More Sharing Economy… Driving Uber vs Lyft in DC

LYFT COUPON CODE:                VIRGINIA147995
Good for a free ride for new Lyft passengers, or $750 sign-on bonus for new Lyft drivers

UBER COUPON CODE:                   KKE8S 
Good for a free ride for new Uber passengers, or $500 sign-on bonus for new drivers who are already Lyft drivers/other sign-on bonuses vary by city

So, after applying for Uber a month ago and going through the background check twice (they forgot to check my old out of state license, so it looked like I had only been driving a car for a few months and Uber initially denied my application), I was finally hired this week.

Here’s how driving for Uber vs Lyft compares down here.  Below info is based on driving between 5am-2am, 7 days a week, in Downtown, NOMA, Foggy Bottom, Cathedral Heights ,around Howard U, Arlington, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, College Park, and Silver Springs

Lyft                                                                                                                            Uber                                                                                   

Base fares are maybe 3-5% higher than Uber                                   Base fare 3-5% lower than Lyft

Tips average 8-10% on top of fare                                                    Uber discourages tipping

Average drive time to rider is 4-10 min                                       Average drive time to rider is 2-6 min

Occasionally there are 25% surges.  Higher surges are rare.              Very common surges 20%-290%

Surges have a tendency to end before you can move into an area.     Surges tend to last long enough                                                                                                                                                 to reach

There aren’t a whole lot of predictable, every day surges.         Uber DC surges 1/3 to ½ the day,                                                                                                          often at rush hour, during rain and events

Average wait time between rides is 5-10 min                      Average wait time between rides 0.5-4 min

Riders are often friendly and chatty                                         Riders more likely to play/talk on cell

Current sign on bonus is $750                                                  Sign on bonus for Lyft drivers is $500

$1500/wk guaranteed for 1^st 4 weeks if drive 50hrs                          No current earnings guarantees

10-20% weekly bonus available, but it is a pain in the butt to get      No weekly bonuses currently

So, the long and short of it is that its very worth it to sign up for both Lyft and Uber for the signup bonuses.  After that, expect to make roughly $10-$25/hr before income tax. 

Now that I have Uber I almost never turn the Lyft app on.  It is better to immediately get an Uber fare, than to wait for a Lyft fare, and then drive a longer distance to pick them up.  For rideshare drivers, bigger is better.  Lyft does do a 20% bonus, but to get it, you have to take almost every request (even if it means driving, unpaid, 25min to get to the request), and you need to be driving for Lyft during all those peak hours when Uber is surging to 50-250%.. not worth it at the moment.  Another thing I’ve noticed about Lyft is that about 20% of my requests get cancelled after I’ve driven towards them for a couple minutes…. Then I don’t get paid.  On the other hand, Uber has given an inaccurate location on about 30% of my fares so far, resulting in wasted time, unpaid driving, and aggravation for everyone involved.

One thing Lyft is nice for is slow times during midday… running both apps at once increases chances of getting a fare without a long wait time.

Lyft and Uber have been a great gig so far… giving me the ability to earn a comfortable income, but still travel or take an hour or a day off, at any moment that I wish.

Yea sharing economy!



LYFT COUPON CODE:                VIRGINIA147995
Good for a free ride for new Lyft passengers, or $750 sign-on bonus for new Lyft drivers

UBER COUPON CODE:                   KKE8S
Good for a free ride for new Uber passengers, or $500 sign-on bonus for new drivers who are already Lyft drivers/other sign-on bonuses vary by city

My Experience Driving Lyft and Uber in DC, code for DC $750 referral bonus for new Lyft drivers

So, I just started working Lyft in DC.  Here are the answers to all the questions I had when considering whether to work Lyft.  Later, I'll do the same deal for Uber!

If anyone is signing up to drive for Lyft in DC and needs a referral code for the $750 bonus, here's mine: VIRGINIA147995

Just apply on the Lyft site with that code, or use this link: https://www.lyft.com/drivers/VIRGINIA147995

The way the bonus works is this: Apply AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  The bonus only applies to the first 1,000 applicants.  Lyft is not generally known for their bonuses, so $750 is a pretty big deal.  Uber is recruiting Lyft drivers, so you could theoretically drive with Lyft until Uber puts out a bonus for existing Lyft drivers, and wind up with even more in bonuses.

You need:
- DC metro area drivers license (VA, DC, and MD residents can drive for Lyft in DC).  Insurance for the car in your name.
- 2004 or newer car that is reasonable clean and free of major dents or damage (major stuff that could make your passengers question your driving skills).
- Friendly personality, ability to pass a basic criminal/driving history background check (for questions on this I would check with Lyft... they are pretty motivated to hire drivers, so if you have something explainable in your history I would tell them and see what they say)
- Complete 50 rides within 30 days of being approved as a driver.

So.. what is it like to drive for Lyft/Uber in Washington DC, and is it worth it?

