Exactly. Not picking her up at the airport indicates this was planned from the start to be harmful to ML. She was lured and tricked. First clue was the meeting location and the way she arrived.
You have a good thought that he intended the Lyft driver to be scrutinized.
This is no casual friend or SD. I don't think she met this person before - he was picking a "fresh" victim, imo.
jmo
There is no logical explanation to why she would meet someone she had never met before at 3am in a park so far out of her way. She seemed to have basic common sense so the only real possiblity here is she knew him and trusted him. The Lift driver reported that she seemed to know the person in Hatch Park and was happy to see them.