“What if he died, you know?” The craziest story I’ve ever heard from an Uber driver.

I like to chat up my Uber drivers, see what they’re up to and what their weirdest rides have been. A year ago I was riding with Uwamahoro (name changed in case this story could get him in trouble). Little did I know that on my way to celebrate National Tequila Day, I would be a captive audience for hands down the best Uber story I’ve ever heard.

Uwamahoro is from Rwanda. At the time, he’d been in the US for a year but in Charlotte just 4 months. He was looking for flexible work that would allow him time to study and save up for his green card. Uber was the perfect fit, but it took him two months to get them to accept his application.

“They kept saying: ‘How could you know Charlotte? Do you know Charlotte?’ I know Charlotte,” he assured me as I directed him where to go. No worries, I said.

When he’d finally gotten his application approved the week prior, he set out to drive.

“My friend who is a taxi driver told me not to do it. He said ‘It’s not your personality! You will not like it!’ But I wanted to try it,” he said proudly.

On just his second night on the job Uwamahoro picked up a man from the Epicentre who was wrapping up what appeared to be a pretty rowdy night.

“He said ‘Take me home. Take me home.’ but he didn’t say where home is and then he fell asleep!” said Uwamahoro, still shocked months later that his rider passed out in the car.

With an unconscious drunk man in his passenger seat and his dream job on the line on day two, Uwamahoro weighed his options.

“I could take him to the hospital. I could take him back. Call the police,” he said.

“So what’d you do?” I asked, hoping this ride from Plaza Midwood to Montford would never end.

“I took him to my home,” he said matter-of-factly.

“YOU TOOK HIM TO YOUR HOME??”

“Yes. I didn’t know what to do.”

“Weren’t you scared? WHAT DID YOU DO??”

“I put him in a bed and he went straight to sleep until 1pm the next day. I wish I could sleep like that man,” he said with a laugh as if this were not the most incredible story ever retold.

I couldn’t believe it.

The man woke up the next day panic-stricken about the unfamiliar surroundings and rightfully confused. When Uwamahoro heard the commotion he went into the room to explain.

“I told him where I picked him up and what happened,” he said.

“Was he at least grateful?” I asked.

“Oh yes, I think so,” he said. “It could happen to anyone. Have a few too many.”

“Do you have any idea how lucky he was he got in your car?” I asked. “Anyone else would have just left him.”

“What if he died?” he replied. And we drove on.

Indeed, what if he had died? What if a presumably wealthy Uptown club goer died in the home of a foreign Uber driver applying for a green card? I can’t imagine that would have played out well for Uwamahoro.

When I met him, Uwamahoro was studying theology and public policy at Charlotte Bible College. He said he liked Charlotte and loved driving for Uber. He eventually asked me if I’d been to Africa and I told him about my trip to Tanzania with The Lunch Project and how they feed school kids. I told him all about PlateShare and our ambitious and hopeful plans to help fund additional school sites in Tanzania. He was so supportive.

“This is amazing what they are doing,” he said enthusiastically. And then, a little more timidly: “Do you think if maybe one day, any day, any time, if you have the time, maybe coffee, if I could talk to you about what you do there with that project? To learn more?”

As we pulled up to the bar I handed him my card and told him to call me any time. Seriously any time.

He beamed. “This is why I love Uber!” he said. “Look at the people you meet!”

Before I got out of the car he promised to call me and said, “Every day I pray that doing this I will meet the right people, that the right people will get in my car. This is what you’re in.”

I’m not exactly sure what he meant by that, that I was in his car or that I was in his prayer. I hopped out at Maverick Rock Taco and sincerely hope he calls me.

That was almost exactly one year ago. I originally wrote and published this piece on my personal blog and never did hear from Uwamahoro. I hope he kept up with his studies, continued to enjoy driving for Uber and didn’t have to host any additional surprise overnight guests.