Lyft drivers argue that Taco Bell's partnership with Lyft will leave them with less pay and more mess. (iStock)
Taco Bell and Lyft have recently announced plans to debut “a unique ride-thru” experience called Taco Mode, which would allow patrons to request a pit-stop at their local Taco Bell during late-night Lyft rides. But while “Taco Mode” may prove popular with fans of Crunchwraps and XXL Chalupas, there’s one group of people who aren’t too thrilled about it: the Lyft drivers themselves.
“Somebody at Lyft needs to be fired for this idea,” wrote one Reddit user in response to the announcement.
According to another Lyft employee who complained on Reddit, Lyft isn’t paying its drivers anything extra to chauffer people to and from Taco Bell. What’s more, many others complained of the stains and smells that would permeate their cars’ upholstery after a few “Taco Mode” trips, reports Gizmodo.
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“All 'just a quick stop' request[s] are money losers. I'm getting paid $2.39 for this short ride, now I have to spend 15 min in a Taco Bell drive through to make my car smell like fast food. With no extra pay from Lyft. No thanks,” wrote MrRGG, a Lyft driver who posted his comments to a Reddit thread titled “Every once in a while I think maybe Lyft does think about the drivers a little better than Uber. Then they pull s--- like this.”
“I'm not dirtying/staining my van and making it smell like dead animals for a couple measly bucks before depreciation, risk, time and taxes,” argued another user named Aldebaran333.I NEVER eat or let friends eat in it myself, so I'll be damned if some drunk dude will be … I get far more tips BECAUSE it smells great, is spotless and fresh, and isn't nasty like a cab.”
Lyft originally announced plans for Taco Mode on Tuesday, promoting it as “the ultimate Taco Bell experience.”
“Taco Mode is an in app option for Lyft riders, providing passengers with the ultimate Taco Bell experience — including a free Doritos Locos Taco when you ride-thru Taco Bell on the way to your next destination,” the company wrote in a blog post.
In a press release, Marisa Thalberg, Taco Bell’s chief marketing officer, added that Taco Mode option will “erase any lingering uncertainty” that Lyft riders feel about asking their driver to make a pit-stop.
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But if there’s any silver lining for Lyft drivers, it’s this: Taco Bell and Lyft’s Taco Mode promotion doesn’t start until Thursday, and even then, it will only be available to riders in Orange County, Calif., between the hours of 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., and only on the weekends of July 27 and August 3. Furthermore, only one Taco Bell location in Newport Beach will be participating during the Taco Mode testing phase.
However, if Lyft and Taco Bell deem the promotion a success, they plan to expand to other cities around the country in 2018.
A representative for Lyft was not immediately available for comment.
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