Get ready to Lyft off to your next Destination in Style
“What the heck is a pink mustache doing on that car?!” was my reaction when I first saw a Lyft vehicle. If you haven’t heard of Lyft, they are the hottest new alternative for getting around town. I am a huge proponent of car services. Even though I live in San Diego which is a commuter city and virtually everyone owns a car, I love any chance I get to reduce my drive time and gas emissions. Whether it’s carpooling with a friend, carpooling in a car service or just walking when I can, I feel good about doing something that’s more sustainable for the earth.
I first heard about Lyft before they launched in San Diego in July. They hosted a fun launch party where they invited local media, social media influencers and other community leaders. They also gave us all a $50 credit to try out the service so of course I couldn’t refuse. Getting a ride in a Lyft feels like getting a ride with a friend. I’ve used it a handful of times now and have only had good experiences. The drivers are all so friendly and positive. I like it so much that I want to share my tips and experience so you can Lyft off to your destination in style just like me.
Lyft San Diego Launch Party July 2013
Step One: Download the Lyft App- http://www.lyft.me/app
Step Two: Set up your profile. You will be asked to connect your Facebook account and add your credit card number. The app syncs to your Facebook account as a way to verify your identity. The driver will be able to see your profile photo before picking you up. Your credit card is placed on file but you won’t be charged anything until after you ride.
Step Three: The app tracks your location through GPS (make sure GPS is on) so all you have to do is click the “Request Ride” button and once a driver accepts your ride they will know where to pick you up. You’ll see a photo of your driver, their car and you also have their phone number. I recommend calling the driver to let them know of any specific instructions they may need when picking you up.
Step Four: Wait for your car to arrive. It will have a big pink mustache in front! Then hop in and let your driver know where you want to go.
Step Five: Once you’ve arrived at your final destination the app will give you an option to make a “donation”. All rides are donation based. There is a suggested donation amount that will pop up. You can decide to pay that amount, more or less depending on your experience. You’ll submit your payment and then you’re done!
It’s much easier than finding a number for a cab, calling and requesting a cab and not knowing when the cab will show up. There will also never be a cash transaction so if you don’t have cash, no worries. I’ve been such a proponent of this car service that Lyft reached out to me and gave me a unique referral code for my readers and friends. Use SDMEL for a free $20 credit if you’re a first time user. Redeeming the code is simple: Click on the “Payment” tab in the app and you’ll see a section that says “Enter a Lyft credit code”. Type in “SDMEL” and you’ll immediately receive a $20 credit.
There you have it, an easy set of instructions for downloading the Lyft App and $20 in your pocket! Just to give you an idea on the cost of rides. I took Lyft from Mission Valley to Mission Beach on 4th of July and it cost $25. I also took Lyft from Mission Valley to downtown San Diego for Comic Con and it cost $20. I’ve been picked up in a Mercedes and a BMW. It definitely feels nice to ride in a luxury car to your destination.
January 27th, 2014 EDIT- My Code is no longer valid. You can now receive $25 off your ride by using my link here: http://www.lyft.com/invited/MELODIE10
I love lyft but can’t convince my husband it’s safe for me to use alone … I told him you do DMV and background checks but he says cabs are safer B/c they have a medallion etc. I’m not buyin it But what can I do to convince him ?
Lyft allows you to rate your driver after your ride so you can always check out the driver’s rating before you ride. With a cab there is no way to check their rating/how well they did with previous customers.
This is just from personal experience, but I have used Lyft multiple times (in the dozens) and have yet to be creeped out by any of the drivers. In fact, most of the drivers I’ve encountered in LA and SD have been female. I have gotten a sketchy vibe from almost every cabbie I’ve ever gotten a ride from and have even had some instances of sexual harassment (one of which caused me to bail at a red light because the driver was getting way too verbally aggressive). There is absolutely no way for any company – cab or ridesharing – to assure your safety 100% of the time, but as Melodie stated… there are ratings systems and feedback opportunities directly built into the app. Lyft has been very responsive to their community and I doubt they would never allow a driver to continue with them if they received complaints of that nature. Also, the driver has their app open at all times while on duty, which tracks their location and fares. Cabs don’t have those sorts of checks and balances.
Thanks for sharing your experience Jennifer. Crazy that you had to hop out of a cab before. I doubt anything like that will ever happen with Lyft based on their screening process and feedback system.