# Some seriously stupid algorithm chit



## Mista T (Aug 16, 2017)

Want more proof that the Lyft AI discriminates, and intentionally tries to F you?

It is just after 3pm here on a Friday. Rush hour is in full swing. Beautiful sunny day, waaaaaay too many drivers to compete with.

I got a ping for a pickup 21 minutes away! The pickup is next to the largest mall in the state, at the intersection of 2 freeways. 

For shits and giggles, I accepted. True to form, Lyft understated the pickup time. Now it is 28 minutes away. Imagine that!!!

Help me understand how this could happen. First, a driver gets the scheduled pickup reserved. Evidently they were not online quick enough, so it was conveniently sent elsewhere. Here I am, a HALF HOUR AWAY, with at least 50-60 Lyft cars in between is, and the ping is sent to me??!?!?

Closest driver, my arse!!!!!


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## nj2bos (Mar 18, 2018)

I have tested over and over after getting home at night HOW Lyft calculates their "estimated time" to arrive.. I've accepted "11 min away" pings only to find that the ACTUAL time once accepted was 20+ min.. when I got home that night, I went onto Waze and Google Maps and planned the same exact trip at a dead hour with no traffic and chose "fastest route". Sure enough, it came back with 11 min. I've concluded that their algorithm calculates the time based on the fastest route, assumes zero traffic, and assumes you will hit all green lights along the way.

They seem to do the exact OPPOSITE with "Estimated Ride Time". They show you the time based on the longest realistic route, so you get excited, only to realize when you pickup the pax that it was grossly overestimated.

</bullchit>


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## Mista T (Aug 16, 2017)

Agreed.

I picked up one today, estimated ride time 31 minutes. On start trip it was 19 minutes.


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## beezlewaxin (Feb 10, 2015)

Mista T said:


> Closest driver, my arse!!!!!


My arse?

How do you *know* there were 50-60 closer drivers? Did you check the rider app to view the 8 closest drivers?

The rider app helps to inform me if I really was singled out for this long pickup or if I truly am one of the closest drivers.



Spoiler: IMO



*Why guess (your arse) when you can prove it* in seconds using the rider app.

Should be easy to get screenshots from the Lyft rider app containing a few pindrops along the route which show some of those 50-60 drivers with no cars overlapping...

I would want to use the rider app to know for certain that I wasnt one of the 8 closest drivers despite getting a ping designed to go to the closest driver. The ping makes me question the saturation I am used to.


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## Mista T (Aug 16, 2017)

beezlewaxin said:


> My arse?
> 
> How do you *know* there were 50-60 closer drivers? Did you check the rider app to view the 8 closest drivers?
> 
> ...


Here are just a few screenshots taken now, between points A and B, there were many more cars earlier.

I may have been mistaken, maybe there were only 30 cars closer.


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## Iann (Oct 17, 2017)

Mista T How are you getting the estimated ride time on the ping?

I don't see that on mine.


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## nj2bos (Mar 18, 2018)

Iann said:


> Mista T How are you getting the estimated ride time on the ping?
> 
> I don't see that on mine.


Pretty sure it's a perk of Platinum status on Lyft.


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## Mista T (Aug 16, 2017)

Iann said:


> Mista T How are you getting the estimated ride time on the ping?
> 
> I don't see that on mine.


Platinum status.

But it only shows if Lyft has no other messages. So when it says "You have earned a bonus of $1.91 on this ride!" then I get nothing else.


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## Skepticaldriver (Mar 5, 2017)

Lyft is such a punk. Hinting at ride details with this “ est. ride duration bs”


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## Mista T (Aug 16, 2017)

I will admit, this is one of the few features I really appreciate sometimes


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## Bob Reynolds (Dec 20, 2014)

This has been going on all week in the Orlando area. They are giving rides 20, 30, 40 minutes away. And if you pass on them they keep trying to send them to you. 

