When Dina Garrett started driving with Lyft in Arizona six years ago, it was for the same reason a lot of drivers take the plunge. “I started with Lyft for flexibility,” she says. “I loved that I could tailor it to my schedule.” Early morning rides worked well for her, and she liked to drive in Surprise, where she lives, as well as in adjacent areas such as Phoenix, Glendale, Buckeye, Goodyear, and Avondale.
Perhaps it was no surprise that she started seeing the same rider: Monika Hannibal, who was traveling from her assisted-living facility to her dialysis clinic three times a week. “There aren’t many drivers in my area, and over time, I started chatting with Monika,” says Dina. “She shared with me that she was having a hard time getting reliable transportation to her appointments since she needs to get there at a certain time of the morning.”
The two eventually shared phone numbers so they could coordinate their Lyft rides: Monika schedules her rides one to two weeks out, and Dina picks them up as soon as they’re available to schedule. Over the span of the last five years together, Monika and Dina have taken more than 350 rides together.
And now, Lyft is making it easier for riders to link up with drivers they like: With the new “favorite” a driver feature, riders can add drivers who go above and beyond to their list of favorites, and Lyft will try to match them together for future scheduled rides. Dina regularly uses the scheduled rides feature to plan her available drive time. She also likes using the filter features to adjust the areas she drives in or to ensure she can arrive on time to her destination while taking rides on the way.
The ability to have a driver whom she knows and trusts has been immensely helpful for Monika. “She’s helped me so much,” says Monika. “I only have one leg, and it can be really hard for me to get in and out of smaller cars, or even bigger cars. So Dina has the perfect car for me — a Honda CR-V — but she’s also just very patient and helpful.” Dina is also fine with Monika sitting in the front seat, which is much easier for Monika. “I’ve gotten a new car in the last five years since I’ve been driving Monika,” says Dina. “And in the back of my mind, I thought it had to be the same car because it would work best for her.” Spoiler alert: She purchased another Honda CR-V.
Doing what’s best for Monika is something Dina prioritizes in other ways too. “I had to go to one appointment for my arthritis, and the doctor recommended I get X-rays afterwards,” recalls Monika. “Dina took me to the appointment, and when she found out when she picked me up that the doctor wanted me to get X-rays, she took me straight over to the imaging office and walked in and asked the lady at the front desk if I could be seen. She got me in right away, and I got the results right away.”
Having such an efficient medical appointment would be a win for anyone, but Dina didn’t stop there. “She went over to Starbucks and got the woman at the front desk a latte to thank her for her help,” says Monika. “She’s just so considerate, and she’s been a lifesaver.”
Their relationship has extended beyond just the car. “I’m not very tech-savvy,” says Monika. “Dina helps me schedule Lyft rides to make sure that we can be paired together, but she also helps me with other things, like clearing out all of the junk on my phone and things like that,” she laughs. Dina says the same: “I’ve called Apple support for her, helped her set up her phones and iPads — we even do lunch every few months.” The relationship has come to mean something to both of them. “Monika tells people all the time that we’re friends,” says Dina. “It’s a nice feeling to be able to help care for her.”
