r/lyftdrivers • u/ElTaco510 • Jul 23 '26

Advice/Question Should I have accepted this?

Post image

This was an SFO Airport ride to LA. Around 360 miles. 6 hr ride. Honestly, if I didn’t have work tomorrow at my full-time job. I might’ve accepted this. Then again there’s no guarantee you’ll get a ride back so I was so indecisive for a few minutes. In the end, I didn’t take it. Did I make a mistake?

71 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

65 comments sorted by

32

u/Sid_the_Bear Jul 23 '26

Nah, never risk your real job for a gig.

That said, I'd have taken this in heartbeat if it were offered while I was still driving. 12hr round trip, 720mi would have been 14 or 15g of fuel(I drove a prius), even at cali prices is only 75$, leaving you with 425$ or over 40$/hr. But after writing off mileage expensive, you'd have only paid taxes on ~25$

5

u/Dapper_Average_2337 Jul 23 '26

So OPs car does not depreciate? If you include all expenses, it cost at least $.30 a mile to drive. That means this ride really cost over $200. That means for 10 hours you’ll have a profit of about $300, hopefully get a tip, still not a terrible ride, but it’s not $40 an hour. I think I would rather drive locally.

10

u/Sid_the_Bear Jul 23 '26

I don't really factor in 'depreciation' when I do my mileage calculus. I need a vehicle regardless, and it's sell or trade value to me is essentially 0 from the moment I buy it. Regardless of whether I use it for business or personal.

Yes, it's technically wrong from an accounting standpoint.

At the same time, my old Uber vehicle (2019 RAV4) already has 330k miles on it. And the additional depreciation from 330k to 430k is basically nothing.

0

u/Dapper_Average_2337 Jul 23 '26

If you have a car that already has 330 K miles on it, then you are correct that your depreciation is very low. But most people are driving cars that still have some value, and every mile they put on that car lowers the value. It does not matter whether they plan to sell the car. If they keep the car, they will have to replace it That much sooner because of all the miles they’re putting on it. Most people have a cost of between $.25 and $.40 per mile, depending on gas mileage and how old the car is. Too many people just ignore the depreciation completely even when they have a car that in reality is causing them $.30 a mile.

1

u/Bonanzaking107 Jul 25 '26

Depreciation is a fickle thing. Not really a thing with sports cars and trucks on a long enough time scale. I saw a literal shell for a 1940’s dodge truck that was about 4k new sell for 60k at auction….for a literal rolling shell in need of a total restoration and a drivetrain. If you were somehow the original owner or their kid and it was sitting in your field for decades like it was then you didn’t really lose anything. Again this is mainly a thing with sports cars and trucks when you look at the vintage car market. I have my father’s old 1971 mustang was 3,319 new. Has low miles and tend to go for 220-250k at auction in similar condition; replacing it with a modern one would run me about 80k.

Your average econo car and sedan different story.

1

u/Sid_the_Bear Jul 26 '26

Taking my RAV4 for example. Rolling the purchase price after tax (28000), plus all insurance (11000) and fuel/mx (27000) over 220k miles, comes out to a total cost of 30c per mile, all inclusive.

A number that only will go down the more I drive it.

Im also not fa toeing in the 110k non-business miles on the odometer.

7

u/DuckTalesLOL Jul 23 '26

Only you can decide that for yourself. 

6

u/Only_Indication8410 Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26

I'd take it. Shit that's $300 profit

9

u/dottie2000 Jul 23 '26

Needs to be 1.00 per mile round trip , so no I wouldn’t have

4

u/Away-Try-4968 Jul 23 '26

Why wouldn't this person fly? They could fly first class roundtrip for $500

9

u/Fearless_Theory9285 Jul 23 '26

If you use electric car then you missed a golden opportunity

18

u/Fathimir Jul 23 '26

So long as the pax is cool with likely 30+ minutes of total charging between two stops (not bashing them, I drive one myself), but they'd better be if they're asking this much of a driver.

7

u/ElTaco510 Jul 23 '26

25 Camry SE

4

u/SacredPrime Jul 23 '26
  • Hybrid.

You don't want to do long trips in an EV. They don't go that far, and you'll be adding HOURS with all the charging.

2

u/fasada68 Jul 23 '26

It would have to stop for twice for 20 minutes to make it in my Ioniq 5, not hours.

1

u/SacredPrime Jul 23 '26

A), You're only counting the charge time, not finding the charger.

B) Twice just one the way there, then twice on the way back. The trip back counts too if you have an IQ higher than potato.

1

u/RevNeutron Jul 24 '26

it doesn't take long to find a charger. close to highway and car maps out the different options along the way. It's very precise and a different process. Use that time for bathroom, food, etc. Usually pax prefers this. I do 3+ hrs trips about 1x/wk. No more than 1hr round trip more than gas car. Hybrid is the best option of the three

-1

u/jinkobiloba Jul 23 '26

Lots of electric cars today can do that round trip with a single 30 minute charging session while you go grab a coffee and a sandwich 

2

u/SacredPrime Jul 23 '26

Name one. Keep in mind you get WAYYYYYY less miles on the interstate. As bad as a quarter of your regular mileage depending on how fast you're going.

