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“No way!” my friend Emmy exclaimed. “I guess that means I’ve seen you play.”

We had just learned that our DC Uber driver was not only the owner of a local fitness company but also a former Arena Football League player in Lubbock, TX. Emmy was a Lubbock native and had seen several Arena League games during the time he had been playing.

The next day, my driver was a Justice Department employee who was finishing his Ph.D. about the connection between emotional intelligence and ethical behavior in American police forces. A different driver worked for an alternative-energy company that gave away free solar panels, and still a third was an immigrant who’d moved to the US speaking no English at all, and who had recently graduated from college and was trying to get a job in social media marketing.

It’s no secret that I’m one of those people who talks to everyone. Hearing people’s stories, learning about their lives, their families, their interests are some of my favorite things in the whole world. I learned it from my dad, who goes out of his way to make friends from the grocery store check out line to the airport terminal. We just can’t help it… we love people.

Maybe that’s why I think Uber and Lyft are just so darn fantastic. It’s an awesome chance to make new pals and learn new things.

If you’re wondering how this plays out… well, I ALWAYS sit in the front seat. It gives me a better chance to connect in real ways with Toni, or Ron, or Damien. And I also ALWAYS ask them if driving is a hobby or their day job. If it’s a hobby, then I dig into what they do 9-5 and why they do it. In my experience, after talking to these people for about ten minutes, most of the drivers are the coolest, most interesting people who use driving as a way to earn a little extra cash.

For example, this weekend in Birmingham I had three different lovely souls as my drivers. Sure, one guy ended up telling me a little too much about he and his wife’s sex life, but he was playing Bob Marley the whole time and opened our ride with “Good Morning! I am SO full of JOY!” which is really a fantastic way to start a Saturday morning. Another driver who was a retired factory worker shared his memories of living in Birmingham throughout the Civil Rights Movement, and gave me his sister’s account of the Children’s March, since she participated in it and was jailed with hundreds if not thousands of other Black children who stood up for justice and equality.

I am obviously disturbed by the story in the news of violence and murder in Kalamazoo.  Nothing justifies that driver’s actions, and my heart goes out to the victims. I’ve had great experiences with Uber and Lyft drivers, though. They are just folks riding around a city, picking up people and making a little cash so they can continue to follow their dreams and keep up a decent quality of life in a place where the costs of living just keep rising.

For me, Uber has been a way to meet truly interesting people and try to see the city I’m visiting through their eyes. By driving around and telling me about their own passions, ideas, and experiences they are showing me real hospitality and giving me a peek into their lives even though we’ve just met. It’s more than a financial transaction…it’s a real, meaningful interaction between two souls.

Because I personally find so much energy and joy through these moments, I’m not going to let the news media scare me from using these services, and I hope you won’t either. In fact, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment telling me about your most memorable Uber Driver Conversation. And if you don’t usually chat with your drivers, I encourage you, start today!