lyft rides – Multiple Sclerosis & Me

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

Riding with Lyft cont’d

I wrote this yesterday but was only able to publish this morning…

Ohmyword. I’m writing this from a Lyft car right now. I published my last post at 1:00 this afternoon. I just finish talking about the fact that men don’t complain and now 5 hours later, I had the interaction below with ken, the driver:

He pulled up and I saw the look. I ignored it and said, “is it ok if I sit behind you?” He nodded said yes and, “what about that (pointing to bumblebee)? where u gonna put that?” I said “it’ll fold up and fit in ur trunk.” He said okay and pulled into a spot. As I went thru the motions of folding up bumblebee he oooohed and aaaahed at how he folded up but I knew that we would “have issues” when Ken started his steps to lock it in place and I could hear his grunts of frustration.
When Bumblebee was folded and locked, I said my usual “it’s a lil heavier than it looks ok?” But by then ken had already tried to pick him up and exclaimed, “this thing is heavy!” He tried again, “how u know I can pick this up?” I said “I don’t so I will get help if I need to”. He hoisted bumblebee a third time “this thing is heavy. Do u always do this? Suppose a woman comes for u?” Again I said ever so calmly, “yes I do this all the time. Like I said if u don’t want to deal with it I’ll get help.” (I didn’t say u can leave and I’ll get someone else…I was already running a little later than I’d planned) he said, “I don’t mind and I don’t want to damage it” and lifted it into the trunk.

Now this is what I meant when I said in my last post that people try to make nice after the fact. We drove in silence (which is no big deal and it gave me a chance to write) and when we got to my destination, he came out the car, took off his shirt (he had on a vest underneath) and said, “I have to get ready for this.” I heard him grunting by the trunk and he brought the scooter to me and said, “I never had to deal with one of these before. What’s it called?” I told him that it is a mobility scooter and I use it to get around. He said,”okay. Well I’m glad that I got you because now I know how to handle it. I never had to before. So is that it?” I told him that I had one more thing to do before I took off but that I’d do it. He said, “no. Tell me. I want to learn”I told him what to do, asked him if he’d close the door for me, told him thank you and scooted off.

Times like this I also wonder if I should rate the driver a “3”. I remember the first time I did that I got a message that Lyft will not pair you with a driver who’s rated a 3 or less. He tried to make up for all the initial comments at the end, but if I rate him a 3, it will guarantee that he and I will never have to deal with each other again!

Riding with Lyft

So if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I had to give up on my Stax4 dream because I stopped driving a few years ago. I believe that the last time I drove a car was may 2016. I miss driving to this day…especially fast and aggressively …but I digress…anyhoo, so I was thinking about buying an accessible vehicle when T-ster suggested that I use Lyft to get around instead of putting myself in the expense of a new car (that I rhelly didn’t want cuz I like small cars). Well allyuh, I never looked back. I eh go lie, I was nervous at first requesting a Lyft ride, but eventually I got over it and it was smooth sailing…it’s now been 3 years later and…well, a weird thing has started happening.

Now, I really haven’t had any bad experiences. I would say that 99% of the time, I walk the driver thru breaking down OP or folding up the ‘bee and we’re off…but these days, I eh go lie, I breathe a sigh of relief every time I request a car and I see that a male driver has been assigned. No one outwardly complains (sorta) but I see the doubt/trepidation/skepticism flutter across their faces when they pull up and see me…and the worst offenders are young black women. I’m not a judgemental person generally but on the lyft app? I am – the other day I cancelled rides three times (I had time to kill that day) just hoping to be assigned a male driver and also because I was thinking about my potential experience and basing it on how the driver looked. Understand – guys never complain and they always get out of their cars to help, without my asking or saying anything. Women? Not so much…they huff, puff, make lil comments (nothing rude or that make me feel uncomfortable) and then they try to make nice after the fact. Now don’t get me wrong, if someone doesn’t want to deal with the scooter or put it in their car or whatever, I have no problem cancelling the ride and sending them on their way but instead of just stating as such, women will ben an screw before or while we are going thru the motions to get the scooter in the trunk – once, I actually helped one put OP in her trunk; don’t ask me how I did it but I did – she was muttering and grumbling a little and I just helped so that we could move along. I don’t let whatever they say or how they act rub me the wrong way because I just don’t have time to make that a “thing” and please keep in mind that it doesn’t happen all the time or even the majority of the time.

So of late, I’ve been wondering if I am being presumptuous by using the regular Lyft car. I say “regular” because they supposedly offer accessible vehicle rides too but I don’t use those cuz they have to be scheduled in advance (I leave here on a whim sometimes) and ultimately, either of my scooters will fit in any car trunk so I don’t NEED an accessible vehicle. But, by using the regular car, I’m making the assumption that the driver will be okay dealing with the scooter…is that wrong of me? Am I being too bol’face? Why should I assume that a stranger would just do whatever needs to be done? I actually talked to a driver about it – although I don’t know that the driver was the best one. HE had no problem with it and HE told me that HE viewed it as HE was making a difference in someone’s life and was helping someone who needed help and he was just doing what he’d hope that someone else might do for his daughter, his niece, his mother etc if they needed help.

Anyway, those thoughts have been swirling around in my head lately, although they haven’t stopped me from using Lyft when I need to…I am just a little wary sometimes.

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