How can I avoid Lyft drivers taking me out of the way?
January 10, 2018 6:34 AM Subscribe
A few times recently I've noticed that my Lyft rides end up costing a lot more than the predicted price, and it seems due to them taking a long route rather than traffic. Most recently, I took a Lyft early on a Sunday morning, when there was no traffic, from a friend's apartment in Prospect Heights in Brooklyn to JFK.
I realized after a while that the driver had gone completely out of the way (instead of going east, he went south and west to Bay Ridge, then got on the highway). He was deaf, so I didn't try to ask him what was going on while we were driving, and by the time I noticed, we were already far out of the way. The ride ended up costing twice what the app predicted (~$70 vs $35) and taking longer. My best guess is that he was going through neighborhoods he was familiar with rather than following the navigation app.
How can I avoid this in the future? In another case, a driver in the Bay Area didn't take a suggested freeway because he claimed to be avoiding traffic, but Waze said that it was the best route. I just don't want to end up paying so much more than necessary.
I realized after a while that the driver had gone completely out of the way (instead of going east, he went south and west to Bay Ridge, then got on the highway). He was deaf, so I didn't try to ask him what was going on while we were driving, and by the time I noticed, we were already far out of the way. The ride ended up costing twice what the app predicted (~$70 vs $35) and taking longer. My best guess is that he was going through neighborhoods he was familiar with rather than following the navigation app.
How can I avoid this in the future? In another case, a driver in the Bay Area didn't take a suggested freeway because he claimed to be avoiding traffic, but Waze said that it was the best route. I just don't want to end up paying so much more than necessary.
Lyft has actually been very responsive to me for correcting issues like this. If you have Twitter, DM them @AskLyft and they'll work it out for you.
posted by ancient star at 6:43 AM on January 10, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by ancient star at 6:43 AM on January 10, 2018 [4 favorites]
When I was a young person and took taxis, it was conventional to ask the driver to take a particular route or to avoid a particular route - if these are situations where you know what route you want, can you start by asking the driver?
posted by Frowner at 6:46 AM on January 10, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Frowner at 6:46 AM on January 10, 2018 [3 favorites]
I don't think that it's the route that causes the rate hike in Lyft. Instead, I think that they have recently removed their cap on surge pricing, and that explains the hike. But I notice that you were traveling early Sunday morning, which is odd....
If you look at that particular ride on the "ride history" on your app, you can get a break down of the source of the different charges for that particular ride. My hunch is that you'll see that $35 charge there, plus some kind of surcharge added on. But that can explain things well enough for you to make an informed complaint.
Good luck.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:59 AM on January 10, 2018
If you look at that particular ride on the "ride history" on your app, you can get a break down of the source of the different charges for that particular ride. My hunch is that you'll see that $35 charge there, plus some kind of surcharge added on. But that can explain things well enough for you to make an informed complaint.
Good luck.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:59 AM on January 10, 2018
I always try to look at whatever navigation app the driver has open and see if the route looks reasonable. In San Francisco, most Lyft drivers don't know the area at all and are following the routing that either Lyft themselves provide or else Waze. Sometimes that routing is crazy weird, Waze can be very aggressive about trying to avoid 90 seconds of traffic. Every driver has been willing to drive however I tell them, but it can sometimes be awkward. You do have to be able to talk to the driver though.
Seconding the suggestion you write Lyft support and demand a refund; what you describe sounds like a ripoff to me.
posted by Nelson at 7:43 AM on January 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
Seconding the suggestion you write Lyft support and demand a refund; what you describe sounds like a ripoff to me.
posted by Nelson at 7:43 AM on January 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks all- just to clarify, I'm looking for ways to prevent this (e.g. talking to the driver about the route at the beginning) rather than how to get a refund on a particular ride.
posted by pinochiette at 8:00 AM on January 10, 2018
posted by pinochiette at 8:00 AM on January 10, 2018
Once in a Lyft my driver was going in the complete wrong direction. So I started telling him which way to go. We were both perplexed and he was slightly annoyed. It turned out that I had put in the wrong destination address so everyone was doing their job right - I was just a bad typist. We straightened that out and all was fine. But the point is - yes you can tell them which right or left to make. You may know something they don't after all.
I once had a driver (not sure if he was lyft or uber) tell me that he couldn't go the route I wanted so I got out of his car. I think there was some sort of option while you were on the ride to cancel and the reason was that he couldn't accommodate my request.
When I got someone who was really friendly and chatty and obviously driving as a side job so I thought he was being honest with me I asked him the deal was with that. He told me that of course I can tell them which route I want to take and they have to abide by it. He then missed my exit.
Anyhow I would suggest telling them the route that you want to take if you feel safe doing that, telling them mid-trip that you'd like to them to abide by a particular route if you feel safe doing that and if they refuse, then getting out of the car if you feel safe doing that.
posted by rdnnyc at 8:26 AM on January 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
I once had a driver (not sure if he was lyft or uber) tell me that he couldn't go the route I wanted so I got out of his car. I think there was some sort of option while you were on the ride to cancel and the reason was that he couldn't accommodate my request.
When I got someone who was really friendly and chatty and obviously driving as a side job so I thought he was being honest with me I asked him the deal was with that. He told me that of course I can tell them which route I want to take and they have to abide by it. He then missed my exit.
