vasantn

So I finally got to try Lyft for the first time. I had given up on them after a few times of getting the "No Drivers Available" message, but today the Uber network was down for me so I tried Lyft again and got a driver assigned within seconds.

I was all prepared to do the silly "get into the front seat and give your friend a fist-bump" thing as it seems to be a big deal for them, but the driver just motioned me to the back seat when I tried to open the front door. He was polite enough, but no fist-bumps were offered, much to my relief. I guess their signature greeting is not getting a warm reception in the NYC market.

The ride was uneventful and offered the same level of comfort as an Uber X ride at the same approximate cost. I was confused by the option to "add a tip" and I did not. I found out after the fact that a tip of $2 is included and one can add to it if one wishes.

I got a receipt for $10, which also confused me because I was supposed to have 10 free rides in my account. But the detailed receipt showed a credit of $10 with $0 being charged to my credit card.

Another thing: Apparently my driver was somehow assigned two pickups at the same time; I and another person on my block. He picked me up and then got an enraged call from the other person, whom he hung up on unceremoniously after 30 seconds of trying to explain the mix-up to her.

Overall, everything was pretty much as advertised with some unexpected but minor quirks. I will try them a few more times to decide of they are a worthy alternative to Uber or worth using only when Uber is unavailable.