It was a Sunday morning in November, before 8:00, that I arrived at the Park for my usual 5K walk. As I arrived at the Visitors Center, coming from the West gate entry, I met a young gentleman who fit the description that can only be described as a ‘wedding party casualty.” He walked South on Old Timber Road wearing a thin black trench coat, dress pants, dress shoes, no gloves, no hat and was carrying a cloth tote bag. Since this was the first wintry weather day so far, I, on the other hand, wore my Carhart winter work coat, two pairs of gloves, hat and scarf. Clearly, he was a casualty, and looked like he’d had a rough night. Been there. I make no judgments.
So, I parked my car and headed out to overtake the hapless, obviously hungover, young man holding his coat close to him against the cold wind.
‘Excuse me, but do you know where you’re going on this road?” I asked as I approached.
He turned toward me, looking a bit surprised, and then looked at the direction he was walking, and then back at me, and answered, “No.”
I told him the road went no where and that the way out was the opposite direction. I asked him if I could help. Knowing there had been a wedding as allowed by Covid the night before, I referred to him as a ‘wedding party casualty” in my observation.
The man laughed and agreed that he was indeed something like that. I offered to give him a ride somewhere but he explained he was waiting for his ride to arrive and was just taking a walk until his cab arrived from Champaign, because neither Lyft nor Uber served this area.
Now really? “You people from the big city!! This is Piatt County, and may as well be Peco, TX. There are NO ride services here. Period.
“What!” I exclaimed, “I would have given you a ride and would have charged a LOT less than a cab round trip from Champaign!” His cab was to arrive at 8:40.
So, we continued on together for a while. (It is Covid! I’ll talk to anyone at this point! I need people.)
The man graduated from University of Illinois, but had never been to Allerton Park while he was a student. Originally from Massachusetts, now living in Devil’s Kitchen, NYC (stayed in that area last time! walkable. theaters (Pre-Covid), hopping upcoming NYC area.
Anyway, I digress.
I saw in this moment, an opportunity and shared the idea with my friend, the Park director. Allerton Park needs some kind of ride share service, whereby private, entrepreneurial individuals could offer ride services. Still an idea under rumination, but, albeit one that has potential.
As for the young man, when I arrived back at my car and left the Park, he was not waiting, so his ride must have arrived.
I wonder how much that cab fare was?
