all (at least not outwardly).

We started with the seat. Remember I said he had no forearms so he didn’t have the arm span to pull up the lever on the left side and pull off the seat at the same time but recognising that before hand, I pulled up the lever and he hauled that seat up like nobody’s business. Battery time…I figured that would be tricky (it has a handle to grip and its attached by Velcro) but I told him what to do. This time I was right…he was trying to grip the handle (I could see muscles by his elbow joint flexing) but because he had no hands/fingers, he couldn’t get a hold of it. Well wouldn’t u know it…after his third try, the doors thru which to enter opened and 2 fellas walked out; he asked for their help. Noticing the situation, they asked him if he needed more help so he asked them to put the rest of SS in the trunk.  Normally by this time, I would already be sitting in the car  but that Saturday morning was anything but normel, and as it turned out, they couldn’t fit SS in the trunk (naturally – that woulda be too easy!).  He asked me if I wouldn’t mind sitting in front and he’d put the scooter on the backseat.  I didn’t but I told them that I’d need to hold on to someone to walk around the car and then I’d most probably need help to get in the car (when I sit in the front, more times than not, someone has to swing and throw my legs in).  One of the guys was happy to oblige!

well by this time allyuh, I was laughing hell hard in my head at the situation.  if dem 2 fellas was anything like me, they couldn’t wait to tell someone/anyone this story.  it was nothing short of incredulous!  Finally… scooter, Stacey, Ron all in the car and we leave…and then I think, “oh fuck! how are we going to get SS out when we reach where I going” I mentioned it to Ron but once again, he wasn’t concerned.  Well as luck would have it, there was a man standing outside his storefront of the usually quiet, “nobody ever around” place that I was heading and as we pulled up, Ron called out to him for help onetime.

We got out and everyone went on with their day…I eh know bout Ron and dem 2 fellas, but I had a few good laughs every time I told the story that day, because the response was always something along the lines of “nah!”/”yuh lie”/”yuh kidding right?” but once again…

…I cannot make this shit up!

Follow Me

Get the latest posts delivered to your mailbox: