You’ve probably heard the alarm bells: Technology is making us awkward. Perhaps nobody knows this better than rideshare drivers, who share space and time with strangers (almost) every time they take a ride.
Driving with Lyft for eight years, Atlanta-based Robert Roble has noticed the decline in social niceties. But rather than accept this difference and turn the radio up, he views it as a challenge: “My goal is to get people to take their headphones off,” Roble explains. It’s working: One out of every 10 rides with Roble ends in a “good conversation” compliment from a rider — double the rate for a typical driver.
How does he do it? According to Roble, it starts with observation. “Maybe you can tell they are into sports because of their clothes. Or you can ask what they do for work. If they work at a big organization, I might ask them about AI. A lot of people want to talk about that these days.”
Sometimes, Roble notices from riders’ body language or words that they’re struggling. Roble reflects on one ride where he was driving a homeless woman to the airport. She was going to Houston and didn’t know anyone there. “I googled ‘woman programs in Houston’ and gave her the contact info,” Roble recalls. “She felt much, much more confident going on a plane after that.”
Roble, who has an autistic son, also likes to help out fellow parents. “These days, one out of every 31 boys are diagnosed with autism,” Roble notes. “But there’s no playbook for being a parent with an autistic kid. So I give them advice and help them find programs and schools that could serve their child.”
And sometimes, riders just need a couple pointers. Roble’s dad, who was a coach, left him with an inclination for a pep talk. His most common advice to young riders? “Be on time when time is involved. It’s the most important first step.”
Plus, over so many rides (almost 12,000, to be specific), he’s developed a nuanced understanding for how to get a conversation flowing. If he learns the rider is from India, for example, he’ll ask about RRR — the popular epic action drama that came out in 2022. If he has an older adult in the car, he may ask them what sports teams they like — but he’ll ask younger riders about players. “They follow players on TikTok and reels,” Roble explains. “If I ask them about LeBron James, they get animated. But they don’t want to talk about the Atlanta Hawks.”
Roble says he isn’t afraid to talk with people from all different religions and political ideologies. According to him, what’s important is that you understand the pain of others and find common ground. “When it comes down to it, we all want the same things,” Roble reflects, “security, healthcare, children to have a good education.”
Indeed, according to Roble, “The best part of Lyft is the diversity.” He gets to speak to people from all over the world — immigrants from Venezuela, college students on their first day of school, people going to first jobs and first dates. Roble compares it to being a barber or a bartender. “You never know what’s going to come your way.”
