A note about the Uber/Lyft strike
My father is a Lyft driver, and he has been for a few years now. He knows better than anyone just how badly drivers are treated by Lyft as a company, as well as Uber (he worked for Uber before switching to Lyft). Every day he comes home with a new story or tidbit about something ridiculous that happened with the company, and he has many valid complaints. And he also thinks the strike is a great idea
But with all that being said, he can't afford to strike. We are homeless, living in and out of hotels for a year and a half now, and if he took the day to strike with the rest of the drivers we would have no place to live and likely very little money for food/other items needed for our survival.
I want everyone to remember that there are drivers who, no matter how badly they've suffered under these companies unfair policies, cannot afford not to work during the strike. There are many drivers like my father who are struggling financially and need to work that day to pay bills or buy food or support their families
I'm not telling everyone to ignore the strike and go out and take a ride that day. That would defeat the purpose. What I am saying is that if you really need a ride, like in an emergency situation or if you have no other choice, don't feel guilty about using one of the rideshare apps to get that ride. You will be helping to support those drivers who have no choice but to work that day.
Also please don't yell at or attack anyone who might need to take a ride, or who might not know about the strike and take a ride anyway. There are plenty of people who truly don't know about the strike going on, just as there are people who have doctor's appointments that day (or other important business) and they would have no other way to get there without using a rideshare app. These people are also supporting the drivers who have no choice but to work that day
Remember that there are other ways you can support drivers as well. You should always give a driver 5 stars (unless they actively do something unsafe or make you overtly uncomfortable) because those ratings help them stay in business. If you can make good comments about them that helps too. If you're able to afford a tip for the driver, even if just $1, goes a long way for a driver who is trying to make ends meet with the extra work, so remember to try and tip whatever you might be able to afford whenever you take a ride. Always follow the policies of the company that are provided to riders: this is a huge issue for drivers, because some people don't know the policies for riders or don't care about them, and then it can cause problems for the driver and the company. If the driver asks you to wear a seatbelt because of the law of your state, wear the seatbelt. If they tell you that you need to enter a secondary destination on your end of the app and they can't just take you somewhere else without it being part of your trip, just quickly change your trip to include the secondary location (you should be able to do this while on the trip). If you need to bring a friend/family member with you make sure to add that person to the trip when you book it. If you need to bring an animal (service animal or not) please let the driver know!! Many drivers are perfectly fine with taking animals, even if they're just normal pets, but there are Muslim drivers who cannot take animals in their car because of their religious beliefs, and others who may have allergies or other issues with animals, and they aren't trying to be rude to you by telling you they can't accept the trip. And above all, always try to be polite and kind to a driver. They're usually just tired and trying to make money and get you from point A to point B without any fuss.
You can also help drivers by contacting the companies directly and telling them how well a driver has done, or how you think they can improve the experience for drivers/customers. It doesn't seem like much, but a quick email or phone call to the company's customer service center can go a really long way. My dad has received emails of praise, little rewards, and even bonuses just because someone took the time to contact the company on his behalf and say he did a good job on the trip.
So for TLDR: if you have to take a ride during the strike don't feel guilty because some drivers need to work that day no matter what
