James Kornblum is a caretaker.
His background is in hospitality, with training in sales. He’s tended bars, waited tables, and managed shifts at the legendary Salt Lick BBQ outside Austin. At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, he helped all kinds of people get on and off planes: disabled passengers, the hearing and visually impaired, unassisted minors. (After a promotion, he also helped another, more privileged class of passenger: celebrities.) For the last four years, he’s been driving with Lyft.
And while that might seem like a diverse set of occupations, to James, they all depend on the same three things: a warm welcome, greeting people by name; a magic moment of connection; and a fond farewell, again, using folks’ names. “It makes the person smile. That, ‘Hey, this guy’s going out of his way,’ ” he says.
This level of care comes naturally to James, 60, a self-described “people person.” And riders notice — they almost always call out his friendliness in their ratings (in fact, he’s ranked in the top 10% of the friendliest drivers in Austin).
James isn’t merely polite on the surface, either — he has a knack for fostering a deeper connection with his riders. Oftentimes, this bond is formed when he shares the story of why he started driving in the first place: It’s work he can do while also being the full-time caretaker for his spouse.
After his wife, Aundrea (“Andi”), became severely disabled with degeneration of the lower lumbar and cervical regions of her spine, James left his previous job to take care of her full time. The condition robs her of the use of her legs and hands, so she is unable to stand or walk on her own. After she achieved some level of independence, he began driving with Lyft. It gives him the flexibility to be home every few hours to make sure she can use the bathroom. “My wife is fighting very hard and making progress,” he says. “It just takes a long time.”
James often starts his day around 3 a.m., caring for his wife and feeding his two dogs (dalmatian mix Willow and Chihuahua Chika), before hitting Interstate 35 around 4:30. James heads toward the airport via a route that includes plenty of hotels, typically picking up a rider along the way. When he does, he stands outside the car, at the ready to assist with luggage. At the airport, he’s quick to hop out, open the hatch, and assist with luggage once again (rider comments show it’s a touch that doesn’t go unnoticed).
Beyond his service, his empathy also endears him to riders. James tells the story: “I do remember once I had a gentleman who was drunk at 11 a.m. coming from a bar,” he says. “He was angry and crying and yelling. He had been diagnosed with cancer. Well, my dad survived two cancers.” The two exchanged stories, finding commonality in their shared experiences, during a 40-minute drive. “It turned him from negative to being friendly and positive. Someone did understand. When he arrived, his girlfriend came and thanked me. He was probably my worst — but yet my best — passenger, all at the same time.”
No matter the rider’s mood, James makes it his mission to make each ride magical for the person in his car. “He was the epitome of a great driver, professionalism, and attentiveness,” one rider wrote after rating their ride. “Please take care of him and keep him around. We need more people like him in this world.” It’s clear that, for James’s riders, the feeling of care is mutual.