This was my Lyft experience.
 APPLICATION.  I got a referral code and was really careful to enter it when I applied online.  It took about 2 min to fill out the forms.  A week later Lyft sent me an email saying I was approved to take my mentoring ride/road test. 
ROAD TEST.  I clicked the "request mentor for road test" option on the Lyft app (self-explanatory once you get to this point).  30 sec later I was driving 1 mile to meet my mentor, Eric.  He was very friendly, spent about 10 min explaining Lyft and giving advice on driving, took a pic of me and the car, and checked the car for cleanliness and functionality of lights, wipers, airbags, etc.  Then he hopped in and we went for 2 ~10min drives.  During one I followed the GPS to a point (Google Maps or ATT Navigator are the approved apps for this).  During the other drive he gave me directions to a point.  I got a little nervous and missed a turn on the GPS drive, but it was not a big deal at all.  All in all it was a low-stress mentoring session and Eric was very helpful.  I got a chance to ask any questions I wanted to.  (On this note, Lyft's online question answering service has also been very helpful and responsive... it seems to be a good community of drivers).  We parted and Eric sent in my info.  An hour later I got an email from Lyft saying I was approved to drive and could do my first ride.
FIRST DRIVE.  I wasn't sure how it all worked until I did this.  Here it is:
Open Lyft app, in the upper right is a little symbol of a steering wheel.  Push it.  You are instantly available as a driver.  Push it again and you are instantly done working for the time being.  It's a simple as that... work whenever you want, for 1 sec up to 14 hours straight.  There are no minimum times or scheduled hours.. the ultimate in flexibility.
If someone near you requests a ride, their pic, distance to them (eg 5 min), and the average rating that other drivers have given them pops up on your phone.  You have 15 sec to accept the request.  If you don't it will just go away.  It doesn't really matter if you accept or not, but Lyft likes you to turn off the app when you're unavailable, and there are some bonuses available if you accept more than 90% of requests.  For me, this mean I usually try to accept a request, unless it is so far away I feel I will lose money on it, or if it's late and I'm in a part of town I'm not comfortable with.  You don't see where the rider is until you accept the request.  After accepting you can easily cancel the ride if you want, though it's not the best for your rating to do it alot.  I did this once for a ride that would have taken me 20 min out of town during prime time, just to pick the rider up.  You don't know where the rider's ultimate destination is until they get in the car. 
I accepted my first rider, drove to them, and pushed "arrive" on the app when I got there.  They had entered their destination and it popped up automatically on google maps for me.  When we arrived I pushed "drop off" and gave them a 5star rating.  Then I was available for the next ride.
It took me about a week to figure out what times of the day where worth driving and which weren't.  After 14 hours of driving in a 24 hour period, you have to take 6 hours off, whether or not the 14 hours were continuous.

REASONS TO WORK LYFT:
- an almost instant part time or full time job
- hourly pay is pretty decent if you plan it right
- complete flexibility in setting your own hours and taking time off
- great sign-on bonuses
- meet interesting people, hear stories, brighten someone's day if they're stressed
- Lyft increases availability of transport service to the deaf, mute, and blind communities.  Fare-sharing allows drivers to make more money, passengers to save money, and increases efficiency of the transport system.

REASONS NOT TO WORK LYFT:
- High hourly wages are definitely not guaranteed; it all depends on volume of requests vs availability of drivers
- Potential for a lot of frustration at earning levels if you do not carefully assess your costs and wind up working during slow periods, working <50 20="" a="" and="" br="" etc.="" for="" gas="" hrs="" losing="" lot="" lyft="" needing="" of="" paying="" repairs="" to="" vehicle="" wk="">

SAFETY and PEOPLE: I've done 50 rides so far, and all of my riders have been friendly and nice.  I have not yet run into anyone who was unpleasant or made me feel uncomfortable.  About 50% of people want to chat, and the other half spend the ride on their phones/computers/phone conference/resting from a long work day.  A lot of people have interesting or funny stories to share.

AVERAGE HOURLY PAY: I have found that I gross $15-$25/hr in DC, depending on whether there is prime time pricing going on in the pickup area (+25%-100%), WHEN I DRIVE FOR 50-60 MIN OUT OF THE HOUR.  However, during a 14 hour weekday, I wind up only actively driving for about 50% of the time, so the hourly rate is less.  I'm OK with this because I bring my computer and get work done when not driving.  If it were not for this, though, it would really only be worth driving during commute hours and weekends, when I'm actively driving 75-100% of the time.

NET HOURLY PAY:  This is a hairy one.  So, these are the costs involved for driving Lyft:
1) Opportunity cost for down time when waiting for a ride request.  It's not really worth driving during non-prime hours unless you have something worthwhile to fill your off time: online work, writing, reading, simultaneous Uber driving, etc.
2) Fuel.  I drive a Prius and at 45 mpg and this works out to about $8-$10/$100 gross earned.
3) Other car costs: I consider most car costs, such as registration, insurance, etc, as costs I would have anyway.  Insurance: the vast majority of drivers use regular car insurance and don't mention to their insurance companies that they're ridesharing.  Commercial insurance costs roughly $6-10,000/year.  Lyft and Uber do provide some coverage when you're driving; this is worth researching for up to date info before signing up.  Wear and Tear: I put an average of 200 miles per day on the car during a 14 hour day.
4) Taxes: You have to pay an extra 15.3% self-employment tax.  On the other hand, you get to deduct expenses such as fuel and food and maintenance.  I average this out by deducting 10% of my gross for taxes.
5) Lyft takes a 20% commission, unless you turn the app on > 50 hrs/wk, including 10 hours during prime times- morning commutes and weekends.


