Danny Blanton, a rideshare driver for about a year, enjoys meeting new people during his shifts. Recently, one of those new passengers turned out to be an old friend.
Blanton was surprised when, earlier this year, he picked up a passenger named John in Southern Dallas. “John is such a common name,” Blanton said. “I didn’t immediately think I might know him.”
During their ride, after a casual conversation about the weather, John asked, “What’s your name?” When Blanton replied, “Danny,” John exclaimed, “Wait, I know you! Don’t you know me?”
Blanton’s dashboard camera captured the moment of recognition. “Man! What the —-?,” Blanton said, astonished.
It turned out that John and Blanton had worked together 24 years ago at a bar in North Dallas, where John was the head of security and Blanton was a bartender. “He looked just the same, though we both have a bit more gray hair now,” Blanton said. “It was surreal running into him like that. He’s such a great guy. I’m glad it happened.”
Not one for social media, Blanton decided to share the encounter on TikTok. “It was my first video ever,” Blanton said, noting that it has since garnered over 10 million views. “When people see something good, it helps them escape from all the political and negative content online.”
The surprise reunion also gave Blanton and John a chance to reconnect and catch up after more than two decades.
