March 17, 2025 • 9 mins
In Episode 13 of RideShare RoadTalk we dance around the edges of USAID layoffs, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ben Folds folding, keeping Baltimore real, little Italy, and remembering when 14th Street was super sketch. Buckle up...Let's Drive!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Welcome to another episode of Rideshare Road Talk
Conversations in Motion, apodcast where we create
unfiltered talk space thatexamines the meaningful lives of
my passengers while engaging inpersonal and topical
discussions.
I'm your host and driver,J ohnFoundas, and we're cruising the
streets of Washington DC.
Buckle up, let's drive.
(00:32):
Come on in.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Such a big car.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Thank you.
I'm your unlikely ride sharedriver.
Are you visiting?
What's your story?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I live in Baltimore, so I'm here.
I was here for work.
I've been here for a few days.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
So you're local-ish.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, yeah, normally I wouldn't get a hotel when
coming here for work, but we hadthe budget for it and we had to
be there early every day, so wewere able to do it.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
It's a no-brainer you get a good meal somewhere and
hopefully, you know, makes itall come together.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
What kind of work do you do?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I do international family planning, reproductive
health.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
So we are part of the sector that's being completely
dismantled and destroyed beforeyour eyes.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
You're in good company.
So, I've had many people inthis vehicle, from DOJ attorneys
to USAID.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, yeah, I used to work in the USAID world, but
now I got my hotel paid for, andall that because I worked for
Gates Foundation funded.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
He was just at Nobu having sushi.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Where.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
At Nobu having sushi Nobu.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Last week, oh, last week yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Somebody got in and was like, oh my God, bill Gates
was just having sushi with nextto me.
I'm like did you ask him to pay?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Well, we did invite him to our convening, but he
said he couldn't come.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
You missed him by a few days.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I mean, it's like you gave us the money for it, so
whatever, I think Melinda caresmore about the issues that I
care about right now, in thismoment.
But yeah, we just had a greatconvening great convening with
(02:29):
there's lots of people that weflew in from africa, latin
america, asia, to be part ofthis convening to talk about.
What are we gonna do now?
You know what.
The shit has hit the fan, butwe're not going away, so what
can we do?
Speaker 1 (02:40):
there, there's always a fight to be had, right yeah
exactly.
You know, I think anyone cankind of thump your chest and go,
I'm just gonna leave.
Well, okay, what does thatreally do?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
There is, in my opinion, a perfect example of
this is when the insanity at theKennedy Center, with the board
there, when the Trumpadministration took over the
board and inserted themselvesand everyone that's been there
kind of resigned, including,like these are creatives and
artists, and you know, ben Foleswas on the committee there and
(03:14):
he resigned.
And I'm like, no, that'sprecisely the time when you're
not supposed to resign, you'resupposed to stay and stick your
foot in the door and say this isgoing to be very difficult for
you because this is what webelieve in, or did you never
really care to begin with?
Right, or is it just not worthyour headache now?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
So who ultimately knows?
But that was just my firstperceived thought.
Anyways, how's Baltimore?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
I love Baltimore.
I've lived in DC before.
I see how people might say it'sthe better one, but I think I
prefer Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
It has its moments.
I mean it's certainly uh, it'sgotten the black eye the past
couple of years post COVID, youknow, with the Harbor kind of
rolling up a bit and already hadit, yeah, but you know what I
mean.
Like I grew up here, so I getit.
Yeah, I get it.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
I love Baltimore, you know it's.
I think it's it's moreapproachable, it's it's friendly
, it's got its own culture.
I feel personally like dc maybe, since you've been here a long
time, you feel, I feel like it'sgotten so generic, it's so like
I say this with a very broadplants.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
I say with a very broad brush.
Dc by nature is transient.
Therefore, there's a lot ofpeople pretending there's a lot
of pretense here.
Yeah, baltimore, for all itsbumps and scars and you know
afflictions, it's.
It's real.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, there's real people very real it's, there's a
friendliness.
