Two weeks ago, two of my co-workers and I went to San Francisco for Marketo Summit 2013 to dive into the world of marketing automation. Direct flights were limited and connecting flights had some super-long delays, so we took a 7:00 am direct flight on Sunday morning. There's nothing quite like getting up at 4:30 in the morning on a weekend, but on the plus side, we were able to spend a full day checking out the city - Union Square, Fisherman's Wharf, cable cars, cable cars and cable cars.
After the conference on our last day, we still had the afternoon to kill before our flight the following morning. We decided that we'd rent some bikes and ride to the Golden Gate Bridge, hit Ghirardelli Square (mmm...chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone...) and take the cable car back to the hotel one last time.
All three of us hopped up on the running board of the cable car and were ready to head back to the hotel when I heard someone behind me growl, "What are you doin' lookin' at my cupcake?"
I turned around and saw the cable car driver standing there with a coconut-topped confection. He looked at me and repeated, "What are YOU doin' lookin' at my cupcake?"
I just took it in stride and said, "Dude, it looks incredible!"
Which apparently in San Francisco cable car speak means "grab the girl off the car and take her into the office," because that's exactly what happened next while my stunned friends just watched. (Thanks ladies!)
Once in the office, the driver turns around, points to a bakery box from Kara's Cupcakes on the counter and says "take one!"
I love cupcakes and I had seen two Kara's Cupcakes locations in the city, so I knew they were legit and took three - after all, I had two friends with me. Two friends who have much more willpower than I do when it comes to junk food. One friend accepted while the other politely declined, but as it turns out the friend that accepted didn't like coconut.
My poor friend caught the attention of the driver for not eating her cupcake right away; after a couple clever comments back and forth, the driver took her cupcake and gave it to a toddler on the other side of the car - super cute! This, of course, got everyone on the front half of the car talking to each other and, the next thing I knew, they all knew we were from Ohio and we met the Asian family with the toddler and started trading restaurant suggestions with a business traveler from Norway and his friend from Chicago...all because of a cupcake and an outgoing driver.
Do you want to meet my cable car driver friend? Of course you do!
And the moral of this story? Nothing brings people together like a cupcake - especially if you're friend doesn't like coconut ;)
