Photo of the aftermath of an uninsured vehicle hitting a motorcycle on Lombard Street.
When people sign up to either drive for or ride with Lyft or Sidecar, they need to download an app. In order to download the apps they need to click a box saying that they agree with the companies' terms. Most people never bother to read the terms (or contracts) to which they are agreeing, and I used to be the same. Any time I needed to agree to anything to download something, I just naturally clicked "yes."
Lyft & Sidecar are counting on us to act this way. The terms of both these companies print out to over twenty pages of 12pt type and would be almost impossible to make sense of on a smart phone. Before I wrote 100,000 Uninsured Rides and Counting: Undercover at Lyft and Sidecar, it was very difficult to even find the terms on their websites because they were buried in obscure places. The terms can now be found on the front pages of both sites – near the bottom in very small print.
After coming into contact with Lyft and Sidecar, I now print out whatever terms I may be interested in and read them thoroughly before I agree to anything. I'd like to thank CEO's John Zimmer and Sunil Paul for correcting my overly optimistic views on the natural goodness of human nature. I'm sure my new found skepticism will serve me well in the future.
By way of contrast with a legitimate business; When I signed up to drive for Desoto Cab, Operations Manager Greg Cochran and I went over the contract together, and we both signed off on every clause.
By way of contrast with a legitimate business; When I signed up to drive for Desoto Cab, Operations Manager Greg Cochran and I went over the contract together, and we both signed off on every clause.
For those of you – especially those of you who ride with, or drive for, one of these illegal taxi services – I'm providing you links to the contracts that you've signed so that you can read them (probably) for the first time. If you haven't, I strongly advise you to do so.
Lyft's Terms
Sidcar's Terms of Service
But before doing so you might want to glance at a recent post about a female Lyft customer who has been stalked by a Lyft driver. To be fair, I should point out that no background check is likely to turn up the fact that somebody is a creep since being a creep isn't illegal - at least not within limits.
However, if a woman would run into the similar behavior in a legal taxicab, she would be able to call both the cab company and 311 in San Francisco, and expect some action to be taken on her behalf. At Lyft & Sidecar, one can expect no help whatsoever.
(To read some highlights from the agreement you may have signed, click below.)
Lyft's Terms
Sidcar's Terms of Service
But before doing so you might want to glance at a recent post about a female Lyft customer who has been stalked by a Lyft driver. To be fair, I should point out that no background check is likely to turn up the fact that somebody is a creep since being a creep isn't illegal - at least not within limits.
However, if a woman would run into the similar behavior in a legal taxicab, she would be able to call both the cab company and 311 in San Francisco, and expect some action to be taken on her behalf. At Lyft & Sidecar, one can expect no help whatsoever.
(To read some highlights from the agreement you may have signed, click below.)
