# Lyft wants staff to take a spin behind the wheel



## FormerTaxiDriver (Oct 24, 2017)

Lyft puts up billboards across the US to thank its drivers.

Photo by Lyft
Melissa Waters decided to try something different a few months ago: She drove for Lyft.

She had the usual experiences of picking up riders and dropping them off. But she also had unexpected moments, like when she bonded with a passenger or met someone interesting. She also found driving tougher than anticipated.

https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/lyft-wants-all-staff-to-take-a-spin-behind-the-wheel/


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## Blatherskite (Nov 30, 2016)

It's so cute when the gentry have a day out with hoi polloi.


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## STMNine (May 11, 2015)

Since she/they are probably using vehicles and insurance provided by the company, it's not necessary for them to factor in stuff like driving expenses and depreciation unlike us actual drivers--"virtuous cycle"... more like _vicious cycle_. So yeah, something tells me that this won't result in changes for the better.


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## SurginGeneral (Aug 9, 2017)

4 hours every three months, for those who want to save a click.

Not a bad practice. You don’t see Uber doing this...


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## FormerTaxiDriver (Oct 24, 2017)

*Like mandatory "community service" hours.*

I'm almost sure they won't be taking just any ping the system throws their way.

Perhaps carefully crafted time calls, sitting at the airport, or just sitting with the app open?


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## mikes424 (May 22, 2016)

Good idea. Uber should follow 

It always helps when the powers that be, in any business, actually experiences what the workers actuality go through.


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## Bubsie (Oct 19, 2017)

FormerTaxiDriver said:


> *Like mandatory "community service" hours.*
> 
> I'm almost sure they won't be taking just any ping the system throws their way.
> 
> Perhaps carefully crafted time calls, sitting at the airport, or just sitting with the app open?


Trivial bit of code to give the employees "volunteering" super premium pings, with very little down time. Perfect ping on way out, and perfect ping to return to the office. Just a little less business for those actually doing this day in and day out.


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## Ride-Share-Risk-Manager (Mar 16, 2017)

I am still waiting for any Lyft employee to take me up on my offer to allow them to drive for me in the South Bronx or Paterson or Newark NJ at 2 am on on Saturday night. That is where driving for the actual Lyft passengers gets real and these entitled little Lyfties can get a real world experience of driving for Lyftdiculous.


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## mariasuber (Nov 16, 2017)

It should be a mandatory 4 hour behind the wheel session in addition to 4 hours of phone support. Keep it real.


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## dirtylee (Sep 2, 2015)

SurginGeneral said:


> 4 hours every three months, for those who want to save a click.
> 
> Not a bad practice. You don't see Uber doing this...


Local Uber employees including do managers drive. Even Rachel Holt drives a few pax around.

They don't care about the money they make which is the real problem with uber.

Uber as it is today is pretty good. It's a taxi service. Now & always.

Driver pay needs to be raised substantially. 
We need to see pax destinations on ping again. The service has enough drivers to cover damn near everything now.


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

FormerTaxiDriver said:


> Lyft puts up billboards across the US to thank its drivers.
> 
> Photo by Lyft
> Melissa Waters decided to try something different a few months ago: She drove for Lyft.
> ...


"Ed, a longtime Lyft driver who asked that we not use his full name, said Lyft shows it appreciates drivers."
Ed obviously hits the crack pipe on a regular basis.

"When he hit a high number of rides, the company gave him an "expensive" black waterproof windbreaker, he said."
I sold mine for $20 on ebay. Expensive jacket? No.

"And Lyft's destination filter, which lets drivers pick up passengers along their route six times a day, is a "big help," he added."
It's a great help if you want to backtrack and/or drive around in circles. It's non-functional. Like the mermaid figureheads on old ships, it serves no useful purpose other than decoration.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

The Gift of Fish said:


> "Ed, a longtime Lyft driver who asked that we not use his full name, said Lyft shows it appreciates drivers."
> Ed obviously hits the crack pipe on a regular basis.
> 
> "When he hit a high number of rides, the company gave him an "expensive" black waterproof windbreaker, he said."
> ...


When do we get our 4 hours OFFICE TIME ?

When ?


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## polar2017 (Jul 1, 2017)

Wonder how much $$ Lyft paid to have this article published.


