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Joy

TikTok star's fans raise $144,000 for 'guardian angel' Uber driver who stood by her after robbery

Raul Torres is a guardian angel.

via Becca Moore/TikTok

Becca Moore and Raul Torres having margaritas.

Becca Moore is a popular TikToker with over 800,000 followers who's known for her funny, laid-back takes on dating. Like any influencer-type she was at the Coachella music and arts festival in Indio, California recently. While she was at Coachella, she was robbed of her phone, rental car keys and wallet.

“I went to Coachella this weekend and I thought this guy was kinda hitting on me but then he just robbed me,” Becca says at the beginning of her three-minute TikTok video with over 3 million views. After the festival, she was left with no ride, money, or means to get in contact with friends and family. She was stranded in the desert.

Becca’s friend’s hotel called her an Uber so she could get to a local store to buy a new phone.

The driver she was incredibly lucky to be connected with was a lot more than a guy with a car in a time of need, he was a guardian angel named Raul Torres from Fresno, California, six hours north of Indio.

“A normal Uber driver takes you to a place and then drops you off. He insisted on coming in with me and making sure that I was going to have a ride after that,” Becca said.

The store wasn’t able to get her a new phone because she didn’t have access to her current plan. But Raul wouldn’t give up, so he took her to the local police station where they were able to locate the Airbnb where the thief was staying. The police let them into the room and they searched it but couldn’t find the phone.

@becccamooore
the uber driver that saved me from going missing is @buds4u559!! 😭 after spending the day w him he told me his daughter is a senior in high school & is having a hard time going through chemo. i made a gofundme, he could’ve left me and didn’t have to help me the way he did! I’d love to help his fam give his daughter a normal end to her senior year of high school this year (prom!!) i’m putting it in my bio!!

After the big let-down, Becca and Raul decided to take a break from their quest and refresh their spirits with some margaritas, on Raul. “Just because he’s an angel on this Earth,” Becca said in her TikTok video.

While the two bonded over drinks, Raul told Becca his daughter had been battling cancer and that’s why he’s been working as an Uber driver.

“He told me all he wants is for his daughter to have a normal end to her senior year, and to be able to go to big events like prom and graduation,” Becca said.

Raul also revealed that his father had cancer as well.

His revelations put Becca's troubles in perspective and made his decision to drop his driving for the day to help Becca all the more incredible.

@becccamooore
thank god he refused to leave me 😭 raul’s tiktok is @buds4u559. also you can donate to the fam in my bio!! thank you all for your donations and generosity. you today, me tomorrow!! #TipsForRaul

After the final slurps of their margaritas, Becca still wasn’t sure how she’d get home. But Raul wouldn’t give up. “We’re getting your phone,” he exclaimed.

He drove her back to the thief’s Airbnb where she found the phone sitting on top of the outside gate.

Becca believes the robber abandoned the phone after realizing the police were involved. Then, Raul helped Becca get a rental car so she could get home. Before saying their goodbyes, the two had spent eight hours together.

"Raul ended his Uber shift that morning to spend his day helping me, expecting nothing in return,” she said in her TikTok video. So she used her considerable audience to ask followers to help contribute to a GoFundMe page for Raul and his family. Over the first 4 days, the campaign has raised over $144,000.

"When I was in the car with him it seemed like we were both so focused on my situation. We were only talking about me getting a phone and like things that did not matter. And he completely glazed over the fact that his daughter and his dad were the ones that needed help," she admitted.

On Friday, April 29, Raul's dad passed away from cancer.

The story of Becca and Raul is a great reminder that no matter how big our troubles seem, it’s always important to put them in perspective.

This story originally appeared on 05.03.22

From Your Site Articles

heroes

Joy

Uber driver gamifies his car to give riders a fun and unique experience

Wallace says he loves driving his car.

Alan Wagner/X

Wallace the Uber driver gives riders a one-of-a-kind experience.

When you hop into an Uber, it can feel like a crapshoot. You never know if you're going to get a chatty driver or a quiet one, a car that smells like brand new leather or one doused in vanilla air freshener, a ride that's smooth and easy or one that makes you grip the door handle.

But when you enter Wallace the Uber driver's car, you get an experience unlike any other.

On the back of the passenger side seat, riders are greeted with a touchscreen that has a series of trivia questions and game elements that help them get to know Wallace a little better. Passengers get to guess how many rides the cheerful driver has provided and what his family looks like. They even get to fix Wallace's injured leg with either gauze or what appears to be duct tape, which is hilarious.

A video shared to X (formerly known as Twitter) by Alan Wagner shows what it's like to take a ride with Wallace, and it looks like a hoot.

Watch:

— (@)

The video was also shared on Reddit, where viewers praised Wallace's ingenuity and humor.

"Wallace is giving his passengers something to do besides bother him while he's driving. Wallace is a genius," wrote one commenter.