I work > 50 hours/wk.  So, my net earnings tend to be:

$100 gross earnings:
- $10 for fuel
- $20 in Lyft commissions
+ $20 in commission rebate because I turn the app on for >50hrs/wk
- $10 in taxes
+ $8 in tips
________________
$88 net earnings per $100 in gross earnings, minus car maintenance and repairs depending on your luck.

Since I've just started with Lyft, you'll have to wait for an updated post showing average daily earnings/hours worked.  It will make it very clear why it's only worth working prime time hours, or coupling Lyft with Uber work in DC!


BONUS: They didn't confirm when I signed on that I qualified for the $500 sign-up bonus, however it did show up as promised the day after I completed my 30th ride.


Hope this was helpful for those considering entering the sharing economy.  Again, you need a driver referral # for the $750 double-sided sign on bonus; ask your Lyft driver for one or use mine below:

 VIRGINIA147995

Just apply on the Lyft site with that code, or use this link: https://www.lyft.com/drivers/VIRGINIA147995

On the Road to Sierra Leone

Strange transition from cold and wind in Portland, Maine, to the relative warmth of Casablanca, Morocco

Painting above my bed in the place we're crashing before leaving Maine... I'm not sure what this man's intentions are, but I feel mildly apprehensive!

Director Dunn helping to move the great big pile of advance team luggage (170 lbs of medical supplies)

Waves crash against the footings of the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca (this is the largest mosque in Africa, with a retractable roof, ability to accomodate >100,000 worshipers, the tallest minaret in the world (689') Inside the mosque, glass panels allow beautiful views of the seabed of the Atlantic.  At night a green lasar light points from the minaret, towards Mecca).

The mosque was completed in 1993 and has since seen repairs necessitated by the challenging nature of its exposed location.  Saltwater has migrated into the concrete and corroded hidden rebar.  This and over 100 loadbearing pillars were replaced in 2003 in a major repair undertaking.  The mosque now has what is in effect an outer waterproof hull beyond the original foundation, which protects the loadbearing elements from saltwater damage.

  Next to the mosque is a long seawall with a broad flat top.  During our layover, IMA's advance team joined a large crowd of locals, who seemed to have gathered not only to enjoy the sun, but also view a succession of daring human encounters with the sea.  Near our perch an angled white sand beach and a projecting section of coarse riprap worked in concert to funnel breakers violently against the seawall.  This funneling effect caused larger waves to rush up vertically against the seawall, break into fine spray over onlookers, and dissolve backwards into a churning wash of foam and undertow.  Local schoolboys made a game of running into the funnel, then racing back out just in time to avoid the potentially deadly action of the larger waves.  As we watched them, a woman in her 50's slowly made her way down the beach towards the funnel.  She was barefoot and bore a headscarf wrapped around a grapefruit-sized object.  Something was unidentifyably wrong with her expression, and mood she was projecting, as she slowly entered the funnel and bent, dipping the headscarf into a series of small waves that rushed in around her feet.  We saw an odd smile on her face, then one of the large waves came in and she disappeared beneath it.  We rushed down onto the riprap to assist her, balance thrown off by our heavy backpacks.  The crowd laughed and pointed, then fell silent as people grew concerned and started to rise to their feet.  We were joined by several local men, and together we helped the woman get back on her feet and up onto the safety of the riprap before the next large breaker hit.  She was not appreciative of the help, slapping away the proffered hands.  We were quite concerned about her and kept a discreet eye on her afterwards, as she stood on the roadway for a long while, looking quite upset and angry.  Eventually family arrived and joined her.  We never did find out what it was all about.

We continued our people-watching atop the seawall.  Occassionally a whistle blew, as mosque security chased off mischievous teens or the over-amorous young couples who tried to tuck themselves away into cool dark alcoves of the mosque.  Our next risk-taker made his way across the rip-rap below us.  He paused at the end of the seawall, stripped down to shorts, then produced and donned a pair of green flippers and small plastic goggles.  He had a short military-style haircut and had the lean, muscled look of someone who works for a living.  All eyes were on him as he entered the water and swam straight for a protruding corner of the mosque foundation, where a 6' wide whirlpool was created by each passing breaker. Somehow, he timed his swim to miss the whirlpool, and swam further and further out, ducking beneath each wave.  Finally he turned, and kicking mightily, caught a breaker and body-surfed in, almost to the beach.  Impression made, he then exited the water, doffed his flippers, and returned to his pile of clothing.  

I made a mental note to carry flippers with me while traveling in the future.

Sorting supplies for International Mutual Aid's advance team, Ebola epidemic Sierra Leone