When Friday rush hour on the 405 was worth the drive. I sometimes traverse the city as a pseudo-caped crusader, rideshare driver. There's absolutely nothing like hanging out with real people, hearing their stories, and getting to interact with them. That makes for a cathartic and valuable experience.

So it's 4:00 PM on Good Friday, and I'm about to end my seven-hour day driving. Of course, I answer the call for one last ride, 100 Wilshire Boulevard and Pacific Avenue in Santa Monica. The destination is Dana Point, California. Yikes.

For all of you who know the Southern California freeway system, you'll understand the crushing reality of what a Friday ride to Dana Point means. The destination is 92 miles south of where I picked up the girl, on the 405 in rush-hour traffic, or, to put it in real-people terms, three hours in the wrong direction.

Top it off with the condition of my fare. She was a weeping, tear-laden woman who had just gotten news that her boyfriend had broken up with her. We're not talking tears and sniffling here. We're talking massive weeping, snot-filled disaster tears….for 3 hours solid.

But with the extra-long day came a sweet bonus. I arrived at Dana Point just in time to take advantage of this terrific scene. As I got to her neighborhood, within 2 minutes, I noticed the sunset approaching quickly, and I made a beeline to get her dropped off.

The ride back to the parking lot near the marina was nearly empty and I got this shot with 30 seconds to spare. I actually found myself appreciating the benefits of that very long day, even the 130-mile drive home.