Rideshare services like Lyft allow everyday people to get up close and personal with other people’s vehicles. Sometimes, the car that arrives might not be what one expects—and other times, according to Bakersfield, California-based TikTok user Laylay (@laylayhurd2), the car might not be a car at all.
In a video with over 1.5 million views, Laylay claims that, after ordering a Lyft on their way back from the club, a man showed up with a rickshaw. The resulting ride allegedly took over an hour, though according to Laylay, “We didnt even complain.”
@laylayhurd2 We didnt even complain 😭 but it did take about an hour to get from the club 😂#OLAFLEX #DoritosDareToBeBurned ♬ original sound – laylayhurd2
In comments, users voiced their support for both Laylay and the running man.
“He’s being so efficient! Working out, being environmentally friendly, and getting you guys home safe,” one user wrote.
“Y’all good people for being cool about it. That’s real,” another said.
However, it’s unclear if Laylay actually ordered a ride from the man on Lyft. In California, Lyft has strict rules about their drivers and what cars they can drive. For example, a car must have “4 doors” and “5-8 seats, including the driver’s.” The man’s rickshaw does not meet any of those standards.
However, that doesn’t mean Laylay wasn’t genuinely getting a ride home from this man. According to commenters, the man in question is named Neil and is a bit of a local legend.
“He roams the downtown area a bit and has been doing this for a while,” wrote a user. “One of the chillest people ever.”
“I knew it was bakersfield,” claimed a second. “He used to have a wooden one.”
A Facebook event from 2017 seems to back up the idea that he is locally known. In the event description, which was a fundraiser for Neil, the admin writes, “Neil Wood (rickshaw Neil) is still missing his rickshaw. In an effort to continue to help him in finding his rickshaw, we ask the community to come together to support him in any way possible.”
Neil allegedly told Laylay that he was doing this in order to pay his rent, inspiring her to start a GoFundMe.
“I didn’t expect this video to go viral with over 1,000,000 views, but it has,” she wrote in the GoFundMe’s description. “I set up this Go Fund Me because as we rode with this man, he said, ‘I’m doing this to pay this month’s rent.’ Let us take the time and get this man’s rent paid for as many months as we could !!! God bless you.”
We’ve reached out to Laylay via Instagram direct message and Lyft via email.
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