It's a little rough around theedges, but but it's real and the
people who are there want tostay there, unless, you know, we
have some transient JohnsHopkins people who are there a
couple years and never want togo back, and that's fine, they
can leave.
But it's also I heard someonesays, oh, you don't like
(05:06):
Baltimore, it doesn't like youeither.
It's like it doesn't care, it'snot trying to be anything else.
I think DC is trying to catchup to New York and LA and like
Chicago, like they want to beseen as like a premier US city,
and it is like they'resucceeding.
This has become like a bigdestination and the food scene
is great.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
It's gotten much better.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
But yeah, I just for a, it's baltimore for me yeah,
yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Well, I get up there a few times a year.
I go to little italy every youknow, christmas time, okay, and
we've got this routine.
I used to go there with mygrandfather, oh.
And so there's a you know,chiparelli's is like my go-to
little italian place and afterthat we walk around the corner
and get cannoli and espresso,nice, and there's just like a
(05:54):
nice throwback.
There's like a little boccecourt in the alley, like a legit
old school bocce court, and theold guys would be out there
playing and they used to do thisthing there with the movies on
the side of the row house.
I don't know if you everremember that A movie Between
Ciparelli's and Vac and vacarosis the name of the pastry shop.
There's this old brown suit ina little parking lot.
(06:16):
In the summertime, someone in arow house across the street
would project movies onto thebrick wall and everybody would
bring their lounge chairs andjust kind of hang out in the
parking lot and watch movies.
It was the coolest thing yeah,that sounds very baltimore.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah and um, I think something happened with the
woman who was doing it.
I don't and watch movies.
It was the coolest thing.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Yeah, that sounds very Baltimore, yeah, and I
think something happened withthe woman who was doing it.
I don't know if she passed awayor not, but they don't do it
anymore, just little things likethat, yeah there's a community
Like all the neighborhoods arelike communities, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Like even my block, like we all look out for each
other.
I mean, I'm sure you get thathere too.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
For sure We'll do like what's the Miracle on 34th
with all the lights and stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Oh yeah, so much fun.
Yeah, that's fun.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
My kids love doing that stuff.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Oh nice, yeah, that's good.
Take them to Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Yup, I still have my crab cake joint.
It's not in the city, but youknow, it's just which one?
I'm always I'm a sucker for G&Mover by the airport.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Oh yeah, I haven't been there yet.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Yeah, oh, I know Jimmy's is supposed to be really
really good.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
I like pop poppers okay p-a-p-p-a.
Pop us.
I'm not sure this place isphenomenal yes, the dip that
place is phenomenal yeah, when Ilived here, I used to work in
this area.
This area has changed so muchum makes me feel old.
I used to work on 14th, and youknow when it was still a little
(07:46):
sketchy oh yeah, for sure now,when I came here and it was like
there's a, there's a traderjoe's here wait, where did the
prostitutes go?
Speaker 1 (07:56):
they all went, legit.
And they're getting benefits attrader joe's.
Yeah, okay, it looks like we'regoing to be on the right hand
side.
Is this restaurant good, haveyou heard of it?
And they're getting benefits atTrader Joe's?
Yeah, okay, it looks like we'regonna be on the right-hand side
Is this restaurant good, haveyou heard of it.
Where are we going?
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Doi Moi.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Doi Moi?
I don't know.
It's fun to say, but I've neverbeen there.
Doi, moi, doi, moi.
Well, I don't know, oh, theblack hat?
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yeah, I think I heard that.
Where is this place?
Speaker 1 (08:24):
It should be just right on the right-hand side, I
think, or is it across thestreet?
Oh, there it is.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yeah, right to your left.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Okay, excellent, enjoy your evening.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
You too.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Good luck.
Thanks for the chat.
Thank you for listening to thisepisode of Rideshare Road Talk.
If you've enjoyed what you'veheard, we'd love for you to
review the podcast on yourfavorite listening platform,
like Apple or Spotify.
