Quickie question about lyft and Uber

[Disney Frenhines]

Which would you recommend of the two and any tips on staying safe as a single person. TIA

 

[Best Aunt]

Which would you recommend of the two and any tips on staying safe as a single person. TIA

Have travelled alone in both, no issues. Uber has more safety factors built in, Lyft has more discounts. Never get in a vehicle unless the license plate matches what the app says and the driver knows your name and gives you their name which matches the app. You’re supposed to check the driver’s picture but it’s too small for me.

There is a good thread on everything you want to know about uber and lyft.

Do you take cabs? These feel safer because at least there’s a record of you being in the vehicle. If you get in a cab, there’s no way to track it.

 

[JimMIA]

I have driven for both, and I would recommend Uber, for the following reasons:

• Both companies double-track your rides in real time (your phone and the driver's phone), but Uber continues the tracking of both for some time after you are dropped off. If anything looks unusual, they call the rider to ask if you are okay. I actually had that happen when I circled back to return a purse left in my car. Uber called the rider to be sure she was safe.
• Uber frequently requires drivers to take a selfie to confirm their identity with facial recognition software, and the driver photo you see is from those confirmations.
  • My Lyft photo is my original from 3 years ago, and they have never once made any attempt to confirm that I am me.
  • Trust me, this one is a big deal. If the picture of the driver you see on your app doesn't match the face behind the wheel, neither you nor the company have any idea who that person is -- and they almost certainly have not passed a background check.
• Both companies do background checks when the driver is signed up. I'm not sure about Lyft's policy, but Uber re-does the background check every year.
  • Uber also employs another company to constantly monitor drivers' public records, and if something questionable is revealed, an investigation ensues. Lyft does not.
• In some markets, Lyft's onboarding requirements seem to be pretty lax. For example, Uber requires a one-year driving record that they can check.
  • Lyft does not do that in Miami...and I'll leave it at that.
• Uber has a suite of rider safety tools on their rider app. One of the tools allows you to call 9-1-1 directly from the app. The benefit of that is that it gives 9-1-1 direct GPS tracking of your phone, rather than cell phone system approximations -- and, the location is updated in real time. That is very important for accurate dispatch locations for law enforcement or EMS, and is especially important if you are moving.

You should be safe with either one. Both companies allow you to share the progress of your ride in real time with trusted friends/family. I know Uber also has a crash-detection feature on their driver's app -- again providing precise GPS location for responding emergency units. I think Lyft might also have that, but not sure.

 

[Disney Frenhines]

Thanks. That was a great help.

 

[JimMIA]

I would really be remiss if I didn't give the following qualification to my comments above.

In this current Coronavirus environment, there is no way I would ride in a taxi, Uber, or Lyft.

The part time drivers, like myself, are not driving because demand is too low to be worthwhile. The full-time drivers are desperate and are driving long hours and doing as many rides as they can. The same is probably true of taxis.

So if you get in a taxi/Uber/Lyft, you are getting into a car that has had an unknown number of unknown people with unknown medical conditions riding in the same vehicle.

That is simply not a place I'm putting myself into.