Disclosure: I did receive a free ride from Lyft, but was not able to use the ride. All views here are my own. Want to try out Lyft for your next ride? Use the promo code RIDE20 for $20 off Lyft.
I don’t love the city. There I said. I’m uncomfortable saying it. I should love the city. In fact, who doesn’t love the city? Well, I don’t love the city. Phew…feels good to get that off my chest.
The “city that never sleeps” is an apt description of practically any city I have visited. The hustle and bustle. The night life. The 24/7 movement of people. The constant movement of traffic. The gridlock on city streets. The lack of parking. I’ve been to quite a number of cities. London, Manchester, Paris, Munich, Milan, Rome, New York, New Orleans, Houston, Boston, Philadelphia, San Diego, and Los Angeles. Also I’m close to D.C. and Baltimore. But I still don’t love cities. Cities are where I go to sightsee with my family. To file paperwork at a government building. To chaperone one of my children’s school field trips. To attend the opening of a show, a media event at a new restaurant, or a blogging event for a new brand. There’s a means to an end when I visit a city. Once I have completed my assignment in the city, I’m outta there.
Truthfully, before I even drive or fly to a city, I am on my guard. I have to plan my stay to the tiniest detail. My hotel has to be in the heart of the city…in a safe area. I plan my routes to and from the hotel with my GPS or HopStop. I don’t want any surprises when I visit a new city. Planning a trip to a city takes far more of my energy and is more stressful than planning a trip to anywhere else.
My number one pet peeve about cities is driving. I live far enough from D.C. and Baltimore that by the time I drive to the nearest subway (Metro) stop I may as well drive in to the city. The cost of gas and parking is a little more than local transportation costs, but with my van I have the freedom to come and go on my own schedule. The drive time more or less equals the “drive to the subway and subway in to the city” time. So sometimes I drive and sometimes I take the Metro. Either way my journey is a stressful one.
Enter Lyft. Simply put Lyft is ride sharing. Think of Lyft as your friend with a car. Lyft is a friendly, safe, and affordable transportation network. With just a tap of a button you can be riding in the front seat with a new friend. The community of Lyft drivers have been background checked and personality screened to offer a quality ride experience in the city.
Here’s how Lyft works:
- Step 1A. Lyft drivers log in with Facebook.
- Step 1B: People who need a ride, download app for iPhone or Android.
- Step 2. Set your pickup location and request a Lyft.
- Step 3. When you arrive at your destination, make a donation and rate your driver for the effort.
Lyft is all about community. Passengers and drivers rate each other after every ride. If you rate a driver below 4 stars, you’ll never be matched with that driver again. If a driver’s average falls below 4½ out of 5 stars, they are removed from the Lyft community. It’s Lyft’s way of maintaining high-quality standards.
Lyft is currently available in these cities:
- Atlanta, GA
- Baltimore, MD
- Boston, MA
- Charlotte, NC
- Chicago, IL
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- Indianapolis, IN
- Los Angeles, CA
- Orange County, CA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Sacramento, CA
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Silicon Valley, CA
- St. Paul, MN
- Washington, D.C.
More cities and neighborhoods are coming soon. I wasn’t able to try Lyft out as I didn’t have any plans to go to the city when I was working on this campaign. I love that Lyft “leverages peer-to-peer ridesharing by enabling passengers who need a ride to request one from drivers who have a car.”
Simply download the Lyft app on iPhone or Android. Lyft costs less than a cab. According to Lyft, Lyft is like having a friend with a car whenever you need one. Use your smartphone to request a ride, sit up front, and experience the best way to get around town.