Your support helps us so much,and don't forget to reach out on
Instagram with your feedback ortopic suggestions.
Until next time, let's driveyou.
Welcome to another episode of Rideshare Road Talk
Conversations in Motion, apodcast where we create
unfiltered talk space thatexamines the meaningful lives of
my passengers while engaging inpersonal and topical
discussions.
I'm your host and driver,J ohnFoundas, and we're cruising the
streets of Washington DC.
Buckle up, let's drive.
(00:32):
Come on in.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Such a big car.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Thank you.
I'm your unlikely ride sharedriver.
Are you visiting?
What's your story?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I live in Baltimore, so I'm here.
I was here for work.
I've been here for a few days.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
So you're local-ish.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, yeah, normally I wouldn't get a hotel when
coming here for work, but we hadthe budget for it and we had to
be there early every day, so wewere able to do it.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
It's a no-brainer you get a good meal somewhere and
hopefully, you know, makes itall come together.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
What kind of work do you do?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I do international family planning, reproductive
health.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
So we are part of the sector that's being completely
dismantled and destroyed beforeyour eyes.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
You're in good company.
So, I've had many people inthis vehicle, from DOJ attorneys
to USAID.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, yeah, I used to work in the USAID world, but
now I got my hotel paid for, andall that because I worked for
Gates Foundation funded.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
He was just at Nobu having sushi.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Where.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
At Nobu having sushi Nobu.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Last week, oh, last week yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Somebody got in and was like, oh my God, bill Gates
was just having sushi with nextto me.
I'm like did you ask him to pay?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Well, we did invite him to our convening, but he
said he couldn't come.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
You missed him by a few days.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I mean, it's like you gave us the money for it, so
whatever, I think Melinda caresmore about the issues that I
care about right now, in thismoment.
But yeah, we just had a greatconvening great convening with
(02:29):
there's lots of people that weflew in from africa, latin
america, asia, to be part ofthis convening to talk about.
What are we gonna do now?
You know what.
The shit has hit the fan, butwe're not going away, so what
can we do?
Speaker 1 (02:40):
there, there's always a fight to be had, right yeah
exactly.
You know, I think anyone cankind of thump your chest and go,
I'm just gonna leave.
Well, okay, what does thatreally do?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
There is, in my opinion, a perfect example of
this is when the insanity at theKennedy Center, with the board
there, when the Trumpadministration took over the
board and inserted themselvesand everyone that's been there
kind of resigned, including,like these are creatives and
artists, and you know, ben Foleswas on the committee there and
(03:14):
he resigned.
And I'm like, no, that'sprecisely the time when you're
not supposed to resign, you'resupposed to stay and stick your
foot in the door and say this isgoing to be very difficult for
you because this is what webelieve in, or did you never
really care to begin with?
Right, or is it just not worthyour headache now?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
So who ultimately knows?
But that was just my firstperceived thought.
Anyways, how's Baltimore?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
I love Baltimore.
I've lived in DC before.
I see how people might say it'sthe better one, but I think I
prefer Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
It has its moments.
I mean it's certainly uh, it'sgotten the black eye the past
couple of years post COVID, youknow, with the Harbor kind of
rolling up a bit and already hadit, yeah, but you know what I
mean.
Like I grew up here, so I getit.
Yeah, I get it.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
I love Baltimore, you know it's.
I think it's it's moreapproachable, it's it's friendly
, it's got its own culture.
I feel personally like dc maybe, since you've been here a long
time, you feel, I feel like it'sgotten so generic, it's so like
I say this with a very broadplants.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
I say with a very broad brush.
Dc by nature is transient.
Therefore, there's a lot ofpeople pretending there's a lot
of pretense here.
Yeah, baltimore, for all itsbumps and scars and you know
afflictions, it's.
It's real.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, there's real people very real it's, there's a
friendliness.
It's a little rough around theedges, but but it's real and the
people who are there want tostay there, unless, you know, we
have some transient JohnsHopkins people who are there a
couple years and never want togo back, and that's fine, they
can leave.
