Uber vs. Lyft

I have been a long time customer of Uber, and only a short time customer of Lyft. This is mainly due to the amount of exposure I have towards Uber and only a recent acknowledgement about Lyft. Due to my fear of Uber taking over its major competitor and dominate the world with its high priced cab fare, I decided to Lyft a try. After a few weeks of experiments, I do not really notice any difference between the two services since it is the driver to rider interaction that really makes a major impact. However, in terms of user interface with the phone app, Uber definitely wins the race. Uber has a GPS system that gives you real time updates on where your ride is, while Lyft has a still icon of the cab's location at the time the app appears on your phone screen. When your phone connection is low, Lyft fails to update. Instead of confirming that your ride is on the way, it makes the user feel like they have been abandoned by the drivers. Lyft offers a tipping at the end of the trip, while Uber does not. Different people might feel differently about this option, but I like to give my driver a little extra if I had a really good riding experience.

In terms of better or worse driving for Uber vs. Lyft? This is what I have heard. Uber and Lyft both take 20% of what you make from each ride you offer. Uber take an additional dollar from each ride you get through their service, while Lyft does not. Uber and Lyft both give you 1099s. You get taxed on the full amount of money you make including the 20% taken by Uber, while Lyft subtracted that 20% from your taxable income. While it seems that you make more money working for Lyft than Uber, Uber is definitely more popular than Lyft outside of San Francisco, thanks to all the scandals created by the questionable doings of Uber to state regulatory departments.