This Week: Uber & Lyft Banned From Curbside LAX, and New Lyft Driver Loyalty Program

This week in rideshare news: Uber and Lyft get banned from LAX, Lyft makes changes to their driver loyalty program and an Uber driver gets traumatized after one of her passengers jumps out of the vehicle during a ride.

Hey, what’s up? It’s Cecily, and it’s This Week And Rideshare News.

LAX Bans uber and lyft

If you do airport pickups in Los Angeles, things are about to change. Starting October 29th, Uber and Lyft are banned from picking up passengers at LAX. Remember that. The airport is in the middle of a remodeling project, and they believe banning rideshare and taxis will ease the congestion. So arriving passengers will have the option to take a walk, or you can take a shuttle to a nearby parking lot to catch the taxi or the rideshare.

In recent months, San Francisco, Boston, and several other airports have done the same thing due to traffic or congestion. But note that drop-offs will still be allowed. If you are curious about other airports that have banned pickups, you can check out that link in the description.

Lyft Loyalty Program

In the very near future, Lyft drivers can now go platinum. According to mashable.com, Lyft debuted a new loyalty program. Drivers will earn points for every dollar earned working on the app. They can turn those points into cash or Lyft credit. Similar to Uber, drivers can also qualify for silver, gold, and platinum, which unlock different perks. Drivers will need to maintain a 4.9 rating or higher to reach the gold and platinum levels, and those levels allow you to turn points into cash instead of Lyft credit. So drivers in Nashville, Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Denver, Minneapolis, St. Paul, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Austin, and throughout Jersey will now see this rewards program in your app.

Uber Works Chicago

Uber launches Uber Works in Chicago, a job app for people seeking employment. Huh? Well, how is this app different from the others out there? I’ll tell you. Uber says that it can provide faster and easier means for people to get to work. Okay. Through the app, users can get info about jobs, gross pay, work, location, and skills, and/or required attire. The app also provides time tracking, allows workers to clock in and out on breaks, and workers will also get paid via the app. We all knew that, right? And new shifts will be displayed within the app as well.

Uber Works has partnered with some staffing agencies in Chicago and some local groups. Eligible workers will also have access to ASU’s online classes as well. They’re also looking to see if they can provide some skill training for workers. It has some pretty cool things going on, so stay tuned to find out more about Uber Works. And if Uber Works works, we’ll be seeing it in a city near you. I’ve got so many jokes, like …

Passenger jumps form uber car

A young woman is in critical condition after jumping out of a rideshare driver’s car this week. The Uber driver stated that the woman asked her for a ride. She said she didn’t have a phone or the Uber app and needed assistance. The driver, having had a similar experience where she needed help, agreed to let the woman ride for free.

Had just completed an Uber drop off and heard a knock on our window. The 29-year-old woman seemed worried. She didn’t have the Uber app and she needed a ride home to Mattapan.

The driver said, “I have been there, desperate, in places where I didn’t know what to do and nobody helps you.” So she turned off the app and started toward Mattapan, but after a few minutes she said that passenger thought they were going the wrong way. She jumped out and was struck.

So the driver’s been removed from the Uber and Lyft platform, and the case is under investigation.

I’m looking for a fun “What would you do?” story this week, and there are just so many stories where Uber drivers have gone rogue on riders. And I’m out laughing, because it’s not funny, I’ve just got a socially awkward thing happening. But it just seems like there are a lot of people being pushed to the edge, and they’re just throwing their lives away.

I just urge everyone to exercise common sense, self-restraint, to know when you’re reaching your limit, to know that maybe you might be too tired, too hungry, too desperate, too broke, too angry, just too whatever, dot, dot, dot, fill in the blanks, to really deal with the general public. Dealing with the general public and other people who really don’t have any sort of compassion for what you do or what kind of day you’ve had is probably not a good idea for you to mix and mingle in situations like that. Just know when enough is enough, listen to your gut and just don’t allow people or situations to get out of control to the point where you would act in a way that may be detrimental for the rest of your life.

Well, here’s a question. If you feel yourself getting to that point where enough is enough, let us know in the comments what you do to kind of do a reset. Do you go home? Do you take a break? Do you turn off the app? Do you turn on these videos? What is it that you do to kind of do a reset when you’re at the point where this job becomes really frustrating and you might kick somebody in the face? I don’t know what you do, I don’t know what limits you go to when you’re angry. Let us know in the comments, I’m going to read every single comment and respond to the ones that are engaging and contribute to the conversation.

If you like this video, please give me a thumbs up, your engagement is important. If you haven’t left any comments, just a thumbs up lets me know that you’re watching, and I appreciate it. If you guys have any tips, news, or anything like that that you’d want me to cover, anything you would like for me to share on our new segment, please hit me up as well. You can find me on Facebook, you can find me on my own YouTube channel, Drive Girl Drive.

Definitely subscribe to Harry’s channel, it is the ish. There are a lot of tips, resources, and news for new drivers, tons and tons and tons. I think that’s it. I’m out, I hope you guys enjoyed my dining room table, next time I’m going to move around and we’ll probably end up in the living room. Take care. Bye.