Saturday, April 07, 2018

Lyft driver abandons pilot in parking lot after learning he would only make $6 on ride

A pilot for a major airliner is accusing a Lyft driver of ditching him in a random parking lot on his way to LAX after realizing how little money he would be making on the trip.

On Thursday morning, pilot Darryl, who requested his last name not be used, used the ride-hailing app Lyft to take him to Los Angeles International Airport where he was catching a flight at 7:30 am, KTLA reported.

Darryl said his initial Lyft ride had been canceled because the driver was too far from where the pilot was staying in Hermosa Beach, California. The second driver was coming from LAX when he picked Darryl up.

"He ... picked me up, I loaded the bag and we and we started to leave, and then I guess he looked at – the destination popped up on his phone at that time, and then he got very frustrated," Darryl said in a Skype interview to KTLA. "He did not want to go back to LAX."

Darryl, who was dressed in his pilot uniform, informed the driver he needed to be at the airport to catch an early-morning flight, the news site reported. Darryl alleges the driver began to drive dangerously, "gunning it" down streets and "running stop signs," he said in the interview.

However, as the ride continued, the driver allegedly began to voice concerns about how little money he would be making on the ride and that he wanted to drop the pilot off in a Trader Joe’s parking lot in Hermosa Beach, about 6 miles south of the airport, KTLA reported.

When the driver pulled into the grocery store parking lot, Darryl began filming the incident. In the released footage, Darryl asks the driver why he is "kicking" him out of the car.

"Say why you're doing this again?" Darryl can be heard asking the driver. "I've done nothing wrong and you're kicking me out of the car?"

The driver responds, “I have the right to refuse service,” before saying he just came from LAX and after “45 minutes of driving” he will only make $6.

"That doesn't sound right to me," the driver said.

"Dude. I used the app to get a driver. You came and picked me up. And now you're just dropping me off in a parking lot?" Darryl asks.

The driver apologizes and tells Darryl in the recording, "I’m sorry man, I can’t make $6 an hour."

Once the driver leaves, Darryl called another Lyft who took him to the airport.

Darryl said he arrived 15 minutes late for his flight.

The pilot said he contacted the company to tell them about the incident. Instead of an apology, Darryl told KTLA he received a "standard" form letter from Lyft informing him the matter would be taken seriously.

"They assured me that I would never be paired with that driver again and I thought you got to be kidding me. He still worked for Lyft," Darryl said to KTLA.

While Darryl said he will still continue to use ride-hailing services, he said he wasn’t pleased with Lyft’s response, according to KTLA. He did say the company reached out to him Friday morning, but would not reveal how they would be dealing with the driver involved.

Lyft did not immediately return Fox News’ request for comment.

Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.foxnews.com



A man who ordered a Lyft to take him to Los Angeles International Airport this week was dropped off at a random parking lot instead after the driver realized how little money he would be making on the trip, according to a video recording of the incident.

Darryl, a pilot for a major airline who didn't want his last name used or his employer identified, was headed to LAX on Thursday morning for work when the incident took place.

He was on a tight schedule when the driver apparently realized it wasn't worth it financially for him to get the passenger to his destination and abruptly decided to abandon him.

Like many, Darryl had turned to the ride-hailing app when he needed to get to the airport.

His initial ride was canceled after the first Lyft driver realized he was already 15 minutes away from where Darryl was staying in Hermosa Beach. The second driver who responded happened to be coming from LAX when he went to pick him up, Darryl told KTLA in a Skype interview from Miami on Friday.

“He ... picked me up, I loaded the bag and we started to leave, and then I guess he looked at – the destination popped up on his phone at that time, and then he got very frustrated,” Darryl said. “He did not want to go back to LAX.”

Darryl, who was in his uniform at that time, told the driver he was a pilot and explained he needed to be at the airport by 7:30 a.m. to catch a flight. He even showed the young man his rank and wings.

Although the driver still appeared frustrated, he continued on with the ride, "gunning it" on South Bay surface streets and even "running stop signs," according to Darryl.

“Normally I would have said something but at that point I needed to be at work. So I just thought, ‘I’ll go along for the ride and see what happens,'" he said.

It wasn't until they got to Sepulveda Boulevard that the driver started talking about how little he was making on that ride, telling Darryl that he wanted to drop him off in the Trader Joe’s parking lot in Hermosa Beach, which is about 7 miles from LAX.

About to be kicked out of the vehicle, Darryl whipped out his cellphone and began filming the incident. He said he did so because things were quickly going downhill.