"They are also games that humanize Wallace (He has a family! He is injured!) so you form a bond with him and tip him more 😊," wrote another.

"I love how he stands up with a broken leg just to tell you how bad you did," shared one person.

"The sheer disappointment radiating from that man allows him to overcome his injury and express his displeasure," shared another.

The big red "NO" followed by the dramatic bow is so simple but so funny. But the video's best part is Wallace exclaiming, "I love driving my car!"

Whether Wallace provides this game so riders get to know him better or so he doesn't have to make as much conversation remains a mystery, but in the brief bit we get to see him talk, Wallace doesn't seem like a guy who hates to chat.

Here's to Wallace and everyone who loves their job, going the extra mile to give the people they serve the best experience possible.

From Your Site Articles

uber drivers

Heroes

Uber driver befriends 88-year-old passenger and quits her job to become his caregiver

via Pexels and Pexels

Uber driver befriends her 88-year-old passenger.

A chance meeting between an Uber driver and an 88-year-old man with dementia has completely changed both of their lives for the better.

In March 2020, Paul Webb of Columbus, Ohio called for an Uber to take him to the Verizon store to fix his broken cell phone. Luckily for Webb, he was picked up by Jenni Tekletsion, 52, in her Toyota RAV 4 for the short trip.

"When he called for a ride—when he just talked to me by phone—I knew this guy, I’m going to take care of him,” she told ABC6.

“She was very personable, easy to talk to,” Webb told The Washington Post.

Two decades ago, Tekletsion emigrated to the United States from Ethiopia. She drives an Uber on the weekends to send money back to orphanages in her country of birth. At the same time, she had a job as a banker for a financial institution while simultaneously working on her doctorate in business administration.

This Uber driver left her full-time job to become a caregiver for one of her passengers. @bobwsyx6 has the story here.https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/uber-driver-quits-full-time-job-to-help-care-for-canal-winchester-man-she-met-during-ride-11-23-2021\u00a0\u2026
— Ohio 24/7 Now (@Ohio 24/7 Now) 1637757000

A few minutes into the ride, Tekletsion began to feel bad for Webb. “I could tell how lonely he was,” she said. “I had a feeling that he needed help. I told him I live nearby his house, so I said, ‘From now on, when you need a ride, just call me.’"

The next day, Webb took her up on the offer for a ride to a nearby gas station to get some milk.

Over the next few weeks, he continued to call Tekletsion and she also would stop by his house to check on him. “I started coming here every single day after work to take him out to eat,” she told The Washington Post.

Jenni Tekletsion met Paul Webb driving Uber, her side job. She was also a Banker. She learned of his Dementia, so for 2 yrs she drove him to all his errands. They became close. When he fell ill, she quit her jobs to become his caregiver! There is only one race, the human race! pic.twitter.com/EKlzGovtvb
— Brunell Donald-Kyei (@Brunell Donald-Kyei) 1639672324

For a year, the two shared a meal together every day, alternating between who would pick up the check. Tekletsion also drove him wherever he needed to go, whether it was the supermarket or a doctor’s appointment.

As their relationship grew, Webb’s health began to decline and in April of this year, Tekletsion decided to quit her job to become his full-time caregiver. The pay was half of what she was used to making, but the benefit of helping her friend more than made up for the difference. Her husband works three jobs so she had the financial flexibility to make it happen.

However, at first, she had to convince Webb's two children, Keith and Melanie, who were skeptical of their relationship.

“The hardest part was to build trust with his children,” Tekletsion told The Washington Post. “I explained to them who I am and where I come from, and that I don’t need anything from Paul, but I want to take care of him and help him in his daily life.”

But she soon won his children over with her pure dedication.

“Consistency. She was real. She did what she said she was going to do, and she did it in a way that was genuine," Keith told ABC6. “She’s the same. In a world that’s ever-changing, rarely will you find someone who does not change. She’s the same. To this day, it’s mind-blowing.”

Tekletsion and Webb’s friendship is a wonderful example of what can happen when people who need help are able to find big-hearted people who are ready to give. And to think it all began with a simple rideshare.

“How lucky am I to get to spend my days with Paul?” she said. “It was the best decision I ever made.”

From Your Site Articles

uber drivers

TikTok star's fans raise $144,000 for 'guardian angel' Uber driver who stood by her after robbery

Raul Torres is a guardian angel.

The driver she was incredibly lucky to be connected with was a lot more than a guy with a car in a time of need, he was a guardian angel named Raul Torres from Fresno, California, six hours north of Indio.

While the two bonded over drinks, Raul told Becca his daughter had been battling cancer and that’s why he’s been working as an Uber driver.

He drove her back to the thief’s Airbnb where she found the phone sitting on top of the outside gate.

Uber driver gamifies his car to give riders a fun and unique experience

Wallace says he loves driving his car.

Uber driver befriends 88-year-old passenger and quits her job to become his caregiver

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