Anyhow I would suggest telling them the route that you want to take if you feel safe doing that, telling them mid-trip that you'd like to them to abide by a particular route if you feel safe doing that and if they refuse, then getting out of the car if you feel safe doing that.
posted by rdnnyc at 8:26 AM on January 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
In the instance where you have a deaf driver (which has happened to me, for the record), I'm not sure what you could do because communication is made harder when they are driving. In all regular instances, you should just communicate your preferred route to the driver.
I've honestly never had a situation with Lyft where I've requested a normal ride and the end charge is significantly different than the estimated charge. The only time it's been different is when I've made changes to the route (changed the destination or added a destination). I can't remember the warning I've gotten but it's something along the lines of "this change will result in a per mile and minute fare rate that is different than the estimated charge". Or something.
posted by ancient star at 8:49 AM on January 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
I've honestly never had a situation with Lyft where I've requested a normal ride and the end charge is significantly different than the estimated charge. The only time it's been different is when I've made changes to the route (changed the destination or added a destination). I can't remember the warning I've gotten but it's something along the lines of "this change will result in a per mile and minute fare rate that is different than the estimated charge". Or something.
posted by ancient star at 8:49 AM on January 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
1. Make absolutely certain that you've entered the correct destination when requesting the ride.
2. Unless you're intending on carpooling, do not select Lyft Line. Line will send the driver on a route where they're more likely to pick up additional fares, and it may take you out of your way.
3. Put the trip into Waze or Google Maps your own phone before the car arrives. Look at the route options, pick one.
4. When you get in the car, tell the driver which route you'd prefer. Show him the route overview on your screen if need be.
5. Check the navigation on your phone periodically, make sure you're on a satisfactory route. If the driver is going a different way, ask why. Check their reasoning against your own app. Be friendly, but don't be afraid to shut it down if they're being a dick about it.
posted by D.Billy at 9:40 AM on January 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
2. Unless you're intending on carpooling, do not select Lyft Line. Line will send the driver on a route where they're more likely to pick up additional fares, and it may take you out of your way.
3. Put the trip into Waze or Google Maps your own phone before the car arrives. Look at the route options, pick one.
4. When you get in the car, tell the driver which route you'd prefer. Show him the route overview on your screen if need be.
5. Check the navigation on your phone periodically, make sure you're on a satisfactory route. If the driver is going a different way, ask why. Check their reasoning against your own app. Be friendly, but don't be afraid to shut it down if they're being a dick about it.
posted by D.Billy at 9:40 AM on January 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
Open your preferred mapping app on your phone.
Put in your destination.
If the driver starts to deviate substantially from that route, tell them you would like them to take [name of highway/street] instead.
Repeat as necessary.
posted by suncages at 10:09 AM on January 10, 2018
Put in your destination.
If the driver starts to deviate substantially from that route, tell them you would like them to take [name of highway/street] instead.
Repeat as necessary.
posted by suncages at 10:09 AM on January 10, 2018
To add one more step before the repeat:
If they push back on your directions, say “Sorry, I’ve had bad luck with [the app they are using] on this route. It seems to always make a mistake.”
You are the customer. This is an okay thing for you to do.
(If it turns out your directions were bad and you get stuck in traffic, apologize profusely.)
posted by suncages at 10:16 AM on January 10, 2018
If they push back on your directions, say “Sorry, I’ve had bad luck with [the app they are using] on this route. It seems to always make a mistake.”
You are the customer. This is an okay thing for you to do.
(If it turns out your directions were bad and you get stuck in traffic, apologize profusely.)
posted by suncages at 10:16 AM on January 10, 2018
Very occasional Lyft driver here.
Sometimes people have entered the wrong address and are surprised when I go a certain way. I follow Google Maps' instructions (GM is now integrated into the Lyft driver app) but if a passenger wants me to go a different way, I do that.
My advice is to to look at their phone which is usually mounted on the dash (Lyft encourages drivers to mount their phone in a place passengers can see) and see if the route checks out, or just ask them if they know the destination and state your preferred route if you have one.
posted by look busy at 10:46 AM on January 10, 2018
Sometimes people have entered the wrong address and are surprised when I go a certain way. I follow Google Maps' instructions (GM is now integrated into the Lyft driver app) but if a passenger wants me to go a different way, I do that.
My advice is to to look at their phone which is usually mounted on the dash (Lyft encourages drivers to mount their phone in a place passengers can see) and see if the route checks out, or just ask them if they know the destination and state your preferred route if you have one.
posted by look busy at 10:46 AM on January 10, 2018
Best answer: As a Lyft driver, yes, it's encouraged, if not policy, to ask the client their preferred route before departing to their desintation. I always do, because I don't want to give the impression that I am running them around for a higher fare. I even let them navigate if they want.
posted by Young Kullervo at 10:47 AM on January 10, 2018
posted by Young Kullervo at 10:47 AM on January 10, 2018
I've noticed that Lyft directs drivers to the Battery tunnel most of the time, so I usually ask to take the Brooklyn or Manhattan Bridge. Half the time they say they weren't going to take the tunnel despite the app routing us that way, the other half they say sure and reroute.
posted by siouxsiesmith at 5:57 PM on January 10, 2018
posted by siouxsiesmith at 5:57 PM on January 10, 2018
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posted by raccoon409 at 6:38 AM on January 10, 2018 [10 favorites]