Driver Side: I only drive for Lyft. Here's why.

Yeah, Um, No

I've been driving for Lyft exclusively since I started in February 2017... and I've only ever driven for Lyft. (Mercifully, after they stopped doing the furry pink mustache nonsense, seen at right. That looks like ass when new, so I can't imagine how bad it looks after it gets road miles, dirt and bugs into it.)

I've probably left some time and money on the table with this decision, and passengers ask me all the time why I only do the single service. So let's get into it.

> Inertia. When I started, Uber didn't allow tipping in the app, didn't require background checks in my home state, and just seemed, well, icky. Now they do allow tips, do background checks (as far as I know), and have tried very hard to get back on the good graces of PR Hell...

But, well, inertia.

> Feminism. I don't claim to be the world's best -- I'm a cis white guy in my late '40s, for heaven's sake; that Venn diagram and Great Feminist is damn near mutually exclusive -- but I do what I can. And, well, Uber's track record with women is kinda horrifying.

> Temptation. I don't need every single possible cent from this, but I can get obsessive... and one of the biggest reasons why you sign up for both services is to beat the daily hour limit by toggling off both services. Driving gets unsafe when you are severely fatigued, and having the app turn off is sometimes a great artificial barrier to keep you from bad choices.

> The people. Maybe I'm romanticizing this a bit, but many Lyft passengers represent as genuinely nice and interesting people, to the point where I actually look forward to the shift some days. More on that in other posts.

> Simplicity. Rideshare driving is kind of complicated at times, what with strategic positioning, trying to outthink traffic patterns, determining when to "spend" your non-accepts, and so forth. I'm also usually trying to slate in gym time and a bathroom. So toggling between apps isn't a win.

Now, am I totally in the tank for Lyft, and would never consider going to the Uber side? Of course not. My responsibility is to my family, not the app. If demand dries up and I can't make my nut, I'll change my ways. Lyft does a lot to show progressive political leanings and kinder/gentler ways, but at it's core, it's a business. What I do for them is also one. It's worked out well so far, but they have to keep producing for me, and I have to keep producing for them. You know, like any business relationship.

Final point... if you are a passenger, especially one in a place where coverage is scattershot, am I really expecting you to be Lyft exclusive?

Hell and no.

To date, you are only going to get me as your driver with Lyft. But I totally understand that you need to get to where you are going first...