Uber driver gets thrilling surprise when passenger he picked up turns out to be a long-lost friend

Sometimes life surprises us in the most unexpected fashion by having us randomly bump into someone we used to know. The happiness that comes out of it is immeasurable, especially when it's a long-lost friend. This was the case for 51-year-old Uber driver, Danny Blanton and his friend, John Johnson, on a random Friday morning earlier this January. Blanton–who goes by @danny.b106 on TikTok–shared a video of when he realized the passenger he picked up was an old friend he had lost touch with. This video went viral and the duo's wholesome reactions garnered a lot of love.

On June 19, Blanton posted the dashcam video of his encounter with Johnson and it received over 10 million views within a month. At first, it just seems like a casual Uber pick-up as the passenger, Johnson, gets into the car and exchanges niceties with the driver. However, he soon seems to recognize Johnson and looks closer to confirm his suspicion. Blanton, who had no clue the whole time, keeps driving and making small talk about the weather. At one point, the 60-year-old Johnson leans in from the back seat and asks Blanton, "What's your name again?" Blanton replies, "My name is Danny."

Johnson hesitantly says, "I think I know you. You don't know me?" At this, Blanton takes a proper look at his passenger in the rearview mirror. He then turns around and instantly realizes that it is his old friend. "Man! What the f**k!" exclaims Blanton in utter shock and joy as he shakes Johnson's hands. "When you're driving Uber, pick up a passenger and realize it's an old friend you haven't seen in 20+ years," Blanton captioned the post. People were absolutely touched watching this wholesome reunion.

"Went from respectful Uber driver to old school bros real quick. I love it!" said @mkearney331. Blanton replied to this comment, saying, "I'm quiet when people want to be quiet and I'm lucky to have the gift of gab and enjoy life." @skatefeather remarked, "Love this bro. You can see all the old memories come flooding back." @simmsalahimm added, "The way he laughed. Oh my God! This is amazing. I love the way life happens sometimes." It turns out that the duo met each other in the late 1990s when they worked for the Dallas nightclub, Phenomenon, where Blanton was a bartender and Johnson was the head of security, reports PEOPLE. "He was just nice, laid back, chill and just probably one of the best people that I've ever met," Blanton said about Johnson.

"Danny was always cool with me. We always enjoyed each other's company and got along," Johnson added about his friend. They couldn't recall who left the nightclub job first, but it put them on separate paths and eventually, they lost touch. After their Uber ride reunion, Blanton dropped Johnson off at the UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, where the latter worked, but not before exchanging phone numbers. "We got to talking and getting to know each other. We're like, 'Man, your life is interesting,'" said Blanton to the outlet. The friends hope that their reunion sends a message to people on the internet that "genuine love and admiration never goes away."

You can follow Danny Blanton (@danny.b106) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.