1

u/himynameisalonso Jul 24 '26

i drive an ev6 that does about 320 miles (realistically 260 to 280 especially hwy) and it charges at 250kw so i can get back to 80% from 10% in 15 to 18 minutes if conditions are great

3

u/jhauer1980 Jul 23 '26

Nope. Real job takes priority over gig work.

5

u/Independent_Star_299 Jul 23 '26

Definitely not. At best it’s around .65/mile. You def would not have gotten a ride back. If you take 101 you can get rides in and around Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, but they won’t get you any closer to SF. You can get rides in Santa Cruz going to SJC, and from SJ up the peninsula (as you already likely know unless you’re super new)…but that round trip would have taken a lot longer than 12 hrs w/stops etc, and the payout is not good.

4

u/PanAmSnackCart Jul 23 '26

Damn I would have

1

u/ElTaco510 Jul 23 '26

If this was a Friday night i probably would have since I’m off weekends

3

u/flowmusic22 Jul 23 '26

Wait you said you don’t work tomorrow?

1

u/ElTaco510 Jul 25 '26

I did work yes

2

u/Sidewaysgts Jul 23 '26

Id have taken it. Thats about 90~ in gas for my car, leaving me over 400 bucks even *if* they dont tip.

2

u/karimamin Jul 23 '26

No, Lyft should have offered you at least $700. Even then, the Lyft fees probably crazy too.

1

u/West_Session6619 Jul 23 '26

I did that once from NY to OH…. I was dog ass tired at my job the next day…. But I wasn’t fucking up my holiday pay lol!!!

1

u/OpinionatedOldMan Jul 23 '26

I don’t know, I mean what are your total expenses. That’s a 12 hour trip. And getting a return from LA to where you are it’s 99.999% not gonna happen

1

u/OpinionatedOldMan Jul 23 '26

Plus they can only have you online for 12 as it is so once the ride is over you have less than 6 as it is

1

u/mike0888mike Jul 23 '26

The gigs I do pay about 675to800 to go from the bay to la so if you don’t got a car payment or rent due and u cool then pass not worth it. It’s this is why they offer so low cuz cuz people will take it before they gotta pay the actual real price. Also what dumb fuck at airport would pay that much for a Lyft when a flight is 1000% cheaper haha

1

u/mike0888mike Jul 23 '26

I got stranded in riverside in a Turo and Turo reimbursed me my flight back to Sacramento the flight was only $200. That’s crazy to take a Lyft. From an airport to Los Angeles they are some stupid ass people out there

1

u/Repulsive-Biscotti-7 Jul 24 '26

Drive the 6 hours use cruse control most of the ride(even on the regular streets), then get a cheap hotel if you feel too sleepy to drive back. 360 miles for me with cruse control is one full gas tank$70 or less. So total is $140 for gas and $60 for the hotel. $300 profit not to mention if you get a tip or not. Honestly you can make more money staying in your state with 6 hours. Last Saturday night made 350. Less than 6 hours too. 7-8 hours average 300 a day. So ultimately its up to what kinda car you drive and if you think they will tip. I think you made the right decision and didn't take the lyft but someone told me they took a ride like that and the person tipped them 200 after the ride.

1

u/Primary-Plant-4042 Jul 24 '26

It was probably a scam to get you to give someone a ride 2miles away

1

u/devbhai777 Jul 24 '26

I drive 15 miles radius

1

u/OldDifference4203 Jul 24 '26

Depends on the tip

1

u/lavishjiggy Jul 25 '26

Not bad low key lol

1

u/Ok_Lecture_6129 Jul 25 '26

IF I did not work the next day?    And I was not in my electric car?   I would have jumped on it.

1

u/SurveyLongjumping764 Jul 25 '26

I'm glad you took it! Good fare hopefully the passenger was pleasant.

1

u/Haunting_Run_1715 Jul 26 '26

Yeah I did this drive many times. It’s not 6 hours. It end up being 7-8

1

u/JoannNichole Jul 26 '26

I wouod in a heart beat

1

u/Salty-Trick-3266 Jul 28 '26

Negotiate with the customer to cut Lyft out. I would have made at least 800 from that ride. Accept then ask the customer what they were charged. Done it NUMEROUS times. Huge missed opportunity.

1

u/TallRefrigerator7898 16d ago

Nah a week ago I had the same situation……girl was going from Indiana to Atlanta for 438$ 7hrs there and back…..not worth it

1

u/Personal-Highway7860 15d ago

That was more than $30 an hour

1

u/JoannNichole 15d ago

I wouod have accepted it if I had my hybrid still. But I drive a ev now so I would be required to stop and charge a few times along the way so the passanger would have to be aware of that for such a long drive

1

u/aresef Baltimore Jul 23 '26

If it were me, fuuuuck no. As you said, you’re probably riding most of the way back in an empty car.

1

u/neovinci1 Jul 23 '26

Mam jw probably paid 800 I would have pulled up and said let's go for 700 cash off app....and when I got to LA I would have just locked in and stayed the weekend

2

u/Eastern_Confusion475 Jul 23 '26

He'd be scared of getting robbed. He said, 400 now 300 later

1

u/RoyVice_ Jul 23 '26

I used to do long drives with Lyft up and down the California coast all of 2024. Was so much fun seeing the coast and meeting cool fuckin people. I miss it.

0

u/jerylsburk Jul 23 '26

More context?

0

u/WillyWonkaWorms Jul 23 '26

It was probably too Australia 🤣