I had my first Lyft ride yesterday (and my second one today). Most people use Uber, but I haven’t “officially” used it yet. That isn’t to say that my friends haven’t called Uber ’cause they have and I’ve been in the car with them. I actually downloaded the Uber app to my phone in Bangkok, of all places. Of course, when I actually needed an Uber there, none were in my area. In San Francisco I’ve used Uber only to go to the airport for Company business trips. In those two circumstances, I asked my friend who’s an Uber driver beforehand. As far as using the Uber APP on my phone, it’s been a no go thus far.
The only reason I tried Lyft was because a young man waylaid me on my way home one evening. He was handing out Lyft info and promised me $50 in Lyft credit (i.e. $10 maximum apiece towards 5 rides). He then downloaded the app to my phone and explained how to use it. Since my $50 credit expires on Wednesday, yesterday at Costco seemed to be the perfect time to use it. A co-worker was with me who uses both Lyft and Uber frequently. She showed me what to do (it wasn’t that complicated) and a random woman showed up in about 5 minutes to take all of my groceries and me home. She was rather chatty, too. This afternoon I had to make a Target run and buy heavier things such as laundry detergent, dish soap, lotion and baby oil, so I requested a Lyft pick-up again. This time took a bit longer, possibly 10+ minutes as the driver picked someone else up before me and we were sharing. His other passenger was a woman en route to Benihana. They were chatting about Benihana, so I informed both the driver and the other passenger that they can get $30 towards their birthday meal at Benihana if they go on the website and sign up. Neither of them were aware, so were happy to learn the news.
What did we do before Uber and Lyft? It’s certainly cheaper than a taxi and there are usually more Uber and/or Lyft drivers in the area than taxi drivers. It’s convenient to already know the name of the person picking you up, what they look like and what car they’ll be in. Besides, half the time, the taxi drivers pass me by when I’m trying to flag them down! So I’m not sure what year Uber and Lyft came into existence, but I’m about to become a big fan.