Guest Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 "Chris" and I went to Universal Studios Hollywood yesterday, which is 3 miles from my house, or about a 10-minute ride. Rather than pay $26 for parking, and parking in a structure a mile from the entrance, we decided to take Lyft. The ride was only $9 (plus $2 tip), but we had two drivers accept a ride for us, then, a few minutes later, perhaps seeing that we were in the hills (though not really in the boonies--our house is just off of Mulholland Drive), cancel on us. The 3rd driver finally went to our house and took us over. When we came back, I ordered an Uber. The ride was more like $15, because there were extra fees added for being picked up at a theme park ("Uber venue surcharge"), and an extra fee for the location of my house ("Marketplace fee"). I asked the Lyft driver if there were adverse consequences for the driver if he agreed to pick up a passenger, then reneged a few minutes later. He said no. I asked if there was any time limit whatsoever on this or any consequence whatsoever, and the answer was no again. I've had experiences in which one of the drivers agreed to pick me up, then didn't move at all for 4 minutes, clearly showing he wasn't even near his vehicle when he agreed to pick me up. When I cancelled, I got charged, although I've been able to recoup those charges when I complained (sometimes having to take it to the credit card company). Sometimes "Chris" likes to go on week-end parties in WeHo which end quite late. I drive him over (since he intends to get drunk), and leave it to him to get a rideshare back. When I complained to him about how we got treated on Lyft, he told me that happens to him all of the time when he tries to take Uber back (he doesn't use Lyft). He said he's had drivers take 10 minutes, going towards him in WeHo, then flake on him at the last minute, apparently to no consequence, when they realize he wants to go up the hill (which isn't really that far). These companies don't seem at all user-friendly. What have been your experiences? Is one better than the other? Total $14.94 You earned 29 points on this trip Trip fare $8.95 Subtotal $8.95 Marketplace Fee $2.14 Access for All Fee $0.10 CA Driver Benefits $0.75 Uber Venue Surcharge $3.00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ azdr0710 Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 Since Lyft has a rep for being more sensitive to its drivers (I know this may not be true anymore), I try to use them.....a driver did say to me once that Lyft treated him better than Uber...... during the heights of the pandemic several months ago, I often had trouble getting a timely pickup.....very frustrating at times and almost missed appointments or trains......the abandoned pickup phenom was especially irksome since you can see the car seemingly not moving, then deleted...... more recently, however, pickups have been reasonably speedy considering pickup locations and destinations..... gotta say, Unicorn, those rates you paid are incredibly cheap (two passengers, door-to-door, gas, wear-and-tear on the car - not to mention whatever money the driver was able to take home!)......I recently paid something like $37 in Connecticut for a 17-mile ride that took the driver about 15 minutes just to get to me, then about 30 minutes to my destination......it ultimately probably took close to an hour of the driver's time....I was grateful for the service and certainly tipped him more than $2! + FrankR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 10 minutes ago, azdr0710 said: Since Lyft has a rep for being more sensitive to its drivers (I know this may not be true anymore), I try to use them.....a driver did say to me once that Lyft treated him better than Uber...... during the heights of the pandemic several months ago, I often had trouble getting a timely pickup.....very frustrating at times and almost missed appointments or trains......the abandoned pickup phenom was especially irksome since you can see the car seemingly not moving, then deleted...... more recently, however, pickups have been reasonably speedy considering pickup locations and destinations..... gotta say, Unicorn, those rates you paid are incredibly cheap (two passengers, door-to-door, gas, wear-and-tear on the car - not to mention whatever money the driver was able to take home!)......I recently paid something like $37 in Connecticut for a 17-mile ride that took the driver about 15 minutes just to get to me, then about 30 minutes to my destination......it ultimately probably took close to an hour of the driver's time....I was grateful for the service and certainly tipped him more than $2! Yeah, I hope you tipped him more for a $37/17 mile trip than for a $9/3 mile trip... 