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This is why I use Lyft over Uber. It's anecdotal (though remarkably consistent, even accounting for confirmation bias), but when I get in an Uber — which isn't

by rosser 10y ago

This is why I use Lyft over Uber. It's anecdotal (though remarkably consistent, even accounting for confirmation bias), but when I get in an Uber — which isn't often; I don't even have the app installed on my device, so I'm only getting in one if I'm with someone else who summoned one — I can expect assholery in traffic. And I just don't see that with Lyft drivers, even when I'm riding with a driver who takes fares from both. It's like there's some sort of un- (or under-) stated thing amongst the Uber drivers, such that fare turnover beats traffic safety.

eeeeeeeeeeeee 10y ago
Lyft is more upfront about tipping too, which is why I prefer to use them now. I have issues with both, but Lyft seems to actually try to give the idea that they care about their "employees" whereas Uber seems to be on a literal crash course to making something work before self-driving cars can take over and they can fire all the humans.
- CodeWriter23 10y ago
  In my experience, and I have driven for both, Lyft actually has been more humane to me in the role of driver. Uber's customer service (remember, drivers pay to use the network) is if you don't like it, you can leave. Lyft on the other hand has taken responsibility for every mistake they have made with me and has fixed it. They have also viewed my feedback about processes and offerings as a gift not a nuisance. And Lyft's incentives are geared in a way where they give a lot, even up to where it looks to me like a loss on paper, to any driver who is dedicated and is bringing something good to the table. The bottom line is, driver compensation sucks because people aren't willing to pay what the service is actually worth. They pay $10-$30 a day to Rideshare, and ignore the fact that a new car TCO is 2-3x that. And they get to spend their time doing something else instead of driving. Some people work, some socialize with their friends, some seek entertainment from their devices. And then there are those who avoid the $10,000 DUI.
  - xapata 10y ago
    Things are "worth" the price that the market will bear. If rides were worth more, at the current supply, then Lyft would charge more. Why should a new car be valued by market principles but rides not? To increase price, you must decrease supply.
    - CodeWriter23 10y ago
      That's hilarious. Uber and Lyft alike are running on a VC-subsidized business model. Leaving the comparisons of personal transport solutions aside, neither of them are turning a profit.
      - xapata 10y ago
        Doesn't matter. I mean, we can argue about the intrinsic value of a ride, but the only way to know the market value of something is to sell it. Or to buy it, if you're on the other side of the situation. I'm not saying the value won't change in some years when the VC money dries up and the market shifts. Of course it will. To think otherwise would make me like the taxi medallion owners complaining about their mistaken investments. Another way to look at it is that buying a car is a bad investment, because it's tough to recover the cost of ownership. Perhaps people buy them for non-business purposes and are driving the price up.
chrissnell 10y ago
I don't think that Uber is any better than Lyft. So many of these drivers work for both. I have no data to back this up but I believe the cause is shared rides such as Uber Pool and Lyft Line. The low-revenue/high-volume nature seems to encourage these drivers to drive as fast and as long as possible. I don't remember seeing bad driving so much, back before these shared services.
- rosser 10y ago
  That's probably a relevant variable I don't have a lot of exposure to: I tend not to use the pool/line fares often.
- CodeWriter23 10y ago
  Low-revenue/high-volume isn't a proper characterization of Lyft Line. The driver gets paid the rate for the number of miles driven / minutes elapsed. At least in LA the distance fare is comparable, the time fare is 2/3 the normal rate. But there is a balance, Line rides either end up being the minimum fare, so there's no difference for the driver, or they end up being longer, converting idle time into paying time. Also Lyft counts each pickup as a ride in your metrics, which counts toward driver bonuses. Also I am very mindful that any report or flagging by riders concerning safety can result in removal from the platform. Other drivers might go balls out but they won't be on the platform for long. There are some downsides for the rider. Be in the car within 105 seconds of when the driver taps arrive or pay $5. You can't ask the driver to divert or stop at the liquor store. And I've heard women say they won't take Line (to their home/work at least) because if there's a creepy guy in the car that gets dropped off after them, the guy knows where they live/work/hang out.

by rosser 10y ago

eeeeeeeeeeeee 10y ago

Lyft is more upfront about tipping too, which is why I prefer to use them now. I have issues with both, but Lyft seems to actually try to give the idea that they care about their "employees" whereas Uber seems to be on a literal crash course to making something work before self-driving cars can take over and they can fire all the humans.

CodeWriter23 10y ago
In my experience, and I have driven for both, Lyft actually has been more humane to me in the role of driver. Uber's customer service (remember, drivers pay to use the network) is if you don't like it, you can leave. Lyft on the other hand has taken responsibility for every mistake they have made with me and has fixed it. They have also viewed my feedback about processes and offerings as a gift not a nuisance. And Lyft's incentives are geared in a way where they give a lot, even up to where it looks to me like a loss on paper, to any driver who is dedicated and is bringing something good to the table. The bottom line is, driver compensation sucks because people aren't willing to pay what the service is actually worth. They pay $10-$30 a day to Rideshare, and ignore the fact that a new car TCO is 2-3x that. And they get to spend their time doing something else instead of driving. Some people work, some socialize with their friends, some seek entertainment from their devices. And then there are those who avoid the $10,000 DUI.
- xapata 10y ago
  Things are "worth" the price that the market will bear. If rides were worth more, at the current supply, then Lyft would charge more. Why should a new car be valued by market principles but rides not? To increase price, you must decrease supply.
  - CodeWriter23 10y ago
    That's hilarious. Uber and Lyft alike are running on a VC-subsidized business model. Leaving the comparisons of personal transport solutions aside, neither of them are turning a profit.
    - xapata 10y ago
      Doesn't matter. I mean, we can argue about the intrinsic value of a ride, but the only way to know the market value of something is to sell it. Or to buy it, if you're on the other side of the situation. I'm not saying the value won't change in some years when the VC money dries up and the market shifts. Of course it will. To think otherwise would make me like the taxi medallion owners complaining about their mistaken investments. Another way to look at it is that buying a car is a bad investment, because it's tough to recover the cost of ownership. Perhaps people buy them for non-business purposes and are driving the price up.

chrissnell 10y ago

I don't think that Uber is any better than Lyft. So many of these drivers work for both. I have no data to back this up but I believe the cause is shared rides such as Uber Pool and Lyft Line. The low-revenue/high-volume nature seems to encourage these drivers to drive as fast and as long as possible. I don't remember seeing bad driving so much, back before these shared services.

rosser 10y ago
That's probably a relevant variable I don't have a lot of exposure to: I tend not to use the pool/line fares often.
CodeWriter23 10y ago
Low-revenue/high-volume isn't a proper characterization of Lyft Line. The driver gets paid the rate for the number of miles driven / minutes elapsed. At least in LA the distance fare is comparable, the time fare is 2/3 the normal rate. But there is a balance, Line rides either end up being the minimum fare, so there's no difference for the driver, or they end up being longer, converting idle time into paying time. Also Lyft counts each pickup as a ride in your metrics, which counts toward driver bonuses. Also I am very mindful that any report or flagging by riders concerning safety can result in removal from the platform. Other drivers might go balls out but they won't be on the platform for long. There are some downsides for the rider. Be in the car within 105 seconds of when the driver taps arrive or pay $5. You can't ask the driver to divert or stop at the liquor store. And I've heard women say they won't take Line (to their home/work at least) because if there's a creepy guy in the car that gets dropped off after them, the guy knows where they live/work/hang out.