"Say why you're doing this again," Darryl can be heard asking the driver, who KTLA is not identifying. "I've done nothing wrong and you're kicking me out of the car?"

The driver responds that he has the right to refuse service; but then, he reveals the real reason he wants to abandon the ride – he'll only make $6 for what would end up being about an hour's worth of driving.

"That doesn't sound right to me," the driver said.

"Dude. I used the app to get a driver. You came and picked me up. And now you're just dropping me off in a parking lot?" an incredulous Darryl responded.

The driver then appeared to stop the vehicle and unlock the car doors.

Darryl made one last attempt with the driver, asking him, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

The driver apologized to the passenger, again citing the low hourly pay while also acknowledging that the exchange was being filmed.

"It's fine that you recorded it" he said. "But I'm sorry, man, I can't make $6 an hour."

The approximately 50-second video ends there.

By then, it was 7:18 a.m. and Darryl wasn't going to make it to work on time. He called for another Lyft, which took him the rest of the way. He said he arrived at the airport 15 minutes late, but was grateful to the other driver who got him to his destination.

Afterward, Darryl contacted the company to inform them of what transpired on his original ride.

He hoped for an apology, but instead, Darryl said, he received just a "standard" form letter from Lyft assuring him the matter would be taken very seriously and that he would never be paired up with that driver again.

Darryl added that while he will continue to use ride-hailing services, he's displeased with Lyft's response to his complaint.

He said the company reached out to him again Friday morning, but would not discuss how they would be handling the driver involved.

“The driver – I hope he doesn’t work for that company again. I couldn’t believe that you would abandon somebody in the parking lot.” Darryl said. “That’s crazy.”

KTLA has reached out to Lyft for comment but has yet to hear back.

Original article can be found here ➤ http://ktla.com

24 comments:

  1. So what is wrong with going into the old wallet and getting a 'twenty' for the driver? Sounds like he would have continued if paid a commensurate amount. You could deal with the corporate office later....at least you would have been there sooner. And you are in the cockpit making decisions like this? Yikes!

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  2. ^ Agree 100 percent with the above commenter.

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  3. That's right daddy big bucks pilot should have reached in his pocket !

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  4. Interesting that *Daryl the pilot with major airline* only starts video recording after he's shown the door. Personally, I would have loved viewing the entire scenario. I'll bet that would tell a whole another side of this story. Cheap a$$ bastard!

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  5. Never underestimate just how cheap some pilots can be.

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  6. Whether the pilot could afford to pay the driver more money or not is totally irrelevant. The instant this driver picked up this passenger he entered into a contract. His decision not to follow through with that contract is inexcusable. It was the driver’s choice to work for Lyft & I’m sure he knew or should have known what he signed up for. I’m appalled at the responses of the pinheads above who are siding with the driver. Is nothing sacred anymore? It used to be all that was needed was a handshake to provide a service. Come on people, let’s maintain a little respect, integrity & profesionalism in our interactions. This nariciistic driver showed a total lack of respect for the pilot & a flagrant disregard for the several hundred airline passengers who would be inconvenienced because he opted to ditch his responsibilities. This driver should never work again for Lyft or Uber.

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  7. Pilot disrespected the Lyft driver by referring to him as "dude". Pilot never asked the Lyft driver for his name. When the word "dude" is used with the person you are addressing it is INFORMAL. By using an informal term in a situation that calls for formality, I am refusing to acknowledge the importance of the Lyft driver and thus disrespecting their position.

    Since the pilot acted INFORMAL he could have defused the situation and said, "Look buddy, I will give you $20 tip, just get me to KLAX".

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  8. This pilot should be demoted for stupidity. WHY did he not simply offer the guy an extra twenty dollars, catch his flight, not imperil his career, and THEN deal with the company?

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  9. I find it odd that the pilot didn't video record the "driving dangerously, gunning it down streets and running stop signs", etc. The pilot wanted to escalate the situation, recording the ending conversation and not offering the driver a few bucks to get to his destination on time. He thinks he's the smart guy, working by the rules and get a large sum from LYFT.

    YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU GET! Hail a real cab! They do it for a living, they're licensed and insured. Guess what? You have to PAY for that....

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  10. If the LYFT driver was gonna make 6 bucks, that's a 9 dollar fare - pilot Darryl makes what? $178,100 minimum a year. Use your brain and throw the guy a 20 spot, get to LAX and quit your damn whining you f'n crybaby.

