Lyft Driver’s Nightmare: Couple Leaves Tarantula in Back Seat

It was supposed to be a routine Halloween night on the job for Austin Lyft driver Nicole Hood. But what started as another late-night fare turned into a creepy-crawly story she’ll never forget — and one that’s haunted her every October since.

“I’ve had people leave phones, wallets, even vape pens,” Hood said with a laugh. “But never in my life did I expect a tarantula.”

A Spooky Surprise Ride

More than five years ago, Hood, now 51, was wrapping up her last shift before heading home. The streets were packed with trick-or-treaters and costumed partygoers. Her final passengers of the night — a sharply dressed couple fresh from a high-end Halloween bash — looked like something straight out of a James Bond film.

“He was dressed as a Bond villain, and she looked every bit the Bond girl,” Hood recalled. “They were the kind of people you’d see at a charity gala, not climbing into a Lyft at midnight.”

The ride was uneventful, a mix of small talk and silence. Hood dropped them off at their upscale Austin home, waved goodbye, and began her drive back. Minutes later, just as she walked through her front door, her phone buzzed.

“I picked up and said, ‘This is Nicole,’ and the man goes, ‘You’re going to kill me,’” she said. “My first thought was, ‘Oh God, what happened?’”

“You Left What in My Car?”

To her surprise — and slight horror — the man sheepishly admitted he’d left something behind: his son’s pet tarantula.

“I just froze,” Hood said. “I thought, ‘Please tell me this is a prank.’ But no, it wasn’t. He said it was in a little container on the back seat.”

Without hesitation, Hood grabbed her keys and headed back out into the cold Halloween night. “It was freezing, and I wasn’t about to let a living creature sit in the car all night,” she said.

When she returned the container, the couple was visibly relieved. The father called her a “lifesaver,” saying she’d saved him from being “the world’s worst dad.”

“He told me, ‘My son has no idea we almost lost his spider,’” Hood said, chuckling. “He said I basically made him the world’s best dad again.”

A Costume with Bite

When she asked why the couple had brought a tarantula to a party in the first place, their explanation was pure Halloween logic.

“All the great villains have some creepy pet — cats, snakes, you name it,” she said. “They thought a tarantula would complete the look. And honestly, they weren’t wrong.”

Seven Years Behind the Wheel, and One Story That Stuck

Hood, who has been driving with Lyft for seven years, says that while she’s seen just about everything — from passengers in full costume to bizarre late-night requests — the tarantula tale remains her go-to story.

“I tell that one every Halloween,” she admitted. “Most people say, ‘Nope, I would’ve just abandoned the car and called pest control.’”

Austin, she added, is full of surprises. “This city keeps me entertained. People here love to go all out — and that’s why I love doing what I do.”

A Ride She’ll Never Forget

For Hood, the incident was a reminder that being a rideshare driver means expecting the unexpected — especially on Halloween night.

“You never know who’s getting into your car,” she said. “Or what.”