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtwalker Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 I find them nearly identical except that I like the Lyft app better. I also heard that Lyft treated its drivers better, so that is something I consider as well. At times, its wise to compare prices on both. One may be driven to primetime rates while the other is not. It's all based on supply and demand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ RJD Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 I've only used Uber, but I found many of the drivers also work for Lyft as well (the decals are on the car), so I'm wondering if the driver is the one who decides he/she doesn't want to make the trip, does it really matter if it's Lyft or Uber? I've had good and bad experiences with my Uber drivers. I've met some ambitious, interesting, smart people, many of whom are immigrants, who were grateful to be in this country. One young man was from Botswana and was one of the friendliest, most outgoing, pleasant people I've ever met. We had a great conversation. He told me about working at the Central Kalahari Game Reserve back home and his desire to come to America. The drive was over before I knew it. He was generously tipped. On the flip side, I was in Boston in March 2019 for work and stayed at Loews on Berkeley. There was a Nor'easter barreling through the region, so it was cold, windy, and rainy. I ordered an Uber from the lobby of the hotel for my morning commute to the office. There's a huge pick-up area in front of the main entrance on Berkeley. I'm waiting and watching the car approach on the app, then it stopped around the corner. I'm thinking she's stuck in traffic or waiting for a light. Three minutes later, I get a call from her asking where I am. I tell her in the lobby waiting. She replied she's been waiting for me around the corner on Stuart Street. I wasn't about to get into an argument at 7:30AM in the middle of a storm, so I made my way around the corner. Even with an umbrella, I still got wet. I wasn't a happy camper. She admonished me when I got in the car about waiting. I explained that every other Uber driver picks up and drops off in front of the main entrance. That was the extent of our conversation for the trip. But what really set me off was when I later looked at my receipt in the app, she charged me a $5 Wait Fee, even after I tipped 20%. I contacted Uber and told them what happened. They removed the Wait Fee and I insisted they reduce her tip to $0.01, which they did. She needed to get the message loud and clear. HotWhiteThirties 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudynate Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 I have only started using Uber, first time was in July in Las Vegas. I was there for four days and didn't want to rent a car because I knew I was pretty much going to stay put. I installed the Uber app on my phone and started using it. I had to wait a long time for the first ride - 15 minutes or so. But after that it was painless. I went all over the place just with Uber. I know it cost me way less than renting a car. After my hip surgery, I wasn't allowed to drive for six weeks, so I used Uber any time my husband wasn't able to drive me. It was painless - never had to wait for more than a couple minutes for a ride. I was in Seattle for business last weekend - same story - fast, painless, cheap. Car rental companies have to be taking notice of this phenomenon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudynate Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 8 minutes ago, RJD said: I've only used Uber, but I found many of the drivers also work for Lyft as well (the decals are on the car), so I'm wondering if the driver is the one who decides he/she doesn't want to make the trip, does it really matter if it's Lyft or Uber? I've had good and bad experiences with my Uber drivers. I've met some ambitious, interesting, smart people, many of whom are immigrants, who were grateful to be in this country. One young man was from Botswana and was one of the friendliest, most outgoing, pleasant people I've ever met. We had a great conversation. He told me about working at the Central Kalahari Game Reserve back home and his desire to come to America. The drive was over before I knew it. He was generously tipped. On the flip side, I was in Boston in March 2019 for work and stayed at Loews on Berkeley. There was a Nor'easter barreling through the region, so it was cold, windy, and rainy. I ordered an Uber from the lobby of the hotel for my morning commute to the office. There's a huge pick-up area in front of the main entrance on Berkeley. I'm waiting and watching the car approach on the app, then it stopped around the corner. I'm thinking she's stuck in traffic or waiting for a light. Three minutes later, I get a call from her asking where I am. I tell her in the lobby waiting. She replied she's been waiting for me around the corner on Stuart Street. I wasn't about to get into an argument at 7:30AM in the middle of a storm, so I made my way around the corner. Even with an umbrella, I still got wet. I wasn't a happy camper. She admonished me when I got in the car about waiting. I explained that every other Uber driver picks up and drops off in front of the main entrance. That was the extent of our conversation for the trip. But what really set me off was when I later looked at my receipt in the app, she charged me a $5 Wait Fee, even after I tipped 20%. I contacted Uber and told them what happened. They removed the Wait Fee and I insisted they reduce her tip to $0.01, which they did. She needed to get the message loud and clear. Last weekend in Seattle, one of my drivers was a handsome young guy from Eritrea - very engaging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marylander1940 Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 