Need a Lyft?

November 21, 2013

I recently had to drop off my car for some repair work and rather than call a taxi, I decided to try a new “ride sharing” service I had heard about called Lyft. Before using it, I really didn’t know what to expect. I thought it was the car version of Airbnb, in which practically anyone could sign up to give rides for a fee to people using the service. I figured that at the very least, it would be more interesting than the typical cab ride and could possibly save me a few bucks. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a whole lot more.

To use the service, you first download the free Lyft app onto your smartphone and create a profile, including credit card info for payment. You can see how close the nearest Lyft driver is and you can hit a button to request an immediate pickup. (As far as I know, you can’t schedule a pickup in advance.) The app provides a photo of the car and driver and a number you can call to get in touch with them if needed. You can also see where the car is on a map as it approaches. The cars are all labeled with a bright pink moustache so you can easily identify them once they arrive (I’d previously seen them around and wondered if this was some strange new car fashion trend.)

My car arrived in less than 10 min, it was spotless, and the driver was extremely friendly and pleasant. Unlike with taxi and car services, you’re expected to sit in the front passenger seat so it feels like you’re getting a ride with a friend. We had a great conversation and she even had a bag of candy for riders to snack from. She told me that Lyft drivers aren’t just anyone but had to go through quite a rigorous hiring and training process and their cars had to meet certain standards as well.

Once you arrive, you don’t have to worry about calculating a tip and fumbling with cash or waiting to have your credit card processed. The app sends you a “suggested donation,” which includes the tip, and the payment is debited to your credit card. Much like Financial Finesse planners are rated on surveys from 1-5, you and the driver each rate each other from 1-5 so the drivers have an incentive to be prompt, clean, and friendly and you’re not paired again with anyone you rate below a 3.

The ride and payment procedure was a better than your average taxi experience but could it actually save you money too? I decided to test this by using them again for a ride to the airport. My normal taxi service (which I price shopped for) costs me $19 with tip. Taking Lyft ended up costing just $12 total. That’s about a 37% discount for what felt like a more casual version of a high-end car service.

Have a car, a friendly personality, and some free time to make money? You can also sign up as a driver on Lyft to make some extra money on the side. The hours are fairly flexible and there’s a minimum per hour pay if you don’t get many riders.

The biggest downside is that Lyft is relatively new and is in a limited number of major cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, and of course my home city of San Diego. Since they’re not in NYC, I decided to try a competing service called Uber while I was there. However, it was disappointing as it was just comparable in quality and price to a regular New York City cab (your mileage may vary). There’s also another ride-sharing company called Sidecar that I’ve never tried.

So whether you need a ride or a way to earn extra cash, you might want to consider trying a ride-sharing service like Lyft or one of their competitors. If you have some experience with one of them, how was it? Feel free to share your experience in the comments section below.