I finally figured out that it's better to just accept them and then turn away from where the ping is coming from and park the car for a few minutes. 

The new handy dandy Lyft dispatch system will automatically cancel the ride in less than 3 minutes.


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## doyousensehumor (Apr 13, 2015)

It glitches sometimes. I got offered this, 25 miles away, while there were probably literally 200 drivers closer to it.


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## Raven087 (Jul 10, 2017)

doyousensehumor said:


> View attachment 241927
> It glitches sometimes. I got offered this, 25 miles away, while there were probably literally 200 drivers closer to it.


I would have accepted regardless.
Even if the ride cancels, Cheba Hut makes some really tasty subs.


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## Mista T (Aug 16, 2017)

doyousensehumor said:


> View attachment 241927
> It glitches sometimes. I got offered this, 25 miles away, while there were probably literally 200 drivers closer to it.


Yes, this is exactly what I'm talking about.


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## jgiun1 (Oct 16, 2017)

I cringe when I see the pictures of lyft anymore....I already blew past platinum and gold status, and fell 8 rides out of 10, to keep silver status.


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## Goduckies (Mar 23, 2017)

They so it so you don't accept and kill your opportunity for a bonus shady is Lyft


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

Mista T said:


> I will admit, this is one of the few features I really appreciate sometimes


What the...

Had no idea such a feature existed.

How do I know what my status is?

I think I might be bronze.


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## jgiun1 (Oct 16, 2017)

Cableguynoe said:


> What the...
> 
> Had no idea such a feature existed.
> 
> ...


I'm sand status now......the app should tell you when you reach different levels. They for sure alert you when you start to loss them with annoying ride counter, like your stupid and actually getting something out of the hustle.


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## Dice Man (May 21, 2018)

Cableguynoe said:


> What the...
> 
> Had no idea such a feature existed.
> 
> ...


Only once they send it to me by email. 
Never again, I guess when acceptance rate is low , they don't send it.


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## Mista T (Aug 16, 2017)

Dice Man said:


> Only once they send it to me by email.
> Never again, I guess when acceptance rate is low , they don't send it.


Fortunately, AR is irrelevant to these status things.


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## touberornottouber (Aug 12, 2016)

16 minute ride in my market tends to be a decent ride of about $10. Maybe not in your market though? How much was the ride for?

My observation is that Lyft discriminates too but usually it is to benefit the driver receiving the ping. IOW a good ride.

Uber on the OTOH discriminates and gives out the bad runs to a driver for whatever reason (of many) even when they aren't the closest.


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## Dice Man (May 21, 2018)

Mista T said:


> Fortunately, AR is irrelevant to these status things.


They said I have to do certain number of rides to keep my status, I do about 10 rides/week


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## METRO3 (Sep 3, 2017)

Wow here in Toronto we are complaining about 10 to 15min pings. That's so ****ed that you guys have to deal with 20 to 30min pings. Not only are your rates lower but your spending more time driving for free. That really sucks


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## Baron Rabi D vonDaagweiss (Jun 27, 2018)

Mista T said:


> I will admit, this is one of the few features I really appreciate sometimes


Kahjae may have a problem getting a ride.

BRDD


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## To Mega Therion (Apr 21, 2018)

They really need to start paying for the ride to the pax. Naïve, I know.


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## DexNex (Apr 18, 2015)

METRO3 said:


> Wow here in Toronto we are complaining about 10 to 15min pings. That's so &%[email protected]!*ed that you guys have to deal with 20 to 30min pings. Not only are your rates lower but your spending more time driving for free. That really sucks


Just because Uber and Lyft are present in a market, does not mean it is profitable to be a driver in that market.


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## AcuraDrvr (Jul 11, 2018)

I've gotten a 41 minute pickup request from Lyft before... LOL! Followed by a bunch of 20-something minute pings back-to-back after declining that one. Usually these happen late at night and I end up turning off Lyft for a while at that point.


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