I only use Uber and I can't imagine a world without such a great idea. I had friends who refused to "upgrade" to an iPhone and they only did it when they found out about Uber/Lyft. Taxi drivers used to be mean, dirty and God knows why entitled to treat others in a mean way. Uber has changed their attitude. + bigjoey 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marylander1940 Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 2 minutes ago, Rudynate said: Last weekend in Seattle, one of my drivers was a handsome young guy from Eritrea - very engaging. I've learned a lot talking to drivers, I'm not surprised how many of them are immigrants and I'm happy to see them working their asses off trying to reach the American dream. Very few Americans in their free time would lift their butts from the sofa and drive Uber... Handsome? I'm glad for you but I've only had 2 cute Uber drivers out my 101 trips so far. I could use Uber more but I'd rather walk or take Metro. + WilliamM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudynate Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 2 minutes ago, marylander1940 said: I've learned a lot talking to drivers, I'm not surprised how many of them are immigrants and I'm happy to see them working their asses off trying to reach the American dream. Very few Americans in their free time would lift their butts from the sofa and drive Uber... Handsome? I'm glad for you but I've only had 2 cute Uber drivers out my 101 trips so far. I could use Uber more but I'd rather walk or take Metro. I'm not really concerned about an Uber driver's looks - I just want a ride. If he's nice-looking, it's icing on the cake. + Pensant, + bigjoey and + WilliamM 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marylander1940 Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 14 minutes ago, Rudynate said: I'm not really concerned about an Uber driver's looks - I just want a ride. If he's nice-looking, it's icing on the cake. Me neither... I just want to go from one place to another, that's all. Besides you're not going to eat that cake, just taking a ride while looking at it. + bigjoey 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudynate Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 5 minutes ago, marylander1940 said: Me neither... I just want to go from one place to another, that's all. Besides you're not going to eat that cake, just taking a ride while looking at it. Exactly. marylander1940 and + bigjoey 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 1 hour ago, RJD said: ...She admonished me when I got in the car about waiting. I explained that every other Uber driver picks up and drops off in front of the main entrance. That was the extent of our conversation for the trip. But what really set me off was when I later looked at my receipt in the app, she charged me a $5 Wait Fee, even after I tipped 20%. I contacted Uber and told them what happened. They removed the Wait Fee and I insisted they reduce her tip to $0.01, which they did. She needed to get the message loud and clear. Maybe I'm missing something, but the driver makes you walk through the sleet and chews you out, and you tip her 20%??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 52 minutes ago, Rudynate said: I'm not really concerned about an Uber driver's looks - I just want a ride. If he's nice-looking, it's icing on the cake. If he's that handsome, I can show him an easier way to make bigger $$$.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudynate Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 8 minutes ago, Unicorn said: If he's that handsome, I can show him an easier way to make bigger $$$.... I haven't hired since pre-pandemic. I toy with the idea, but, so far, haven't been moved. I have often complained about the selection of men available in SF. That seems to have changed - there is a lot to choose from now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ RJD Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 5 hours ago, Unicorn said: Maybe I'm missing something, but the driver makes you walk through the sleet and chews you out, and you tip her 20%??? I chalked it up to her having a bad day, maybe she had crap going on in her life, or maybe she was new and didn’t know where the pick-up spots are. Driving around Boston is challenging enough. Add bad weather and it’s a nightmare, so I tipped with all that in mind. That all changed when I reviewed my receipt. MikeBiDude 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ bigjoey Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 What amazes me is why didn’t the taxi companies rush to get apps? They have them now but it took a long time. + FrankR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ FrankR Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 3 hours ago, bigjoey said: What amazes me is why didn’t the taxi companies rush to get apps? They have them now but it took a long time. I consistently find that taxi’s on the Curb app are cheaper than Uber and Lyft in NYC. They are also more reliable. Curb has been around for at least 10 years. + bigjoey 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvwnsd Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 After several bad Uber experiences (un-air conditioned car in Chicago during an August heat wave, driver who reeked from weed in San Diego, racist driver in Phoenix) I started exclusively using Lyft. Haven't had one bad Lyft driver. I've noticed several drivers do so for both, but I've also noticed many Uber drivers only drive for Uber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotWhiteThirties Posted November 2, 2021 Share Posted November 2, 2021 I use both Uber and Lyft depending on convenience. I have some Amex benefits (small) on Uber, so use those first. On my last flight to LA, I used a cab because it was easier and more immediate than waiting on Uber/Lyft. I find this to be the case at airports, etc, where cabs are waiting and ready. I don't price shop as much as make a decision based on convenience because I am, in general, impatient! 