Today, Twitter gave me a ride home.

On November 2nd I was sitting next to a guy on the BART train during my morning commute. Glancing at his PC I noticed that he was crafting a blog post via the iconic WordPress interface. I didn’t want to gawk, but out of curiosity I made a mental note of the blog name and went about my daily routine of checking RSS feeds on my mobile and listening to podcasts.

Upon arrival to the office, I pulled up his blog and read that morning’s post. Evan (I found the author’s name) had blogged about housing choices in the East Bay. Since I too recently moved back into the area, I felt compelled to comment. This was quite odd, commenting on what was basically a stranger’s diary, but I did it anyway.

Evan read my comment, found me on Twitter and started following me. I followed him back. And so it was, two people who had really never met, were getting glimpses into each other’s life via this new online medium. It turns out that the connection got weirder as we also work on the same block in San Francisco.

Today, Evan and I shook hands for the first time. I twittered that my 10-block morning walk from the train to office was terribly wet and windy and cold. He responded with the offer of a ride back to my car in the East Bay. I mulled it over… wasn’t it bizarre to accept a ride from some strange dude who you barely “know” from the web? What if he’s a serial killer (a sentiment expressed by his wife later that evening).

Well, I did accept the ride and am glad I did. I got home quicker than had I walked to BART and I met a nice guy as well. I’ve got a story for my next party too, assuming it’s a party with a bunch of webbies who will actually get it, cuz my wife and college buddies think I’m a totally nerd each time I mention Twitter.

Evan, thanks for the ride!