My next New York City conversation was with Michelle, the Uber driver. In fact she wasn’t in NYC but instead New Jersey. This is the thing about meeting strangers, you never quite know how a conversation will go.
My early Saturday morning Uber taxi was driven by Michelle. I was staying at some university accommodation just outside town. I was planning to join a Parkrun, on the other side of town and out into the countryside. I needed a lift there, hence another Uber ride.
As an aside, I should say being a Uber newbie I have been very impressed by Uber, an app based taxi service. You simply tap in where you want to go, it plots the course and tells you how long it will take and the cost. Once you have confirmed the ride, you get a notification to tell you who the driver is and details of their car. Easy peesy.
So Michelle turned up at the university so quickly! I was barely outside ready to wait for her when she turned up in her smart looking Lexus SUV. Off we went.
“So you must be from England, right?”
“Yes that’s right, my accent must be a give-away?”
“Surrrrre thing, I love it, the English always sound so nice, we don’t exactly get many out here”
I did my best to maintain my very best English accent, it shouldn’t have been too difficult as I’d only been there four days. Without wanting to sound too posh, or too 1950 BBC, I think I did alright with my middle England, fairly neutral accent.
“So why am I taking you out into the countryside, away from the town?”
Michelle was intrigued as to why she was driving this middle aged English bloke out into the countryside and so I explained I was going to take part in the local Parkrun.
“A Parkrun, neverrrr heard of it, what’s thaaaat” she asked
“A community run, always happens at 9 o’clock on a Saturday morning. Always free, always 5k”
I then told her a little more about it, why they are so good etc. She sounded impressed and assumed it was an American idea.
“So these Parkruns have made it to England then, wow that’s great”
“Er no, I think they started in London and have grown from there”
“Really, are you sure? They sound so good! Mind you I think Duane, my boyfriend could probably do with something like that”
“Lots of people do them, young, old, fast or slow, everyone is made to feel very welcome” I said
“Well I think I’ll tell Duane about it. He’s always been quite a heavy guy and he knows he needs to lose a few pounds”
As the Lexus smoothly swished through bends in the road, Michelle went onto explain that Duane had had problems with his pancreas a while back. He had been firmly told to stop eating so much meat and fatty foods and to lose some weight. He didn’t and then one day was in so much pain because of his inflamed pancreas, it put him in hospital.
“To tell you the truth, Doug, I don’t know if he can do it. He likes his food too much. He has meat for every meal”
“I think our diet makes a huge difference to our health…..”
“Surrrre you’re right there Doug”
“But I’m finding it difficult here myself, being a vegetarian”
“You’re a vegetaaarrrian? Wow I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who’s a veggieeeee”
And then we got to my Parkrun meeting point, just as the conversation was really going well. I thanked Michelle very much for the ride. Then I wished her “all the best” and also for Duane but I secretly wished I could have heard more about her view of vegetarians.
“Yeah maybe I’ll tell him about this Parkrun business, he might give it a go”
“Maybe Michelle you could join him as well, to give hime some encouragement?”
“I’ve never run in my life, or not since I left high school”
I told her how some people simply walk and enjoy the company of others. Besides, there’s always a tail walker who sweeps along at the back, sometimes people walk along with him or her.
“Well maybe, at least I know where it is. Starts at 9, right?”
“Yes that’s right, in fact it looks like people are starting to arrive now”
So I wonder if Duane and Michelle might go.
They might just do that.
I think I’ll deserve a gold star for introducing someone to the wonderful world of Parkruns and all the good they do for people – improving physical and mental health – arguably the best public health initiative and it doesn’t cost the Government a penny.