I can see the Lyft NOT seeing the driver, but seeing a happy reaction.
Lyft pulls up close to car, but not next to it
ML gets out, gets her luggage and opens back door of car to put her luggage in
Smiles big to driver and starts talking, shuts door, maybe possibly waves to Lyft driver as she gets into the front seat
It's possible Lyft driver also helped ML with her luggage and put it in the trunk while ML opened door and started talking to driver. Thus hearing her happy reaction.
Neither of these require unknown driver to get out and Lyft would not have seen male/female.
I AM surprised no idea what kind of car...….but......I'm also wondering if LE is keeping that close to them for now. If Lyft loaded luggage, surely they would have an idea car, SUV, etc.
If ML loaded her luggage, I can see Lyft being busy looking at phone to accept another call and figuring out where they needed to go. Glancing up as the light from inside the other car came on, seeing ML smile, then Lyft driving off without thinking about it.
Even getting out of a Lyft, I would still smile, say thank you and walk to the other car that was waiting for me. If I knew Lyft driver may be nervous about where to leave me, I would even turn to smile and wave.
But...…...I would never meet someone at a park at 3AM, I'm sleeping by then :O
Now...…..male or female...…...hmmmm…..this is why I wish I knew if someone helped her with the luggage. If a man was picking me up, I would expect him to get out and help me load my luggage just because that's what I'm used to with those I know in my life. No way would my husband or dad or even a male friend not get out and offer to help if luggage was involved. But, I don't think my female friends would. They would probably pop the trunk and hang in the car until I got in and we all gabbed away happy to see each other.
I just wish we knew more about what exactly happened with this drop off.
ML looks so sweet in her airport photos. She looks sleepy to me, comfy, I'm still going with my gut it was someone she already knew.