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  11. The problem with the internet someone allways will do something cheaper ,not better ! The pilot was responsible for his passengers not the dude ! The other problem daryls other brother in az !!

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  12. Now "major-airline pilot Darryl" knows how it feels to be bumped from a flight because of a higher paying passenger. Too funny.

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  13. I would not get on a commercial aircraft with a pilot that uses the word "dude".

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  14. Rule #1 when running a business: THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT, EVEN WHEN WRONG
    Rule #2: Look above.

    The pinheads here are all non pilots who ignore the fact most pilots make meager wages and only in their last years of career and after having tens of thousands of hours reach any meaningful salary on par with a prison guard in California, or a taxi driver in NYC making 250-300k off his stupid medalion and crap service in the Uber pre days.

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  15. No rules here, just the real-life business facts ....

    The customer is not always right. Making LYFT drivers believe that 'Daryl, the pilot of a major airline' is always right, is making them dejected. "The customer is always right' eventually hurts the business by demotivating LYFT drivers, giving power to offensive 'major airline pilot Darryl', and also by creating bad experiences for the other LYFT customers. Support LYFT drivers to do their best while dealing with customers without allowing the impolite Darryl dictate rules.

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  16. Okay .... Go to work for Lyft or Ãœber whose primary purpose is to undercut the more highly regulated forms of transport then complain about the pay? What did you expect?

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  17. Let me spank Darryl for you. I'll punish him!!

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  18. The driver already knew what he was going to make for this trip when he accepted the ride. When realized he had picked up a pilot in uniform, I bet he saw dollar signs thought he could take advantage of him squeeze a few extra bucks out of him. I'm sure he thought the pilot would cave as soon as he pulled over, just like the pinheads above think he should have done. I'm glad he didn't. This would have set a very bad precedent for the rest of us who use these services. I make it a practice to tip these drivers generously when they are nice, but I wouldn't want my arm twisted behind my back to do so. These drivers know what they're getting into when they sign up to drive for these services. When it's not your business, you need to follow their rules; you can't make up your own damn rules on the fly. Hope really hope they fired his a$$.

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  19. I can't wait for all those $$$ whores that are taxi drivers, recycled as Uber or Lyft drivers (yes we know who you are and the same "drivers" are again at it polluting those peer to peer services) to be replaced by self driving cars.

    Luddites be damned you will learn the usual way, with a technological kick in the butt, that only the humans that are nice and provide an outstanding service, and which is not PC, look good, will thrive in this new environment.

    Maybe sex dolls robots will drive the new generation of cars... in which case I will be destressed by such an extra service, not stressed and looking forward to exiting a vehicle I just boarded with a jackass that realized he can blackmail me.

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  20. BTw to the idiot who says the customer is not always right... the customer will just take his business somewhere else. And you will revel in your rightness as service provider for a service no one will want.

    When I pay for something I am a dictator. This is not a democracy where me and the service provider decide on how I spend my money. I earn my money, I keep my money if I want when I do not accept the service or its level of quality.

    The Pilot could have easily paid the bribe money to the driver, probably originating from cultural background where such thing is expected.

    But guess what? Pilots stick to rules as this is also their job to do so. And by principle he refused to let corruption take place.

    I would have done the same and if I use Uber or Lyft it is not to pay tips. In fact I never took taxis but now use those providers exactly because the price defined is the price paid.

    The customer is always right! By the rules of the Universe.

    Go to Cuba or North Korea if you want a different point of view... and see the results in those countries.

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  21. What's the difference between a taxi driver and an airline pilot ? What if the driver got BUMPED on his way to his taxi ? Should he pay more ? Do taxis have auto taxi ? Why do planes have autopilots ? Some customers are also d**ks! (Aka mr or Mrs. P.i.t.a.) Sometime you have to fire the customer and let them be miserable somewhere else!!!

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  22. The pilot is not very smart evidently . Geeze man, Give the driver $40-50 bucks and
    get to the airport . You should know your going to get the shaft when you climb in
    the car with these guys to begin with . On the other hand this is 2018 and nobody
    is going to drive you any distance for $6.00 bucks . Mr. ATP pilot needs to get i
    into the real world .........He doesn't fly an airplane for nothing . Pay the man
    and stop being a jerk .

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  23. As a reasonable person, given that the video doesn't show the entire encounter and I wasn't there, I don't have an opinion as to who's right and who's wrong. Am I still allowed on the Internet?

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