TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A Lyft driver who picks up passengers from all over the world at Tampa International Airport is seeking to inspire others with a book of riders’ quotes kept in his truck. 

Steven Jordan has been driving for Lyft since 2017 and has picked up over 1,500 people.

He works with passengers at the airport four days a week due to the longer trips that make driving worthwhile.

Back in April, he had the idea to start a book of quotes that inspire those he picks up.  

“I thought, ‘I wonder how cool it would be the way they thought about things.’ So I couldn’t come up with nothing, I said, ‘the simplest thing would be quotes,’” Jordan explained. “And everybody asked me, ‘quotes?’ I said, ‘no, it’s not just a quote, it’s anything you want to say. It doesn’t matter.’ And I’ve got people saying ‘God bless me’ and one says ‘I love my wife.’” 

Jordan said it’s been an educational experience for him, learning more about different backgrounds and different religions.  

He said he’s had passengers from Casablanca, Morrocco, South Africa, Germany and Scotland. 

Jordan always asks folks when they first get in his Lyft where they are from. 

“A lot of them say ‘Ohio,’ and I say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry!’ And they’ll laugh, get ‘em going,” he said of his jokes. “So then I get out there a little ways from the airport… And I’ll say, ‘I started a book back in April, “Quotes of Passengers,” and I got x amount of languages in here, different lines. Would you like to put a quote in here?’ And I says, ‘it don’t matter what it is, something your mom said, your dad says, something you live by.’” 

Right now, Jordan has 500 quotes from travelers from 16 countries in multiple languages.

He said it would take someone a while to read them all – even he hasn’t. But some of his passengers do try.

“Oh gosh, yeah, I had a lady there the other night, she had a 25-minute ride and she could not finish the book. And her husband’s back there, ‘you through yet?’” Jordan laughed. “She said, ‘no, I’m still reading!’ She kept reading and kept reading and said ‘oh this is some good stuff in here!’” 

He said Lyft riders can’t live off tips and he’s not looking to get rich. He said riders will just get to meet a lot of good people, which he has.

“I’m not looking for nothing…Not to be famous, but I just like to make sure people get help or something, you know. Maybe it’ll help them. You get down somewhere and maybe it’ll pick them up. That’s all I care about,” Jordan said.

He reached out to 8 On Your Side to get ‘Quotes of Passengers’ some exposure. He’s hoping to get the book published one day.

“I just want the book to have some exposure. Because I believe if one person influences one person, makes their life better, the book’s done its job, you know. That’s all I care about,” he said.

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