But it's also I heard someonesays, oh, you don't like
(05:06):
Baltimore, it doesn't like youeither.
It's like it doesn't care, it'snot trying to be anything else.
I think DC is trying to catchup to New York and LA and like
Chicago, like they want to beseen as like a premier US city,
and it is like they'resucceeding.
This has become like a bigdestination and the food scene
is great.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
It's gotten much better.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
But yeah, I just for a, it's baltimore for me yeah,
yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Well, I get up there a few times a year.
I go to little italy every youknow, christmas time, okay, and
we've got this routine.
I used to go there with mygrandfather, oh.
And so there's a you know,chiparelli's is like my go-to
little italian place and afterthat we walk around the corner
and get cannoli and espresso,nice, and there's just like a
(05:54):
nice throwback.
There's like a little boccecourt in the alley, like a legit
old school bocce court, and theold guys would be out there
playing and they used to do thisthing there with the movies on
the side of the row house.
I don't know if you everremember that A movie Between
Ciparelli's and Vac and vacarosis the name of the pastry shop.
There's this old brown suit ina little parking lot.
(06:16):
In the summertime, someone in arow house across the street
would project movies onto thebrick wall and everybody would
bring their lounge chairs andjust kind of hang out in the
parking lot and watch movies.
It was the coolest thing yeah,that sounds very baltimore.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah and um, I think something happened with the
woman who was doing it.
I don't and watch movies.
It was the coolest thing.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Yeah, that sounds very Baltimore, yeah, and I
think something happened withthe woman who was doing it.
I don't know if she passed awayor not, but they don't do it
anymore, just little things likethat, yeah there's a community
Like all the neighborhoods arelike communities, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Like even my block, like we all look out for each
other.
I mean, I'm sure you get thathere too.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
For sure We'll do like what's the Miracle on 34th
with all the lights and stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Oh yeah, so much fun.
Yeah, that's fun.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
My kids love doing that stuff.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Oh nice, yeah, that's good.
Take them to Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Yup, I still have my crab cake joint.
It's not in the city, but youknow, it's just which one?
I'm always I'm a sucker for G&Mover by the airport.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Oh yeah, I haven't been there yet.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Yeah, oh, I know Jimmy's is supposed to be really
really good.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
I like pop poppers okay p-a-p-p-a.
Pop us.
I'm not sure this place isphenomenal yes, the dip that
place is phenomenal yeah, when Ilived here, I used to work in
this area.
This area has changed so muchum makes me feel old.
I used to work on 14th, and youknow when it was still a little
(07:46):
sketchy oh yeah, for sure now,when I came here and it was like
there's a, there's a traderjoe's here wait, where did the
prostitutes go?
Speaker 1 (07:56):
they all went, legit.
And they're getting benefits attrader joe's.
Yeah, okay, it looks like we'regoing to be on the right hand
side.
Is this restaurant good, haveyou heard of it?
And they're getting benefits atTrader Joe's?
Yeah, okay, it looks like we'regonna be on the right-hand side
Is this restaurant good, haveyou heard of it.
Where are we going?
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Doi Moi.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Doi Moi?
I don't know.
It's fun to say, but I've neverbeen there.
Doi, moi, doi, moi.
Well, I don't know, oh, theblack hat?
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yeah, I think I heard that.
Where is this place?
Speaker 1 (08:24):
It should be just right on the right-hand side, I
think, or is it across thestreet?
Oh, there it is.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yeah, right to your left.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Okay, excellent, enjoy your evening.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
You too.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Good luck.
Thanks for the chat.
Thank you for listening to thisepisode of Rideshare Road Talk.
If you've enjoyed what you'veheard, we'd love for you to
review the podcast on yourfavorite listening platform,
like Apple or Spotify.
Your support helps us so much,and don't forget to reach out on
Instagram with your feedback ortopic suggestions.
Until next time, let's driveyou.
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