🤣 I could spend ages toggling between the apps and cabs trying to price shop and miss a ride if it's an app or cab if they're handy. So, I accept there's a cost. I only use these services when traveling, and rarely in everyday life, which would provide greater motivation for comparison shopping if the latter were the norm instead of the former. + RJD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Pensant Posted November 4, 2021 Share Posted November 4, 2021 I tend to favor Lyft, but Amex gives me a $15 credit per month, so I use Uber the first of the month. Lyft drivers are generally better and their prices are lower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudynate Posted November 4, 2021 Share Posted November 4, 2021 On 10/30/2021 at 8:49 AM, Rudynate said: Exactly. I always enjoy female Uber drivers. They're a little friendlier than they guys and I extend them a little extra measure of respect. + WilliamM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Vegas_Millennial Posted November 4, 2021 Share Posted November 4, 2021 I found it varies by city. In some city Uber prices are lower, and for others it's Lyft. In some cities the availability of drivers on both platforms are about equal, and in some cities one or the other (usually Lyft) does not operate. My ex drove an older (7yr?) car that had a body part replaced, so he could not drive for Uber in one state because the car was considered "salvaged", so he drove for Lyft. But when he moved to Nevada, he could not drive for Lyft because his car was too old, but Uber let him drive here. So sometimes it is the self imposed regulations by either platform that vary by state which influences which drivers with which vehicles are on either platform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonely_john Posted November 4, 2021 Share Posted November 4, 2021 (edited) Lyft drivers are known for their flakiness and Uber for their sometimes abusive rates thanks to their market share which means that they have more drivers than Lyft. As @RJDsaid, most of them work for both companies. So I think when a Lyft driver cancels your ride, he's probably taking another ride on Uber to charge more for his time. Pretty much what our beloved providers also do, haha! I also like the Lyft app better but my 1st choice is always Uber because they take less time to get to you (another advantage of having more drivers in any given area), they cancel less frequently; but there are times when I've tried to book a ride for a not so distant location late at night and then Uber goes bananas (assuming that passengers are in need and willing to pay more) and shows me crazy rates of $40 to $60 for a ride that would normally cost $10 to $15. I say "Fuck It!" so I open Lyft and find that they have a cheaper rate and book them. They might charge less but one is also taking the risk of being ghosted by the driver. While I wait for my Lyft I check the Uber App again and I see that they lowered the rate and it's then a few cents cheaper than Lyft. These companies are really competitive. Edited November 4, 2021 by lonely_john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ MysticMenace Posted November 4, 2021 Share Posted November 4, 2021 1 hour ago, lonely_john said: Lyft drivers are known for their flakiness and Uber for their sometimes abusive rates thanks to their market share which means that they have more drivers than Lyft. As @JoeMendozasaid, most of them work for both companies so when a Lyft driver cancels your ride, he's probably taking another ride on Uber to charge more for his time. Pretty much what our beloved providers also do, haha! I also like the Lyft app better but my 1st choice is always Uber because they take less time to get to you (another advantage of having more drivers in any given area), they cancel less frequently; but there are times when I've tried to book a ride for a not so distant location late at night and then Uber goes bananas (assuming that passengers are in need and willing to pay more) and shows me crazy rates of $40 to $60 for a ride that would normally cost $10 to $15. I say "Fuck It!" so I open Lyft and find that they have a cheaper rate and book them. They might charge less but one is also taking the risk of being ghosted by the driver. While I wait for my Lyft I check the Uber App again and I see that they lowered the rate and it's then a few cents cheaper as Lyft. These companies are really competitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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