My car ride and a lesson in humility

I was about to embark on a business trip last week and I was waiting for one of my routine car rides to the airport. Now, I usually rent a car or use a ride sharing service when I am out of town. However, when going to the airport from home, I call on this particular car service that I have used for over 10 years on countless business trips. I am a creature of habit in this case. I am familiar with most of their drivers at any given point of time, which makes for very warm conversations and I find it a very relaxing way to start a trip.

This time, to my surprise, a driver pulls into my driveway in a very expensive car (brand name withheld to preserve anonymity), which by my estimate easily costs over 120K. This smiling, cheerful man greets me while I am about to close the front door of my house behind me. I never allow a driver to pick up my bags unless they insist; this man picks up my bags in spite of me refusing to hand it over to him. I engage in my usual chatter with the driver. I thank him for picking me up on this expensive car but I tell him that I am kinda surprised and confused. I also told him that I have never met him before. He retorts that the driver who was supposed to pick me up had to take his sick spouse to the hospital at the last minute and the car that he was supposed to drive was also with him since the previous night and that this was the only car available. That still didn’t satisfy my curiosity but I refrained by asking more questions. I thought, after all, why should I be nosy? I am being offered a ride in a luxury car for the price of a regular ride. I decided to assume that this car was part of their luxury car fleet and the driver was also part of that team.

It was a short ride to the airport; as he pulled up to the terminal, I asked him what his name was. He said “My name is Andrew.” (name changed to preserve anonymity) “Andrew Fox??!”, I asked in utter disbelief. “Yes sir”, he replied nonchalantly. Andrew Fox is the owner of the car service that I have used all these years and it is one of several successful businesses that he owns in the area, and he a multi-millionaire. I have heard his name being mentioned by many of the drivers who have driven me to the airport. I remembered his name only because every driver who has mentioned his name had always something good to say about him. I finally mustered my courage and asked him "Is this car part of your luxury fleet?" "No sir, this is my personal car", Andrew responded.

In a simple act of kindness to fill in for his employee in distress, Andrew displayed a great care for one of his own while also showing an acute awareness for the need of an average customer. But more than anything else, by trying his best to act like any other driver in the fleet and by trying to withhold his identity, Andrew gave me a great lesson in humility.