The news is buzzing with Lyft’s latest feature that rolled out this week allowing women and non-binary people to prioritize each other as drivers and riders. Also, a Florida DoorDash driver was canned after spitting in a customer’s food.
Lyft Rolling Out Feature Matching Women, Nonbinary Drivers And Riders
Topic Originally Appeared On The Hill
Summary
Lyft announced Tuesday a new feature allowing women and nonbinary drivers to match with women and nonbinary riders.
The ride-hailing service said the new feature, called “Women+ Connect,” offers women and nonbinary drivers the option to prioritize matches with other nearby women and nonbinary riders. When the feature goes live, women and nonbinary riders will be prompted to select “Count me in” in their apps, increasing their chances of being matched with their preferred drivers.
My Take
We actually covered this ourselves as well. Check out our article: Lyft’s New Women+ Connect Feature Puts Drivers in Control. You can even throw in your two cents in the comments about what this means for those who would try to take advantage of the new system by signing up as a woman or non-binary even when they do not actually identify as that.
There’s also talk of having a preference setting for all drivers and riders to prioritize their favorites for future rides. This is something that has true merit and potential. I know of at least one rideshare alternative with preferences like this, where the ride is booked in advance and riders can try to grab their favorite driver for the trip.
Overall, as a woman, I do feel like this is a step in the right direction and I’m glad Lyft is taking this step, and that they consulted safety departments concerning its inception. A handful of incidents I had while I was a driver made me feel unsafe, and I wish I had this kind of option.
Florida DoorDash Driver Caught Spitting On Food Order By Doorbell Camera
Topic Originally Appeared On NY Post
Summary
A DoorDash driver was caught on camera spitting on a food order he delivered to a Florida home over the weekend.
The disgusting behavior was captured by the homeowner’s doorbell camera at an apartment complex in Kendall on Saturday afternoon — and may have been in response to a lousy tip, Local 10 reported.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxBtsAxLrvv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again
The driver set the bagged food down on the apartment’s stoop, snapped a photo for proof of delivery on the DoorDash app, and then spat on the bag three times while mumbling something inaudible under his breath, the footage shows.
My Take
I get that it’s frustrating when you’re not getting paid enough and when you expect a tip, and a decent tip at that, and don’t get one. But that does NOT justify spitting on someone’s food. Granted, he didn’t open it up and spit on the food itself, but who would want to touch that bag after seeing him spit on it? Gross.
While tips tend to make up more than half of a delivery driver’s income, they technically are not required. Your anger should be with the platforms for not paying you enough, not with the customers choosing to use delivery services and not to tip or tip “poorly” (for whatever reason).
Yes, as a driver, you are using your own gas and vehicle to make these deliveries and expect to be properly compensated. But that’s not something you can literally commit a felony over—tampering with food is considered a second-degree felony.
Don’t pick up low-paying orders, no tip-no trip, or do the delivery and walk away. Those are your options.
Uber And Lyft Drivers Calculated How Much They Made After Expenses. It Ranged From $22 to $40 An Hour, And An EV, Tips, And Tax Incentives Can Make A Big Difference.
Topic Originally Appeared On Business Insider
Summary
When you started your last job, you probably had a pretty good idea of how much money would flow into your bank account each month.
That’s not the case for many gig workers, such as Uber and Lyft drivers. Secretive platform algorithms and mercurial customer tipping habits make each day’s earnings a roll of the dice. And that’s before considering business expenses including gas, insurance, and vehicle maintenance.
A typical Uber driver earns $35 an active — or utilized — hour, which is the period between when a driver accepts a ride and completes a trip, according to the company’s February earnings call. A Lyft representative told Insider that the average US driver made close to $36 an active hour, including tips and bonuses.
My Take
I appreciate that the drivers here did admit that earnings are more difficult to come by than they used to be during the golden days of the dawn of rideshare. And I also appreciate that they did the math for EVs versus gas. If you can’t earn more money, cut back on expenses.
And another thing pointed out that is incredibly important is taxes and maximizing your deductions.
Overall, it’s a very informative article that could prove helpful to many drivers.
Uber Driver And Mother Of 4 Murdered In Armed Carjacking Caught On Video: Lawsuit
Topic Originally Appeared On Fox News
Summary
The family of a Pennsylvania Uber driver who was carjacked and killed last year is suing the ride-hailing giant alleging her negligent, wrongful death was preventable, according to a federal lawsuit filed last week.
Christina Spicuzza, a 38-year-old mother of four, was discovered shot dead through the back of the head around noon on Feb. 12, 2022, two days after she was last seen alive with a wanted felon in the back seat of her Uber car.
“For decades, simple, and inexpensive safety measures have been utilized that protect for-hire drivers from assault, including the installation of barriers between the front and back seats,” the lawsuit alleges. “Yet Uber did nothing to ensure Ms. Spicuzza — who was driving a vehicle rented through one of Uber’s suggested car-rental vendors — had the benefit of such protection, nor did it even warn Ms. Spicuzza of the importance of such protections.”
My Take
This is one reason I do not do rideshare anymore. Carjackings of Uber driver’s vehicles have been on the rise for years. It’s truly terrifying not knowing if you’re going to make it back home that day.
When did people get so desperate to resort to this as an option more and more frequently?
Or are we just hearing about more of them because of dashcams and other technologies that are allowing us access we didn’t have in previous years?
I feel so bad for her and any similarly affected family.
PayPal And Uber Broaden Partnership With Instant Driver Payouts, Perks For Riders
Topic Originally Appeared On PYMNTS
Summary
Uber and PayPal have extended their partnership to enhance the payment experience for Uber’s customers and drivers.
As part of the agreement, Uber will continue to leverage PayPal’s services, including PayPal Braintree, for global card processing, the companies said in a Tuesday (Sept. 12) press release. This will allow Uber to expand its use of domestic debit network routing in multiple markets, providing a seamless payment experience for its users.
“Payments are central to Uber’s magical experience,” Karl Hebert, vice president of payments, risk and identity at Uber, said. “When a spender opens their app, they expect it to work seamlessly from anywhere worldwide, and drivers and couriers increasingly want to be paid instantly.”
My Take
It seems pretty self-explanatory that PayPal, which partnered with Uber for several years, is going to make it easier for instant payouts and resolving chargebacks when customers dispute a charge.
Sometimes I use PayPal as payment, so it’s nice to know that I’d be covered if something were to happen.
RSG in the News This Week
Read more trending topics in the news this week:
RSG Must-Listen
Get ready for an upcoming podcast episode featuring Emil Michael, former Chief Business Officer at Uber and current Chairman and CEO of DPCM Capital.
We’ll dive into the Instacart IPO, exploring highlights from their S1 filing, growth strategies, competition with giants like Amazon and Walmart, and the role of advertising revenue in the grocery industry.
Discover how Instacart plans to stay on top and beat the competition, and learn about the recent change in their valuation and CEO transition.
Stay tuned for this insightful conversation coming next week! Catch the podcast here: The Rideshare Guy Podcast and make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
