A Lesson I Learned the Hard Way

I had one a very scary thing happen to me one Saturday night in late September. I was waiting for the Uber driver just outside J and P Pizza on Butler Rd. The guy pulled up and asked me if I was the passenger that he was supposed to pick up. I told him that I called for a vehicle about ten minutes beforehand.  He got out of the car in order to help me put the walker in trunk. While doing so, he touched my right arm ever so gently.  I got in the car and sit in the seat. The guy got into the driver's side, held out his hand and asked me my name. I said "my name is Lauren." I put my hand in his and he held my hand for about five seconds and did not move. The guy then asked me if I am below age of eighteen. I told him "no." He then tried to guess my age again. On his second guess, he placed my age at twenty four years old. I then made the decision to just tell him that my age at this point. The driver then started the car.

We began going down the road, and then the guy started the conversation up again. He said "I am fifty four and you are thirty." "You are beautiful, and I am old." Then he asked me if think that he is the best Uber driver that I have ever had.  I told him that everyone I have ever had the pleasure of riding with has been five stars. The guy got all excited and said "thank you." He then went on a rant about the treatment of riders towards drivers sometimes. About halfway from my house, he told me that I seem rather nice. This guy then asked if I was a student in school. I said that I graduated Mount Saint Mary's University. He then told me a little story about going out to dinner with a friend in Emmitsburg a few days prior. I told him that my father loved a restaurant called Mountain Gate. The driver then stated "loved, I am sorry to hear that your father passed away."

The conversation then switched to hobbies. I told him that I play music every now and then. The driver told me about his position as an acoustic guitarist in a band that covers classic rock from the seventies and eighties. I told him that one of my strings is broken, and that I have to replace it. The driver wanted to help me put a new string on the guitar. I told him not worry about it because my brother is coming down the next day and would help me with it. We finally reached my place a few minutes later. I got out of the car while the driver retrieves the walker from the trunk. He then asked if he can hold my hand again. I offered my hand to him once more. The driver then said that he had a feeling that I will be a good guitar player one day because I had nice hands. I then started heading inside the house and shut the door. I also locked the door, and I waited until the car left the court.

There are two possible reasons that this guy seemed extremely “friendly.”  The first reason is that he thought I was attractive in some way.  I have been told by others in the past that I have a very calm nature, and they feel better just be around me.   I do not think I am super pleasant in any way.  I am not horrible by any means, but I am not anything out of the ordinary as far looks or attitude goes.  I am not sure why this guy liked me so much. 

The only other reason that comes to mind is my disability.  Maybe this older guy thought about doing something evil to me, but decided against it because I held an intelligent conversation.  In other words, I did not show any signs that I was mentally challenged.  Hopefully this driver never comes across anyone who is mentally unsound because he might end up hurting him or her.

This whole incident made me more cautious about the company that I keep regardless if it is short or long term.  Some people in the world might take advantage of those who are disabled in some way.  If a person learns to trust in his or her own gut, then he or she can avoid situations such as the one I experienced.  I should have listened to my gut the moment he touched my hand while putting the walker in his car.  The driver seemed a bit too generous, I was lucky that nothing bad happened during the ride home.  Always make sure that you are comfortable being in the presence of a person before doing anything with him or her.  If you do not have a good feeling right off the bat, then this means that something is obviously wrong.  Stay safe and keep pushing forward.