No, You're Not Wrong - This Is Getting Expensive

The price of gasoline has been a major concern for rideshare drivers for, well, ever... and when I run the numbers in my terrifyingly dense 5+ year spreadsheet of rideshare whimsy, the cost per hour of operation has more or less doubled in the past three months. (Thanks, Putin and our Good Saudi Friends who never increase production levels when an oil shock hits a Democratic Administration! It's almost as global corporate elites subvert democracies! Almost.)

Anyhoo... the rideshare platforms are very aware that this kind of thing is highly demotivating to those of us who choose to do the hustle. A $0.55 universal surcharge on all fares has been imposed, which is better than a sharp stick in the eye if you are picking up a mess of short urban rides, drive a hybrid and don't encounter traffic. Failing those happy conditions... not so much.

By my way of calculating, the true per hour take for me in 2022 is down about 15% -- and my average number of hours per week doing it is also down, by 10.5%.

Since I'm making less and the gas prices are higher, this means that every minute that you do this is more expensive. There's also been a much higher variation between platforms, with Lyft driving more per hour than Uber for the last two months. Driving for Lyft is pretty much the same, but there are clear differences. Starting with...

a) Lyft switches off drivers to other passengers much more than Uber. This means the driver is less likely to have long drives to pick up passengers, but also has less control and knowledge of their time in the program.

b) Lyft doesn't tell drivers time and distance on rides while already in the app

c) Lyft is more likely than Uber to incent drivers with streak bonuses -- which means the driver is way more likely to go to a place they weren't anticipating (and maybe have a really good reason to want to avoid)

So... I turn off the ap between rides, and I check both aps and go with the higher price. You would, if you were a driver, as well. This means that the aps show fewer drivers doing the gig, and fewer drivers are, well, doing the gig. It cycles to more surge pricing and more for the driver in the short term... and maybe less in the long term, because when ride share gets too expensive, passengers will do without or find other means.

But in the long run? The cars drive themselves, and as a driver -- I don't have ownership in these aps. I'm just trying to make my nut today, or if we're getting really far out... this week.

Happy riding!