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## emdeplam (Jan 13, 2017)

Should help san Francisco driver shortage


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## Primeonly27 (Oct 18, 2016)

Such BS! What they need to do is ride with a driver for a whole day see how little they make and all the cancellations. Drive for 10 minute to get a ride and a minute before they get their the ride is canceled. Then get another ping and do it all over again.


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## JimKE (Oct 28, 2016)

The Gift of Fish said:


> It's non-functional. Like the mermaid figureheads on old ships, it serves no useful purpose other than decoration.


I was with you 100%...right up until here. You've obviously never spent extended periods at sea on sailing ships!


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## GT500KR (Jan 30, 2017)

The Gift of Fish said:


> "Ed, a longtime Lyft driver who asked that we not use his full name, said Lyft shows it appreciates drivers."
> Ed obviously hits the crack pipe on a regular basis.
> 
> "When he hit a high number of rides, the company gave him an "expensive" black waterproof windbreaker, he said."
> ...


Or the 48 Buick "Gunsite" hood ornament.


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

SurginGeneral said:


> 4 hours every three months, for those who want to save a click.
> 
> Not a bad practice. You don't see Uber doing this...


Actually, they do. Don't know if it extends to upper management, but the GLH CSRs have to, every month. And they have to take every ping that comes along.


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## roadman (Nov 14, 2016)

Lyft is shit.


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## CarterPeerless (Feb 10, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> When do we get our 4 hours OFFICE TIME ?
> 
> When ?


Give me 4 hours of their salary. That would be better than any day I've ever had on Lyft.

In the end, no one should fall for this bullshit. These people aren't dependent on the money. They are not trying to make rent. They are not delaying maintenance on their vehicle because they had a medical bill that ate up all the Lyft pennies. They've never lived a Lyft Christmas. They have never stretched the day an extra 5 hours because the first 10 didn't produce enough income to cover their needs.

It's a very different experience when you drive because you need it to live; than it is driving because your six-figure job requires it (once every three months...).


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## Nats121 (Jul 19, 2017)

CarterPeerless said:


> Give me 4 hours of their salary. That would be better than any day I've ever had on Lyft.
> 
> In the end, no one should fall for this bullshit. These people aren't dependent on the money. They are not trying to make rent. They are not delaying maintenance on their vehicle because they had a medical bill that ate up all the Lyft pennies. They've never lived a Lyft Christmas. They have never stretched the day an extra 5 hours because the first 10 didn't produce enough income to cover their needs.
> 
> It's a very different experience when you drive because you need it to live; than it is driving because your six-figure job requires it (once every three months...).


Well said.


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## PickEmUp (Jul 19, 2017)

Lyft = hypocrisy


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## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

4 hrs every 3 months?
ROFL

If they were really trying to show appreciation, it'd be higher than that.
I get it . I know they're going for kudos and clicks and high fives. But 4 hrs in 3 months does NOTHING to show you what's out there.
At ALL.


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## Strange Fruit (Aug 10, 2016)

Who is Melissa Waters? She "decided to try something different" than what?



Primeonly27 said:


> Such BS! What they need to do is ride with a driver for a whole day see how little they make and all the cancellations. Drive for 10 minute to get a ride and a minute before they get their the ride is canceled. Then get another ping and do it all over again.


Why do they need a driver sitting in the car for that (not to mention the one unavailable seat now)? It works the same with all the passenger seats empty as it does with someone in one seat. And they can look at a drivers' data to see how many riders cancel after waiting 10 minutes.

And what difference does any of this make? I don't understand why anyone cares if someone does Lyft or not. It doesn't change anything for drivers, except that it's one morw car adding to the saturation. But that's a bad change, marginally so, but still bad.


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## Harleyfxdx1 (Oct 21, 2015)

FormerTaxiDriver said:


> Lyft puts up billboards across the US to thank its drivers.
> 
> Photo by Lyft
> Melissa Waters decided to try something different a few months ago: She drove for Lyft.
> ...


Good idea ... however the roads are already "over saturated" with drivers .
... now we'll have to compete with corporate pin- heads for riders. Maybe they will give everyone a raise in compensation to offset lost earnings for drivers = NOT!!!


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

The only people that should be forced to drive all the people making the decisions on the app. They should drive so they know what drivers have to go through and what's going to work . Everyone else driving is just a waste or resources and competition to existing drivers for trips.


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## leroy jenkins (May 27, 2015)

next time those smug ars__hole at HQ go LARPing they can go suck on a bag of donkey di__ck.


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